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Former provincial city in South Central Coast, Vietnam
Photo: ntt, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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These four brick towers were built by the Cham civilization between the 7th and 12th centuries to honour Yang Ino Po Ngar, mother of the kingdom, and the aroma of incense emanating from within makes it clear that this remains a religious site for the local Buddhists of Nha Trang today. The longevity of these last vestiges of a once-dominant SE Asian civilisation should impress temple enthusiasts even if the insensitive restoration and surrounding mass of tourists don't. The small complex sits on a hill which enjoys views across Nha Trang's fishing village. It is a 20- to 25-min walk (or short motorbike ride) from the main beach strip, however be prepared to wander through the real Nha Trang, quite an abrupt change from the showy built-up beach side resort. Public Bus 4 stops near the Cham Towers.
At this pagoda, you will see a 24-m-tall white Buddha. The pagoda was established in 1963 to honour the monks and nuns who died demonstrating against the Diem government. Beware of scammers claiming they are students studying in the temple, demanding that you offer a donation to the school before going up the pagoda. These students have no affiliation with the school and entry to the pagoda is free.
On a hill overlooking the city, the cathedral shows the influence of French Catholicism. The Nha Trang area still has a strong Catholic population. There are Catholic shops around the cathedral.
This is a scientific museum of Swiss-born Dr. Alexandre Yersin (1863-1943), who arrived in Vietnam in 1891 to study infected animals. He later produced a serum from horses and buffaloes. In this museum, you will be able to view all of his work as well as his equipment. Yersin never went back to Switzerland and spent the rest of his life in Nha Trang. Don’t try to take pictures. Do respect the rules as they're quite serious here.
Exhibition presents Cham statues and artifacts of the ethnic minorities of the Nha Trang area. One of the rooms is devoted to Ho Chi Minh and his personal belongings.
This is like an aquarium with popular and rare species of the sea. A good place to bring kids as they will get to see sharks, turtles, coral reefs, lion fish, sea horses, and many other creatures.
Not really a museum. 3D art paintings to interact with. Great for selfie addicts, but don't go alone! Ideally go as group of 3 or more. Two is OK, but it will be difficult to take photos of the two of you together. Not easy to find, it's on the other side of the old airport from the main tourist area. Receives mixed reviews, many consider it over-priced.
Citadel was built by French officer Olivier de Puymanel for Nguyễn Ánh in 1793. It housed royal palace, private houses, warehouses and jail. It was fenced by walls of 3.5 m height, surrounded by moats of 4-5 m deep and 10 m wide. It was built with 6 gates, but only 4 of them remain.
Suối Tiên
Fairy Spring is a small, cool stream and swimming hole much visited by local kids on weekends. The swimming hole is at the end of a short jungle walk. It is a pleasant place to visit in summer. In winter the water is too cold to swim. The stream's source is the area of Hồn Bà, the highest peak in the province. Bottled and canned drinks are available, but no food is sold here yet. The area is slowly being developed and will eventually become a resort with a hotel, bungalows, and restaurant.
A series of three waterfalls and a fast flowing river tucked away in the forest. There are limited amenities, although you can buy food like rice, chicken, beers and soft drinks. Taxis are available in Nha Trang to take you there, but it's not too difficult to find yourself and with good weather it's a pleasant drive, if you are confident on a motorbike. It's a good one hour trip from Nha Trang by motorbike through some rough, off-road tracks (especially in the wet season). The turn off from the main highway north of Nha Trang can be easy to miss (a stone pillar), but most locals along the road should be able to point it out. From the turn off it's a straight track to the river. You may want to bring some sturdy shoes to climb across the rocks and swimming gear for a dip when you get there. It will take about 45 minutes from the entrance of the tourist area to the lakes. There is an orphanage very close to the lakes (take a right turn when you get to a T-junction in the rice fields) that would really benefit from any gifts of vegetarian food (take milk, tofu, yogurt, etc.). Call Dieu An, the nun at +84 90 5823807. She speaks only Vietnamese.
At the summit of Hon Ba mountain at 1,514 m above sea level.
Hon Lao
Catch a ferry to Monkey Island (the pier is 1 km further north of island), which is full of monkeys, has a 10:00 circus and simple go-cart track.
