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Vung Tau: Sunstroke, Seafood, and Seriously Strong Coffee

@Hugo Barrett3/16/2026blog

okay, so vung tau. it’s…a lot. i didn’t really plan to end up here, honestly. it was a last-minute detour after a gig in *ho chi minh city fell through. the drummer before me, apparently, had a disagreement with the venue owner involving a cymbal and a very expensive fish tank. details are fuzzy. anyway, i needed somewhere to land, and vung tau popped up on a random travel forum (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g298058-Vung_Tau_Ba_Ria_Vung_Tau_Province-Vacations.html).


i’m a touring session drummer, right? so i’m used to chaos. but this…this is a different kind of chaos. it’s humid, sticky chaos. i just checked and it’s like being wrapped in a warm, wet towel right now, hope you’re prepared for that. the weather report said 31.55 celsius, feels like 32.16, pressure’s at 1008, humidity’s a solid 43%, and the sea level is also 1008. basically, it’s soup out there.


i spent most of yesterday wandering around, trying to find decent coffee. and let me tell you, the coffee here is serious. like, will-keep-you-awake-for-three-days serious. i found this tiny place, just a hole in the wall, run by a woman who looked like she hadn’t slept since 1975. she didn’t speak a word of english, but she understood “strong.” she gave me something that tasted like burnt tires and pure energy. it was amazing. i’ve been relying on it to navigate the streets and avoid getting run over by scooters.

someone told me that the seafood restaurants near the beach are overpriced tourist traps. they said to go inland, find the places packed with locals, and just point at whatever looks freshest.


i took that advice, and it was…an experience. i ended up with a plate of something that resembled a sea creature i’d only seen in a david attenborough documentary. it was covered in chili and lime, and i’m pretty sure it was still moving when they brought it to me. but it was delicious. seriously.


the neighbors here are…loud. in a good way, mostly. there’s karaoke blasting from every other building, and the smell of grilling meat hangs in the air. if you get bored, long hai and ho tram are just a quick motorbike ride away. i overheard someone at a bar saying that Long Hai has better beaches, but Vung Tau has better nightlife. take that with a grain of salt, because the guy was three beers deep and arguing with a plastic flamingo.

i also stumbled upon the white palace, which is…well, it’s a white palace. it’s kinda creepy, actually. abandoned, crumbling, covered in graffiti. it’s a photographer’s dream, apparently. (https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Abandoned+Buildings&find_loc=Vung+Tau%2C+Ba+Ria+-+Vung+Tau+Province). i didn’t go inside, though. i’m not a huge fan of tetanus.


i heard that the mountains* overlooking the city are worth the hike, but honestly, i’m still recovering from the coffee and the sea creature. maybe tomorrow. or maybe i’ll just find another hole-in-the-wall coffee shop and embrace the chaos. you can find more info about the area on this local board: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=399111.

a local warned me about the jellyfish. apparently, they’re invisible and have a serious sting. he said to always wear shoes in the water, even if it looks calm.


honestly, vung tau is exhausting. but it’s also…kind of amazing. it’s raw, it’s real, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. if you’re looking for a polished, sanitized vacation experience, this isn’t it. but if you’re looking for an adventure, a strong cup of coffee, and a plate of something you can’t quite identify, then vung tau might just be your place.

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About the author: Hugo Barrett

Just a human trying to be helpful on the internet.

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