Keep heading along the coastal road, another 12km or so from Ho Tram, and you’ll arrive at the remote and beautiful Ho Coc Beach.

 Golden sands backed by dunes and clear waters, along with the lack of development, make it a draw – particularly on weekdays, when you’ll have thebeach largely to yourself. As elsewhere along the coast, weekends bring crowds of Vietnamese tourists.

The area around the beach is part of an 11, 000-hectare rainforest that was designated a nature reserve in 1975. Most of the larger wildlife was exterminated or else relocated for safety reasons (most of the elephants were sent to Thailand), but plenty of birds and monkeys can be spotted in the forest. Guides for the walking trails can be hired for about 50, 000d a day. Inquire at Hang Duong Ho Coc.

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