Escape to Vietnam's secret coast

Two days earlier, I was on the beach, lying under a cloudless sky, grappling with the big issue of the day: should I go for a swim now or after lunch? I'd come to Vietnam for some R&R, after all. But that's not what you usually go to Vietnam for, is it? Thailand and Bali, yes - but Vietnam?

Yet this country has some of the most beautiful coastline in Southeast Asia: powdery beaches, swaying palms and the warm, blue South China Sea - in essence, everything her more popular sisters offered 20 years ago, before tourism turned Ko Samui into Blackpool and Kuta into Skegness.

Nha Trang, a beach resort on the southeast coast of Vietnam, is gradually going the same way, but further south sits Mui Ne, which remains a haven for the more discerning sun-seeker. And the reason it's managed to remain a well-kept secret? It's a bit of a drag to get to. The nearest international airport is in Ho Chi Minh City, a five-hour drive away. And sometimes it rains.

Driving along Highway 1, the 1,200-mile stretch of road linking Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) to Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, is an experience in itself. "Don't worry about the beeping," Hien grins at me as we set off. "The Vietnamese love to beep their horns. It could be a warning, but often it's just people saying hi to their friends."

The little villages strung along the highway give a fascinating insight into normal life in Vietnam; gaudily painted concrete shacks with water buffalo in the garden sit next to shops with plastic-wrapped coffins piled high in the ­window. Dragon-fruit plantations are inter­spersed with stalls selling sweet iced coffee and baguettes. And all the while that incessant beeping.

It was worth it for Mui Ne, which glittered in the sunlight as we ­arrived. Strung along a six-mile stretch of road, the town was jungle just 14 years ago. Not only is it known as the sunniest place in Vietnam, Mui Ne also has perfect conditions for watersports due to its consistent cross-onshore winds and having the lowest rainfall in the country. As a result, it has become a mecca for kite-surfers and has attracted a cool, young crowd - and with them, a laid-back, surfy vibe.

Shoulder dislocation (an unfortunate side-effect of kite-surfing, so I'm told) didn't really appeal, so I was happy to duck out and sit in Jibe's, a cool little beach bar, sipping a mango daiquiri and watching the primary colours of the sails streak across the waves. As night fell, the kites were replaced by a string of fishing boats, their lights sparkling along the horizon as they trawled for squid and shrimp. By morning, those too were gone, to be replaced by the occasional coracle being punted along by a wizened old fisherman.

Mui Ne offers a dozen or so luxurious bungalow-style resorts, as well as some cheaper guesthouses, excellent restaurants and some supercool bars - the most stylish I found being Sangkara, a newly opened beach club that seems to have borrowed heavily from the chillout rooms of Ibiza. Jibe's is also a hot ticket for sundowners in the evenings, and often organises beach parties on Saturday nights. The Sailing Club, a four-star resort with a surfside restaurant, does a mean coconut and rum, as well as an ­interesting western-style menu; who would have thought that passion fruit and beef would go together?

Of course, you can't stick to western menus when you've gone all the way to Vietnam. Local favourite is a fantastic seafood restaurant a little way out of town - racily named Cay Bang. With seating for hundreds, it heaves at the weekend, particularly on Sundays Freshly caught fish, lobster, crab, whatever, is kept (alive) in pools. You choose your supper from what can only be ­described as an aquarium, and it goes from pool to pan to plate in about 10 ­minutes flat. Three of us feasted on barbecued squid, stir-fried morning glory, noodles, crayfish and crab for less than £15, beer included.

All this lounging around eating and drinking got too much after a while, so I went to explore. One of the things you're supposed to explore are the red sand dunes - and they were beautiful. But more impressive were the two

little girls who accosted us to give us a tour. I was stunned by how good their English was, and I was even more surprised when six-year-old Ba insisted on giving my friend a bracelet, but refused payment for it, even closing our taxi door on us to stop us pushing some money into her palm.

In the market in Phan Thiet, later that day, we were regaled with gossip by the hawkers - the fact they didn't speak a word of English didn't matter a jot. We were soon well versed in their complicated love lives, as well as laden with bags. I bought a swag of fresh­water pearls and silver jewellery for £70 - the kind that find their way into the boutiques of Notting Hill and are flogged for £200 each. The week had passed, I was well fed and well rested, I was ready to tackle Highway 1, Ho Chi Minh City and home, and looked forward to a nice, relaxing journey to the airport. Hmmm.

Jessica Jonzen travelled as a guest of Cox & Kings

TRAVEL BRIEF

Getting there: You cannot fly direct to Vietnam; you'll need to change in Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong, so the journey can end up taking 24 hours each way. Thai Airways (0870 606 0911, thaiair.com) flies to Ho Chi Minh City via Bangkok, from £663. Singapore Airlines (0844 800 2380, singaporeair.com) flies to Ho Chi Minh City via Singapore, from £672.

Staying there: the Sailing Club (00 84-62 384 7440, sailingclubvietnam.com) is a well-located, great-value and beautifully designed resort with a good restaurant and cocktail bar; bungalows from £51, B&B. The Coco Beach Resort, the first in Mui Ne, has thatched-roof bungalows, a nice pool and a private stretch of beach; bungalows start at £60, B&B. For an even cheaper option, try Full Moon Beach (62 384 7008, windsurf-vietnam.com). Owned by the people who run the Jibe's kitesurfing centre, it has nicely decorated rooms, a seafront restaurant and a saltwater swimming pool; doubles from £34, room only.

