Hoi An is not only known for its ancient town, but also for its peaceful coastal area called An Bang and Cua Dai Beach. These beaches are not as popular as the old town, but definitely worth a visit if you want to take a break from the historic sights.
Most first-time visitors and those who have a short time in the city will choose to stay in Hoi An Old Town. But if you’re returning travelers or you have a long time in the city, you can consider splitting your stay between Hoi An Old Town and An Bang Beach.
In this article, I will share my opinion about why An Bang Beach is a good area to stay in Hoi An, some downsides of staying in this area, and the best places to stay along An Bang Beach.
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Where is An Bang Beach?
An Bang Beach is the southern part of the 30km long coast line stretching from Da Nang’s Monkey Mountain to Hoi An’s Cua Dai Beach. An Bang is located between Non Nuoc Beach and Cua Dai Beach. It is around 4.5km north of Hoi An ancient town.
An Bang Beach is around 40 minutes drive from Da Nang International Airport, which is the transport hub of Central Vietnam. It is only a 10-15 minute taxi ride to the ancient town.
In front of An Bang Beach, there are several small islands. The major island is Cu Lao Cham, and other smaller ones are Hon Dai, Hon Tai, and Hon La island. These are great places for snorkeling and diving. You can take boat trips from nearby Cua Dai beach to Cu Lao Cham.
Is An Bang Beach a good area to stay in Hoi An?
In my opinion, An Bang is an excellent area to stay in Hoi An, especially for beach lovers, returning travelers, and long time visitors. The area has a laid-back atmosphere, with a lovely beachfront area and a small town center with cosy family-run restaurants, bars, and shops.
Easy access to the beach
Hoi An Beach is a 4-5km long stretch of soft white sand, clean water beach. It might not be the best beaches in Vietnam but great for swimming, sunbathing, taking a stroll, and enjoying watersport activities.
It shares the same shore with My Khe beach in Da Nang, but has a much quieter atmosphere.
The beach is lined with cool resorts, restaurants, bars, and cafes. There are plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas for rent on the beach. If you stay at a resort along the beachfront, most resorts will provide free sunbeds for their guests.
Staying along An Bang Beach means you can walk to the beach anytime of the day. You don’t have to struggle to wake up early in the morning and travel long distances to see the sunrise, and you don’t have to rush to get back before dark when watching the sunset.
An Bang Beach is scattered with colorful traditional basket boats where local fishermen use to fish. It’s a great background for taking photos, or you can ask locals to teach you how to paddling these boats for a local experience.
In addition to An Bang Beach, you can go south to visit Cua Dai Beach, or go north to visit Non Nuoc Beach and My Khe Beach. For snorkeling and diving opportunities, you can visit Cu Lao Cham nearby.
Close proximity to Hoi An ancient town and Da Nang
An bang Beach is only 4-5km away from the Old town, so you can easily use Grab Taxi, rent a scooter, or bicycle to get to this place. The Taxi ride is around 10-15 minutes while cycling takes around 30 minutes.
Da Nang is also just 15km along the coast, north of An Bang. You can easily take a day trip to Da Nang visiting its iconic attractions like Marble Mountains, Linh Ung pagoda, My Khe Beach, Han Market, Ba Na Hill, and the Dragon bridge.
Additionally, it’s also close to Tra Que Vegetable Village where you can see local people grow organic vegetables and herbs.
The Cam Thanh Coconut Village (Bay Mau Coconut Forest) is also nearby where you can take the unique basket boat rides through the beautiful scenic waterways, experience the spinning basket, and visit the local fishing villages.
Relaxing atmosphere, authentic local vibe
Since the Ancient Town is its main attraction Hoi An, most visitors spend their time there. At An Bang beach, you can enjoy exploring the beaches, restaurants, and cafes with a quieter environment.
The area also has a more local atmosphere, with many small family-run restaurants and cafes, offering homey meals. You can try serving famous local, regional dishes like Com Ga Hoi An, Banh My Hoi An, Cao Lau, or My Quang.
Most restaurants and cafes are nicely decorated and have unique architecture with eco-friendly products such as bamboo lanterns, bamboo roofs, rattan, and traditional Vietnamese hats.
In terms of food, there are also plenty of restaurants serving western dishes such as pizzas, burgers, Mexican, and French food. It’s a coastal town, so you can easily find restaurants serving fresh seafood caught by local fishermen.
You can see local fishermen fishing in their traditional basket boats in the early morning when you come to the beach to watch the sunrise.
Budget friendly accommodations, food, and drinks
An Bang is less popular than Hoi An Old Town and has a more local atmosphere. The food, drinks and accommodations are ideally cheaper than the Old Town. If you are on a budget and book well in advance, you can find some good places to stay in this area.
