Belonging to the town of the same name, Sam Son Beach is located in Thanh Hoa Province and is about 164km from the center of Hanoi. The weather here is divided into 4 seasons, with the summer (from late May to early August) being the best time to visit. Around this period, the space is airy with sun and wind, clear sea water and little rain, suitable for swimming and water activities. However, this is also the peak tourist season, so it will be crowded and the prices are higher - you can choose to go in the fall to have a more peaceful vacation time.
I - How beautiful is Sam Son Beach?
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Dubbed the ideal resort of Indochina, Sam Son Thanh Hoa is 6km long, stretching from Lach Hoi to the foot of Truong Le Mountain, about 16km from Thanh Hoa City Center. With its geographical advantage, this tourist area has become the leading bustling destination in the Central, with short travel time of only 2 - 3 hours by car from Hanoi. Sam Son Beach Thanh Hoa is not as stunningly unique as beaches like Nha Trang, Doc Let, My Khe,... but in return, the coastline is long with many bathing spots, relatively developed services.
You can find here soft white sand beaches with moderate slope, clear blue sea and gentle waves with pleasant salt concentration, suitable for swimming and activities. This beach is the perfect place to be immersed in the endless world of the sea and sky, listening to the sound of the waves lapping. This beautiful picture painted by the hands of nature comes with different unique highlights, whether it is sunrise or sunset.
Coming to Sam Son Beach Vietnam, you can also comfortably participate in outdoor fun activities and games on the windy beach, or be entertained with various attractive water sports. Flying a kite, playing volleyball or biking on the long stretch of Sam Son Thanh Hoa are all good choices. You should definitely try riding water motors or kayaking, conquering the silvery waves to discover the beauty of nature. Meanwhile, banana boats or mable rafts are less sporty, suitable for large groups of people who just like to float on the sea. The waves of Sam Son Beach are also extremely suitable for surfing, windsurfing, canoeing, and so on.
All the activities here are also quite safe, due to the presence of rescue and first aid teams with full and advanced equipment. Every day, lifeguards will be present from 4:30am to check and put up stakes, signaling for deep holes, and work with other forces to clean up trash. Every 10 - 15 meters on the beach, there will be a lifeguard standing to observe, if an incident is detected, they will urgently respond and notify the coordinated forces.
II - Top 7 attractions & activities at Sam Son Beach
1 - Truong Le Mountain
Source: Tuan-Anh Nguyen
As one of the beautiful landscapes in Sam Son Thanh Hoa, Truong Le Mountain Range consists of 16 consecutive limestone mountains, covered by more than 300ha of forest of pine, eucalyptus, casuarina, etc. Among those, the most prominent mountain has a height of 76m with steep cliffs, above are sacred temples and remaining foundations of French villas built in the early 20th century. Possessing large lawns and a cool climate, Truong Le Mountain is suitable as a camping and entertainment spot for big groups such as families and friends.
2 - Doc Cuoc Temple - top attractions near Sam Son Beach Thanh Hoa
Source: TH Local Travel
Also known as the Upper Temple, this 700-year-old structure is located on the top of Co Giai Mountain in Truong Le Mountain Range. It was built as a place to worship the “one-legged” god. It is associated with the legend of a giant who split his body in half, so that he could simultaneously stay on land to help people and go out to sea to chase monsters. To commemorate his great merits, this temple was built, later classified as a national monument in 1962 by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam.
After swimming at Sam Son Beach Vietnam, you will have to climb 45 stone steps to reach Doc Cuoc Temple, which inside is a wooden idol with only one hand holding a hammer in a fighting pose, and only one foot firmly planted on a boulder. There are also two bronze horse statues, a pair of stone statues, many couplets praising the merits of Doc Cuoc God, and a wooden Mon Lau built in 1863 behind the temple. Every year on the 16th day of the second lunar month, the Festival of Blessings is held at the temple to commemorate the merits of the gods and ancestors, praying for peace, prosperity and development of tourism.
3 - Co Tien Temple - a sacred temple near Sam Son Beach
With a beautiful location, Co Tien Temple or Fairy Temple is situated at Dau Voi Peak, south of Truong Le Mountain Range, built in the Ly Dynasty (11th century) with traditional architectural style of 3 layers. Experiencing the destruction of nature and war, the temple was badly damaged and had to undergo many restorations, but still retains its original ancient features. This place was honored to be visited by Uncle Ho in 1960, and was ranked as a national monument by the Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 1962.
Just 2km from Sam Son Beach Thanh Hoa, Co Tien Temple worships a doctor, who, according to legend, came from a well-off family, but was shunned because she didn’t want to marry a rich man at the behest of her father. She then met a poor guy and got married, the two of them gathered together on Truong Le mountain to treat diseases for people in the area. One day, they changed into nice clothes, held hands, went up the mountain and just disappeared, so the people they saved built their old house as a temple to commemorate.
4 - Hon Trong Mai in Sam Son Beach
Source: Quang Phạm
This is a scenic spot of Sam Son Thanh Hoa, belonging to the complex of historical and cultural relics in Truong Le mountain, symbolizing a loyal love. According to legend, a fisherman on a stormy night saved a white stork, which was actually a fairy. The two married, but the Jade Emperor did not agree and ordered punishment, so they voluntarily turned to stone to stay together. Hon Trong Mai is made up of 3 interestingly shaped stones, arranged in a unique way, with the bottom largest stone flat like a pedestal. Lying on top of it is another large stone with a sharp tip, looking like a rooster (Trong), the other is smaller and looks like a hen (Mai).
