Bai Rua, or Turtle Beach, is certainly one of the must-see beaches along the coast of central Vietnam, as the area in Ninh Hai District, Ninh Thuan Province boasts magnificent scenery, clean sand, original trees and beautifully-shaped rocks.

The scenic Turtle Beach in Ninh Thuan Province

The beautiful rocks at Turtle Beach

Rocks and trees around Turtle Beach are distinctive in their originality. In addition to evergreen pine trees, the magnet of Bai Rua lies in the beauty of many short but old trees that cannot grow well in a dry province like Ninh Thuan but evolve into bonsai with eye-catching shapes.

One of the old beautiful trees on the way to Turtle Beach stands about three meters tall on the verge of a deep valley under which turtles come to lay their eggs, mostly from April and July.

The old tree serves as an umbrella for visitors to rest after trekking the 20-minute journey from Provincial Road 702 to the scenic Vinh Hy Bay. Tourists can lean against the tree while casting their eyes to the Bai Rua down the valley in Vinh Hai Commune

As the area of Bai Rua is well protected for turtles to lay their eggs, it is closed to tourists for the majority of the year. But don’t let this discourage you from viewing Bai Rua from afar.

Beside the three-meter-tall trees, several nearby boulders serve as good posts for you to stand firmly against strong winds while looking at Bai Rua nestled behind lines of pine trees. The attractive rocks lying nearby and the beach make Bai Rua a must-see area on a summer trip to Ninh Thuan.

As Ninh Thuan is located in the driest region of Vietnam, in the hot season the high temperatures, change of the day and strong winds contribute to peeling the outer layers of rocks and carving them into different patterns which are attractive to visitors.