Thousands of tourists converged on Vung Tau beaches to enjoy the first day of 2021, sea bathing with friends and family. 

On the afternoon of January 1, thousands of locals and tourists from HCMC and surrounding provinces swarmed the Bai Sau beach in Vung Tau Town, one of southern Vietnam's top travel destinations.

Though they could not venture far into the sea because of the high tide and big waves, people had a fun time.

While beach goers are usually spread somewhat evenly along the 10-kilometer beach, Friday’s crowds were concentrated from the Cot Co square to the Chi Linh area.

Almost nobody wears a face mask as the Covid-19 outbreak has been contained. The country has gone around a month without local transmissions.

The strong waves gave some an adrenaline rush, while others were a bit scared.

"My first-time experience of waves crashing over me was worth it," said Minh from HCMC, who had come with a family of five. The family plans on staying and resting up in the area for three days before going back home to their business.

Frolicking in the waves with her daughter, Le An from Binh Duong Province said: "I thought the dull weather would keep people at bay but it was unexpectedly crowded this afternoon".

A woman and her boyfriend have fun, trying to float on the beach in an inflated tube.

A foreigner takes a selfie with his Vietnamese friend.

A lifeguard kept whistling constantly from a 2-meter-high stool, reminding bathers from swimming too far from the shoreline.

According to the tourism management board of Vung Tau, an estimated 24,000 bathers thronged the town's beaches on the first day of 2021.

At noon, the traffic was quite heavy at the T2 toll booth in Long Thanh District as thousands of cars flocked to Vung Tau on Highway 51.

At the Vung Tau intersection (Bien Hoa Town), Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway traffic-circle, Nhon Trach intersection, and T2 charging station area, cars were at times queued up for kilometers.