Breakfast was a banh mi and Vietnamese orange juice. We will now go by motorbike to find our next accommodation for the night.
VND20,000 (95 JPY) for a delicious banh mi with crispy, crumbly bread.
Bakery for banh mi. The bread looks hard but it is crispy and crunchy. A banh mi shop with its own bread factory has a high probability of being good.
View of La Gi town, Binh Thuan province.
La Gi, Binh Thuan province in the rainy season, with several rains every day. River water is fertile.。
Surf spot search. This beach is in the poor location. Wind gusting hard in this area.
Gusty monsoon onshore. However, the wind is pleasant.
We have come to an even more peaceful countryside. Good low population density.
In the passing traffic in this area, injured snakes have been seen on several occasions. This road, which has good visibility, is sometimes driven at about 100 km/h, mainly by commercial vehicles. I am sure this snake was run over by a vehicle.
The next place to stay after La Gi is a place called Ke Ga. I think it’s windier here than in La Gi as the wind continues to blow onshore.
Nha nghi (homestay) accommodation in this area costs around VND 300,000 – 400,000 per night. Rooms in rural nha nghi accommodation are almost windowless, with no outside light. Accommodation without a window in the room should be avoided if possible.
Here, too, the beach seems to disappear at high tide due to beach erosion.
Many dogs are on the loose. Vietnamese dogs in the countryside are free to exercise and walk, and these dogs seem lucky. Many dogs are friends with each other.
It is also difficult to get good information about Vietnam from Google Maps. You have to visit the area to find accommodation and find a place with a good ocean view. Moreover, it is cheap and well within your budget.
Search for new surf spots. More grass at each point, fearful of insect bites intensifies.
Small fishermen’s market. Offshore waves about knee high.
There are some points with mixed reefs, but generally they are beaches. No surfers here either.
There were a few sandbanks that looked somewhat rideable. The sea surface at this beach is good, but the offshore is strong and the power of the waves is low, making it difficult to ride.
Beautiful coastal views. Beautiful colour of the sand. Binh Thuan Province gives a sense of the natural energy from the land.
Many of the waves on this coastline are regular, right directional waves. The wave quality is dull and has no power, but the shape is good.
There were no shops available around the time, which was past 2 in the afternoon. This is the only restaurant open. I had no choice but to order a seafood hotpot for VND 300,000 (1,400 JPY) for two people, which was a little expensive. It tasted like typical Vietnamese hotpot with tomatoes and pineapple, and was surprisingly tasty.
Offshore here too, but the size is small and brittle. I don’t think I can ride with a shortboard.
Return from Ke Ga to La Gi in the evening. Sunset in La Gi, Binh Thuan Province.
Tonight is the last night in La Gi town, Binh Thuan province. Dinner at a nearby banh xeo.
The pork and prawn banh xeo are cheap and tasty at VND 5,000 (25 JPY) each. I should have come here earlier.
Then, tonight’s second barbecue, presumably pork, at VND 10,000 (45 JPY) per barbecue. Delicious.
The third place to finish off is the centrally located Vietnamese coffee pudding, VND 10,000. Also tasty. Bought some to take home for tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow is the end of my week-long stay in La Gi and it is time to move on. I like the cool climate of this town and the quiet locals. The sea water is dirty, onshore and rains a lot, but I can still surf and I would like to come back.
(Surf trip record: La Gi, Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam – August 2019)
