All You Need To Know About An Bang Beach

An Bang Beach is a beautiful 4km stretch of sand north of its neighbouring beach, Cua Dai. Since the recent erosion at Cua Dai Beach, resulting in the loss of sand and a few businesses, more locals and tourists now flock to An Bang Beach. This hippie-vibe beach village attracts more and more people each year, with its laid-back restaurants, late-night bars, water sport activities and live music. An Bang Beach also caught a lot of media attention in 2016 featuring in CNN’s list of Top 100 Best Beaches in the World.

Hidden’s article on An Bang Beach gives you the best insider guide to this part of Hoi An. We’ve found some great options for your beach lunch and ice cold beer, along with places to party into the wee small hours. There are plenty of accommodation options here, too—though not large hotels. Instead, rather small villas. Life here is more laid back and more importantly, you share it with the Vietnamese.

What’s at An Bang Beach?

The beach has rapidly grown from a sleepy beach side village, now thriving and becoming its own destination. An Bang Beach became popular so quickly, that the area is not very built up at all, adding to its beach village feel. The bars and restaurants are all quite small, but they definitely do not fault when it comes to delicious food, refreshing drinks and entertainment. There are substantial amounts of money being put into An Bang, attracting even more holiday makers to the area.

An Bang Beach is well set up for tourists. There are a few ATMs, pharmacies, convenience stores, clothing and swimming accessory shops. Coupled with lots of bars, restaurants, hotels, villas, homestays, spas, massage salons, and even cooking classes.

When’s the Best Time to Visit An Bang Beach?

Hoi An weather can have extremes—it can get ridiculously hot, extremely humid and very wet. In fact, we’ve dedicated a whole article to Hoi An’s weather here.

We think the best time to visit the beach is early in the morning when the sun is not too high or late afternoon/evening while the sun is setting. Depending of course on what you want to go to the beach for. In the morning it is much quieter, there are less tourists and it’s a place to unwind. Visit the beach in the morning and join a yoga class, watch the sunrise, go for a run or just start your day right.

Around 4pm everyone flocks to An Bang after school and work. Visiting the beach during this time for people watching. Lay in a hammock, swim with the Vietnamese and eat delicious food.

Continue into the night listening to live music, play foosball, drink cocktails and (if you’re lucky) watch the locals sing karaoke on the sand.

Directions to An Bang Beach from Hoi An

Most beach-goers come from the centre of Hoi An, so firstly check if your hotel provides a shuttle bus. If not, the fastest and most convenient way to get here is by taxi or a Grab. A taxi ride takes no longer than 10 minutes and costs around 80,000 VND (4 USD).

Another option is going by bicycle or motorbike. If your accommodation doesn’t provide bicycles, read our article here on how to rent one. A motorbike ride takes around 10 minutes going straight down Hai Ba Trung Street. Or take a 25-minute scenic bicycle trip from the Old Town to the beach.

Parking at An Bang Beach

There is a lot of competition for where to park your bike as you approach An Bang Beach. We advise that you avoid any confusion and leave your bike at the “official” parking lot for 10,000 VND (0.50c USD). This has a large metal roof and is located just before the beach on the right hand side.

Another option is to turn left, before the parking lot at the entrance to the beach, and park your bike for free at one of the restaurants or beach clubs, then order something from there.

Activities at An Bang Beach During the Day

Water Activities

Enjoy your cold drink, have fun with friends, swim like a fish or fly like a bird. Fly? Yes, activities here include parasailing, jet skiing, and even stand up paddleboarding (SUP). Parasailing costs you 600,000 VND (26 USD) per person and 800,000 VND (35 USD) for two.

To book your parasailing or jet ski adventure in advance, check Sea Rainbow Hoi An’s website. Give paddle boarding a go with Drifter Paddle Co.. They offer hourly paddleboard rentals and an An Bang Beach sunrise tour for early risers.

Hoi An is not the best place for surfing, that’s a fact. But lower waves are great for learning, especially for kids. At La Plage, a beachside bar/restaurant frequented by many expat families, you can borrow a surfboard for your kid, so they can try their hand at surfing.

Safety First – Little Nippers

If you have kids under 14-years-old, try out a session with the Little Nippers. It’s a fun beach awareness class held every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. This class is run by both Vietnamese locals and expats. Your child learns about sea life around An Bang Beach and is taught about safety in the sea through activities, such as beach sprints, swimming, board races, and relays. Classes are provided by Surf Life Saving Vietnam, just in front of the popular Salt Pub. For more information, check their Facebook page.

