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Top Vietnam Diving Spots
It's fair to say that recent improvements in the infrastructure has helped Nha Trang and Phu Quoc become popular diving destinations to get scuba certified.
This section contains information about the best dive sites in Vietnam with extra details about the aquatic animals that scuba divers and snorkelers can find in this part of Southeast Asia.
Where is Best for Scuba Diving in Vietnam?
Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country that has Cambodia and Laos to the west and the South China Sea in the east.
As you might expect, a country that has well over 3,200 kilometres of coastline has become a hub for scuba diving and snorkeling.
Since the 1990s, divers have taken advantage of the steady increase in PADI™ Dive Centers and Resorts.
Most of the dive excursions take place in the calm waters of Nha Trang (near Ho Chi Minh City) and Phu Quoc (south of Sihanoukville).
So, the diving community takes advantage of everything that Vietnam has to offer its visitors. You can find untouched underwater locations and an expansive variety of aquatic creatures sheltering in shallow reefs close to pristine sandy beaches.
List of Vietnam Dive Sites
So, why do most divers say Vietnam has good scuba diving? To start with, a diversity of macro life and flourishing soft corals rank highly in this region.
Add to that, there is a range of exciting drift dives along towering underwater pinnacles and vertical walls to swim along. Some of the popular diving locations include:
- An Thoi Islands
- Con Dao Islands
Da Nang- Halong Bay
- Hoi An
- Hon Mun Island
- Mui Ne
- Nha Trang (South China Sea)
- Phan Thiet
- Phú Quốc Island (Gulf of Thailand)
- Vung Tau
- Whale Island
Marine Life Species in Vietnam
Vietnam dive sites are not the best place to see big fishes (e.g. pelagics). Instead, divers and snorkelers should expect to catch sightings of macro marine life, such as:
- Bamboo shark
Basket star (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis)- Basslets
- Dugongs and manatees
- Frogfish
- Hawksbill sea turtle
- Horned sea star (Protoreaster nodosus)
- Nudibranch (e.g. blue glaucus)
- Pipefishes (Syngnathinae)
- Sea fans (e.g. Gorgonia flabellum)
- Stonefish
- Seahorses
Pro Tip: Underwater locales where no-one has yet dived still remain undiscovered. But, you will get better access to the top dive sites if you already have a Drift Diving certification and the Deep Diver Specialty.
Best Time to Dive in Vietnam
You should get good access to most of the island locations all year round. But, the locals consider the months from March to October as being the main diving season.
There are two primary destinations with varying water clarity and temperature, the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. Nonetheless, you should expect to be diving in warm water, around 28° Celsius (82° Fahrenheit) almost any month of the year.
Related Information and Help Guides
- Snorkeling Blog: Fun Facts for Beginners
- A to Z List of Scuba Dive Equipment
- PADI Certification Levels Explained for New Divers
- Sea Creatures and Plants Facts and Information
- Where is the Best Scuba Diving in the World?
Pro Tip: This short video clip [3:41 seconds] presented by "Gear Up To Travel" contains footage of the top 10 scuba diving destinations at Vietnam dive spots.
Getting to Vietnam
After flying into Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh international airport you will be able to get further connecting flights to the coastal cities (e.g. Nha Trang, Hoi An, and Phu Quoc).
Some travellers use overnight sleeper trains (or local buses) from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and Da Nang before they take a boat transfer to their chosen destination (e.g. Whale Island).