5 - Sam Son Beach street carnival
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In order to stimulate Sam Son tourism, the City People's Committee in collaboration with Sungroup Group has organized an annual street carnival since 2020. This unique, large-scale cultural and artistic event is held every summer, and has turned into an impressive highlight for tourists in recent years. During this time, Ho Xuan Huong street becomes more vibrant with Latin dances, colorful costumes and interesting performances. Sam Son Beach Street Carnival usually takes place in 2 time frames: in the morning from 9:30am to 11:30am, and in the afternoon from 4pm to 6pm.
6 - Night squid fishing
Visiting Sam Son Thanh Hoa, you cannot ignore interesting experiences such as camping, going to the seafood market, digging sand to pick up colorful seashells, and so on. In particular, night squid fishing on a basket boat with fishermen is a unique activity, using the folk method of squid fishing. Boats usually depart in the evening and return to the shore after 4 - 5 hours, traveling far away about 2km to 5km from the mainland of Sam Son Beach depending on the sea situation. For effective fishing, you should go in 2 main squid fishing seasons: January - March and June - September (both of the lunar calendar).
You will be able to stay up all night floating on the sea, fishing with fishermen, catching fresh squid and enjoying it right onboard. Spices are always available, the boat owner will help you cook if needed, with a variety of methods such as baking, steaming or salad, dipping in the delicious Sam Son Beach’s fish sauce. You can also keep the squids and bring them back to organize a small campfire with family or friends, because the boat will return to shore around midnight.
To experience this fascinating night squid fishing activity, you can contact Grand Villa FLC Sam Son:
- Price: 650,000 VND / person / trip with minimum 4 pax ($28.5)
- Departure time: 17h & 20h
- Phone number: (+84) 94 17 14 888
- Email: info@villaflc.com
7 - Enjoy fresh seafood at Sam Son Beach Thanh Hoa
Source: villaflc.vn
Coming to the coastal land of Sam Son Thanh Hoa, you should not forget to visit Sam Son fish markets, where you can buy all kinds of fresh seafood caught by fishermen. There are two big markets here - the outside and the inside ones, with the latter usually having fresher seafood at a cheaper price. Along the Sam Son Beach, there are also many small shops that you can buy from, but exorbitant prices often happen so you should remember to bargain.
From these diverse, fresh and extremely delicious seafood, many specialties have been created, such as fish salad, grilled snails, stuffed squid with meat,… Below are some famous and recommended restaurants near Sam Son Beach Vietnam that you can try out. Remember to consult the price of the place you intend to eat first, because the general situation of tourist areas in Vietnam is that sellers often overprice their products.
Ty Tam Restaurant
- Address: South Ma River Boulevard, Hong Thang Village, Quang Cu Ward
- Price: 150,000 - 300,000 VND / serving ($6.6 - 13.14)
- Phone: 0169 8373 860
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/nhahangtytam/
Tuan Nam Restaurant
- Address: South Ma River Boulevard, Hong Thang Village, Quang Cu Ward
- Price: 150,000 - 750,000 VND / serving ($6.6 - 32.85)
- Phone: 0373 793 291 - 0976 885 345
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/TuanNamSamSon/
Diep Anh Restaurant
- Address: Van Chai Tourist Area, Thanh Nien Cai Dich Street, Quang Cu Ward
- Price: 100,000 - 650,000 VND / serving ($4.4 - 28.47)
- Phone: 0988 513 886 - 0912 114 968 - 0988 999 560
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/DiepAnhrestaurant/
Mai La Lang Chai Restaurant
- Address: Kiosk No.26, Ho Xuan Huong Street, Quang Cu Ward, Sam Son City
- Price: 200,000 - 800,000 VND / serving ($8.8 - 35)
- Phone: 0912 029 641
- Website: https://sites.google.com/site/mailalangchaivn/
III - Accommodation near Sam Son Beach
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Not only has beautiful beaches and restaurants with attractive cuisine, Sam Son is now a leading tourist destination thanks to a system of professional hotels and resorts.
Phuong Thuy Hotel
- Address: No.19 Ho Xuan Huong Street, Truong Son Ward, Sam Son Town
- Price: 350,000 VND / room / night ($15.33)
- Phone: 0237 3821 042
FLC Luxury Sam Son Resort
- Address: Ho Xuan Huong Street, Truong Son Ward, Sam Son Town - just some meters from Sam Son Beach
- Price: 1,345,000 - 7,140,000 VND / room / night ($58.9 - 312.75)
- Phone: 0237 3988 888
Mui Anh Homestay
- Address: No.21 alley 19, Ho Xuan Huong Street, A Beach, Truong Son Ward, Sam Son Town
- Price: 385,000 - 615,000 VND / room / night ($16.86 - 26.94)
- Phone: 0869 214 521
The Marron Hotel
- Address: No.117 Ho Xuan Huong Street, Truong Son Ward, Sam Son Town
- Price: 540,000 - 1,130,000 VND / room / night ($23.65 - 49.5)
- Phone: 0237 396 5555
CROWN Sam Son Hotel
- Address: No.19A Le Van Huu Street, Bac Son Ward, Sam Son City - just 500m from Sam Son Beach
- Price: 300,000 - 400,000 VND / room / night ($13.14 - 17.52)
- Phone: 097 759 13 86
As one of the most famous tourist destinations in the Central, Sam Son Thanh Hoa possesses a unique position, a long charming coastline and an unspoiled mountain scenery. This place also has countless high-class resort centers, villas, hotels and restaurants located near the beach and Truong Le mountain scenic area. Coming to Sam Son Beach, in addition to participating in sea activities such as swimming, squid fishing, surfing…, you will have the opportunity to travel and admire the ancient architecture and monuments.
— Ha Bich
