21 January 2022
Vung Tau Attractions
Vung Tau is located on a peninsula on the coast of Vietnam. It’s only about 125 kilometers from Saigon, so it’s a popular place to escape for the weekend. Getting there is easy. Many bus companies offer trips throughout the day. We chose FUTA Buslines, because of their convenient location. They can be found at 205 Pham Ngu Lao – right in the heart of the backpacker area. The bus costs 125,000 VND.
Christ the King, of Vũng Tàu, ‘Statue of Christ the King’ is a statue of Jesus, standing on Mount Nhỏ in Vũng Tàu, Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province, Đông Nam Bộ, Vietnam. The Vietnam Catholic Association built the statue in 1974 and it was completed in 2 December 1994.
It is 32 metres (105 ft) high, standing on a 4 metres (13 ft) high platform, for a 36 metres (118 ft) total monument height with two outstretched arms spanning 18.3 metres (60 ft). There is a 133-step staircase inside the statue.
The statue is the largest Christian statue across Asia since 2012, and since its restoration of 1993, it has been a major pilgrim destination for Christians across Vietnam as well as Christian vacationers.
It’s a bit cramped, but it’s only 1 hour 30 minutes to Vung Tau. The best way to get around Vung Tau is to rent a motorbike. Most sites can be seen in 1 day. I never felt that Jesus was inside of me. But maybe, if we go inside of Jesus… On the south end of Little Mountain, there is a big statue of Jesus that you can go in. It takes 30 minutes to walk to the top of the hill. At the top of Small Mountain is Vung Tau lighthouse. The drive up the hill is nice and the grounds offer great views of the city.
Of course, it’s closed in the middle of the day, but we were happy to find a place that sells cold beer. What have you learned about the lighthouse so far? It was built in 1907. It was used to ignite the oil in its lamps. The next stop is Bach Dinh. It is located on Tran Phu Street by Big Mountain. This is also the site of Phuoc Thang fortress. In 1859, Vietnam fired the first shot against the invading French from this position. 39 years later, the fort was demolished and a summer house was built for the governor of Cochinchina. Inside is nice.
It contains some artifacts and some interesting furniture. You cannot leave Vung Tau without eating banh khot. It is a small rice cake that is fried and topped with shrimp. Take a chunk of lettuce, fill it with your favorite herbs, add some daikon, and place a shrimp cake on top. Then, roll it and dip it in the dipping sauce. You can find these all over Vung Tau, but the best ones are made at a popular spot on Nguyen Truong To Street Be sure to stop at one of the cafes along the sea where you can get a generous serving of rum. We spent the rest of the afternoon driving along the coast. There are 4 beaches in Vung Tau. Back Beach is the longest at 4 km. and also the most touristy. Bai Dua and Bai Dau are both quite small, depending on the tides. Front Beach is probably the best option if you want to watch the sunset and be close to restaurants. There is also a park that has some interesting statues.
We skipped the sand and ended up back at the hotel’s pool, where it was quiet and the water was refreshing..