People come here to swim in the sea, but there are also a number of swimming pools. Louisiane Brewhouse has a good one that is free to use. Hiring a soft chaise longue costs 40,000 dong. The Yasaka Saigon Nha Trang Hotel coffee shop in Yersin St has a small shady pool for free use. A number of mid-range hotels also have pools, some of which can be used by non-guests. Sea and Sun Hotel has a nice rooftop pool and costs 70,000 dong for non-guests. There is another large public pool at Yersin st, opposite the hospital, for 30,000 dong. Another option is Central Park on Tran Phu, near Louisiane Brewhouse. Buy a deckchair for 60,000 or 120,000 and swim for free. Has a small diving board for kids, a lazy river, and a pool bar.
Water puppetry is a Vietnamese original folk art that dates back as far as the 11th century when it began in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition.
There is a large gym in town called Nha Trang Body Building Club, part of a leisure complex that includes badminton and tennis courts, basketball area and football pitch. Daily pass 20,000 dong; monthly pass, 200,000 dong. Besides, Novotel Hotel also has gym memberships for non-guests, which provide access to the swimming pool, sauna and relaxation room. A daily pass costs 200,000 dong, one-month pass 1,400,000 dong, 3-month pass 2,700,000 dong. Monthly passes include one free massage; ask about this when purchasing. The Sheraton Hotel probably has the best gym in town with excellent views, but costs US$100 for one month, and this doesn't include use of the swimming pool.
On the 3rd floor of the Nha Trang Centre shopping and entertainment complex.
On the 2nd floor of the Nha Trang Centre, shopping mall.
The city's main beach, south of the Cai river, is about 6 km long and lined with a beautiful, well-maintained promenade containing walking paths, gardens, monuments and leisure spaces. The beach itself has a broad strip of sand, and the calm waters are extremely inviting for swimming - but care is needed, as the waters get deep very quickly. While Nha Trang's beach is hardly one of the most beautiful beaches of Southeast Asia, it can still provide one of the best urban beach experiences in the region. You will see many female vendors walking along the beach selling fruit and hot, steamed seafood. Vietnamese typically come to the beach during sunrise and sunset, with the Russians occupying the beach en masse during the peak sunshine hours. Make sure that you visit in the right season. The beach can be disappointing when the weather is grey and the waves choppy. The experience is then one of murky sandy waters, a strip of standard brown sand with a multitude of empty beach chairs and no one to be seen.
North of the Cai river, Bai Duong beach is smaller than in the main tourist area. It is a beautiful beach, but the sewage channels make it somewhat less appealing. The beach is mostly popular among Vietnamese visitors, and hence quite empty during peak sunshine hours. Near the beach there are several seafood restaurants catering to Vietnamese tourists. It can be reached using bus #4.
Scenic rock formations in the sea. The disposition of the rocks, as well as the sculpture of a giant fist mark in one of them, is mysterious and a source of several folk tales. You can climb the rocks and get some nice views of Bai Doung Beach and the nearby islands. It can be reached using bus #4.
Has several nice beaches, but almost of all them are of exclusive access to guests of the Vinpearl resorts. The exception is the small beach in front of the Vinpearl Land's waterpark, which is accessible for those who bought a ticket to Vinpearl Land. The beach offers waterports and contains a Russian restaurant.
Located in the Ninh Hòa district north of Nha Trang, Doc Let is a beautiful, long beach with shallow, crystal-clear waters. The water has weak waves, but it is still excellent for swimming. Local fisher families sell and prepare seafood they will cook for you on the beach for a very reasonable price. The southern part of the beach contains the Ninh Hòa fishing village, where the north of the beach contains some relatively inexpensive resorts or it still underdeveloped. The best parts of the beach are the ones in front of the resorts, with the rest unfortunately with a lot of rubbish thrown by locals. You can pay a fee to rent a chair and use the showers/restrooms of White Sand Doclet resort or Paradise resort. Doc Let beach can be reached from Nha Trang using bus #3, by motorbike, and by some day tous generally aimed at Russian visitors. If you are staying in a resort there, the resort may offer you transfer services for a surcharge.
Bai Dai beach
It's in the Cam Lâm and Cam Ranh districts, 20 km south of Nha Trang. Bai Dai is in the middle of a frenetic process of development, with upscale resorts being built nonstop in the beachfront. Even so, the beach is very long and it is still possible to find yourself alone if you walk enough. It has beautiful blue waters, soft sand and it is pleasant to walk upon as it is less steep than the beach in Nha Trang, but rubbish can also be a problem in areas which are not in the front of resorts. Seafood is served at many shacks with deckchairs right on the beach. Probably best to go by motorcycle. The airport bus number 18 might be another option. Get off by road entrance leading to The Shack Vietnam.
