An Bang Beach: A Guide to Hoi An’s Best Beach

An Bang beach now becomes a popular tourist attraction in Hoi An. It may be the best known and most convenient to reach from the town’s centre. Not only tourists, locals visit this beautiful beach for swimming, cooling off and for exercise. Located on the Pacific ocean, An Bang beach boasts a soft sandy expanse by the crystal-like water with not strong waves. Seafood restaurants and bars line it and inside peaceful laneways of the village, there are tourist accommodations. Not only daytime, it’s also happening at night, an oasis to chill. So, besides the Ancient town, An Bang is another perfect place to dine out, get drinks, listen to trendy music and the sound of waves. It’s really worth it to visit it. In this article, all you need to know about An Bang beach is provided.

When travelers reach online, they have a confusion with another “An Bang” in central Vietnam. It’s “An Bằng”, but without tones, it becomes the same to An Bang beach in Hoi An. There are not many things to see there, except the “Ghost city”, a cemetery of big and expensive tombs. Motorbike tours from Hue to Hoi An (and vice versa) often include it in their itinerary.

How to Get to An Bang Beach

An Bang beach is actually not far away from Hoi An’s centre, so many travelers decide to get there by a taxi or recently, an electric shuttle bus. The price of a drive is from 50,000 VND. To get one, should ask the people in the hotel to call. Around Hoi An ancient town, there are a lot of taxis outside. If staying in luxury accommodations, a scheduled shuttle bus is provided to take the guests to An Bang and back. No public bus is available in Hoi An at the present.

Thanks to a moderate distance, walking to reach An Bang beach is what other travelers want to do. From the town, just follow Hai Ba Trung road and at its end, that is the beach (main swimming spot). This road is flat. Additionally, walkers also enjoy cool breeze and a peaceful rural scenery with rice fields, water buffalos and wild flowers. Sunrise and sunset are pretty perfect to watch from here.

Riding a bicycle is also interesting. Definitely, like walking, the lovely countryside on the way is one of delights. See details in the below section. If no bicycle in the hotel, travelers can hire a motorcycle. However, our advice is trying to have a longer trip instead of visiting only An Bang beach. In the same direction, let’s think about the Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha or the Cham Museum and the Dragon bridge.

Hoi An to An Bang Beach by Bicycle : Directions and Parking

It’s easy to ride a bicycle and navigate to An Bang beach from other areas of Hoi An city. Hai Ba Trung road is the shortest and quickest road to get An Bang beach from Hoi An’s centre. It’s busy with buses, vans and motorcycles, especially in late afternoon when tourists go to Hoi An to see its beauty at night. While riding on it, keep in mind to observe carefully whenever you want to turn left or stop for taking pictures. Two separate lanes are designed by local authorities for bicycles and motorcycles, so just follow them to keep safe.

In Tra Que vegetable village, speed bumps are also made, to slow down other vehicles. That’s nice for those who ride or walk with their bicycle across the road. A little bit further, after a small slope, the An Bang bridge has paths that are exclusive for bicycles and pedestrians. Here, bike riders can stop and photograph a beautiful sunset on the river. Fishing boats and traps are also interesting to see. From this bridge to the beach, it’s flat again but no rice fields.

At the next crossroad, the closest attention should be made, due to high traffic on the coastal road – Lac Long Quan (of course, with scooters and cars). A traffic light is here. Riding across the road and going straight ahead, the parking is to the right. Some locals will ask to park your bike in their parking area, and for sure, it’s necessary to pay. The fee is 5,000 VND for one bicycle. Parking is free in the places where you eat or drink;

From some points in Ly Thai To, Ly Thuong Kiet and Cua Dai streets, roads to access rice fields (and then Hai Ba Trung road) are available. Traffic on those paths are much more quiet. When you see Hai Ba Trung road, remember to stop for a while and watch out for the vehicles before turning right and keep going straight. The sunset seen from this piece of Hoi An’s countryside is amongst the best.

