Nha Trang travel guide

Nha Trang is probably Vietnam’s most popular coastal resort with a very distinct beach culture. Fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving and other water-sports are very popular here. Island hopping off its coast offers diverse entertainment that is offered by no other city.

Area: 250sq km
Population: 322,946 people
Telephone code: 058

Geography and climate

Nha Trang is known for its long and beautiful coastline. To the west the city is shadowed by a mountain range. A number of islets can be found offshore. The coastal climate and an average temperature of about 26°C makes it an ideal getaway from extreme weather in other places.

Budget

About $30-50 per day. Streetlife Streets are less noisy and polluted than other beach resorts in Asia. The beachfront promenade is lined with hotels, guest houses and restaurants. Palm trees dot the promenade.

Travel around the city by motorbike or bicycle. Cyclos and motorbike taxis are easy to rent. Boats can be rented to get to offshore islands.

Cuisine

Cuisine Nha Trang is famous for dishes cooked with salangane nests (Yen bird nests). Seafood is another popular choice.

Shopping

Dam market is the city’s business centre where consumer goods and local handicrafts are sold. Nha Trang specialises in seashell souvenirs, salangane nests, dried cuttle-fish and other seafood.

Sightseeing

Chanh Toa cathedral built in Gothic style, stands atop a small hill overlooking the train station.

Long Son pagoda at 15,23 Thang 10 Street, is the most prominent pagoda in Nha Trang and is surrounded by beautiful shrines and gardens. The towering l4m tall Buddha looks benignly down upon the city from the top of a hill. The National Oceanographic Institute built in 1923, displays a number of extinct specimens of local marine creatures. The Pasteur Institute exhibits the personal effects of Dr Alexandre Yersin, the town’s founder. Ponagar towers close to Long Son pagoda, were built between the 7th and 12th centuries.

Sandstone can be seen in the red brick towers.

Bamboo island has many beautiful white sand beaches - Tru, Me, Vung Ngan and Bich Dam beaches. The choice of name is intriguing as no bamboo is to be found on the island. Ebony island is famous fcr its black cliffs, colourful coral reefs and the still ocean. This is a good place for diving. Hon Tam island may not boast the best beaches but many others are on offer. Monkey island is home to five ipecies of monkeys who are very familiar with tourists. Salangane island 17km from Nha Trang, if the main source of the finest salangane nests, one of the most expensive dishes. The nests are also used as traditional medicine.

Hanoi tourism, photo by NguyenTrung

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