From the harbour you can take the cable car over to the island where Vinpearl Resort and Vinpearl Land are located. They have a small tivoli and some restaurants, attractions here include Underwater World (aquarium), water park with water slides and wave pool, amusement park with roller coaster, pirate ship, bumper cars, cinema, arcade machines and a laser show at night time, usually 19:00. All included in the one price.
Amusement park featuring mud baths, pools, hydrotherapy showers, jacuzzi and a big garden.
Offers mud and mineral baths, waterfalls and a lot of pools.
Suối Nước Nóng Tháp Bà
Costs 50,000 dong for the hot swimming pool and waterfall, 100,000 dong for shared mud bath (if you are 5-8 people you will probably get put in the same tub), shower, hot/cold water jets, hot Jacuzzi, and the hot waterfalls and swimming pool. A massage by trained masseuses and entrance to the hot swimming pool costs 150,000 dong. There is also a package for 500,000 which included a massage among other extras. A VIP spa package will cost you US$100 or more. If you carry on a further 500 m past the mud baths you arrive at a railway bridge across the river that connects to a tunnel. It's a very scenic spot that's popular for wedding photo shoots.
At the Yang Bay waterfalls the Vietnamese have built up a concrete beach, and sort of eco park with a zoo. It used to be a lot nicer before they built it, but it is still a very nice place to visit. You can swim there, and walk around in the area. Just to mention, tourist park receives a lot of negative reviews.
Hon Tam Nha Trang
The only mudbath services on island in Vietnam. It takes about 6 minutes from Tam pier to the Hon Tam island by cano. The entrance fee is from 350,000 vnd (15$) for full-package service.
Combination fast 30-km downhill biking passing through an ethnic village and meeting Raglai people. Then a 12-km rafting trip down the Cai River.
The Shack Vietnam
Bar, restaurant and surf club/school.
A friendly family serving mixed or pure plates of Bánh Căn with 6 pieces and mango salad at no extra charge.
Authentic and inexpensive Bánh Hỏi.
Not so authentic dish, but the eatery is very authentic though.
Delicious noodles and roasted duck.
Good Bánh Căn, a unique taste, special fish cakes and a delicious cake soup.
Great place for vegetarian dishes.
Delicious pho and known for their dishes with rice noodles.
Western home style food and big TVs to watch sport events.
What’s different about this long established restaurant (25 years) is that you get to cook, yourself, and both locals and tourists seem to love it. It's famous for its thinly sliced beef, marinated in chilli source that you cook with your own mini tabletop BBQ. Large San Miguel bottled beers are served by San Miguel-attired servers for 18,000 dong.
Asian and Western food. Especially popular for seafood. Truc Linh has been here for years but the original corner one is now the location of a new high rise hotel.
Serves fresh and scrumptious seafood. Inexpensive prices and good service.
Microbrewery with locally brewed beers, restaurant with fresh cakes and tarts, sushi, quality pizzas, steaks, Vietnamese food and seafood. Pool table, live music and own loungers right at the beach or pool available. Chaises longues at either the pool or beach are 40,000 dong per day. Even if you get a chair on the beach, you still have pool access. They have a sampling tray of beer for 100,000 dong.
This restaurant serves Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, and Italian food. Crowded at night, when it turns into bar.
Cheap drinking bar and cafe popular with English-speaking expats.
For a great view of Nha Trang at night, perhaps visit the second highest bar in Nha Trang.
Chef's Club at Skylight
360˚ skydeck & rooftop club. Besides, it also features a skywalk, pool deck and an international restaurant - Chef's Club on the 43rd floor.
If you are young and wild, this is the place to be.
This place has a very good yoghurt and many kinds of cocktails. Prices are reasonable.
Long-running and still one of the most popular late night bars for the young Western backpacker crowd in Nha Trang. It's been transformed into a much more upmarket establishment and is more popular with Asian tourists.
Sữa hạt
Green T nut milk is made entirely from nature with nuts: Lotus, Walnut, Cashew, Sesame, Almond, bringing the whole thing, suitable for everyone in the family. Green T nut milk is made with all hearts and enthusiasm with the desire to bring quality, complementary and safe products to everyone in the family, especially children and adults.
