Guesthouse Name: Life’s a Beach Bai Xep.
Address: To 2, Khu Vuc 1, Bai Xep, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh, Vietnam.
If you’ve ever found yourself saying that you wish you could stay on a beautiful beach in a little fishing village, then Life’s a Beach Bai Xep in Vietnam could be what you’re looking for.
Bai Xep is a fishing village about 12 km south of Quy Nhon city. Technically Bai Xep lies within the boundary of Quy Nhon city, but it feels so different that it doesn’t seem right to call it Quy Nhon. At the fishing harbour side of Bai Xep you can see the new skyline of Quy Nhon, which is an emerging travel destination.
Binh Dinh Province (of which Quy Nhon is the capital) is characterised by a rugged coastline dotted with small beaches. The village of Bai Xep clings to the coast, with the main highway passing overhead.
[Quy Nhon as viewed from Bai Xep.]
I’ve heard about this place over the years as a good beach for backpackers if the big city beaches isn’t your thing. Unlike some beach destinations which take over an empty stretch of sand, Life’s a Beach is embedded within a working fishing village. After walking through narrow laneways of the village you emerge at the beachfront.
Life’s a Beach has a big garden area on the beach front. I’m used to buildings in Vietnam being tall and skinny, so to see such a wide property (and beach front at that) is a remarkable site.
It’s a true beach front property, so you just walk out of the garden and you are in the sand.
There is a selection of bamboo huts and bungalows, either private rooms or in a dorm. Part of why I wanted to stay here is because sometimes I just need to stay in a bamboo room by the sea.
The room had a big comfortable bed, a fan, and a single power outlet. A typical basic backpacker accomodation.
My room had a shared bathroom with another room, and there are more public bathrooms at the back of the property.
The common area was a great place to hang out, with a pool table and lounge chairs overlooking the beach.
And then there is this magnificent beach. It was much smaller than the beach I had just come from at Vinh Hoa in Phu Yen Province, but the beach here was spotless – not a trace of rubbish anywhere.
The beach is also shared with other backpacker guesthouses and some resort-style accommodation, and around the corner on the next beach there are some more resorts being built.
In the late afternoon the beach gets busy with local kids having a swim. There are also pop-up seafood restaurants on the beach in the evening.
I had dinner at LIfe’s a Beach, and there are also some seafood restaurants and traveller-style cafes in the village.
It was too bad that I visited during this time in history when there are no international tourists in the country. I would have liked to see what the place was like fully operational. There was another group of expats staying here, and there were some groups of Vietnamese who came for lunch and dinner.
If you want to stay here, be aware that there are four other “Life’s a Beach” properties. There is an apartment in this village, and Life’s a Beach Backpackers is about 4km further south on the same road. That property is by itself on a cliff overlooking the beach, and it’s described as a party hostel. There is no transport between the two so make sure you are going to the right one. At the time of my visit it was closed due to lack of backpackers in Vietnam. The fourth property is north of the city centre.
[Life’s a Beach Apartments at Bai Xep.]
You can book Life’s a Beach Bai Xep online, and if you can’t find a room here look for hotels in Quy Nhon and search the map around Bai Xep. There are a few other backpacker places and resorts along the same beach.
How to get to Bai Xep
[Bai Xep bus stop.]
Bus T11 from Quy Nhon travels along the coast road and stops at Bai Xep. Follow the progress on your Google Map or show the ticket seller where you want to get off.
At the bus stop walk down the hill through the village. When you get to the town well at the bottom of the road, turn right and keep walking until you are at the beach.
And there is Bai Xep Beach – another amazing beach to discover in Vietnam.
Leave a Reply