DRAWING YACHTS TO VIETNAM, WHICH IS SITUATED STRATEGICALLY IN THE REGION’S CRUISING GROUNDS.
VIETNAM IS A MUST-SEE destination. With highlights such as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), tranquil Nha Trang with its beautiful bays, islands and beaches, energetic Da Nang with Hoi An and Hue as impressive historical neighbouring villages, and stunning Ha Long Bay – one of Unesco’s World Heritage Sites – there are more than enough reasons to explore this charming region.
Vietnam is situated strategically in Asia’s yacht cruising grounds and a logical destination for private vessels that ply the seas between Southeast and Northern Asia. The Vietnamese government has put a lot of effort recently into the promotion of tourism to compete with neighbouring destinations such as Thailand and Malaysia, resulting in relaxed visa regulations and even exemptions.
In addition, many airports have been upgraded and expanded to meet the growing demand. Parallel to these improvements is the rapid development of international-standard hotels. Well-known international brands with award-winning properties such as the Intercontinental Resort in Da Nang and the fabled Amanoi Resort near Nha Trang are good examples.
Social platforms such as TripAdvisor are also contributing a lot to this development and several locations in Vietnam are hailed as new, ‘must-visit’ destinations.
Cruising Rules
The current rules and regulations in Vietnam are still somewhat out-dated and unsophisticated, and as such a visiting yacht is considered to be a small cruise ship.
Many port officials are still unfamiliar with vessels that have a pleasure or private yacht registration. Confusion about endorsement and competence of crew, the difference between Owners, passengers and guests, absence of load line and/or tonnage documents, IOPP certificates, etc leave these officers with many boxes they can’t tick and that makes them nervous – they may be held responsible for incomplete procedures.
Due to bureaucratic procedures and organisation in ports, the approval of one officer can conflict with that of another. In order to protect their position or status, they can be hesitant to process a clearance that is out of the usual. Also, regulations can differ from place to place and depends on the interpretation of local authorities.
Nevertheless, there’s been an improvement in the way foreign yachts are dealt with and the authorities have become more understanding and flexible. As such a dialogue is evolving between yacht agents, authorities, and lawmakers that should further improve the situation.
On the Horizon
Vietnam is an easy and friendly country. Its strategic location between Hong Kong and Singapore – and the availability of fuel, water, and fresh provisions – is highly convenient.
Due to the developing economy and favourable trade agreements, more foreign yacht manufacturers such as Seawind Catamarans and Corsair Marine are coming to Vietnam. Well-known European builders such as Sunseeker and Azimut are present already with their products for sale to the country’s growing number of affluent people.
Most foreign yachts calling in Vietnam are either cruising with their Owners, on delivery trips, or conducting promotional events. ‘Real’ yacht charter business is in its infancy. However, the charter business is growing and overall the marine industry is expanding.
With a few marinas under design and construction, the expectation is that yachting will soon become a significant part of the economy.
WHERE TO GO IN VIETNAM
PORTS AND DESTINATIONS
HA LONG CITY
Port Name: Quang Ninh Maritime Port; Hon Gai Anchorage Area
GPS Coordinates: 20º 57’ 00” N, 107º 30’ 40” E –20º 55’ 70” N, 107º 30’ 80” E
Pilot Boarding Area: 20º 43’ 30” N, 107º 10’ 05” E
Remarks
Tender quay for (un)boarding of passengers is along Ha Long Street, approximately 2nm from anchorage.
Length of Access Channel: 36km, consisting of two sections:
From Buoy 0 to Hon Mot islet: 22.5km, channel depth 13m-20m
From Hon Mot to Cai Lan Port: 10.5km, channel depth -10m
Tidal regime: Diurnal, average tidal range 3.2m.
Maximum size of vessel accepted: 75,000 DWT
The immigration authorities in Ha Long demand that yachts acquire security services from the department. In practice this means that either an immigration officer will stay on board or a patrol boat will be anchored close by.
It’s not allowed to cruise through Ha Long Bay with private yachts, except for arrival and departure with a pilot on board. A local boat needs to be chartered.
Attractions
A cruise on Ha Long Bay for many represents the pinnacle of their experience in Vietnam. Easily one of the most popular destinations in the country, UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay never
fails to impress.
A huge bay, dotted with nearly 2,000 limestone cliffs, the breath-taking scenery is similar to that of Phang Nga Bay in Thailand, Vang Vieng in Laos, and Guilin in China.
Created over millions of years, tectonic forces slowly thrust the limestone above the waterline. During this process erosion carved out a number of caverns, as well as tunnel caves and uniquely shaped massifs.
Local fishermen noticed shapes in the stone massifs atop many of the islands and named islands accordingly – Turtle Island, Human Head Island, Chicken Island. Fishermen still live on the bay, in floating fishing villages with houses set atop barges.
DA NANG
Port Name: Da Nang Port; Tien Sa Terminal
GPS Coordinates: 16º 07’ 02” N, 108º 12’ 08” E
Pilot Boarding Area: 16º 10’ 00” N, 108º 11’ 00” E
Remarks
Approach channel from pilot station to Tien Sa Terminal: 8 Nautical miles, channel depth 10-17m.
Tidal regime: semi-diurnal, average tidal range: 0.9m.
Max. draft: -12m.
Maximum size of vessel accepted: 45,000 DWT
Fuel supply available by truck.
