There are Vietnam beach resorts within just a few miles of almost every location in the country. This is a long thin country with more than 2,100 miles of coastline, and that does not even include a few thousand offshore islands. You will find a beach resort in Vietnam fairly nearby even if you are in the region of the northern mountains that is no more than about 200 miles wide.

Vietnamese luxury beachfront lodging is a relatively new concept. In fact, the tourism industry itself only began during the 1990s when the country first opened up to Western tourists. But great strides have been made, and new Vietnam beach resorts are being built all the time as visitors from the United States and Europe begin to discover this enchanting country.

Scuba diving is very popular here, and the area around Nha Trang is considered one of the best diving spots in the world. This is where the iconic Jacques Cousteau first discovered his love of the world’s underwater landscapes, and some extremely beautiful world-class Vietnam beach resorts are located here. Most of the coastline and islands are fringed with coral reefs, so there is excellent diving in numerous places. The beach resorts of Vietnam begin around the city of Da Nang (location of famous China Beach) on the east coast, and line the beaches all the way down to Mui Ne Beach near Ho Chi Minh City.

One of the most luxurious properties in the entire country is the five-star Ana Mandara in Nha Trang. It offers a world-class full service spa and some of the most beautiful private stretches of beach on the eastern coast. Built to resemble a traditional Vietnamese fishing village, it is surrounded by acres of lush trpoical gardens and has villas and deluxe rooms offering all the luxuries one might desire. There is also an Ana Mandara near the golf courses of Dalat.

In the Da Nang area, look for the beautiful Furama, on a private beachfront estate right in the city limits. Around Nha Trang, you can try the Vinpearl, a large self-contained resort complex that is one of the only all-inclusive properties in the country. On the Mekong Delta coast in the south, you will find the Sailing Club Mui Ne with individual bungalows and beautifully landscaped grounds. In the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay is the exclusive Tuan Chau Resort, set on its own private island.

One beach resort in Vietnam that is becoming more and more popular is beautiful Phu Quoc Island. This is a quintessentially idyllic tropical paradise that rivals legendary Phuket Island in Thailand, and the history of development of the two islands is similar. Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, and was popularized by young hippies, laid back surfers, and backpackers beginning in the 1960s. Today there are scores of resorts here, and the island is one of the busiest and most popular beach resorts in the world. Phu Quoc Island is Vietnam’s largest island, and young surfers and beach lovers began popularizing it very quickly as soon as the country opened for tourism. Today, you can find Vietnamese luxury beachfront lodging being built in numerous areas around the island. Even golf courses are being planned and built. You have choices as wide as the bohemian beach club with its laid back bar on the beach and the exclusive and elegant Grand Mercure La Veranda, with its gourmet dining and luxurious rooms and bungalows.

There isn’t only Vietnamese luxury beachfront lodging and fancy hotels on the coast, in case you are on a budget. Some resorts, especially around the prime scuba diving areas and Cat Ba Island (largest island in Halong Bay) and on Phu Quoc Island, are more laid back “beachbum” type resorts—complete with beach bars covered by thatched roofs and with sandy floors. Many of them are officially three-star properties, but are surprisingly deluxe at very attractive prices.