Tour operators: Cox & Kings offers a six-night tailor-made trip to Vietnam, combining two nights at the Majestic Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, with four nights at the Victoria Hotel, Phan Thiet, from £1,430pp, including flights with Thai Airways, accommodation with breakfast and private transfers (020 7873 5000, coxandkings.co.uk). Other operators include Silk Steps (01278 722460, silksteps.co.uk) and Explore (0845 013 1537, explore.co.uk).

SOUTHEAST ASIA: FOUR MORE SECRET BEACHES

BEST FOR TRAILBLAZERS

Karma Beach, Thailand

Ko Lipe, a paradise island in the Andaman Sea, has been home to the semi-nomadic Chao Leh people for centuries. And, for the moment, it's still more a fishing base than a tourist hot spot. Just north of Ko Lipe's only fishing village you'll find Karma beach - the island's prettiest stretch - with a Maldivian-style squeaky-white sandbank that juts out into luminous, coral-filled waters. What you won't find are any large hotel developments.

Don't miss: the rest of the islands that make up the Butang archipelago. Ko Rawi (20 minutes by taxi-boat from Karma beach) has some spectacular dusk-orange coves to explore.

Where to stay: scattered across the clifftop overlooking Karma Beach is the Mountain Resort (mountainresortkohlipe.com), which has basic but comfy wooden bungalows with yawning views across the Andaman Sea. Doubles start at £20, B&B.

Getting there: Thai Airways (0870 606 0911, thaiair.com) flies from Heathrow to Hat Yai, via Bangkok, from £612 return. From here, Mountain Resort can arrange car and boat transfers (three hours).

BEST FOR CRUSOES

Gili Meno, Indonesia

The smallest and quietest of the three Gili Islands, off Lombok's northwestern tip, Gili Meno is no more than a sunbaked mound of sand sprouting coconut trees. A near-perfect hoop of beach circles the 250-acre patch, and there's little to do here except listen to the waves and count the grains of sand... Which is exactly why you washed up here.

Don't miss: turtles, reef sharks and the neon-hued coral and marine life (the fishermen are paid not to dynamite their catch here).

Where to stay: Villa Nautilus (villanautilus.com) has comfy Balinese-style villas with private sundecks facing the beach; from£41, B&B.

Getting there: Singapore Airlines (0844 800 2380, singaporeair.com) flies from Heathrow to Lombok, via Singapore, from £665 return. Villa Nautilus can arrange boat transfers from Lombok (one hour).

BEST FOR DIVERS

Sipadan, Malaysia

A speck of sand in the Celebes Sea, Sipadan has desert-island looks and heart-stopping aquatic beauty. Jacques Cousteau called the islet "an untouched piece of art". It's also a diver's holy grail: a couple of lengths out to sea and you're floating above a 2,000ft coral wall that is home to more than 3,000 species of fish. Look out for sharks, turtles and barracudas.

Don't miss: diving with endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks. Sipadan is one of the few places in the world where you can see these odd creatures, with their dustpan-shaped heads. Don't worry: the schools that head to Sipadan's reef wall are here to breed, not feed, so the chances of being eaten are slim.

Where to stay: Sipadan Water Village (00 60 8975 1777, swvresort.com) is a 10-minute speedboat ride away on Mabul Island. Your home will be in one of 45 cottages on stilts above the water. Morning dips are a cinch: jump off the balcony into the coral garden below. Doubles from £210, room-only.

Getting there: Air Asia (0845 605 3333, airasia.com) flies from Stansted to Tawau, via Kuala Lumpur, from £350 return. Sipadan Water Village can arrange car and boat transfers (three hours).

BEST FOR SEAFOOD-LOVERS

Bai Sao Beach, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Phu Quoc is a classic example of the double-sided Southeast Asian beach scene. Its overdeveloped corners are a clutter of concrete and Coca-Cola parasols, but slices of solitude can be unearthed if you know where to look. Head for Bai Sao, on the east coast, for a glimpse of how the island looked before the tourists conquered: a long silk scarf of white sand, with only fishermen to disturb the peace.

Don't miss: nearby Ham Ninh fishing village, where local traders gather daily with mounds of wriggling catch. You'll see freshly taken mackerel, langoustine and anchovies - vital for the pungent fish sauce that's made locally.

Where to stay: My Lan has the only rooms on Bai Sao beach itself, basic wooden shacks from £10pp. Luxury lovers should head for Cassia Cottage (00 84 773 848395, cassiacottage.com), 30 minutes away on Ba Keo beach; from £90, room-only.

Getting there: Thai Airways (0870 606 0911, www.thaiair.com) flies from Heathrow to Ho Chi Minh City, via Bangkok; from £700 return. Vietnam Airlines (020 3263 2062, vietnamairlines.com) flies from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc; from £47 return.

Extracted from the December edition of The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, our monthly sister title (£3.60, on sale now). In it, you'll find a 26-page Total Guide to Southeast Asia, containing more secret beaches and inside information on stopovers, adventures and cultural treats