Nha Trang isn’t your typical
seaside town. Combining high-rise
resorts and a laid-back backpacker scene, this city caters to absolutely
everyone. Nha Trang has a beautiful
turquoise bay wrapped in a crescent shaped beach of white sand and palm trees,
backed by a cosmopolitan city and a ring of mountains. No matter where you stay you are never more
than a 15-minute walk from the beach. Whether
you are into visiting historic temples and learning about the local culture or
having a relaxing day on the beach sipping cocktails, want to explore the local
markets or looking for a relaxing wellness retreat to get away from noise and
stress, Nha Trang has a bit of everything.
What to Do
1. Po Nagar Cham
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| Po Nagar Cham Towers |
The Po
Nagar Cham is the hallmark site for understanding the cultural and religious
heritage of Nha Trang. Built between the
7th and 12th centuries, the complex once consisted of 8
towers, but only 4 of them remain today.
All the temples face east, as did the original entrance to the complex. In the past, worshippers passed through the
pillared meditation hall, 10 pillars of which can still be seen, before
proceeding up the steep staircase to the towers. The remaining towers are still being used
today by Cham Buddhist, so it is important to remember to remove your shoes
before entering the towers. The complex
will provide robes to cover yourself up before entering the towers as well so
there is no need to worry about your attire.
Po Nagar Cham is located just 3 km north of the tourist center, just on
the other side of the river, and costs 22,000 VNC/1 USD to enter.
2. Mud Baths
Mud baths have become a
quintessential experience when visiting Nha Trang. I think it is safe to say that sitting
in a tub of mud feels just as odd as it sounds, but it is well
worth the experience. The mud is
purported to have all sorts of healthy healing properties, as well as softening
your skin. There are four places in Nha
Trang to try out mud baths; all with slightly different experiences and
quality.
Thap
Ba Hot Spring is the cheapest and most popular of the four, but that also means that
it by far the most crowded. Located
about 6 km northwest of the tourist center Thap Ba Hot Spring costs 150,000 VND/6.82
USD for a communal cold mud bath or 600,000 VND/27.27 USD for a private cold
mud bath. This includes access to the
pool, but you will need to rent a locker and towel.
100 Egg Mud Bath is another popular location for tourists. This location serves up warm mud to bath in, which
is reportedly much silkier than that at Thap Ba Hot Spring, and has cleaner facilities overall. Located 6 km southwest of the tourist center
100 Egg Mud Bath costs 250,000 VND/11.63 USD for a communal mud bath or 300,000
VND/13.64 USD for a private bath in an egg-shaped pool. Paying for the mud bath gives
you access to the pools, lockers, and showers, but you will have to rent a
towel.
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| Some of the mud baths in Galina Hotel and Spa. |
I-resort
(8 km northwest of town) and Galina Hotel and Spa
are two higher end experiences available in Nha Trang. Galina Hotel and Spa
is a four-star hotel located right in heart of the tourist center. I personally really like my experience there. The cost is slightly more than the others, depending
on the package you get, but it comes with many more amenities. The package I bought was 350,000
VND/15.91 USD and came with a personal mud bath, steam room, sauna, hot tub,
mineral rock bath for your feet, pool, pressure showers, locker, and
towel. There is also a bar where you can
order some drinks or a hooka to help you along on your day of relaxation.
3. Beach
Nha
Trang’s beaches far surpass their reputation and let’s be honest, you can’t go
to a beach town and not go to the beach.
Comprising of 6 km of pristine white sandy beach, bordered on one side by
beautiful turquoise water and the other by a wonderful promenade of palm tree
covered walkways and parks. The entire
beach is free to enjoy, but most of the lounge chairs are either reserved for
the hotels nearby or up for rent (usually costing 40,000 VND/1.82 USD for the
day). If your looking for a place to sit
back with a drink or food then Sailing Club Nha Trang, Louisiane Brewhouse, and
Bốn Mùa Park (I’ll come back to these last two later on in the craft beer
section) are the places to go. The
drinks and food may be a little pricy but it’s a small price to pay for a good
beer or cocktail in a lounge chair on the beach. Along the beach outside Bốn Mùa Park there are
also an array of props in the sand for the perfect photo opportunities.
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| One of the many picture props on the beach near Bốn Mùa Park. |
If snorkeling
or diving is your thing then Nha Trang is the place for you as well. With its clear blue water and the chain of small
islands, with their coral reefs, not far away, Nha Trang has been touted as the
scuba diving center of Vietnam. There are
a number of scuba shops that put together scuba/snorkeling tours to the
different areas. You can get 2 dives for
as low as $85 USD or get your PADI Scuba license for as low as $250 USD.
4. Markets
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| View of Nha Trang from the mud baths in Galina Hotel and Spa. |
You
can’t go to Vietnam without visiting a market or two while your there and Nha
Trang has a few. The question is what
kind of experience are you looking for.
