Nha Trang is a popular seaside destination for tourists in Vietnam. Featuring ocean and mountains, the place is a great venue to enjoy nice beaches and visit pagodas. Khanh Hoa Province’s capital, Nha Trang lies 450 kilometers away from Ho Chi Minh City. It used to be part of the kingdom of Champa and peopled by Cham ethnical groups. During French Indochina, Nha Trang appealed lots of colonists because of its favorable location and diverse settings resembling Southern France. Doctor Yersin, who discovered one of the plagues’ bacilli, set up a Pasteur Institute there. His former house was turned into a museum after he died.
Nha Trang
Po Nagar’s granite towers were built between the 7th and the 12th centuries. Nowadays, only two of them remain but they are still used by Buddhists as a place of devotion. They worship Yan Po Nagar who is the main godly figure in the Southern part of the Cham kingdom. The towers face east, as did the 8 others before being destroyed. A lot of other Cham remains feature the same orangish brick, that stayed well-preserved throughout centuries.
Whale Island, off Nha Trang, remains very well-preserved. Lush vegetation, transparent water, and diverse submarine fauna: this place resembles a hidden paradise. As a marine reserve, it harbours numerous species of corals, fish and mollusks. Many activities are available at Whale Island: snorkeling, diving, sailing, boat cruises, hiking… The jungle fauna is also very varied and worth the trip. The place is not really touristy; it is a great venue to relax as well.
You may be a beginner or an experimented diver, you will enjoy Nha Trang’s dive spots without any doubt. It is a location known to be home of diving in Vietnam. Indeed, the Vietnamese Government established a Marine Park protected area on Hon Mun Island in 2003, after the sport had got really popular in the area. Nha Trang features several islands that offer good scope for dives.
Nha Trang features detoxifying mud baths that cleanse your skin with minerals. After the mud bath comes the high-pressure shower that is known to help blood circulation and skin strengthening. Then you may enjoy a hot mineral water bath in a special tub. Eventually, you will immerse yourself under waterfalls and relax in a pool.
Vinpearl is a huge resort comprising an amusement park. A lot of tourists visiting Nha Trang swing by Vinpearl Resort. The place looks like a small Disneyworld, featuring numerous activities. It contains about twenty slides for the strong-hearted, and the biggest wave pool in South-East Asia. Vinpearl Resort also comprises an Under Water World which houses nearly 300 species.
At the Beach
Nha Trang’s settings are varied: ocean, islands, mountains and pagodas display scenic landscapes. But one its main attraction lies in its seaside location. Indeed, Nha Trang features 6 kilometers of sandy beaches along transparent water, ranges of coconut trees and nice restaurants. The destination also appeals water-sport lovers: surfing, kite surfing, sailing, kayaking… All kind of activities are available in Nha Trang. Besides, it is also a nice venue to chill out and enjoy good weather and a frozen Vietnamese milk-shake (sinh to). Certain beaches are quieter than the others, such as Bai Duong and Nui Hon Chong. Bai Dai (Long Beach) may be one of the best surfing spots.
In Nha Trang, you might not only bathe in the sea but also in the mud! Indeed, mineral mud baths are very popular there, as well as hot springs. They are said to have healing virtues and to prevent cardiovascular diseases, because of their origins from volcanic rocks and ashes. In any case, this is a great way to improve self-being!
Nha Trang’s seabed is worth the dive: coral reefs, reff sharks, nurse sharks, Manta rays… Submarine fauna and flora are abundant, and they offer a range of beautiful diving but also snorkeling spots. The city even features an Institute of Oceanography. The best time of the year to discover Nha Trang’s depths is from April to the end of July, since the scope is the best (10-30 meters deep).
You will also have the opportunity to visit some of the islands of the bay, such as Hon Tre Island in the South-West, or Whale Island, which stands out from the rest by its wildness, its bamboo bungalows along the beach and its transparent water. Whale Island is best-known for its diving spots that contain sumptuous sea lives.
Pagodas and Cathedrals
Po Nagar Pagoda was built between the 7th and the 12th centuries. Nowadays, it remains an important Buddhist shrine; a lot of believers still go there to pray, meditate and worship Yan Po Nagar, the goddess of the Cham kingdom. At the center of the pagoda stands a 1.20 meter statue of her, seated, crossing legs, her ten hands holding symbolic artefacts. There is another sculpture of her beneath the temple: she is shown standing on a buffalo and her four arms hold an axe, a club and a lotus flower.
Chua Long Son, also known as Long Son, is another Buddhist temple in Nha Trang. This one hundred year pagoda features a roof that is decorated with glass and ceramic mosaic dragons, and a big 24-meter high sculpture of a white Buddha, which provides a panoramic viewpoint above the whole bay and is visible from most places in Nha Trang.
Around the white concrete statue of Buddha stand 7 sculptures of monks who set fire to themselves. There is another statue within the sanctuary: it represents a 17-meter reclining Buddha surrounded by 49 sculptures of praying monks. While visiting, tourists are asked to cover their shoulders and legs, for the monks’ sake.
Besides the Buddhist monuments, Nha Trang also features a Gothic cathedral, built at the top of a hill. It was built between 1928 and 1933 during French colonization. It comprises three big bells and sumptuous stained-glass windows.
Weather
The best time of the year to visit Nha Trang is from January to May then September. Indeed, the temperatures rise from 25 to 35 Celsius degrees, and the weather is usually nice. Nha Trang sees less rain than any other part of the province. The water is calm between April and the end of July. Then, from the end of September, the rain and typhoon season starts, temperatures drop and the sea turns cold. Between December and January, the weather remains cold and cloudy nevertheless it gets better from the end of January before starting getting warmer and warmer until the good season comes back.
Local Cuisine
One of Nha Trang’s specialties is hai san, which means “sea food.” Usually served on a tray, it consists of fish, crab, shrimp and squid. This is not a surprise since Nha Trang is a seaside destination. This dish is served in most of the restaurants.
Bun ca sua is another dish to try if you are traveling to Nha Trang. It consists of a noodle soup with jellyfish as the main ingredient. However, jellyfish may also be replaced by tuna if you do not like this unusual ingredient. This is how you should eat bun ca sua: dip jellyfish or fish bites in spicy nuoc mam sauce. Delicious taste guaranteed!
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