Beach Resort Guide
Nha Trang
Nha Trang Beach Resort Guide
Introduction
With over 250 days of sunshine each year, some of the best hotels in Vietnam, miles of sandy beach and an ever increasing range of sports facilities, entertainment venues and nightlife, Nha Trang has plenty to offer all visitors. Holidaymakers determined to truly relax don't even need to move from the beach as a wide range of services will come to them in the form of cold drinks, souvenirs, manicures and massages. Those with a little more energy can explore the temples and the delightful offshore islands and then party the night away.
Who goes there?
Nha Trang has long attracted Vietnamese holidaymakers as well as expats, backpackers and tour groups.
Where in the world?
Nha Trang is located in Khanh Hoa Province, 450km (280 miles) north of Ho Chi Minh City. The South China Sea laps the resort's shores with unspoilt offshore islands and coral reefs and a backdrop of mountains to the north and west.
When to go?
Nha Trang has a temperate climate with the average annual temperature being 26ºC (78°F). The hottest time of year is in August when temperatures reach 30°C (86°F) and the lowest point in February when it is around 24°C (75°F). The rainy season is from mid-May to mid-September.
Beach
The 6km- (4 mile-) long sandy beach, fringed by palms and casuarina trees, is one of the best in Vietnam with clean water, making it a perfect place for swimming. Visitors can rent a sunbed and vendors regularly pass by selling soft drinks and fresh fruit. The offshore islands and coral reefs are ideal for snorkelling and scuba-diving and watersports centres rent out windsurfers.
Beyond the beach
Pride of place are the Po Nagar Cham Towers (in the north of Nha Trang on Cu Lao overlooking the Cai River), built by the Cham people between the 7th and 12th centuries. They are still a place of worship, and Vietnamese come here to pray and make offerings. A gleaming white Buddha, visible from all over Nha Trang, sits on top of a hill reached from the Long Son Pagoda below. To the south of the town, on a promontory jutting out into the South China Sea, are Bao Dai's villas (just north of Cau Da Dock), a holiday retreat for Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, where you can explore the grounds. Once you have had enough culture, escape by boat to the islands for some cooling swimming and snorkelling in pristine seas or relax in the hot waters and mud baths of Thap Ba Hot Spring.
Family fun
If the kids find the beach too tame for them the Phu Dong Water and Amusement Park on Tran Phu Street can provide hours of entertainment. There is even a night market for souvenir shopping and food stalls to end the day with a delicious meal of fresh seafood and local specialities. Children will love the opportunity to see the colourful marine life in the South China Sea on a glass bottomed boat tour. For a thrill and a day of fun take the kids on the cable car across the sea to the Vinpearl Resort on Hon Tre Island where there is an amusement park, food village and shopping. Take a boat excursion to the aptly named Monkey Island and feed the resident troop of monkeys.
Retail therapy
Nha Trang may not have the sleek designer shops of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but there is still plenty of opportunity for some retail therapy. Browse the daily market on Doc Lop Street and small shops in town for some terrific artwork painted by local artists. Indulge yourself and have some clothes made at one of the many tailors in town, but make sure you get a recommendation first. Near the port are lots of little shops selling items made from seashells but you may prefer to look rather than buy and fall foul of the law when trying to bring a protected species into the UK.
A night on the town
Nha Trang doesn't have the raucous nightlife of other Southeast Asian resorts, such as Pattaya, but many bars can be found along the beach and the cooling sea breezes are very welcome. If you really fancy a glass of Boddingtons or John Smith's head for the Rainbow Bar (90a Hung Vuong) for a taste of home. Dance into the small hours at the Nha Trang Sailing Club on Tran Phu, although you won't find any salty dogs here trading sea stories as there isn't a boat in sight! Several of the larger hotels have nightclubs which attract a mix of Vietnamese and visitors.
Eating out
While away the evenings sampling some superb Vietnamese cuisine, especially fresh seafood. Several restaurants are located right by the beach so savour the freshest of food to the background music of lapping waves. In the town you can also find Italian, Thai, Indian and even Turkish food. Many of the larger hotels have restaurants serving international food if you can't face another spring roll.
Getting around
Nha Trang town is small enough to walk around but if you want to get from one end of the beach to the other take a taxi. The Vietnamese find it curious that anybody should choose to walk around so you will constantly be buzzed by cyclo drivers offering their services, a fun way to travel around but fix the price before you set out. The more energetic can rent a bicycle. There is a good bus network to other towns along the coast, inland and long distance, but they are very overcrowded and the driving rather erratic.
Exploring further afield
Two hours from Nha Trang is Whale Island, a resort where you can really get away from it all. Stay in beach bungalows and explore the unspoilt island with its impressive array of birdlife or you can sail, canoe, windsurf or go diving and see colourful fishes and coral and even whales and whale sharks on their annual visit from April to July. Explore the highland areas with an overnight excursion to Buon Ma Thuot passing rubber and coffee plantations en route and stopping at a waterfall for a refreshing swim. In Buon Ma Thuot visit an ethnic minority village and ride an elephant.
Splashing out
If you really want to blow the budget you couldn't beat the Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara (www.sixsenses.com), a boutique hotel 20 minutes by boat from Nha Trang on Ninh Van Bay. It is also home to the Six Senses Spa for the ultimate in pampering. The luxurious villas all have their own pool, wine cellar and some serious nosh in its restaurant.
Flying in
Nha Trang (NHA)
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