Nha Trang

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most famous seaside town. The whole area is dotted by cosy restaurants, great bars, beautiful diving and crystal clear water. There are boat trips out to the islands for divers and non-divers alike, snorkelling and fishing trips and if its a little chilly you can go and bathe in the hot springs. In Nha Trang there are also traces of human settlement dated back to the Cham Empire.

However, the beach is main draw there. During your hike, sunbath or whatever on the beach, you will likely spot many women vendors walking selling fruit and hot, steamed seafood. Make sure that you visit in the right season, though. The beach can be disappointing when the weather is grey and the waves choppy.

Nowadays there is an explosion of watersports with catamarans, jet skis and paragliding available for hire on the beach, as well as kayaks, windsurfers and bodyboards. Boat cruises for instance rate US$6, with snorkeling, fishing, and many other activities among the possibilities. Tours may provide lunch with drinks on board. It’s a great place to hire a bike and cruise up and down the boulevard that lines the seafront on a bright breezy day – its very popular with the students in the evenings too!

Close off-shore from Nha Trang sit a series of islands that offer decent diving and snorkeling, easily accessible by day trip. The city has about two dozen dive shops, making for fierce competition and great value. For certification training, Nha Trang offers perhaps the best value in the world, with PADI open water courses available with full equipment rental for as little as US$250. A two-dive boat trip with equipment rental and modest lunch can be had for as little as US$45, also a phenomenal value.

Getting there: By train – Nha Trang is a stop on the main railway-line connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC or Saigon). The railway station is close to the cathedral in the northern part of town. By air – Cam Ranh Airport is located 30km from the city and serves only domestic destinations. Taxi fare from the airport to downtown locations is a fixed rate of 290,000 VND.