Diving destinations in Vietnam

In Vietnam, the diving is a relatively new activity that develops in proportion to the growth in tourism since the gradual opening of the country in 1991 ( the Doi Moi ). Until April 2010, no offers for diving existed. Today, the recent partnership established between Dive Spirit Travel, Cocodive Center and Euro Diving Vietnam has created a complete product on the destination of Nha Trang, the birthplace of diving in southern Vietnam. The first offering will be gradually enriched by other destinations like the island of Phu Quoc, Hoi An and Da Nang.



There are three major areas for diving for now :Hoi An and Da Nang ( center ), Nha Trang with its bay dotted with islands, the Van Phong Bay and its legendary site of the Whale Island, and in the extreme south -west in the Gulf of Thailand: Phu Quoc Island. Other sites are recently being discovered and in exploration, including the archipelago of islands in the Con Đảo South China Sea about 200 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City promises to be the one of the most beautiful diving places in Asia Southeast.


Vietnam is an elongated country from north to south for a distance of about 2,000 km. If there are significant climatic differences between north and south, the entire country has a tropical climate with two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. To dive in the south, which concentrates almost all the diving spots, it is recommended to dive during the driest months from November to March in theory. However, the presence of micro climates mainly in the area of Nha Trang and Phu Quoc Island allows scuba diving almost all year even in the rainy season of between June and September.

However, we avoid the period from mid-October to mid-January because in this period, the waves are rough too. Otherwise, the north and center of the country are preferable from May to September. In spring and autumn there may typhoons on the coast of the South China Sea, but they are located on the northern half of the Gulf of Tonkin between Da Nang and to the border of China. The entire south of the country do not known any typhoon.



The diving in the area of Nha Trang
As historic Site and birthplace of diving in Vietnam, Nha Trang region is characterized by two main diving areas focusing alone dozens of spots spread around many islands and almost all accessible from the Level 1 or Open Water. Nha Trang Bay is part of the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World, which contains 29 bays, in 22 countries, gathered to protect their environment. Van Phong Bay has been classified by the World Tourism Organization .Both bays have a unique microclimate that saving the rainy season from June to September.

The city of Nha Trang is located south of the country on the coast of the South China Sea, 480 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 1,450 km from Hanoi. It is connected by daily flights from many major cities in Vietnam. The water temperature ranges from 24 ° to 30 ° and visibility ranges from 10 to 30 + meters. There is little or no current, no wind and a generously calm sea.

The dive sites of Van Phong Bay is located around three islands in the north of Nha Trang, Diving and swimming in the bay was initiated by the visit of Jacques -Yves Cousteau in 1945. The sites are accessible from Nha Trang 1h by Speedboat and or 4h normal boat. Check carrefully your boat type before if you book your Vietnam tour in these places. Every year between April and July, whales and whale sharks come to stay in the archipelago of Van Phong Bay. It is possible to simultaneously view up to fifteen of these animals gorging on krill and plankton that abound here. Sacred animals in Vietnam, they are safe here: fishermen devote their particular cult, involving these animals to the richness and abundance of their communities.



Diving in Hoi An and Da Nang
Hoi An has recently experienced a big developpement in the field of diving and have 9 diving sites of rare quality that appeal to divers around the Cham Islands. Cooler winter and warmer than Nha Trang have promoted the development of large coral formations soft summer.