Attractions
Da Nang will have a familiar ring to anyone acquainted with America’s military past in Vietnam, as it was home to one-fifth of all US service people, and a transit or R&R spot for most of the rest, making it one of the most occupied – and heavily defended – cities in South Vietnam.
Most visitors who pass through Da Nang are on their way to Hoi An, one of Vietnam’s premier tourist attractions. Those who linger are most likely sunseekers at the gorgeous China Beach.
There’s more to Da Nang than the beach; there’s the excellent Cham Museum, which is a great primer for a visit to My Son, further south. The city also has a large Cao Dai temple and pleasant, wide, leafy boulevards. There are good options for eating and drinking. The immediate area includes attractions like Marble Mountain, Monkey Mountain and the Ba Na Hill Station.
HOI AN
The majority of Hoi An’s most beautiful buildings were constructed from the 15th to 19th Centuries. Pale-yellow houses draped in bougainvillea, shop fronts lit with silk lanterns, women in conical hats – life in Hoi An looks like a charming picture postcard. In 1999, the riverside town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in an effort to preserve its core architecture – a unique mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and European styles.
The number of traders visiting Hoi An escalated as the centuries marched on, with the Portuguese, Dutch, British and French all making appearances, along with the ever-present Chinese, Japanese and Indians.
NHA TRANG
Port Name: Nha Trang Port
GPS Coordinates: 12° 12› 12” N, 109°13› 00” E
Pilot Boarding Area: 12° 14› 05» N, 109° 18› 07» E
Remarks
Length Access Channel: 5 km.
Channel depth: 11.1m
Tidal regime: diurnal, average tidal range: 1.4m
Max draft: -11.8m
Maximum size of vessel accepted: 20,000 DWT cargo vessel, 240m long passenger vessel
Vessels will be anchored either near Hon Tre or just North of Nha Trang port.
Attractions
Nha Trang sits in the south of Vietnam around 450km north of Ho Chi Minh City. The town is surrounded by paddy fields which yield to a semi circle of mountains. It has the best and most popular city beach in Vietnam. A 6km-long wide strip of sand with – for most of the year – a brilliant turquoise sea, perfect for a few days of relaxation. The city also has a lively nightlife scene
Nha Trang is arguably the best location for diving in Vietnam. Visibility can exceed 30m, though it’s usually around 20m. Marine life includes many fishes, corals and nudibranchs unique to the South China Sea. If one is not into scuba diving, swimming and snorkelling are just as enjoyable.
Other attractions in the city and surrounding area include the Ba Ho waterfalls, the mineral mud baths, Cham Tower and Long Son Pagoda. Explore outlying places such as Whale Island, Jungle Beach and even the central highlands. Da Lat is 130km away.
DA LAT
The town was established in 1897, ideal for an escape from the steaming hot delta plains of Saigon. With an altitude of 1,500m, an average temperature of 17 degrees Celsius and dawns often bathed in early-morning mist, it’s easy to see what lured the early explorers.
The first hotels appeared in the early 20th Century along with a wealth of villas and boulevards, many of which remain today. By the 1930s an estimated 20% of the population was French. By the middle of the 20th Century there were boarding schools, seminaries and military colleges and throughout World War II, Da Lat was the capital of the Federation of Indochina.
Today, Da Lat’s fresh produce – especially tomatoes and strawberries – can be found as far afield as Phnom Penh and even Bangkok. There’s also a burgeoning coffee and tea trade and a massive trade in cut flowers. A nascent winemaking industry is developing, with the best grape-growing areas found in nearby Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan. A French-Vietnamese facility with an annual capacity of 1 million litres opened in Da Lat in early 2007.
Picturesque Da Lat also offers a wide range of outdoor activities, such as hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, canyoning, and mountain biking.
HO CHI MINH CITY
Port Name: Nha Rong Khanh Hoi Port
GPS Coordinates: 10° 46› 04» N, 106° 42› 28» E
Pilot Boarding Area: 10° 20› 00” N, 107° 03› 00” E
Remarks
Length of Access Channel to HCMC: app. 85 km. Depth: 8.5 m. Draft: 10.5m.
Tidal regime: irregular semi-diurnal, average tidal range: 2.7 m.
Nha Rong Khanh Hoi Port is situated just in front of Ho Chi Minh City’s Central District 1.
Attractions
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest city whose origins date back to the early 17th Century when the area became home to refugees fleeing war in the north. Towards the end of the century, Vietnam annexed the territory. Over the following decades, Prey Nokor developed into the Saigon the French found when they conquered the region in the mid- 19th Century.
Soon the French began to leave their mark on the city. Today some of the best hotels in Saigon overlook gorgeous boulevards dating back to Saigon’s heyday as the so-called ‘Paris of the Orient’. Saigon became the capital of Cochinchina, a region encompassing parts of modern-day Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. French rule remained over the city and Cochinchina until their defeat in 1954 and consequent exit from Vietnam.
When the South fell in 1975, what remained of Saigon was a paltry shadow of its more grandiose self. The following year it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Despite this, many still know the sprawling town as Saigon, and the name still refers to Central District 1.
Five-star hotels and international shopping chains have replaced dowdy government guesthouses and empty shelves. Ho Chi Minh City has some of the best cuisines in Vietnam and renewed interest in the arts meant many galleries and museums were spruced up.
Ho Chi Minh City is the perfect base to head off – to the tunnels at Chu Chi, the Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh or to the sublime Con Dao Islands or the Mekong Delta.
