| Vietnam
Destinations: Nha
Trang (Khanh Hoa) beach resort information
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One of the best beach resort
of Vietnam is Nha Trang. A major face-lift in
1995-96, and the opening of two upscale hotels
later in 1996, vaulted Nha Trang onto the playing
field with places like Phuket, Thailand, and Cancun,
Mexico. Today, it's a popular destination for
both foreign and domestic tourists.
Aside from sun bathing, popular
attractions include boat trips to the nearby islands
and tours of Nha Trang's historic sites. If you
like typical beach resort towns, then Nha Trang
is for you.
Nha Trang is lying on the central
coast, about 450 km north of Saigon and 1,200
km south of Hanoi. The main strip in Nha Trang
is Tran Phu Street, which runs north-south along
the sea for about 4 kilometers. It is a wide boulevard,
bisected by a grassy median with street lamps.
Numerous restaurants and bars line the beach side
of Tran Phu, while hotels and more restaurants
line the other. A walking path and wide swath
of trees separate the beach from the road.
Not surprisingly, life in Nha
Trang centers on the beach. In the early mornings
and late afternoons, especially on weekends, you'll
find the beach packed with locals. In addition
to swimming, football (soccer) is a popular pastime,
and you'll find numerous games in progress. During
the heat of the day, the locals surrender the
beach to mostly foreign sun-worshippers. In the
evenings the beach is all but deserted.
When you tire of the beach,
visit the nearby islands. Day trips are offered
by just about every hotel and cafe. A typical
itinerary includes visiting 2 or 3 islands, snorkeling
and lunch, all for about US$8 per person. For
serious snorkelers and divers who want to spend
more time in the water, two local dive operators
offer day trips from January to October.
Back on the mainland, there
are a few worthwhile attractions in or near town.
The towering white Buddha that can be seen from
many parts of Nha Trang is part of the Long Son
Pagoda and can be reached by climbing a steep
(and long!) set of stairs. North of town, across
the Nha Trang River, lies the Po Nagar Cham site.
The ancient Cham towers sit high atop a hill;
the views overlooking the river and town are breathtaking.
A little beyond Po Nagar lies Hon Chong, a scenic
beach that is reputed to have the best seafood
in the area. South of town, check out Emperor
Bao Dai's former holiday retreat, now a hotel.
Every road leads to Nha Trang;
well, actually there's only one road, National
Highway 1, but you can also fly or take the train
from just about anywhere in Vietnam. Some promoters
boast that there is only one month of bad weather
in Nha Trang, which is true if you don't mind
rain and wind. Otherwise, plan to visit between
January and August.
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Nha Trang maps
Option
tours to visit Nha Trang
- Hanoi:
- Hanoi:
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Nha Trang ]
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