THE LOBSTER ARCHIPELAGO: A 48-Hour Injection of Salt, Sun, and Shellfish

The New Year is often celebrated with champagne in crowded city squares, but there is a more visceral way to mark the passage of time. There is the silence of a night bus cutting through the dark, the smell of salt spray hitting a wooden hull, and the snap of a fresh lobster shell. We are leaving the asphalt of Saigon for the raw, elemental beauty of Binh Hung Island.

This is not a luxury retreat. It is a 2-day, 2-night expedition into the rugged coast of Cam Ranh. We will sleep on an island that feels like a secret, swim in water the color of gin, wander through surreal sheep fields that mimic a European pastoral dream, and feast on the kings of the sea. It is a journey of high contrast: the arid heat of Ninh Thuan meeting the cool embrace of the ocean.

The Cave, The Vineyard, and The Feast

NIGHT 0: The Great Escape | Saigon – Cam Ranh

The Experience: We depart Saigon at 20:00. The city fades. The night bus is a capsule of anticipation. We sleep as the landscape shifts from the flat delta to the jagged coastline of the South Central Coast.

DAY 1: The Amphibious Adventure | Ninh Chu – Binh Hung Island

Points of Interest: Bai Kinh, Binh Tien, Freshwater Beach (Bai Nuoc Ngot), Deep Cave (Hang Sau), Hai Nam Tomb.

The Experience: We wake up to the sunrise at Ninh Chu. After breakfast, we hit Bai Kinh, the gateway to the island. We board a boat, cutting across water so clear you can see the shadow of the hull on the sand below. The Swim: We head to Freshwater Beach. This is a geological oddity; a stream of fresh water from the Nui Chua National Park runs into the sea here. You can wash the salt off your skin by walking ten meters inland. The Exploration: We navigate to Deep Cave (Hang Sau) and the Rock Wall. We don masks and dive. The coral here is alive, a riot of neon brain coral and staghorn formations. The Culture: Back on land, we tour the island on electric cars (tuktuks). We visit the Hai Nam Tomb and Binh Hung Pagoda, smelling the incense mixed with the brine of the drying fish nets. The Evening: This is the main event. A floating dinner on a raft. The menu is decadent: Lobster (half a bird per person), grilled abalone, oyster porridge, and fish steamed in rice paper. It is a feast that would cost a fortune in the city, eaten here with your feet dangling over the water.

Suggestions:

The Swim: Wear water shoes. The coral is beautiful but sharp, and the sea urchins are plentiful.

The Condiment: Try the local green chili salt. It transforms the seafood.

DAY 2: The Pastoral Surrealism | Sheep Field – Vineyard – Saigon

Points of Interest: Dong Cuu (Sheep Field), Ninh Thuan Vineyard.

The Experience: We leave the island and head inland. The landscape becomes arid, almost desert-like. Then, we arrive at Dong Cuu (Sheep Field). It feels like a hallucination—a slice of European farmland dropped into the Vietnamese tropics. We walk among the flock, the white wool contrasting with the stark green grass. The Harvest: We move to a Ninh Thuan Vineyard. This region is the grape capital of Vietnam. We duck under the trellises, picking fresh grapes and sipping the local wine. It is sweet, strong, and tastes of the sun. The Return: We drive back to Saigon, belly full of wine and seafood, arriving as the sun sets on the holiday.

The Lobster on the Raft

It happens on the evening of Day 1. You are sitting on a wooden raft, floating gently in the bay. The sun has gone down, and the fishing boats have turned on their lights, creating a city of stars on the water. The server places a Lobster in front of you. It is steamed simply, retaining the sweetness of the ocean. You crack the shell. The meat is firm, white, and steaming. You dip it in the spicy green chili sauce and take a bite. In that moment, with the cool wind on your face and the taste of the cleanest ocean in Vietnam in your mouth, you realize this beats any 5-star hotel buffet.