Nha Trang is a popular beach resort destination in Vietnam, situated about a quarter of the way up Vietnam’s extensive coastline. There is a lovely long beach here which is sandy and you can often hire sunbeds and parasols as well as purchasing drinks…Read More

Nha Trang is a popular beach resort destination in Vietnam, situated about a quarter of the way up Vietnam’s extensive coastline.

There is a lovely long beach here which is sandy and you can often hire sunbeds and parasols as well as purchasing drinks at reasonable prices. For the active types, you can go paragliding or take boat trips. The climate is ideal, and a light breeze tends to pick up in the afternoon. It makes the afternoons much more pleasant temperature wise, but a nightmare to get your towel or sarong to lay down flat. The beach is parallel to the main street – Tran Phu.

There is a wealth of scuba and snorkelling boat trips to suit all pockets, varying from US$8 to $44, many including lunch or some sort of freshly caught fish based meal. Check what is included in your tour though, to make sure you get what you want out of the day. There are also ‘party boats’ if that is your thing where the emphasis is on drinking and games rather than snorkelling and island visiting. Most hotels, guest houses and tourist cafes will offer something like this. There are lots of islands off the coast and the boat trips will visit a couple of these usually, but I have to say my general impression is that there can be mass-market touristy if you are not careful.

Vinpearl land (reviewed in detail separately) is just across the bay for those who like amusement parks and water parks and makes a nice day out if you have the time. It is accessed by ferry or by the world’s longest sea-crossing cable car (3km) which is a nice experience and well worth it if you are travelling with children.

For intellectuals there is a museum dedicated to the bacteriologist Anlxander Yersin. I didn’t visit it, so cannot comment but I drove past the small but attractive Yersin Gardens in the North part of the town.

The oceanographic museum reportedly is very interesting with a large aquarium. I visited the aquarium on Hon Tre island (Vinpearl Land) which may be more interesting for families.

Culture and history buffs will be interested in Po Nagar Cham Towers. Built between 8th and 12th century by the Cham people who originated from Ancient India, there is a similarity to the style of the Cham temples in central Vietnam and some Hindu temples. Only four remain on this site and admission is reasonable (approx equivalent of £0.50). It can be accessed by tours as it is just outside the town, otherwise it is easy to get a taxi there (I recommend using the metered firms like Mai Linh).

If relaxation is more your thing, most larger hotels offer spa facilities or you can take a taxi or tour to Thap Ba Hot Springs (reviewed separately) which are a bit further out than the Cham Towers. There are a range of treatments to suit your budget starting at VND100,000 (US$5 or £3.35), but make sure you check as the ladies in reception will try and sell the slightly more expensive packages with massages.

There are plenty of restaurants in Nha Trang and I only wish I can remember some of there names, but usually will you will have plenty of choice going just one of two streets back from Tran Phu, with European style smart restaurants to budget backpacker cafes. Like most of Vietnam there is plenty of sea food restaurants with an abundance of reasonably priced fresh fish. Barbeque restaurants are also quite popular. Some also offer cooking classes if you are interested in learning how to make your own spring rolls and other traditional dishes.

Accommodation is plentiful; I stayed at Que Huong (reviewed separately) on Tran Phu street, just across from the beach and you will have no problem finding a number of good mid-range hotels along the beach. There are top end hotels as well, some are on exclusive resorts (such as Vinpearl), but there are some in the city centre. Budget guest houses are also available.

There are a number of bars and nightclubs in the town, covering a spectrum of trendiness and noisiness, to smaller, more intimate establishments. I was there on a Saturday night and a lot of places near our hotel were closing down by 10.30pm, Vietnam is not a late night country. However, I did subsequently find that there are a few streets that open later elsewhere in the town, so if a big party is what you want then this is the place to find. Be warned though, that when places shut down it can get very dark down the streets as there is not a lot of street lighting. Vietnam is not a violent country and crime is low, but there is no point putting yourself at risk so arrange to travel back in a small group or get a metered taxi. Close

Having worked for a diving company while I was living in Nha Trang it would stand to reason that my best memories of life there are of days on the boat and in the water. We'd set out in the morning from the harbor…Read More

Having worked for a diving company while I was living in Nha Trang it would stand to reason that my best memories of life there are of days on the boat and in the water. We'd set out in the morning from the harbor with a group of about 10 -15 people, some diving, some snorkeling and others just out to enjoy a day on the water. We passed by several islands on our way, lush and green with the odd small fishing village visible tucked away on their shores. After about an hour we'd arrive at Hon Mun island, where there is a lot of reef and several good dive locations. For the seasoned divers it is probably not the most spectacular diving you've ever done, as the area has been over fished for quite a few years. But there is a lot of beautiful soft coral, many giant morrays, lion fish, frog fish, clown fish and anenomes and of course all your standard tropical fare. After a couple of dives, some sunbathing and jumping competions off of the roof of the boat we'd set up lunch on the top deck of the boat with an overhead tarp for shade from the sun. Food was one of the highlights of the day - BBQ'd beef marinated in garlic, chilli and lemon grass, fried battered king prawns, stirfried veggies and noodles, fresh tuna, homemade potato chips and fresh fruit were some standard fare we saw at lunch. Aaah, how I miss it! Then it was relax for the trip back to the harbor, some sleeping after a full day of fun, some chatting about past and future travels, or maybe a big night out on the town. It just doesn't get any better than that!Close