Surfing and Water Sports

An Bang beach is known by surfers living in Hoi An and nearby Da Nang city. Board rentals and surfing classes are available here, on both hourly and daily basis. Besides that, visitors have the chance to take part in other fun-filled activities, including the ones for adrenaline seekers. In the early morning and sunrise, expats and locals do standup paddleboarding (SUP) and in late afternoon, it’s possible to see jet skiing, parachuting, canoeing, and more. Thanks to good weather, throughout the best time (March to September), the beach is usually packed by swimmers. By that, providers also come there and provide different offers. Not only in the Coconut village, here An Bang beach, visitors can try their hands to ride a basket boat. Local fishermen will go with them for sure. It’s a special water activity, giving fun to those who experience it.

Note: The surfing season in the area stretches from September to March. In this period, waves are big enough to ride.

An Bang Beach Food and Music Festival

The An Bang beach food and music festival takes place in An Bang beach every year. In the first year, 2020, it’s held in July, and the next year, in June. Within its time (2 days), visitors can see plenty of food, drink and souvenir options that are owned by locals. It’s free of charge to visit around. Chairs, tables and sofas are placed near bartenders who have worked for professional bars. All of them face an outdoor stage where local and foreign artists play instruments and sing. From the sunset to before midnight, it becomes a focal point for the audience.

Watching Sunrise

An Bang beach is amongst the best spots to witness the sunrise in Hoi An. The watchers definitely enjoy an extremely calm and fresh atmosphere, with picturesque scenery. That are an orangish-reddish sun rising from the horizon, blue water with white seawaves, a clear sky, purple islands and green vegetation. Everything is simply perfect for pictures. Not tourists, now it’s time locals flock to the beach. They do exercise, play sports, chat with friends or sleep to enjoy a cooler temperature than at home. If lucky, sunrise watchers may see fishermans at work and may buy their seafood to cook later. All make the visit well worth it.

After seeing the dawn, travelers should head back to the hotel or Hoi An centre to find good breakfast options. Local dishes like banh mi, noodles are sold around the village.

Sunrise Yoga Class

Yoga and meditation classes are daily organized in the sunrise at An Bang beach. Teachers may be locals or people who are living in Hoi An; On the best beach of the city, they will instruct travelers a set of mental and physical practice, to reduce the stress and maintain good health; In addition to these relaxation activities, we recommend having a massage that is for your body, soul and mind;

Spas at An Bang Beach

In addition to swimming and chilling on the beach, many travelers seek a spa for physical and metal relaxations. The bulk of spas in An Bang’s village are run by local families and the massageurs are members, both men and women. Each one has several comfy chairs for foot treatments and beds for body treatments. The easiest way to find a spa here is walking along Nguyen Phan Vinh road.

Swimming in An Bang Beach

An Bang beach is a safe place to go swimming, including for kids. This popular stretch of sand attracts local swimmers because it has perfect natural conditions and traffic convenience (the nearest beach from the town’s centre!). The conditions are clear, unpolluted, not deep and warm water, accompanied by gentle waves. Rescue team is always on duty during the busiest hours, in the morning and late afternoon. Members of the team who are experienced locals growing up in the village make swimmers enjoy the sea without nervousness and fear. A safe ground marked by nippers already is set, and of course, all people are advised to not move further than that one. A sign on which authorities warn “no swimming” is also easily seen. The highest secured spot is at the end of Hai Ba Trung road (that’s why it’s very busy).

By the entrance of An Bang beach, there are two spots to take a shower and wash with fresh water (see the map below). If swimmers pay for parking their bikes, nobody charges extra for this service. In restaurants, it’s possible to use their own toilet and bathrooms when swimmers drink or eat something from the menu. Several venues allow the guests to use a pool as long as they take something from the menu. Should ask staff there again to confirm their policy.

Note: If don’t bring a swimsuit or sun cream, no worries. In An Bang beach, especially Hai Ba Trung road, there are many sellers, for all ages.

Read also: Things to Do in Hoi An with Kids

Where to Eat in An Bang Beach?

Eat Like a Local

In An Bang village, between the sea and the coastal highway, locals are still living. So, no surprise that travelers who are willing to try authentic local foods and know their original taste, that’s so wonderful. In the morning, people have breakfast in stories along main roads of the village, not on the coastline. It’s not too hard to see banh mi sandwiches or beef noodle soup. Price is inexpensive, but in many places, it’s higher a little bit higher than how much locals pay. In the late afternoon, people go to An Bang for swimming, so right on the sands, vendors sell snacks (like rice crackers), seafood, barbecues, soft drinks and beers. The customers will sit on a mat and face the blue sea. That is a laid-back lifestyle. Outside, other vendors serve fries and juices.

