Dam Trau Beach
Con Dao, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Dam Trau Beach curls around a cove just past Con Dao's small airport in Vietnam, close enough that landing planes pass low overhead on final approach. Clear, calm water opens onto a short stretch of pale sand backed by forest, and the runway views give it a strange, memorable backdrop found on very few beaches anywhere.
A striking spot precisely because of the low flying planes, though it sits right next to the airport, so anyone hoping for total quiet should time visits around the flight schedule.
Time your visit around a scheduled flight if you want the plane-overhead photo. Otherwise the beach is at its best in the early morning before the day's arrivals start landing.
A taxi or scooter from the airport takes about five minutes, and it's roughly a ten minute walk if your bags are already checked through. There's no formal lot, just space to pull off near the entrance path.
A short sandy trail leads from the road down to the beach, flat but uneven in spots, not paved and not stroller friendly.
The dry season from November to April is calmer for swimming and less likely to disrupt the limited flight schedule to the island. Rain and rougher seas pick up from July through September.
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