If relaxing on beautiful beaches and enjoying swimming and diving are your passions then Nha Trang is the destination for you. Located on one of the world’s most beautiful bays, Nha Trang Bay, this coastal city that is also the capital of the Khanh Hoa province and home to around 350,000 people, is an extremely popular destination for tourists.
Readily accessed by road, air or rail, being about 1,050 kilometres to the south east of Hanoi and only about 320 kilometres to the north east of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Nha Trang has rapidly become a popular destination in its own right and a location that remains a delightful stopover on a full tour of Vietnam.
However, as delightful as it is, just lazing on the beautiful main Na Trang Beach (of almost 6 kilometres in length) with its fine, clean sand and clear waters gently lapping nearby or enjoying the ambience and diving of nearby and tranquil Hon Tre Island (Bamboo Island) is really not allowing yourself to truly “discover” Nha Trang.
The National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam, housed in a beautiful French colonial building and the Trí Nguyên Aquarium on Hon Mieu (Bong Nguyen) Island that has a “pirate ship” at its entry are worth visiting, as they are home to not only rare species of the sea but also sharks, turtles, coral reefs, lionfish, sea horses, and many other creatures. The Alexandre Yersin Museum is also of interests, as it memorialises the life of dedicated Swiss scientist who tirelessly undertook research in Vietnam from the late 19th century until the 1943.
Also, visiting locations such as Long Son Pagoda, Po Nagar Cham Towers, NH Trang Cathedral and Thanh Dien Khanh Fortress are a must, to gain a greater appreciation of Nha Trang. There is also plenty of shopping to be enjoyed!
However, no trip to Nha Trang is complete without riding the Vinpearl cable car to Bamboo Island. The view is spectacular and although the resort and theme park may not be to your liking, it all adds to rich tapestry of Nha Trang.
Another of the many delights of visiting Nha Trang is that you are able to luxuriate in mud without hearing your parents scream “… what are you doing in there, get out or you’ll get filthy!” Spending a couple of hours at the Thap Ba Hot Spring Mudbath is fantastic, as there are a range of pools that contain differing grades of mud at varying temperatures, together with warm natural mineral water pools. The mud baths and mineral water pools are supposed to have magic health benefits that assist with chronic rheumatism and other ailments. That may well be true but one thing is for sure, sloshing about in the warm mud is great fun!
Catering for its growing tourism, there is a wide range of accommodation options available to meets all requirements and if you’re in Nha Trang, well you’re at the place that is famous throughout Vietnam for its seafood. There is also no shortage of dining options to suit any budget from delightful Vietnamese style informal pavement cafés to fine dining. Along with the delectable fresh seafood and local cuisine a broad range of Western dishes are also available at all venues.
Be warned, with its year round mild temperatures, the temptation to just relax and do nothing but pleasure yourself will be ever present during your stay in Nha Trang!
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After reading the comments on TripAdvisor regarding the Oceanographic museum, I’m surprised you’d recommend this. Did you actually go and think it worthwhile?
Hello Cheryl,
Sorry for the delay in responding, as I only realised I had not replied to your email when I was checking things earlier today!
The National Oceanographic Museum in Nha Trang is worth visiting, although its exhibits are not vast or its layout of a modern “interactive” style. It’s a good link to the past as it is housed in an old French Colonial building and the viewing of its aisles upon aisles of jars upon jars of aquatic specimens is of interest!
It’s certainly not what we expect to see in modern oceanariums, with its focus on preserved specimens over live specimens, however, it’s a good experience and there are some external tanks for the live exhibits. It’s certainly worth considering as part of your itinerary for a trip to Nga Trang.
Once again, please accept my apology for the tardiness of my reply.
Cheers
Peter