With a similar price to a mid-range hotel, I was able to book a spacious resort right on the beach. In contrast, rooms in the Old Town were much smaller due to the area’s naturally compact spaces.
Easy boat trips to Cu Lao Cham island
Cu Lao Cham is a group of beautiful islands, located about 15-20 km off the coast from An Bang and Cua Dai Beach. The island mainly relies on fishing and small-scale tourism.
You can visit the island for snorkeling, diving, and visiting historic sites including old pagodas, temples, and ancient wells. You can get to the island by guided tour, or take a boat at the pier in Cua Dai Beach, which is located just a few km away south of An Bang.
Best Hotels in An Bang Beach of Hoi An:
- Mid-range: AIRA Boutique Hoi An Hotel & Spa (great place, I stayed here)
- Mid-range: Sol An Bang Beach Resort & Spa
- Budget: Dechiu
The cons of staying in An Bang Beach
Rainy season
Hoi An Ancient town and An Bang Beach often suffer from typhoons and flooding during the rainy season with the peak rainy season from September to December. If you want to enjoy the outdoor activities at its max, you can avoid visiting the beach during these months.
The best time to visit An Bang Beach for the pleasant weather is usually in the dry season, which is from March to September.
Not ideal for first-timers who has short time in Hoi An
I always recommend first-time visitors to Hoi An staying in the old town for its convenient access to all major attractions of the city.
Even though An Bang Beach is located only 4–5 km from the old town, you will need to travel back and forth to experience the true atmosphere of Hoi An both day and night.
So, from my personal experience, I think An Bang Beach is not ideal for those who have a short time in Hoi An. From Hoi An old Town, you can easily take day trips to An Bang Beach by cycling or taking a short Grab taxi/ Bike ride.
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Best areas to stay in An Bang Beach
Most accommodations, bars, restaurants, and shops are concentrated between the main road – Lac Long Quan street and the beachfront area. The main road runs parallel with the beach and is around 300m apart from the beachfront.
The second main road in An Bang is Nguyen Phan Vinh Street, sandwiched between the main road. There are dozens of cute guest houses and restaurants located on the smaller roads and alleys connected Lac Long Quan, Nguyen Phan Vinh Street, and the beachfront area.
I would divide the best areas to stay in An Bang Beach into two areas: Northern An Bang beach and Southern An Bang beach. These areas correspond with the northern and southern Nguyen Phan Vinh Street.
The town center and beach around the northern Nguyen Phan Vinh Street has a livelier atmosphere. It’s home to a morning wet market, as well as many popular restaurants, and bars. The southern section has a quieter atmosphere.
You can choose to stay at the beachfront or the town center area. If you stay along the beachfront, you will need to pay a little bit more compared to the more inland area. The area is small, so no matter where you choose to stay, you can easily walk to the beach.
Additionally, you can consider staying in Ha My Beach, Hidden beach/ Coconut Beach area, and Cua Dai Beach. There are more inland accommodations between the Lac Long Quan Street and the River toward the south from the main entrance to An Bang Beach.
Where to Stay on An Bang Beach: Best Hotels
1. Northern An Bang Beach
The northern An Bang Beach is the beachfront area running parallel with the northern part of Nguyen Phan Vinh Street. It stretches from the intersection with Nguyen Phan Vinh and Lan Long Quan Street to the area around the beach’s main entrance on Hai Ba Trung street.
This is the main area of An Bang Beach and is home to some popular restaurants and bars such as Phương Beach Restaurant, The DeckHouse, Nam Gia Seafood Restaurant, and La Plage restaurant.
The beachfront northern An Bang Beach has fine white sand, clean water, as well as many sunbeds and umbrellas on the beach. The beachfront has a good range of mid-range 4-star rustic villas and hotels.
You can find many restaurants, bars, cafes, and travel agencies on Nguyen Phan Vinh Street. The Early Morning Local Market is also located here. It’s a good spot to see local life, and buy farmer products such as fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.
Best hotels in Northern An Bang Beach:
AIRA Boutique Hoi An Hotel & Spa
This 4-star mid-range accommodation is located just a few steps from the beachfront area and the main street for restaurants, bars, and shops. The hotel has a nice ground lined with greenery, an outdoor swimming pool, and a lovely restaurant.
My room was spacious and clean. I also enjoyed the breakfast with a variety of regional and traditional Vietnamese food. It’s a great place to relax and unwind.
Daisy An Bang Villa
This simple accommodation is located at the central area of An bang Beach, near the main entrance to the beach. It’s close to everything. You can walk for a couple of minutes to a range of restaurants, bars, ATMs, convenience stores, and shops.
