An Bang Beach, Hoi An, Vietnam

As far as beaches go in Vietnam, the Da Nang / Hoi An area is probably on the radar for most people traveling to this fine country and the two of them have very stark differences despite being less than 20 km apart.
Da Nang is significantly more populated and almost none of the accommodation is located right on the beach. Getting to the beach is easy in Da Nang but a major, 6-lane highway separates the hotels from the sand. This might not appeal to a lot of travelers and for those that prefer to avoid the crowds, the Hoi An area might be a better choice.

While this wasn't a particularly sunny day, the beach was still delightful and there are plenty of little deck chair areas that you can rent for almost nothing all up and down the beach. The sand is that perfect small grain powder that I think is the favorite of everyone in the world also.

The parking is ample here and getting to and from the very cheap hostels is just about a 5-10 minute walk. Most of the accommodation right on the beach, as you would expect, is quite expensive.

One of the main aspects of it that appeals to the frugal traveler is the fact that refreshments are served by makeshift beach minimarts where they keep a steady supply of beers and soft drinks, all for under $1 each

The water is pleasant and clean (at least in appearance, I didn't bring my test kit because I don't have one) and the few times that I visited the beach it never seemed crowded whereas Da Nang almost always feels the opposite.

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The sea here is known for having what can be some quite dangerous tides and unlike in nearby Da Nang, there wasn't much of a lifeguard presence. This can be a blessing or a curse because I actually don't like the rather intense restrictions that Da Nang has as far as swimming is concerned but here in An Bang, you can do pretty much whatever you want and this could be dangerous to weak swimmers.

As far as which beach is the "right one" I suppose it depends a lot on you. If you have time I would recommend going to both. Personally, I find Da Nang more appealing because the high population insures that there are far more options as far as everything is concerned. However, this comes with far more people visiting as well and that really doesn't appeal to a lot of folks.

The ocean is essentially the same at both as are the accommodation prices, so basically you just need to determine if a less crowds / less options situation is what you are looking for. If that is the case, I highly suggest Hoi An and in particular An Bang beach.

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