Note: Clam porridge (cháo nghêu) is a favourite for so many locals, for sale on the beach and also at a couple of eateries in Hai Ba Trung road. For one bowl, diners pay 20,000 to 40,000 VND, depending on the size.

The Best Restaurants in An Bang Beach

By the beach, travelers can go to well-known places like the Shoreclub, Deckhouse, Soul Kitchen or La Plage to eat. During the day, they serve a variety of dishes, including Vietnamese, fusion to western styles. Seafoods are absolutely on the menu. Due to the prime location and professional service, the price at famous venues by An Bang beach seafront is higher than others in the village. It’s kind of fair to the Old town. In the surroundings, diners can easily see aquariums with living seafood. They can select and buy, and then request to cook.

For vegetarians, they can go to the Fisherman Vegan Restaurant. This is the only kitchen exclusively serving vegan and vegetarian foods in An Bang. Its story is about eating veggies to reduce ocean littering that has happened in the area. Some activities for the environment are held by its owners and staff during the year.

In the village, local family-run restaurants are most popular. Travelers will see many Vietnamese food options on their menu, and of course, the foods are cooked and served by family members. Although they do not speak English well, their hospitality, smiles and cozy atmosphere make people repeat the visit. Walk along Nguyen Phan Vinh road and lanes from it to the coast, you can see this kind of restaurant.

Besides that, many expats live in An Bang and some of them open a restaurant (or café). Travelers can find an atmosphere and tasty foods just like at home. Here is a good chance to get to know other people coming from the same country or speaking the same language. We recommend the Cosy Corner.

Tra Que Vegetable Village

1 kilometers away from An Bang beach, on the way back to Hoi An, Tra Que vegetable village has lush herb gardens and farmers. Here, they grow veggies by traditional organic methods to produce the best quality. Besides seeing and photography, travelers can join daily works with locals in their fields, learn how to prepare Vietnamese foods, catch fish in the river or have a foot massage. Tra Que village also has many eco-friendly restaurants that are built by bamboo and thatch. Diners can enjoy a scrumptious lunch while looking out to green spaces or dining options without noise in the surroundings.

Tan Thanh Beach

Tan Thanh beach is the neighbouring beach of An Bang, to the south. It shares the same coastline with the same natural qualities, but is less crowded. On the sands, there are also many sun chairs and lounges by umbrellas or talapas, for relaxing and sunbathing. Not far away, restaurants and bars serve food and beverages all day. The prices are inexpensive. On the weekend, the Tan Thanh flea market opens from morning to midnight. Local specialties, eco-friendly products, outdoor performances and more are introduced. See more information in Tan Thanh beach travel guide.

Cham Islands

Cham island marine park is 30 mins from the mainland Hoi An by speed canoe. It’s known for its underwater life that is extremely rich and abundant. In 2009, this biodiversity gem was declared by Unesco as a world biosphere reserve. Travelers can have a day trip to Cham islands, including snorkeling experience, free time at the beach and lunch with seafood. Scuba diving and sea walking are available on request. In sunny months, the archipelago becomes one of the greatest places to go in the area. See more details in our traveler guide to Cham islands.

An Bang or Cua Dai Beach?

At the present, An Bang beach is a better choice for swimming and water sports. Cua Dai now is not perfect anymore to do these activities due to continuous coastal erosion that has happened for a decade already. Swimming has been allowed in Cua Dai beach recently, and travelers can take a dip in areas where locals are. If just seek a spot to enjoy the scenic beauty of the sea and islands, both beaches are fair. In Cua Dai, there are still many chairs and lounges, the same as An Bang, to sit and chill with a cold beverage. Visitors have a few seafood restaurants to choose from. To compare and find out the better choice on your own, please read Cua Dai beach travel guide for more information.

About the accommodation, while An Bang beach has cozy homestays and chic villas with pools, Cua Dai beach is lined by luxury resorts. So, the price will be different. However, if you prefer going out more than relaxing in the hotel, places in An Bang are more convenient.