The white sandy beaches and coral reefs of Binh Ba island are only a short motorbike and boat ride from Cam Ranh Township in the central coast province of Khanh Hoa.
The coral island presents a change of pace from the province’s bustling capital, the beach resort town of Nha Trang.
To get to the island, go to Cam Ranh bus station and take a motorbike taxi for VND10,000 to Ba Ngoi Wharf. From the wharf, there is a boat to Binh Ba at 10 a.m. for VND10,000 per person and VND5,000 per student. There are two boats that head back to the mainland - at 5 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Nom Beach is a quiet little stretch of smooth sand and very blue water. Along the beach are some rocks, where it is nice to sit and watch the waves. Locals use the beach in summer for bathing and often go there at night when the moon is full for small parties.
The path from Nom Beach to Chuong Beach passes wild flowers, colorful snails and rocky outcrops with small caves. If you take your snorkel and goggles to Chuong Beach, you can see many colorful corals in the sea. There are also a lot of bird nests on the island making it interesting for nature enthusiasts.
A short hike up the hill there are ruins of an old French military base. The top of the hill has beautiful sunset views.
Most of the island residents are fishermen. Shrimp is the main catch.
There are very few if any facilities for tourists on Binh Ba, so it’s important to prepare a good picnic lunch or take a tent if you want to stay the night. Otherwise you can eat at some small restaurants and ask one of the locals if you could stay the night. The beach, however, is a great place to camp and have a barbecue.