If you are wanting to see the real deal then Xom Moi Market
is where you want to go. Xom Moi Market
is where many of the local buy their fruits, veggies, and meat so you will get
to see a real market in its raw form. If you want to see it at full swing then you
will have to get there early. Located
around markets you will also always find some great food stalls. On the other hand, if you are just looking to
score some souvenirs then the market along the main street across from the
beach or the night market it what you are looking for. Here you will be able to find anything from
Vietnamese souvenirs to cheap clothes.
5. Craft Beer
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| Brewery at the Louisiane Brewhouse. |
Last
but not least, Craft beer! You had to
know this was going to make the list. The
craft beer scene has hit Vietnam and they have run with it and Nha Trang is no
exception. There are two locations worth
hitting up if you are looking to tick off another craft beer; Bốn Mùa Park and Louisiane Brewhouse. Bốn
Mùa Park is an open-air restaurant on the beach and sales two craft beers
actually brewed at the Galina Hotel and Spa, but why would you want to drink a beer in a hotel
when you can do it on the beach. The
real jewel of Nha Trang though is Louisiane Brewhouse located on the beach just south of the tourist
center. At the time of writing this they
had 7 different beers on tap; all worth trying.
So order a tasting tray, a pint, or a 5L giraffe and grab a seat around
the pool or in a lounge chair on the beach and enjoy a new craft brew.
How to Get There
Bus
Taking
a bus is by far the cheapest option available when traveling around Vietnam and
there a quite a few options for you to choose from. Many tourists use the Open Bus Tour from TheSinhTourist, because it allows you to
pre-purchase tickets to up to seven locations and works as a hop on/off
bus. Many of its offices are also near
the tourist centers, making for easier access, but you will pay a bit more for
this option. This option also only
leaves once in the morning and evening.
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| The Futa Bus office in the backpackers district in Saigon. |
My personal favorite is the FUTA
Bus (Phuong Trang). Their offices are
also conveniently located in tourist centers and they will transport you to the
bus for no extra charge. This option has
many different travel times so you will be able to pick the one that fits
better for you.
From Ho Chi Minh City: takes 11 hours and cost 225,000 VND/10.23 USD
From Dalat: takes 4 hours and costs 130,000 VND/5.91 USD
From Da Nang: takes 12 hours and costs 240,000 VND/10.91 USD
Train
The train is another great option
for traveling to Nha Trang. Trains
usually travel cross country, so give you the opportunity for some great views
of the countryside. The trains are
pretty comfortable and have vendors that come up the aisles with snacks and
drinks for you to buy. The trains leave
multiple times a day and from most of the major town in Vietnam, so you have
many options for when you want to travel.
The train is quite a bit more expensive than a bus though; ranging from
16 USD – 55 USD from Ho Chi Minh City, depending on your seating option. To buy your tickets you will need to visit
the train station beforehand or if you would like to buy them online I suggest
using 12Go.
Powered by 12Go Asia system
Plane
You can also fly directly into Nha
Trang with both international and domestic flights. This option is understandably the most
expensive option available. There are a
number of domestic airlines that make thins flight from Ho Chi Minh City ($46
USD) and Hanoi ($61 USD). The Nha
Trang Airport (CXR) is 30 km south of the city and takes 50 minutes to reach
the city. You can get a fixed rate taxi
from the airport to Nha Trang for 350,000 VND/15.91 USD. There are also taxis
that is not part of the stand that can be negotiated down to 300,000 VND/13.64
USD. The airport also has a minibus that
will transfer you from the airport to the old airport (no longer in use) just
south of the tourist center for 65,000 VND/2.95 USD and then you will need to
get a taxi from there to your hotel.
Where to Stay
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| A view of Nha Trang from the Po Nagar Cham Towers. |
Nha
Trang is a very popular tourist destination in Vietnam so there is no shortage
of hotels. No matter what your budget you
will be able to find accommodations for you.
Due to the beautiful palm tree lined promenade that stretches the length
of the beach, there are no hotel directly on the beach itself. There are plenty of hotels just across the
road from the promenade though. If you
are looking for budget hotels you will have to go into town a few blocks but in
Nha Trang the beach is never that far away.
When reserving your hotel stay I recommend using Agoda
to find the cheapest deals on the best locations.
Where to Eat
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| Grilled clams from a street vendor. |
Nha
Trang has no lack of restaurants and street food. Being such a popular tourist location, you
can easily find western style food within the tourist center, but I highly
recommend getting out and trying some of the local food. If seafood is your thing then the Xương Huân
(south of the northern bridge) and Vĩnh Thọ (north of the bridge) districts are
the place to visit. Here you will find terrace
lined streets showcasing the fresh seafood in tubs outside the restaurant. The seafood here is slightly more expensive
than you will find in other parts of Vietnam, but it is still worth it. You can also find cheap seafood at stalls in
the backstreets of the tourist area for pretty cheap as well. The clams are delicious!
At
night you will also find numerous vendors popping up along the main road and
promenade along the beach selling all sorts of different types of food. Most of these food options could be described
as just a snack, but my personal favorites were the hotdogs and grilled
chicken.
What was your favorite part of Nha Trang?
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