Quy Nhơn

Thap Doi, Ghenh Rang and a sunrise on Eo Gio

Give Quy Nhon two or three days. The first covers the Thap Doi Cham towers, the beach and the Ghenh Rang headland with Han Mac Tu's tomb; the second starts at first light on the Nhon Ly peninsula for Eo Gio and Ky Co, with the basket boats of Bai Xep in the afternoon.

Start the first morning at Thap Doi, the Twin Towers, two Cham brick sanctuaries standing in a small park inside the city. Walk on to the seafront and swim before the sun gets high. In the late afternoon, take a Grab south to Ghenh Rang, the rocky headland that closes the bay. Climb to the tomb of Han Mac Tu, the poet who died young and is buried facing the sea, then scramble down to the Queen's Beach, a cove of round boulders named after Empress Nam Phuong. Back in town, eat at one of the seafront grills as families fill the promenade.

On day two, leave at first light for the Nhon Ly peninsula across the Thi Nai bridge. The cliff path at Eo Gio is best before 8am, when the light is soft and the wind gap between the hills is cool. Continue to Ky Co for a swim in clear water, and come back before the midday glare. After lunch, head south to Bai Xep and spend the afternoon watching the round basket boats from the beach.

A third day can go to the Cham and Tay Son history inland, or to doing very little at Bai Xep. If you fly out, stop at the Banh It towers on the way to Phu Cat, but note the midday closure from 11am to 1.30pm.

Tom Nhay pancakes, Bun Cha Ca and Bau Da rice wine

Order banh xeo tom nhay, small crisp pancakes filled with jumping lagoon shrimp, and bun cha ca for breakfast. Quy Nhon is the place to try Binh Dinh cooking, named after the area's traditional province and little known elsewhere in Vietnam, and seafood from the morning boats is grilled on low stools along the seafront.

Hundreds of fishing boats land their catch each morning, so seafood is the backbone: squid, clams, snails and fish grilled or steamed at the open-air restaurants along the seafront, eaten on low stools with a beer.

The signature dish is banh xeo tom nhay, palm-sized crisp pancakes filled with tiny 'jumping' shrimp from the lagoon, rolled in rice paper with herbs and green banana. Breakfast tends to be bun cha ca, noodle soup with chewy slices of fish cake and a clear, slightly sweet broth, a dish the city treats as its own. Banh hoi chao long pairs woven rice vermicelli with rice porridge and pork offal, a combination you will rarely see elsewhere. For the road, buy banh it la gai, the black sticky-rice cake coloured with ramie leaf, and nem cho Huyen, the province's sour fermented pork.

Locals drink Bau Da, a strong rice wine from the countryside west of the city, at weddings and festivals; sip it slowly. Vegetarians are well served too: Buddhist families run many com chay kitchens around the centre. Restaurants are informal and cheap, with plastic chairs and handwritten menus. Point at what neighbouring tables are eating, which is often the best way to order.

Banh It, the Tay Son Museum and the Nhon Ly headlands

Three day trips cover the best of Binh Dinh outside Quy Nhon: the Cham towers of Banh It, 17 km north-west; the Quang Trung Museum at Phu Phong, which tells the story of the Tay Son brothers; and the Nhon Ly peninsula across the lagoon, with Eo Gio and Ky Co.

North-west, the Banh It towers stand on a hilltop above the river, 17 km out, a cluster of four Cham buildings from the 10th and 11th centuries. They are the best restored Cham site in the countryside and fit neatly into a ride to or from Phu Cat airport. Arrive early; the site shuts from 11am to 1.30pm. French colonial writers called them the Silver Towers, though there was never any silver.

Further inland, at Phu Phong in the Tay Son area, the Quang Trung Museum tells the story of the three Tay Son brothers who rose here in the 18th century, defeated invading armies and briefly ruled Vietnam. The museum stands on the brothers' home site, and performances of Binh Dinh martial arts and battle drums are sometimes held for visitors. Go by car or motorbike, as public transport is poor.

East across the lagoon, the Nhon Ly peninsula has the most dramatic coast near the city. Seafood restaurants in Nhon Ly village cook the morning catch. Go in the dry months from March to August; from September to December the sea turns rough and boat trips to Ky Co often stop.