A small homestyle cafe with a good-quality Italian and Mediterranean food and drinks. They also have vegetarian and healthy food. Located upstairs above the green A-mart store. 20% off drinks when ordered with a meal. Its more of an eating place and often gets full, so the drinks discount is probably there to deter customers just buying drinks only.
Coffee shop in similar style to the large chains such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee, i.e. espresso styles, lots of comfy seating inside and out with upstairs seating too. They also sell cakes and pastries and have a small food menu too.
More of a Vietnamese-style coffee shop but with both comfortable air-con and alfresco dining areas.
Great new hotel close to the beach, has small pool and gym with massage chair on the 10th floor. 9 floors with 6 rooms per floor and 2 elevators. Wi-Fi and TV in the rooms, some of which have ocean views. Staff speak good English here.
Old mini hotel close to the beach. Six floors with an elevator.. Wi-Fi for the rooms, some of which have ocean views.
In mini hotel alley, close to beach and main tourist area in quiet and safe location. All rooms have air-con, en suite with hot water, cable TV, Wi-Fi and fridge. Hotel has 15 rooms on 6 floors and has an elevator.
Six floors with elevator. Free and good Wi-Fi for the rooms. Staff sleeping in the lobby for 24/7 access. Sometimes issues with charges for damages to the room that are pre-existing.
Not far from the beach, the owner is a nice and friendly woman. While you stay there she will make you feel at home, if you want to share local life. Free coffee, free Wi-Fi and cable TV.
Elevator, free Wi-Fi, free HBO in every room. Conveniently close to the bus stations Phuong Nam and Phuong Trang so can transit easily to other city. The manager speaks English and Czech. This place has changed its name in 2015.
Renovated in 2014, in mini hotel, all 19 private rooms have air-con, en suite, cable TV, fridge and Wi-Fi. This place is clean and has a terrific location. Room 503 (double) has a big balcony with fabulous sea views. They also have a dorm room with 2 separate bathrooms and adjacent rooftop terrace with sea views.
It has Internet access including Wi-Fi in all rooms and three computers in the reception area. They have an elevator. Free breakfast included in their rooftop lounge. Free pick up from train and bus stations with own minivan.
Mini hotel refurbished in 2019, has 15 en-suite rooms with air-con, cable TV, wifi, fridge and telephone.
All rooms equipped with TV, air-con and spacious beds.
A budget hotel with essential amenities and facilities. Quiet and clean.
For those who prefer a cosy home to a hotel room, this is the place to stay. Close to city centre and beach, quiet and safe location (near Military Hospital). Single rooms with large double beds, living room, kitchen and balcony. Fully equipped, including large refrigerator, oven, micro wave oven, kitchenware, in-room safe, washing machine with separate drying area. etc. Wi-Fi, domestic phone calls and international TV channels free of charge. 24-hour security, guarded parking lot, elevator, café bar on top of building.
Most rooms overlook the beach giving you an extraordinary sea views. Rooms are equipped with phones, satellite TV, a minibar, etc. Service is great.
Within walking distance of the beach. There is a nice restaurant accompanied by a pool hall and disco. Great amenities offered as well as the services. Average quality as per internet reviews.
This place has a bit of a business feel, but its very clean rooms have classy, attractive decor, if lacking a bit in character. Many of the rooms offer balconies with fantastic city and sea views, its location is great, and the included breakfast buffet is nothing to turn your nose up at. There is free Wi-Fi in the rooms, a good selection of reasonably priced room service, and it has a pool and gym. The staff is very friendly, and you can change foreign currency at the front desk at decent rates.
Well-known and affordable, with all the basic amenities needed plus some live entertainment at night.
Offers 310 studio and one-bedroom apartments. The property has a restaurant and bar, outdoor swimming pool, gym and yoga room.
If you don’t mind the price, this is the spot to go all out and get the once-in-a-lifetime royal treatment.
This extremely spaciously laid-out resort hosted the 2008 Miss Universe pageant. Hotel rooms, suites and villas. Enormous pool (non-chlorinated) spa, fitness, several restaurants & bars, tennis, expatriate chef and expatriate GM. Two private beaches.
Luxury hotel. Awesome staff, food, room, Internet. Small pool, but the ocean is less than 100 m away.
Luxury hotel with swimming pool, gym and open air bar on 28th floor with great views across Nha Trang beachfront.
This resort is all polished marble and white columns with 10 floors. It has a great view of ocean-side as well as the sky from its glass rooftop.
Luxury hotel with the biggest pool in Vietnam. Guests have unlimited access to the water park.
