Just over an hour's flight from the main cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Danang is most well-known for "China Beach", with its serene, crystal blue water and white sandy beaches. China Beach is the perfect setting for a picture-perfect dive.

The coast around Danang, too, offers new and exciting destinations for divers in Asia. Perhaps some of the best diving sites are located in the sub-tropical waters just 30 minutes away by boat on the shores of the Son Tra peninsula, also known as Monkey Mountain, a national par, area fringed by coral reefs and populated with an abundance of exotic, tropical fish. The area is ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. It's safe and protected from waves which allow an excellent visibility under water.

From February to October each year, the Furama Resort operates a top-class diving base -- the first to be officially registered by the Vietnam government. The diving base uses the very latest diving equipment from Germany and offers a comprehensive range of diving services and courses for beginners as well as for experienced scuba-divers seeking new and exciting challenges.

Nha Trang is easily Vietnam's diving capital, with easy access to the waters of Nha Trang Bay and the numerous dive spots it offers, nearly all of them within an hour's reach. At least 10 dive operations offer services, and this number is certain to grow.

The Big Wall

This dive is a vertical drop of 20m to 35m with an incredible quantity of soft coral (Dendronephthya) with a great variety of colours. Marine life here ranges from Groupers, Jacks, Parrot Fishes, Stingrays, Angel Fishes, Lion Fishes and Butterfly Fishes.

The Small Wall

A drop of 18 m and a slop to 25 m. At 20m there is a big rock covered with rare green coral (Tubastrea Microntha) also (Tubastrea Aurea) a golden coral. Here you will encounter black and red Lion Fishes, Bat Fishes, Longfin Banner Fishes (Heniochus) and sometimes even the rare Frog Fish.

The Cave

A nice reef starting at 5m then slowly descends to 22/25 m. This site has an open cave to swim through from 9 to 6m depth. During the dive the coral is nice, you can see nudibranches, Lion Fishes, Cowries (Ovula Ovum), Octopus, Trigger Fishes, Parrot Fishes and beautiful Clown Fishes along with christmas trees (Spirobranchus) and Feather Stars (Crinoides).

Coral Garden

The site is from 3 to 16m with a very nice coral reef. There are some beautiful Clown Fishes, Butterfly Fishes Gobies (Puellaris, Albimaculatus) and Blennies (Midas, Bicolor). This site is a very good place to do try-dive's and open water courses.

Moray Beach

Moray Beach offers diving from 3 to 18. Starting on the sand you can see Scorpion Fishes, Lion Fishes, Clown Fishes, rare Black Frog Fish and White Frog Fish. The splanded coral reef continues to the moray cave. Three giant moray (2 Javanicus and 1 beautiful Favagineus) close by you can find some network pipe fishes and two Multibar Pipe Fishes, razor Fishes and Trumpet Fishes. At the end of the dive, at 3m, in a small cave with Leaf Fish (Taenianotus Triacantus) and big Stone Fish. Sometimes you can encounter one or two extemely rare Devil Scorpion Fishes, who walk on the sand.

South Reef

From 6 to 25m. There is a nice coral reef at 6m. A small wall to 15m with a very good coral especially Acropora. The area has many different Coral Fishes and a variety of Shrimps species from White Banded Cleaner Shrimps (Amboinensis), Cleaner Shrimps (Antonbruunii), Hingebeak Shrimps (Durbanensis) to the elegant Periclimenes Longicarpus on the coral Sinuosa.

Hon Trau Nam

A beautiful dive site from 10 to 35m. Good for almost 10 dives. We find big Cartilaginous fishes: Manta Ray, Eagle Ray, Sting Ray, also Jacks along the giant rocks drop off. On the bottom at 25/35m, there are colorful soft coral and a very rare Black Coral (Antipathes Dichotoma). Everywhere is abundant with Nudibranches and Opisthobranches, Giant Angel Fish like Pomacanthus Annularis and P. Xanthometopon and yellow Trimaculatus with their blue lips as well as P. Imperator. At 10m there is a small old wreck, around it are Scorpion Fish, huge Stone Fish. It is possible to do a drift dive on one side of the rocks formations here.

Hon Kho Trang

A small island around which we can do 3 different dives from 10 to 30m. It has a good quantity of nudibranches, ranging in size 15 to 20cm, giant hard coral Acropora and a interesting pass through.

Hon Tai

This dive is from 5 to 27m. The site has a splended coral garden at 12m. Giant rocks with colorful soft corals, walls, beautiful Clown Fish and different Nudibranches species.

