Dong Hoi

There is not much to do in Dong Hoi but relax, enjoy its beaches and drink a beer; get there now before the masses do. Many hotels and tour groups operate tours to these nearby beaches and caves. There are few tourists in Dong Hoi, so you will be greeted with many hellos. Nhat Le Beach is nearby, but the focus of the town is very much on the river and canals.

History

Dong Hoi had been a small village before Vietnam was divided during the time of the Trinh-Nguyen War (1558–1775), after which Vietnam was divided into two countries: Dang Trong (south) and Dang Ngoai (north) with the Gianh River as the frontier. Dong Hoi was an important fortress of the southern Nguyễn Lords. The Đồng Hới Wall was considered the barrier which protected the Nguyễn Lords from the attack by northern Trịnh family. The site of Dong Hoi today is just south of this boundary.
During the Indochina War (between the French and the Viet Minh in 1950s, the Đồng Hới airbase was used by the French to attack both the Viet Minh in north-central Vietnam and the Laotian Pathet Lao Army in central and southern Laos. During the Vietnam War, Đồng Hới was heavily devastated by bombardments from US B-52s due to its location near the seventeenth parallel and the demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam. The city was almost leveled and was rebuilt slowly after the war ended in 1975. The town was planned and rebuilt on a large scale especially after 1990 when it became the provincial capital.

Climate

There are four distinct seasons in Đồng Hới. In the spring, it is cool, humid and foggy. The average annual temperature is 24.4°C, average rainfall varies from 1,300 to 4,000 mm, total sunshine hours per year is 1,786 hours, average annual moisture is around 84%. The city has a monsoon climate with three types of wind: southeast wind, southwest wind, and northeast wind.
It is rainy in the fall but the weather is comfortable with the temperature being 26-31°C. In the winter, due to the northeast wind blowing from the Chinese mainland, the temperature may go down below -18°C, and there may be slight rain. The highest precipitation gets highest level in August (118.4 mm), compared to just 38.9 mm in January.
The best time to visit this city is from April to September when it's cool enough to go swimming.

By bus

From Hue, local buses take about 3–4 hours, and cost 80,000 dong (Mar 2012), departing from the Northern Bus Station. Tourist buses cost 4-5x the price: i.e., Sinh Cafe (400,000 dong), Mandarin Travels (300,000 dong).
Most buses will drop you off on Hung Vung, which is closer to town than the bus station. You can easily walk to a hotel from Hung Vung.

By train

The Reunification Express makes a stop in Dong Hoi. The train station is 3 km from the city centre.

By air

Dong Hoi Airport is 6 km north of Dong Hoi centre with flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Jet Star started direct flights to Chiang Mai in August 2017

By foot. However, motorbike drivers will hassle you like anywhere else in Vietnam.
The bus station and train station are a little far away from town, so if you have any bags, you will be better off catching a ride into town.

Taxis

• Taxi Mai Linh

  phone: +84 52 385 8585
  address: Quang Trung road - Diêm Hải - Phú Hải
  They also have cars for hire.

• Taxi Đồng Hới

  phone: +84 52 384 1841
  address: Hữu Nghị road - Phường Nam Lý
  They also have cars for hire.

• Taxi Xuyên Việt

  phone: +84 52 384 8484
  address: To 6 - Tiểu khu 10 - Phường Đồng Phú
  They also have cars for rent

• Taxi Quảng Bình

  phone: +84 52 382 8282
  address: Tiểu khu 14 - Phường Bắc Lý
  They also have cars for rent

Local Bus

The local bus is slow and notoriously unreliable with respect to timing, but cheap and with surprisingly good geographic coverage.
Map and partial schedule at http://m.imgur.com/gallery/9ue4K

• Dong Hoi Citadel GatesOnly two gates and a moat remain of the citadel. You can climb up in the gates, but inside you will find syringes, burnt debris, and feces.

• Tam Toa Church

  address: Nguyen Du
  Tam Toa church is a bombed-out ruin. Only the facade remains, behind some iron gates.

See also: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Blind Massage Therapy Center

  address: 43 D Van An
  Enjoy a massage by the blind while soft, sultry saxophone music echoes in the corridor. Not all the employees are actually blind, as they sometimes check and write text messages on their phones during the massage, but it has been claimed that they are all legally blind. Good energetic massage by properly trained people.

• Nhat Le BeachAlthough Nhat Le Beach is nearby, the focus of Dong Hoi is on the river. Accordingly, you will find the beach to be generally empty and abandoned, with just a few hotels, construction work, and piles of dirt. The beach is pleasant, but the current is strong and the waves often too powerful for swimming.

• Paradise CaveA huge cave with thousands of stalactites and stalagmites of amazing size and shape. Paradise Cave is a rewarding trip, as it is not touristy and the spotlights are white, not coloured. The best way to get there is by motorbike as the scenery is amazing. Motorbikes and cars with drivers can be rented in Dong Hoi at many hotels. Booking a tour in Dong Hoi is possible as well and a very common way to see the caves. Paradise Cave takes around 2 hours to visit.