Diving and Snorkelling

This area is not well known for scuba diving or snorkelling, but coral life is not that far away. From An Bang Beach, you can actually see the Cham Islands where you can dive or snorkel and explore the sea further. Check out our Cham Island article here for all the details.

Yoga and Meditation at An Bang Beach

If practising yoga or meditation along this long stretch of beach interests you, be sure to take a look at Nomad Yoga Hoi An. They run regular classes in both meditation and yoga here on An Bang Beach. You can read all about Nomad Yoga in our article here.

Spas at An Bang Beach

Indulge yourself with a revitalising massage, pedicure or facial treatment. An Bang Beach has many spas on offer, most of which you can find right in the seaside village of An Bang.

One is located directly on the beach—Aira Hoi An Spa. Located inside the Aira Boutique Hotel with an astonishing view, this high end spa has fantastic amenities, and their signature Himalayan Salt Stone Treatment comes highly recommended.

Ocean Spa Hoi An is a mid-range spa, right in the centre of the hustle and bustle, so it is impossible to miss and very conveniently close to everything. However, when you walk inside you feel as calm as anything. This spa offers every treatment imaginable, from aloe vera heat reducing treatments to hair removal.

And if that’s not enough, Heaven Garden Spa is slightly more budget-friendly than the others, albeit slightly further away from the crowds, giving you a more relaxing feel before your massage even begins. This peaceful spa also offers a 50-minute green tea wrap as well as a four-hand massage.

As you explore Hoi An be sure to check out Hidden’s review of the best spas in town here.

An Bang Beach at Night

An Bang Beach’s nightlife is undoubtedly not a Cat Ba experience, but you can still have a great night out here.

Soul Kitchen

Facing the ocean, on the northern end of the beach, the long-standing Soul Kitchen beach bar and restaurant are famous for its live music, diverse food (albeit more pricier than their Viet counterparts) and great cocktails. Sit back on one of the big cushioned seats and listen to some great live music while watching the waves crash on the white sand from sunset, right up until 11pm. If you’ve got too much energy to sit back, there is plenty of space near the bar for dancing.

Soul Beach

At the southern end of the beach, Soul Beach is a very chilled out live music venue offering a diverse array of music in a laid back environment, complete with hammocks and bean bags and an enviable Western and Vietnamese menu. If you get tired of lying in a hammock watching the waves, why not grab your friends and play some foosball by the bar. Although, this tropical paradise of a bar will probably just make you want to sip your cocktail, lay back, bob to the music and be thankful for a wonderful evening.

Swing Cool Kidz

Been practising your dance moves around the bar and but you don’t think they’re quite up to standard? Head down to Swing Cool Kidz at Salt Pub, Swing Cool Kidz have started a weekly swing dance social and beginners swing dancing lesson, 8.p.m – 10.p.m every Friday.

The Starfish Kitchen And Bar

Famous for its barbecues and fish and chips, The Starfish Kitchen also offers some of the cheapest beer in An Bang, costing as little as 25,000 VND (1.08 USD). If you’re not feeling like beer, grab yourself a glass of spirit or even a milkshake before playing a game of pool.

Kukun Hoi An

Kukun is the last bar in An Bang to close at 12pm. But go on a Friday night and you can dance until 4am! With themed nights, fire breathing and talented DJ’s, you can party until your feet fall off.

Looking for more of a club scene, then check out The Deck House. They have a great space with occasional DJ parties and a solid beach vibe.

Where to Eat at An Bang Beach?

Beach restaurants continue to pop up everywhere. Just last year, the An Bang Beach restaurant scene gained 10 new restaurants. Here, we highlight some of the best food options at An Bang Beach.

Budget Food Options

Cheap snacks all around! Just look for local vendors and pop up “stalls” directly on the beach. There’s fried potato, doughnuts and, most importantly, decent Vietnamese food. Directly on the beach, are hen xuc (baby clams with spring onions and chillies served with rice crackers and chilli jam) for only 20,000 VND (.85 USD).