Night Dive

This is a great opportunity to experience all the different animals that come out at night after hiding amoung the corals in the day. There are Sea Horses, Shrimp, Crabs, giant Spanish Dancer, and some beautiful Clown Fish sleeping in their sea anemones. Depth on this is 3 to 12m and a pleasant relaxed dive.
Hon Lon

Along the coast of Lon Island, This is a good reef with Green Corals (Tubastrea). Depth on this dive is from 3 to 15m.

The island offers a wild and natural environment where the marinelife, flora & fauna are a nature lover's dream, both above and below the water!

The diving here is perfect for beginners and experienced alike. There is safe & simple diving from the beach to a maximum depth of 15 metres. The morning boat dives offer more exciting & adventurous diving; wall dives down to 40 metres, coral gardens at 10-15 metres, racing drift dives and of course less strenuous Nudibranch spotting! Whales, sharks & whale sharks are regularly seen, as are rays and some pelagics.

PADI instructors are waiting for you for the initiation or courses for diving on Hon Trau Nam, Hon Kho Trang, Hon Tai and in the pass of Cua Be with its angels fishes of more than 40 cm. Its sting rays other leopart rays ect...

The diving is practically to conduct from Jan 15 to Oct 15 annually. Some reefs are accessible only with palms, masks and tubas. This sites permits to some beginners to familiarize themself with the submarine motricity in all security for them self and the fauna & flore that they will be able toadmireHon Trau Nam or Three Kings

It is the most beautiful site.But only for experienced divers. Yellow, purple o whitel gorgons, labyrinths and aves about thirty sea lugs species. You may meet sting rays, manta rays and even whale sharks.
Hon Kho Trang

A rocky islet reached from the resort in 90minutesinhabitated by sea birds.Two dive sites.- On the first one: 20 meters dives around and inside rocks piles sheltering fishes and sea slugs. Sun lighten the bottom playing with the waves. Forexperienced divers.- On the second one: We dive close to a 18meters fall and discover a marvellous soft and hard coralsgarden.Tropical ishes will seduce everystandard diver. Hon Tai or Ear Island

Dive for both experienced and beginners over a coral Plateau where divers can meet Nurse or white tip sharks.Look on the coral tables, black red frogfishes are laying on as well as big sized sea slugs. This site is one of the most visited.
Hon Lon

Rocks and corals in shallow water and deep dive in day and night time, when visibility is good.
Napolean Rock

This site is sheltered from bad weather conditions.Coral gardens are seperated from each other by sandy bottom areas which allow discovery diving as well as all courses training. And you could be distracted by a napoleon wrasse school,
The Dry

Here is the place for experienced divers to dive in the blue or to dive around the rock at different depths to admire sea slug sand meet moray eels.

Pristine beaches, a teaming and exotic marine life, green primitive forests and a rich cultural history, Con Dao has much to offer travellers who venture to his enchanting and undiscovered region in Vietnam.

Con Dao is an archipelago of fourteen islands situated 180km off the southeast coast of Vietnam. The islands remain largely undisturbed and are one of the most lavish natural regions in the country. The beauty and contrast of the islands is striking, encompassing dense tropical forests, luminous green paddies, prominent mountain peaks and deep valleys. The surrounding waters are home to some of Vietnam's most pristine coral reefs, grass meadows and mangroves. Con Dao is one of only two national parks in Vietnam, which encompasses both terrestrial and marine natural resources. The region was given protected status in 1984 and made a national park in 1993. In 1998, the park was extended to include 14,000ha of sea together with an additional 20,500ha marine buffer zone. Con Dao has largely escaped the exploitation and destructive fishing that have been the fate of other reefs in Vietnam and it is considered one of the best examples of marine conservation in the country.

Con Dao's environmental significance is recognised internationally and it is included in the list of "Areas of highest regional priority" in The World Bank Global System of Marine Protected Areas.

Con Dao is an absolute haven for divers.

The surrounding waters offer a visual feast with over 1,000 hectares of stunning coral reefs teeming with a colourful array of marine life. Con Dao supports a high level of biodiversity -- over 1,300 marine species have been identified so far.

Rainbow Divers, in association with the national park, opened the first PADI Five Star Centre on Con Dao in June 2004 and it is the only dive operator located on the island.

Con Dao remains largely undiscovered and there are hundreds of dive sites still waiting to be explored.

Con Dao's sea grass meadows support a small population of globally endangered Dugong. These large mammals can weigh up to 400kg and require 25kg of sea grass daily to survive, but despite their size they are slow and gentle in the water. Resident dolphins can also be found playing in the surrounding water and each year thousands of Hawksbill and Green Turtles return to the island for nesting. The turtles are considered endangered in Vietnam and since 1995 the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been working with local park rangers on a long-term conservation project. Visitors can spend a quiet but fascinating night watching turtles come ashore leaving their distinctive tracks on the sand. The turtles nest all year round but the peak season is from June to September.