For a weekend trip out of Ho Chi Minh City, the era of visiting Vung Tau for the beach alone is starting to fade. A firebreak completed on Nui Lon (Big Mountain) in July 2026 has begun to be used as a hiking trail by local walkers. Originally a work road meant to stop forest fires and let firefighting crews in, word has spread that climbing to the ridge offers a sweeping view of the city and sea at once, turning it into a weekend destination. For travelers looking for a half-day walk to pair with a swim, here's a rundown of what this trail is like.<\/p>\n
A firebreak is a cleared strip of land, stripped of trees, designed to stop a forest fire from spreading. This strip on Nui Lon (also known as Tuong Ky Mountain) is meant to keep fire from crossing the ridge, while doubling as a route for firefighting crews to get in during emergencies. The result is a single path that lets you walk almost to the summit without having to push through brush. It wasn't built as a hiking trail, yet its views have drawn people in anyway.<\/p>\n
This repurposing is more or less accidental. It wasn't a promenade built by the authorities for tourism, but disaster-prevention infrastructure that ended up open to walkers. That's why the trail feels rustic, without kiosks or signposts lining the way. Being able to walk an untouched ridge as it is has its own appeal. For people tired of overly polished tourist spots, this rough-around-the-edges quality is part of the draw.<\/p>\n
The trailhead is around the intersection with Vi Ba Street (\u0110\u01b0\u1eddng Vi Ba). From there, it climbs the slope of Nui Lon. The full length runs over 10 kilometers, reaching an elevation of over 200 meters. It winds through forest, passes by the Ho Mai resort area, and skirts old gun emplacements and a mine-storage bunker left over from wartime. The mountain's history as a military stronghold shows through along the way.<\/p>\n