Thi Nai Lagoon
Thi Nai is the largest lagoon in central Vietnam — roughly 5,000 hectares of brackish water held between Quy Nhon and the Phuong Mai peninsula, fed by the Kon and Ha Thanh rivers. Champa used it as the port of Vijaya and it has been fought over ever since; today it is fish pens, cast-net fishermen working from flat boats, and the mangrove islet of Con Chim in the middle.
Best Season
March to September
Temperature
23°C – 34°C
Available Tours
3 Curated Experiences
Climate Note
Glassy water in the dry months; the lagoon swells with river flood late in the year
About Thi Nai Lagoon
Thi Nai is the largest lagoon in central Vietnam — roughly 5,000 hectares of brackish water held between Quy Nhon and the Phuong Mai peninsula, fed by the Kon and Ha Thanh rivers. Champa used it as the port of Vijaya and it has been fought over ever since; today it is fish pens, cast-net fishermen working from flat boats, and the mangrove islet of Con Chim in the middle.
Cultural & Heritage Story
Con Chim — 'bird islet' — is around 480 hectares of mangrove and tidal flat, replanted after decades of shrimp ponds cleared most of it. The egrets that roost in the new mangrove are what the place is named for.
Climate & Weather
When to plan your trip
Must-Try Food in Thi Nai Lagoon
My Cang Jumping Shrimp Pancake
A small rice-flour pancake fried with lagoon shrimp dropped in live — hence 'jumping' — eaten rolled in rice paper with herbs and a thick peanut-and-fermented-fish sauce. My Cang hamlet sits on the lagoon edge and is where people drive out for it.
Lagoon Oysters & Blood Cockles
Grilled over coals with scallion oil and peanuts at the stilt restaurants along the water, straight from the beds in front of them.
Gai Leaf Sticky Rice Cake
Tuy Phuoc, the district around the lagoon, is where this cake is from — black, chewy, wrapped in banana leaf, filled with mung bean and coconut.
Top Attractions & Things to See
Cồn ChimCon Chim Mangrove Islet
Replanted mangrove and tidal flat in the middle of the lagoon, reached by small boat, with egrets in the trees and crab and clam beds under them.
Chài lưới trên đầmCast-Net Fishing At Dawn
The lagoon is worked by hand from flat wooden boats. Going out with a family at first light is the reason to be here rather than on the beach.
Thi Nai Bridge
The causeway crossing to the Phuong Mai peninsula, running for kilometres straight over open water — the road you take to reach Nhon Ly, Eo Gio and Ky Co.
Top Tours in Thi Nai Lagoon
Thi Nai Lagoon & Con Chim Day Tour
Ancient Citadel & the Cradle of the Vietnamese Language — 3 Days
Quintessence of the Martial Arts Land — 3 Days
Essential Travel Tips for Thi Nai Lagoon
Dawn Or Dusk, Not Noon
The birds move at either end of the day and the light on the water is worth the early start. In the middle of the day the lagoon is a flat glare.
There Is No Shade On The Water
Small open boats, no cover. Hat, long sleeves and sunscreen, and the sun comes back up off the water as well as down.
Watch The Weather Late In The Year
From October the rivers push flood into the lagoon and boat trips get cancelled. March to September is the reliable window.
