Descripcion

Traces of human settlement date back to the Cham-Empire, though in times of Vietnamese rule there hasn’t been much more than small fishing villages. The French recognized quickly that this beautiful bay on the south central coast with its islands and white sand beaches makes up for perfect bathing and developed. The famous franco-swiss physician Alexandre Yersin spent most of his life here, too.

Today, Nha Trang is a buzzing modern city with high quality tourist facilities and the place to go if you want to do some scuba diving or snorkelling. Most of the tourist infrastructure is in the southern part of town around Biet Thu, whereas the life of the inhabitant is centered around the Cho Dam in the northern quarters. The corniche of Tran Phu is the backbone of the city, being accompanied by a beautiful promenade and the pristine beach.

The place is, unfortunetly, far more tawdy than other beach towns- it's beautiful, but if getting drunk with backpackers every night isn't your scene, you might want to look elsewhere.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By plane

The new airport is located some 20 km south of the city and serves only domestic destinations.

Taxi fare from the airport to downtown locations is about 170,000 dong, though many hotels have their own buses.
[edit] By train

Nha Trang is a stop on the main railway-line connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The railway station is close to the cathedral in the northern part of town. If you want a soft-sleeper (the highest class available on Vietnamese trains), book your train ticket directly at the train station as far in advance as you are able. Having a private travel agent book this ticket will quite often result in you paying the agent for a Soft-sleeper, the agent will book a hard-sleeper and you will not know until you board the train and it is too late to make changes. This is one of the most common scams in Vietnam!
[edit] By bus

Open Tour-buses usually drop you in the main tourist area around Bien Thu, while the public bus station is at 58, 23 Thang 10, about 10min walk west of the center.
[edit] Get around

Nha Trang has a reliable and easy to navigate public bus system, where the ticket fare does not exceed 2000 dong for a ride on a modern, air-conditioned bus with Vietnamese music. You will find buses nr. 3 and 2 the most useful, since they pass through the southern quarters. Alternatively you'll find the usual selection of taxis, cyclos and Xe Om. There is no place in Nha Trang that justifies a fare higher 20,000 dong/person.
[edit] See

* The Alexandre Yersin Museum, northern end of Tran Phu, on the grounds of the Pasteur institute. Mon-Fri 7-11.15am &2-4.30pm, sat 2-4.30pm, 26,000 dong has a small but very informative display about the adventurous life of the man who discovered the germ that causes the black plague, established Dalat as a hillside-retreat for the French colonists and ventured, besides being a doctor, into every field of science that was accessible to him.

[edit] Do

* Scuba diving and snorkelling are offered by several outfitters. Apparently prices for certified courses and the like are some of the lowest in the world. A morning on the boat, snorkelling over the reef, is about USD 12, while you can do the diving trip for ~ USD 30.

Sure Prices in Vietnam for diving are cheap but please do not look just for the best price, make sure you dive with a dive operator who has all the proper saftey equipment and insurances. You can also pay top dollar for your diving in Nha Trang through some of the more respecable operations,

Rainbow Diversoffer high standards of saftey and professional service, there are many dive centres in Nha Trang but Rainbow seems to have the highest profile. Daily dives and courses for all levels. Blue Diving Club is another PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center in Nha Trang. All PADI courses available !
[edit] Work

An excellent way to get to know and understand more of the country is to do some voluntary work. There are several organisaitons such as Travel to Teachand i-to-i that arrange work for international volunteers in Vietnam and other countries in the region.

In Nha Trang Travel to Teach works with a project teaching English and Computers too the kids that sleeps on the beach.

i-to-i offers volunteers the opportunity to work on a variety of projects across Vietnam including building homes in Ho Chi Minh City and teaching english in Hanoi.
[edit] Buy

* There is a guitar-workshop selling decent instruments starting from USD 25. Most of the cheaper ones are not manufactured meticulously enough to even make them tuneable.

[edit] Eat

Nha Trang has variety of local resturants, western resturants and cheap street stalls
[edit] Budget

Cheap street stalls will offer a dish of rice, pork steak and some vegs for about 10,000 dong. Local resturants offer all kind of common soups such as the ubiquitous Pho Bo (beef noodle) for 5,000-15,000 dong.

On Nguyen Thi Minh Khai just west of Hung Vuong there is a soft ice cream shop not to be missed, a mere 2000 dong gets you a small cone.
[edit] Mid-range

For paying a bit more than a Dollar per dish, you can spoil yourself with anything between Sushi and Pizza
[edit] Splurge
[edit] Drink

If you are in for some night-life, most clubs are on Biet Thu.