Japanese/Vietnamese hotel. Service here is very friendly, and it has all the amenities you would need. It is just walking distance to the beach.
4-star modern hotel with 227 guest rooms over 20 floors with sea views. Has a good buffer breakfast for 180k dong.
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, especially during weekends and holidays. If you take a Vietnamese partner, they won't let you stay in the same room unless you can prove you are married.
Run by a Canadian-Vietnamese couple, all meals are included. If you are looking for a beautiful beach in a very remote and quiet location then this could be your paradise. Keep in mind that they don't have hot water here. This resort also charges US$20 for transportation each way. Extra drinks will cost from 15,000-20,000 dong.
Run by an elderly gentleman and his Vietnamese family. Vladimir is a very interesting, jovial guy and his family cooks up wonderful food. Beer is cheap, and you just mark a chit on a sheet on the refrigerator to keep track of your total. The beach in front is beautiful and usually deserted except for some village children. It is very easy to sleep a week away there in a hammock kissed by sea breezes. There is usually various travellers there to socialise with at meals and in the evenings. You can rent a motorbike in Nha Trang for the easy ride up to Doc Let. Any buses can also drop you on the main road for a 10 minute walk to Paradise. Vladimir will also drop you in Nha Trang on the back of his scooter if he's going into town. He usually drives his car into Nha Trang on Saturdays so could be a good day to arrive or leave and get a free trip in or out.
Adjacent to Doc Let Resort is this more upmarket resort with private beach, large swimming pool, gym, spa, restaurant.
Private resort, suitable for whomever wants to get away from everything.
In the middle of the rice fields you will find this little family-owned resort. If you like a traquil place and want to enjoy the countryside, then this is the place for you. They also have a swimming pool. Based on reviews, people in general like this place.
Chợ Xóm Mới
The typical Vietnamese market with fruits, veggies, meat, fish, etc. found in every corner of Vietnam, even though a little more expensive than in other cities.
Shopping and entertainment complex. On the 3rd floor is a multiplex cinema, 10 pin bowling alley, a games arcade and a BBQ Da Lat buffet. On 2nd floor has roller blading rink. On the ground floor are KFC, Texas Chicken and Starbucks Coffee.
Shopping and entertainment complex. The 7th floor is the entertainment level with 10 pin bowling alley, games arcade and Kids Camp. On the 3rd and 4th floors is a large 2 level Lotte Mart supermarket.
Clothes from back home at half the cost.
Major brands available: Nike, Adidas, North Face, Speedo, Greg Norman.
4-level beachfront shopping complex opened in August 2018 with cinema on the top floor.
formerly Big C
Large supermarket on upper floor of big shopping mall, outside the center of town.
This long established family run corner store is very good value and has an amazing selection of items for such as small shop. They are cheaper that the many A-Marts in the area which are very much aimed at the tourist market and few locals will be seen shopping in them.
Large Western-style supermarket.
There are several outlets now with good value fixed prices. Sells a lot of health food items not often found in other markets such as Kefir and Greek yoghurt, sourdough bread, matcha power, blueberries, frozen berries, dates, various nuts, kombucha health drinks, quality dark chocolate. Daily specials for near sell by date items.
By train
Nha Trang is a stop on the main railway line connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
By bus
Nearly all long distance sleeper buses stop in Nha Trang. They come from Ho Chi Minh City (10-12 hours, both morning and overnight buses available, both are sleeper buses), Hoi An (12 hours).
By car
Private car rental with a driver are usually modern air-con cars and can be rented for about 1,000,000 dong per day.
By motorbike
In Nha Trang, as in the rest of Vietnam, motorbikes are the least safe but most convenient way of going around, especially to go to the beaches and sightseeing spots outside of the city.
By bus
Nha Trang's city bus system is surprisingly useful for travellers that have more time than money.
On foot
Although not as treacherous as in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, walking in Nha Trang is certainly no walk in the park.
By taxi
The drivers of Mai Linh (preferably) or Vinasun taxis usually use the meter and do not attempt to cheat on tourists.
By cyclo
A wonderful option for seeing the sites is to hire a cyclo-driver for the day. This runs about US$15 plus tip.
By bicycle
Nha Trang is quite flat and bicycles can be rented for typically 30,000 to 50,000 dong for one day for a basic no-gears bike if you lucky to find somewhere.
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Nha Trang/nha Trang aiurportCam Ranh · International · CXR
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