Scenic and relaxing Nha Trang
The Seaside Mecca of Nha Trang is a friendly beach town that has great diving, boat trips to beautiful islands, and an historic Cham tower structure.
Nha Trang is clean and well set-up for Western visitors.
In fact, it appears that the plan is for Nha Trang to become Vietnam's Rio, judging by the numerous beachside hotels now under construction.
We recommend that you come now, rather than later.
We hope the local authorities can balance the benefits of increased tourism with an understanding of the need to keep growth reasonable, so as not to damage the nice, laid-back vibe the city has now.
Time will tell, but we'd hate to see Nha Trang end up resembling Phuket's pre-tsunami Patong Beach, with wall-to-wall hawkers and t-shirt shops, and blaring loudspeakers.
There is hope: the city has placed a nice, big sculpture garden on the corniche between the Louisiane restaurant and the Nha Trang sailing club, prime development real estate that has been set aside permanently for the public's enjoyment.
Good move, Nha Trang!
If you're not a diver, there's still plenty to see here.
You'll finally have time to sit under a beach umbrella with a drink and read that book on Vietnamese history you've been carting around with you.
You can see many of Nha Trang's sights and sites on a half-day xe-om (motorcycle taxi) tour of the town for 100,000 VND (about $8 USD).
Nha Trang has plenty of conventional taxis, who will provide the same service for roughly double.
Everything is negotiable, so be sure to bargain.
Highlights
SCUBA Diving
Nha Trang and the offshore islands boast exceptional scuba diving; be sure to read Jeremy Stein's tips on diving Nha Trang.
Don't expect to see lots of big pelagics, but do bring or rent an underwater camera, because the offshore reefs are a Mecca for macro photographers.
Half-day tour of the city
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The Hon Chong Promontory is a beautiful point that juts out into the South China Sea, where large granite boulders offer a picturesque view of sea and city.
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The Po Nagar Cham towers were built between the 7th and 12th centuries.
While not as scenic as the Cham temples at Po Klong Garai, or as extensive as those at My Son, they're worth a visit.
Po Nagar remains an active Buddhist site of worship.
We could do without the topiary and aggressive postcard hawkers.
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The Long Son Pagoda, founded in the 19th century, has some nice dragon mosaics, and a short walk will take you up to the huge seated Buddha, overlooking the city.
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Bao Dai's Villas consist of five buildings used to house friends and family of Bao Dai, the final emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty.
They're built in French Colonial style, and sit on a hill overlooking the sea.
You can have lunch at the restaurant, and even stay if you wish, at the small hotel.
Alexandre Yersin Museum
We all owe a debt of gratitude to this friend and associate of Louis Pasteur.
Yersin arrived in Nha Trang in 1891, discovered the plague bacillus, developed the vaccination, and died here in 1943.
Nga Truong is the curator who developed this exceptional museum, well worth a visit.
A day at the beach
Nha Trang has one of the world's great beaches: clean, uncrowded, and right in the center of town.
Here, you can parasail, windsurf, or get a tan and enjoy the beer ...
Getting to Nha Trang
Flights arrive daily at the airport at Cam Ranh Bay, with taxi service to Nha Trang.
[Dave, link here to AirportNhaTrang.doc]
Trains arrive at the Nha Trang station several times daily, as Nha Trang is on the Saigon-Hanoi mainline.
The trip is eight hours from Saigon, and the 23:00 sleeper train, with comfortable but Spartan aircon sleepers (six to a compartment), is a popular run.
Cost: 195,000 VND (about $13 UD).
When you arrive at Nha Trang, you will have approximately 10 minutes to gather your stuff and depart the train before it leaves.
Don't get stuck in the rest room, as the train departs promptly.