* Kim's Bar is run by a woman who is an anti-pedophilic activist, providing a future for street children to keep them from being sold to the western sex-tourists.
* Sailing Club is a slightly posh establishment on the beach front south of the intersection with Biet Thu, sporting a dancefloor and 12 (twelve) speakers to pump up the jam. Lean back in your bamboo-chair on a starry tropical night on the big terrace and sip your favourite poison, if you where lucky enough to catch a seat.
* Pete's Bia Hoi. A quaint but cheap bia hoi (draft beer) joint located 2 blocks back from the Nha Trang Sailing Club and has excelent beer at "very cheap very vietnam" prices. 2 litres of ice cold San Miguel are available for 2000vnd. however smaller measurements are also available at equally priced offerings. He also has a small menu of snacks available at a reasonable price, his deep fried cauliflower and deep fried mushrooms are very good.

[edit] Sleep

Accommodation is abundant in Nha Trang, and they are still building... Most hotels catering for foreigners are in the area around Biet Thu, but be sure to walk north into the side lanes if you want to cut down on prices and avoid the noisy traffic. You should be able to find a decent clean room with fan for ~USD 4, with air-con ~USD 8. (Prices for double room)
[edit] Budget

* Hoàng Châu Hotel, 6 Tôn Dản, T 058-524066 is a small Vietnamese-run place in a quiet dead-end street off Nguyen Thi Minh Khai. Works on a construction site for yet another big hotel between here and the seafront seem to be suspended in the moment, which is why the balconies of the frontal rooms offer perfect seaview. (USD 8 with air-con, local TV, hot shower)
* Quang Minh Hotel. Newly-constructed, a three-minute walk from the beach and offers rooms from $6/night, including satellite TV, hot water and refrigerator.

[edit] Mid-range

* Bao Dai Villa. The private villa of Vietnam's last emperor, Bao Dai. The villa is a little way from "downtown" Nha Trang and is somewhat secluded. Regular rooms go for about 30 USD and large suites go for 75 USD. Enjoy one of the best views and best food from the Bao Dai Restaurant which overlooks the ocean.

[edit] Splurge
[edit] Contact

Internet access can be found in many hotels and through cheap internet cafes all over town. The farther away from Bien Thu, the cheaper the rates (3000 dong/hour is the going rate at most places, although cheaper can be found). Expect fair ADSL connections.
[edit] Stay safe

Thefts on the beaches of Nha Trang are sadly very common. Never leave your bag unguarded. Be aware of girl gangs at night. They are acting as if they are prostitutes in fact they steal your money.
[edit] Cope
[edit] Get out
[edit] The Islands

Tour operators offer boat tours to the surrounding islands for around $7USD, that usually include such funny things as a on-board fruit buffet or the "swimming bar", where you float in a circular swimming aid and try your hardest to get drunk. There are more serious approaches to it, so shop around for the flavour you want it to have.

* Do not use the "Tam Hanh Travel" agency at 3L Hung Vong, they will overcharge you, purchase false tickets, and lie to cover their tracks. There are many other reputable agencies in Nha Trang that you would be far better off using.

[edit] Other Beaches

About 30 km north of Nha Trang, just when you passed through the village of Ninh Hoa, a peninsula juts out into the South Chinese Sea, and on its northern coast rides its tinier brother, Hon Khoi. Several resorts are located on the eastern beach of Hon Khoi, where you find palmtrees, white sand and turquoise waters. To get there follow the highway north past the turnoff to Dac Lac Province/Buon Ma Thuot. Then look out for a sign reading Doc Let-Resort, close to a filling station. A taxi will take 2 persons for about 200,000 dong, while a Xe Om should not be more expensive than 100,000 dong. Or catch a through-bus plying highway Nr.1 and jump off at the turn off. There will always be some motorbike-drivers waiting to take you. Whatever place you choose to go, be sure to reserve a bungalow in advance.

* Doc Let Beach Resort, sign-posted, 058-849663,Fx849506, is the best known place and closest to the mainland. Though it started out as a traveller's secret, it quickly became a destination for domestic tourists, who basically flood the place during weekends and holidays. There is some socialist charm to the not so "white palm beach turquoise waters"-like architecture of the place, but it's definitely not the old Robinson-feeling you might be craving.
* Paradise Resort, Nha Nhi Thien Duong, follow the signs from Doc Let-Resort through Dong Hai-village, is run by an elderly gentleman and his Vietnamese family. Bungalows are USD 16-18 (11-14 for a single person), depending on if they are close to the beach or not. Newer and nicer bungalows for USD18 are being constructed just next to the main compound. Meals are included, and prices for drinks are reasonable. Water, fruits, coffee and tea are free. 0084-58-670480, fx:0084-58-670479, paradise_doclech@hotmail.com, http://www.vngold.com/doclet/paradise.
* Jungle Beach 091-3429144,syl@dng.vnn.vn is reportedly slightly more upmarket, with prices being USD 15 per person, even if you sleep on the beach. Run by a Canadian-Vietnamese couple, food's included, and it's the most remote of the resorts here.

written by  garisti on June 1, 2008 from Nha Trang, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Viaje por Asia
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