• Phong Nha Caves

  phone: +84 52 367 5110
  Visit the largest and most stunning cave in Vietnam. The cave is nearly 55 km long but visitors can only access the first kilometre. Look out for pictures of the caves and learn the Vietnamese names (Phong Nha is the national park, not just the cave). Phong Nha Caves take around 3½ hours to tour.

• Anh Minimart

  phone: +84 52 350 0199
  address: 230 Lý Thường Kiệt

• Dong Hoi Market

  phone: +84 52 385 0057
  address: Trade Center, Me Suot road

• Hieu Hang Minimart

  phone: +84 52 3840 969
  address: 27 Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh

• Nam Ly Market

  phone: +84 52 382 4639
  address: Trần Hưng Đạo street

• Nguyen Van Cu Bookstore

  address: By the Dong Hoi Citadel Gates

• 7th Heaven Restaurant

  phone: +84 52 383 3856
  address: 39 Duong Van An St
  Large menu featuring primarily Western food (steaks, burgers, grilled honey-chicken, etc.) and also Vietnamese and Thai selections.

• Dai Duong (Đại Dương)

  phone: +84 52 383 3868
  address: 71 Truong Phap
  Vietnamese food.

• Hai Duong (Hải Dương)

  phone: +84 90 584 3295
  address: Truong Phap
  Vietnamese food.

• Nhu Y

  phone: +84 52 382 1280
  address: 11 Le Quy Don
  Good Vietnamese food. They have English menu.

• Phu Cuong (Phú Cường)

  phone: +84 52 381 0114
  address: Truong Phap
  Vietnamese food.

• QB Teen

  phone: +84 523 824-694
  address: 3 Le Loi St
  They have Vietnamese and Western food such as pizza, pasta, burgers, and chips. Also very nice fruit shakes. Have English menu.

• Van Tue (Vạn Tuế)

  phone: +84 98 807 9879
  address: Truong Phap
  Vietnamese food.

• Red Peppers Restaurant

  address: 35 Truong Phap, Hai Thanh
  Seafood, pizza & pasta, full breakfasts, Vietnamese, sizzlers, and beer.

• Tree Hugger Café

  address: 30 Nguyen Du
  Little nice café in central Dong Hoi. The menu is small but features fresh drinks and simple light food options. Good for learning more about Dong Hoi as well as handicraft store on the second floor. Tour bookings also available.

• Bar Hoang De

  phone: +84 98 828 3003, +84 97 471 7777
  address: Nguyen Huu Canh St
  Discotheque, cocktails, beer, coffee, fruit shakes.

• Coco's Coffee Bar Classic

  phone: +84 52 385 7373, +84 52 385 8788
  address: Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh
  Free Wi-Fi, coffee, fruit juices, breakfast.

• Geminai Bistro

  phone: +842323938888
  address: 54 Nguyen Du
  One of the best coffee shop in Dong Hoi. Pretty chill atmosphere with cool music and not too loud. Good place for cocktail.

• Mau Hong Hotel

  phone: +84 52 382 1804
  address: Truong Phap St
  Clean and cheap rooms, good location. Rooms with balcony overlook the river. Wi-Fi.

• Nam Long Hotel

  phone: +84 52 382 1851
  address: 22 Ho Xuan Huong St
  They have only 2 kinds of room, 1 double bed with balcony or 1 double bed and 1 single bed with window. All rooms have cable TV, fridge, air-con, and Wi-Fi. Owners speak decent English.

• Sun Spa Resort

  phone: +84 52 384 2999
  address: Bao Ninh
  This is the only luxury resort in Dong Hoi. Many lodging choices, from rooms to 3 bedroom bungalows.

• Anh Linh Hotel

  address: 38 Van An street
  Very good hotel. Staff friendly, accommodating and English speaking. Recommended as they are more customer-oriented than most hotels in this price range in Vietnam (May 2014)

• Beachside Backpackers

  address: Truong Phap
  Budget accommodation - dorms and private rooms, beachside bar and restaurant, hammocks, kayaks, surfboards, volleyball. Bicycles and motorbikes available. On the bus route to Phong Nha.

• Geminai Hotel & Cafe

  phone: +842323938888
  address: 56 Nguyen Du
  Best location look out Nhat Le river, cave tour booking, laundry service. On-site restaurant and bar. Western, local and vegetarian dishes, beer, shisha.

Locals maintain that Dong Hoi is a major stop on the heroin smuggling trail: the drugs come in by boat and trickle along to Laos. Although you don't often see traces in the town itself, maybe the rare needle or cracked syringe - just keep an eye out.

• Cuban-Vietnam Hospital

  phone: +84 52 382 5105
  address: Tieu khu 10 - Nam Ly Ward

• Dong Hoi General Hospital

  phone: +84 52 382 2185
  address: Le Loi, Đức Ninh Đông Ward

Buses to Hanoi cost around USD12–13. Schedule at bus stations (Ben Xe Dong Hoi and Ben Xe Nam Ly) as of April 2017 see .
Train connections are available northbound and southbound. For schedules see The Man in Seat 61. Tickets can be purchased at the train stationbook a day ahead to make sure of a seat--or can be arranged through guesthouses with an additional processing fee.