AJAY KAMALAKARAN FINDS THIS RELAXED COASTAL TOWN BY THE SOUTH CHINA SEA IS A TREASURE TROVE WITH WONDERFUL DINING OPTIONS AND MORE THAN A FAIR SHARE OF HISTORIC AND RELIGIOUS SITES.

Just a two- hour river ride on a hydrofoil from Saigon is the hilly coastal resort town of Vung Tau.

Rolling green hills, charming turn of the 19th to 20th century mansions, leafy lanes and broad avenues greet the visitor to the town, which was a favourite of the French colonialists.

Some of the most panoramic views of the town are from the Maison Blanche ( White House), which was the residence of the French Governor of Cape St Jacques, as the town was then called. The house is well- maintained and offers a glimpse of what the French elite enjoyed in Indo- China. French, which was the second language of Vung Tau for many years, has now taken a back seat to Russian. The Russian presence is very strong in this city, as a joint venture called VietSov Petro has been drilling for oil since the days of the Soviet Union.

Yet for an officially communist country, where the red flags are flying proudly, Vung Tau is blessed with religious sites. The most famous of these sites is the Nui Nho or Big Jesus. A long walk up a hill from sea level gets you to the statue of Christ, which is obviously inspired by Rio de Janeiros Christ the Redeemer. If you believe the locals, the statue in Vung Tau is bigger than its counterpart in Rio.

Buddhist pilgrims also visit Vung Tau to meditate in its many monasteries and pagodas. The Hon Ba Pagoda, which is on an islet is probably the best place to catch a sunrise, but one can only get to the offshore islet when its low tide.

Vung Tau, per say, is a sea food lovers dream. Restaurants serving all sorts of delicacies, including crabs, lobsters and snappers, cram both the towns beaches: the more peaceful Mulberry Beach and the party zone of Back Beach. Note that the Vietnamese have the ability to match Indians when it comes to tolerance for spicy food. I had to actually ask for the spice to be toned down but not to the extent that the Westerners needed.

The large presence of expatriates has also livened up the restaurant scene with some good options for those that want Italian or Russian food. Those of you looking for a relaxing few days by the beach, I would recommend Mulberry Beach. The waters of the South China Sea are warm but can get occasionally rough. Given the sheer size of the beach, there just arent enough lifeguards.

The nightlife is very active on weekends in Vung Tau, when the well- to- do of Saigon throng the town. The promenades then turn into bass- thumping stages where young Vietnamese enjoy local cover versions of western rock with an unlimited supply of beer.

If you want to feel a more rustic and traditional Vietnamese experience, then Long Hai, which is 30 kilometres away from Vung Tau would do the trick. Here you see a lot more people wearing traditional cone- shaped hats and the motorbikes give way too bicycles.

There are several forest trails in Long Hai that lead up to the Chua Phap Hoa pagoda, which is isolated and in a deep forest. While the monkeys on the trail usually ignore humans, there have been stories for people encountering both poisonous snakes and large constrictors.

The most panoramic view of the coastline in the vicinity of Vung Tau is from the mountain top temple at Minh Dam. The hills at Minh Dam are also full of tunnels that were used by the Vietnamese freedom fighters in their wars against the Americans and the French.

Vung Tau is also one of the best places to hunt for Vietnamese souvenirs.

A decent- quality Vietnamese flag t- shirt can be bought for as cheap as $ 1. Vung Tau is also famous for its pink and white pearls. And the prices for normal souvenirs and Feng Shui items are about 20 percent cheaper than in Saigon.

Given the fact that very few of us have ventured into this town, Vung Tau is still a place, where Indians can feel like pioneers and viewed as exotic people. A little bit of Russian or French would also make a visit to the town a bit easier.

Visas: 2- week visas available at the Vietnamese Consulate in New Link Road, Andheri ( West)

Flights: The cheapest way to get there is to fly to Saigon ( Ho Chi Minh City) on Air Asia via Kuala Lumpur.

Hotels: Guesthouses around Mulberry Beach offer rooms with views with tariffs starting at around US$ 30.

Other Activities: Go bicycling from the coastal road up the hills.

Annoyances: The area around the hydrofoil/ ferry station has its share of shady characters. It also helps to have a fair idea of the route before taking a taxi as cabbies in the city are known to take foreigners on a ride much like auto- rickshaw drivers in Delhi and Bangalore.