Behind the beach is a local market, where delicious, cheap breakfasts are on offer. Just make sure you arrive before it closes at 9 am. Here mi quang (shrimp, pork, quails egg, and flat rice noodles) costs you only 25,000 VND (1 USD). Also, the legendary banh mi (a Vietnamese sandwich, differing from one region to another) is on offer. At the market entrance, are great banh beo (rice cake, dried shrimps, crispy pork skin, scallion oil, and dipping sauce). If you are keen on a different version of pho, where northern spices are swapped with green mango, chilli and cilantro, head to the left of the An Bang market. To read more about Vietnamese street food check out our in-depth article here.

Most of the budget restaurants are on the left side of the beach. Each has its menu displayed outside so you can check out prices and what’s on offer. Something as simple as fried rice with your choice of meat costs around 60,000 VND (2.6 USD). A free beach chair is provided with the meal, making the price a bargain. Wash this down with a cold Asian beer, costing anywhere from 20,000 to 35,000 VND (1 to 2 USD).  

Luxury

For the more discerning guest, An Bang Beach has some great options. At The H’mong Sisters, try Vietnamese seafood with a Mediterranean twist. Here, they serve interesting variations of seafood and also one of the best tomahawk steaks intended to be shared between two or three people. To top it off, they serve wines from all around the world—a good opportunity to pair wine with your food.

For more of an international cuisine, try Shore Club, for traditional international classics like: hamburgers and french fries, as well as fresh oysters and sushi boats. They offer contemporary Vietnamese food here, too. Order a cocktail pre or post dinner and enjoy it in front of their swimming pool.

A recent addition to the scene is the Deck House. It offers stunning oceanfront dining with an extensive menu of local cuisine, fresh seafood, and burgers. Their cocktail and wine list are impressive, and craft beers do the same for beer lovers. The deck setting is pleasant, especially if you secure a private cabana with a sea view.

Desserts

Don’t forget about your sweet tooth. Che (sweet black bean dessert soup) is An Bang’s no. 1 sweet treat and available from 3 p.m. The Che stall is located opposite the ad-hoc petrol station on the left-hand side of An Bang Beach.

Another must-try is tofu in a light ginger syrup, known as Tau hu nuoc duong, and sweet bread buns, banh mi sua. Keep your eyes out for these, both sweets are for sale from beach vendors along the beachfront.

An Bang Beach Accommodation

Places to stay stretch down the whole on An Bang Beach providing one of the best beach experiences here in Vietnam. You have many options, from a simple homestay to a luxury villa with private swimming pool. We look at the best budget, mid-range, and luxury accommodation options.

Budget Accommodation

Budget accommodation prices here are a bit higher than in the centre of Hoi An. You pay a premium for staying right on the beach. Read our article on the best budget accomodation available in Hoi An for further info.

One of the best beach budget options is Hung Do Beach Homestay. This place is very clean and comfortable with light and airy rooms. Its location is the standout feature, it is quiet and so close to the beach. Rooms cost around 460,000 VND (20 USD), including breakfast. The family who runs the homestay doesn’t speak any English, but their kindness solves every question.

Mid-Range Accommodation

With so many options here, it’s hard to highlight just one place. There are a bunch of small hotels here, either built in old village fishermen house styles or attractive looking beach huts. If we had to choose a place it would be Sol An Bang Beach Resort with their pleasantly decorated rooms and a swimming pool. Rooms are spacious, Western-styled with mini bar and deposit box. Sol An Bang Beach Resort also offer beach yoga and they feature in our Best Swimming Pools In Hoi An article. A room for one night costs around 1,582,000 VND (69 USD).

Luxury Accommodation

When looking for luxury accommodation at An Bang Beach, don’t go past The Chi Villa. This colonial villa abode is set in a lush garden with its own private pool, a spacious, fully kitted out kitchen, an open plan living room, and three spacious bedrooms. The villa is filled with light and decorated with stunning Vietnamese art. This accommodation includes a VIP airport butler service and round-the-clock access to all hotel staff, including masseuse, chef, chauffeur, and concierge. A one-day rental will set you back around 10 million VND (430 USD).

Hidden’s Thoughts

An Bang Beach is a pretty laid back and unspoiled place. There are no high rises here… yet! We recommend you come and enjoy it now while it still retains its quaint beauty. Vietnam changes so quickly, and the beach holds some prime real estate, so it’s fair to say things aren’t going to stay the same forever. Come and enjoy it now, eat, drink, swim, stay the night, and soak up all the local charm this wonderful beach has to offer.

An Bang Beach Map