If you are after a beach getaway in Vietnam than Nha Trang is probably where you will end up. Nha Trang is the only beach destination on the well travelled Hanoi to Saigon route, and offers an entirely different experience than any of the other stops on the route. This is also the place to come if you want to try scuba diving in Vietnam.
Where is Nha Trang?
Nha Trang is located in between Ho Chi Minh City and Hoi An. It is easily reached by either plane, train, or bus. If you are travelling by bus, it will take about 10 – 12 hours to get to Nha Trang from Saigon, or 6 hours if you are travelling by train. Plane of course, is a much quicker, but more expensive option.
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What to do in Nha Trang
Nha Trang is known as a beach destination, so the beach is obviously a main draw here. There is a long stretch of beach lined with restaurants, beach chairs for rent, and snack vendors wandering the sands. The beach is walking distance from the area where most hotels are located.
If you are going to be spending any amount of time in, around, or under the sea in Nha Trang, then a visit to the National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam is certainly worthwhile. This museum/ aquarium will introduce you to some of the rare an beautiful sea creatures found around these areas, and is also a great place to come with children.
If you want to get on the water, there are quite a few islands near to the coast of Nha Trang, and sailing around them makes for a lovely day trip. There are many tour options that offer sailing and beach trips to the different islands. Scuba divers might be interested to know that there is some pretty decent scuba diving and snorkelling. The diving here is not world class, but the sheer amount of dive shops in town means that if you want to get your certification, then Nha Trang is a pretty affordable place to do it in.
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If you feel like momentarily escaping the sea and sand, and want to soak up some culture instead of sun, then head to the Po Nagar Cham Towers. These brick towers were built by the Cham civilization between the 7th and 12th century. It is an interesting place to explore to learn about the interesting and ancient Cham people, and there are also some great views across the bay and the town from the hill that they are located on.
