Quảng Ngãi

February to August is the best time, with dry, warm weather and calm seas. September to December is wet and typhoon season, with heavy rain and floods. Boats to Lý Sơn do not run in rough weather, mostly from October to January.

• Son My is the memorial and museum at the site of the massacre of villagers in March 1968. It has a museum, the remains of houses and a quiet garden.
• Sơn Mỹ Memorial is the statue and memorial in the grounds.
• An Hai Beach is a quiet beach on the coast, north of the city.

Lý Sơn Island, reached by boat or fast ferry from the coast, has volcanic cliffs, garlic fields and beaches. Sa Huỳnh is a salt-making village known for its archaeology.

• Visit the Sơn Mỹ memorial: Allow 1 to 2 hours. Dress respectfully.
• Take the ferry to Lý Sơn: Cliffs, beaches and garlic fields.
• Eat local seafood: Fresh fish, squid and snails near the coast.
• Walk on the beach: Quiet sand with few visitors.
• Try the local sweets: Quảng Ngãi is known for sugar and ginger sweets.

• Da Nang: Da Nang is about 2 hours north.
• Hoi An: Hội An is about 2 to 3 hours by road.
• Binh Dinh: Quy Nhơn is about 3 hours south.
• Kon Tum: Kon Tum lies across the mountains to the west.

• North: Da Nang and Hoi An are the main tourist centres.
• South: Binh Dinh has Quy Nhơn.
• West: Kon Tum is in the Central Highlands.

• By train: Quảng Ngãi station is on the north–south line. Vietnam Railways
• By bus: Buses run along Highway 1 from Da Nang, Hội An and Quy Nhơn.
• By air: The nearest airports are Chu Lai (Tam Kỳ), Da Nang and Quy Nhơn.
• To Lý Sơn: Fast boats leave from Sa Kỳ port, about 1 hour.

• Taxi: Available in Quảng Ngãi city.
• Motorbike hire: Good for the coast and Sơn Mỹ.
• Car with driver: Easiest for the memorial and the beaches in one day.

• Is a car worth it? For Sơn Mỹ and the coast, a car or motorbike is the easiest.
• Roads: Highway 1 is busy. Coastal roads are quieter.
• Floods: In autumn, check road conditions.

Quảng Ngãi cooking is simple and strong. Try don, small clams served with rice paper, mì Quảng, turmeric noodles, and bánh xèo with fresh herbs. Local sugar and ginger sweets are sold as gifts. Lý Sơn is known for garlic and seaweed.

Quảng Ngãi is safe for visitors.

• The memorial is a sensitive site. Dress modestly and be quiet.
• Typhoon and flood season runs from September to December.
• Sea currents can be strong. Swim in calm areas.
• Check ferry schedules for Lý Sơn, as weather can cancel trips.
• Use sun protection from April to August.

Quảng Ngãi has a long history as part of the Champa kingdom, and the Sa Huỳnh culture left pottery and burial jars. In the 20th century the province was a base of the independence movement.

On 16 March 1968, US troops killed several hundred unarmed villagers at Sơn Mỹ. The massacre became known worldwide after 1969. The site is now a memorial and museum.

Quick practical facts for Vietnam at a glance: