For those fans of Alex Garland or Leo Di Caprio, 'The Beach' is the epitome of paradise. Golden sand, clear blue water and no mass tourism. A secret little hideaway where you can relax and enjoy your surroundings without the full-moon party brigade, the package-tour touts, the vendors selling various items of necklaces made from shells, inflatables, watersports or hotels marring the skyline. Nowadays, this is almost impossible to achieve with the opening up of borders and the abundance of low-cost flights to all corners of the world. Even in Gokarna, India, where I found the yang to Goa's yin, there were still backpackers by the boat-load.
Vietnam, as I was finding out on my trip, was quickly losing its 'hidden gem' tag as the tourist industry has kicked into high gear over the last few years. So it was much to my delight and surprise to find an antidote to over-development going on in Ha Long Bay or Mui Ne in the fishing village of Lang Co.
By no means the vision of the perfect beach getaway Garland had when he penned his story, or even a deserted utopia on some inaccessible island, Lang Co is 'merely' your garden-variety village with people going about their routine lives. Other tourists pass through and may even stop off at a restaurant for a bite to eat on their way from Hue to Da Nang, and there are frequent guests from neighbouring towns and villages. There is even a beach resort hidden away. But none of these things take away from the magic of Lang Co.
For starters, the village lies between the South China Sea and a lagoon that has formed from it. Sandwiched between the two, villagers are privy to majestic views whichever direction they look. The coastline stretches for almost 20km with golden sand that hasn't been contaminated with litter or been disturbed with a sun lounger. Looking out to the horizon you won't see a motorboat or a jet-ski or anyone kitesurfing. You probably won't even see another soul swimming. Those Vietnamese people who do brave the sun (like a lot of women throughout the east of Asia, Vietnamese women cover up from head-to-toe to avoid darkening their skin - paler skin being seen as more attractive, much the same way as we in the West think the opposite) confine themselves to the 300 metre segment that is used by the aforementioned beach resort. That leaves an unimaginable stretch of shoreline that is untapped. Walking along the beach, I didn't see another person. I even managed to leave my belongings unattended and go for a swim in the clear sea without fear of someone stealing my wallet or camera.
On the lagoon behind the village, fishermen work and make their living by catching oysters to export to other towns and cities in the vicinity. It meant that I was able to walk into any cafe or restaurant nearby and eat some of the most delicious seafood I had ever eaten. In the evening, locals invited me to drink beer and eat shrimp with them, despite the obvious language barrier. It had been a while since I had encountered such genuine hospitality without someone trying to sell me something or practice their English.
On another day, I managed to hire a guy to give me a ride on his motorbike to the nearby springs, where I had been told by one local with some English that I could have some fun. When I arrived, I found that the springs had been turned into a kind of water amusement park like the waterfall I visited in Iraq. Families ate picnics while the children splashed about in the springs, someone had used small rocks to create dams so that small rock-pools could form, and teenagers sprang into them from great heights. In complete contrast to the empty beach, people were more than happy to play in the water once they were sheltered by the trees all around. Again, although at odds to the ethos of 'The Beach', I found the fact that this was local recreation as opposed to a money-making venture to be something to cherish.
I went to Lang Co with the intention of staying for a few hours to catch my breath and take a break from the tourist trail, but I ended up staying 3 nights. Without a doubt, the highlight of my trip in Vietnam and it only saddens me to think that by writing this I may only be contributing to its downfall. The world doesn't need another Koh Sumui, Goa, Ibiza, or even another Mui Ne. However, I don't doubt that once the industry gets wind of its true 'potential,' my little Lang Co won't be able to hold back the tide. Personally, I will always have my memories of 'my' beach. Taking the train to Da Nang, I spent the journey looking out of the window and taking it all in.
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