Just off National Highway 1A, about 80 kilometers from the central coast city of Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa city in Phu Yen province is famous for its primitive landscapes including O Loan Lagoon, Mai Nha (Roof) island and Da Dia Rapids.
Loan Lagoon, which has been recognized as a national tourist site, covers about 1,200 hectares. The west side of the lagoon is surrounded by small hills and the east side is the tomb of Cao Bien, a national hero. It is located at the end of Quan Cau pass, near National Highway 1A. Tourists can hire a boat from a local fisherman for VND200,000 to enjoy its scenery.
The area of the lagoon is famous for oyster and cockle dishes and crab. Oysters make good food like soup or fried dishes. However, it is most delicious in a mix with peanuts, tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables. After rowing around the immense lagoon, tourists will want to head straight for a restaurant to enjoy indigenous specialties.
Leaving O Loan, tourists should go on to An Hai beach and Mai Nha island, a quiet speck of land belonging to Phu Yen province and endowed with unspoiled beaches and bizarre rock formations. It is called Mai Nha for the simple reason that it looks like the roof of an ancient red-tiled house when viewed from afar.
On sunny weekends, groups of fishermen often hire boats to go fishing on the island. They sit on the rocks all day to fish and to enjoy the pleasant sound of the waves.
Only a few families live on the island by farming and breeding cattle. Like everywhere else in rural Vietnam, the people here are friendly and hospitable.
There are no restaurants on the island so bring food and water.
Da Dia (Stone Plate) Rapids is a must-see attraction in Tuy An district. The strange rocks here include large upright stones in a symmetrical pattern that looks like a baffling riddle of nature set in stone for all time. It’s like a giant jigsaw, irritatingly made of the same shaped pieces, and forming a solidified structure that has proved more than just a curiosity for thousands. Looking down on it, visitors often liken it to a gigantic beehive, others as a pile of stone plates.
Archaeologists say that the rapids were formed from a volcano thousands of years ago. Exhausted researchers usually call a halt after counting around 35,000 stone columns which look like they were carefully arranged by a large hand. The rapids have been listed as a National Heritage Site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.