Ocean House An Bang
This is great accommodation located in a quiet area, a short walk from the beach. They offer nice bungalows with comfortable beds and facilities. You can walk to various restaurants, cafes, and massage parlors from the hotel.
2. Southern An Bang Beach
The Southern An bang Beach is the area from Khuc Thua Du Street toward Tan Thanh Beach. It runs parallel with the southern part of Nguyen Phan Vinh Street. This area has a good range of restaurants and shops but quieter than the northern part.
Some of the popular cafes and restaurants in this area include Barefoot Beach Club, Thom’s Sourdough Bakery & Coffee, Sound Of Silence Coffee Shop, Hít Hà Cafe, or Moon Sea Hidden Beach Restaurant.
Like the northern section, southern An Bang Beach is lined with sun loungers, beach cafes, bars, and resorts. There are more inland homestays and guesthouses in this area, located on the other side of Lac Long Quan Street from the beachfront.
I feel that Southern An Bang Beach has more spacious resorts and villas with good security systems, as well as more western style restaurants and shops.
Best hotels in Southern An Bang Beach:
Sol An Bang Beach Resort & Spa
This 4-star resort is located right next to the ocean. They have spacious rooms, outdoor pool, lovely breakfast, and free bicycles for rent for guests.
Sea Lavie Boutique Resort & Spa
This accommodation is located in a quiet area, featuring an outdoor pool and a lovely garden and restaurant. They offer good-sized rooms with all basic facilities such as a fridge, shower gel, or shamboo, and bath towels.
Dechiu
This is a lovely designed boutique hotel on southern An Bang Beach, on the other side of the main strip of An Bang. It’s a short walk from the beach and tourist amenities. They offer fresh and delicious breakfast.
3. Ha My Beach
Ha My Beach is around 1km long beach, spanning from Four Seasons Resort to Le Belhamy Resort. It is located just north of An Bang Beach. It is also close to Non Nuoc Beach in Da Nang.
This area is home to a cluster of luxury 5-star resorts. You can consider staying in this area if you want a peaceful and luxury beach holiday in a nice resort.
Best resorts in Ha My Beach:
Four Seasons The Nam Hai
This is a huge resort complex, where you can find all-inclusive experience, and spacious villas for families and couples. They have incredible facilities such as a gym, yoga, tennis courts, and three swimming pools.
Wyndham Hoi An Royal Beachfront Resort & Villas
This 5-star resort has beautiful ground, multiple swimming pools, and a nice beachfront area with sun loungers for guests. It’s overall a great beach holiday destination to relax and unwind.
Royal Beachfront Villas Danang
The resort offers a spacious village for families and groups of friends. It’s close to both Ha My and An bang Beach. You can pay a bit more for a room with ocean views for the best experience.
4. Hidden beach/ Coconut Beach/ Cua Dai Beach
These beaches are located south of An Bang and Tan Thanh beach, and a great destination in Hoi An for beaches. It’s also relatively close to the old town, only a 10-15 minute taxi ride away. Additionally, it’s a continent for getting to the pier for a boat trip to nearby Cu Lao Cham island.
An Bang doesn’t have luxury resort options, so if you want a luxury stay while still being close to Hoi An old town, you can consider booking your stay in Cua Dai beach.
Best hotels in Cua Dai Beach:
- Luxury: Wyndham Garden Hoi An Cua Dai Beach
- Luxury: Palm Garden Beach Resort & Spa
- Luxury: Silk Sense Hoi An River Resort
How to Get to An Bang Beach?
There are several ways to get to An Bang Beach from various locations such as Hoi An ancient town or Da Nang. The most popular way to get to An Bang Beach is using ride sharing services such as Grab Bike/ Taxi or Xanh SM.
These Uber-like services are common ways to travel within a short distance. It takes around 50,000VNd to get from the old town to An Bang, and around 300,000VND to get from Da Nang (city center, beach, airport, train station) to An Bang.
You can consider renting a scooter if you’re planning to stay a long time in the area. The road is mostly flat and the cost is cheap, around 150,000 VND a day.
Hoi An is a bicycle-friendly city, so you can rent a bicycle to travel between the ancient town and the beachfront area. It is around 20-30 minutes cycling between the old town and the beachfront of Hoi An.
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An Bang shares coastline with the more popular My Khe Beach in Da Nang, so if you want a quieter atmosphere than Da Nang’s beaches and close proximity to Hoi An ancient town, you can consider staying in An Bang Beach. The beach town also has some lovely family-run restaurants, shops, and cafes.