Quy Nhon City – Binh Dinh Province – with its beautiful scenery and attractive specialties will be an interesting destination for backpackers travelers who want to stay away from noisy and crowded places. Beautiful & wild beaches are counted.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT QUY NHON, BINH DINH
Area: 6,850.6
Capital: Quy Nhon
Population: 2,468,308 (2019)
Ethnicities: Vietnamese, Cham, Bana, H’re…
Quy Nhon – Binh Dinh lies along the south central coast of Vietnam, which is about 700km from Ho Chi Minh City and 950km from Ha Noi. The majority of the province is covered by mountains or hills. Most districts of Binh Dinh have a topography that is a mix of mountains or hills and lowlands.
BEST TIME TO TRAVEL TO BINH DINH
Binh Dinh province is featured with typical tropical monsoon climate with the average temperature of 27oC. Rainy season normally lasts from September to January.
From February to August is the ideal time to travel to Quy Nhon – Binh Dinh, because the remaining time is often flooded. You should choose the schedule of the previous night to arrive early in the morning to visit.
CULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF BINH DINH
Quy Nhon – Binh Dinh is rich with its own cultural history dating back to ancient times when the area was dominated by Hinduism under the Champa civilization. Founded by seafaring settlers from Borneo who brought Hinduism and their culture to the mainland of Southeast Asia, the Champa principalities thrived along the coasts from maritime trade.
Linh Phong Pagoda Festival
24th and 25th day of the first lunar month
Most travelers come here to see the biggest sitting Buddha statue in South East Asia. The statue, which is 69 meters high, is one of reasons attracted scores of visitors to this year’s festival.
Dong Da Festival (Binh Dinh)
5th day of the first lunar month
Place: Phu Phong small town, Tay Son District, BinhDinh Province.
Characteristics: Drumming competition (Tay Son fighting drum), perform imitative battle, martial art: playing with fighting sticks danh con, di quyen (a Vietnamese form of Kung Fu, a system of unarmed combat using the hands and feet as weapons).
Art Street in Le Duc Tho Street – Quy Nhon
The scheme entitled “Quy Nhon’s Culture and Art Street” will include a performing state on the Dong Da lake and other facilities. Besides, food vendors will also be invited to sell their product on the street whenever the event takes place.
The Champa civilization
This tourist site was a religious sanctuary from the ancient Champa civilization founded by the Hindu seafarers from Borneo. Quy Nhon and other cities in central Vietnam have a large number of archaeological remains from the Champa era. The Bahn It sanctuary atop a small hill is one of them. A short drive to the sanctuary offers glimpses of beautiful countryside.
GETTING TO BINH DINH
Air
Flying to Phu Cat Airport requires a transfer at either Hanoi International Airport or Ho Chi Minh International Airport.
Price: VND1,000,000 – VND2,000,000
From Phu Cat, it takes about an hour’s drive to reach the city of Quy Nhon.
Bus
You can travel to Quy Nhon – Binh Dinh by bus. There are bus services from other city centers. The Quy Nhon Bus Station is also convenient, as it is located in the city.
Price: VND250,000 – VND550,000
Train
Travelers in Danang can easily take a train to Quy Nhon. The journey takes about five hours.
Price: VND300,000
The trains from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City stop at Dieu Tri Station, about 15km from Quy Nhon. Taking a taxi is the quickest way to reach Quy Nhon.
Price: VND500,000 – VND750,000
Check train schedules at www.dsvn.vn
In the next posts about Binh Dinh, I will continue with some places and food which travelers must-try.
Cindy, 19th June 2019.