NHA TRANG

The city of Nha Trang is becoming more popular with the tourists in recent years. Yet, with a population of 300,000, Nha Trang still retains its small town atmosphere. This resort town is well known for its miles of beach and the friendliness of its people. The city is flanked by nearly ten kilometers of prime beach where the water is warm year round. The average temperature in Nha Trang is 26 C. Nha Trang also has the lowest level of humidity in all of Vietnam. Today, Nha Trang ranks among the top of all beaches in Vietnam. Nha Trang is 1,287 km south of Hanoi, 624 km south of Hue and 442 km from Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon). Nha Trang has several famous islands. Most notable are Hon Tre, Hon Yen, Hon Rua and the Spratly islands. The name Nha Trang is a Vietnamese pronunciation of a Cham word Eatran or Yjatan. Ea or Yja means river, and Tran means reed. According to the locals, there once were a lot of reeds along Ngoc Hoi river. The river winds its way through the town. Ngoc Hoi was later renamed Nha Trang river.

Another theory of the origin of Nha Trang's name has a more amusing twist. Long ago, in this part of the country, all the houses were made out of the reeds and mud gathered from Ngoc Hoi river. The only house that was made out of bricks was the house belonging to Dr. Yersin, a French immunologist who made his home here. The house itself was painted prominently white and could be seen by vessels coming from far away. Once there was a foreign vessel passing by. The captain asked his translator where he was. The translator not knowing where they were blurted out Nha Trang or white house in Vietnamese. The captain duly noted on his chart Nha Trang. Because most foreign languages do not make use of tones, the captain's name for this part of the country stuck.

Located in central Vietnam, the sun-washed town of Nha Trang hugs a seven-km-long stretch of golden sand, making this the perfect place to get a dose of sun, surf and fresh seafood. Clear blue seas dotted with offshore islands offer excellent opportunities for diving, fishing and snorkeling, while the town itself is home to some interesting sites, including a massive white Buddha statue and a cluster of Cham towers built between the 7th and 12th centuries. For a truly dirty pleasure try the mineral mud baths warmed by natural hot springs.

A lively coastal city, Nha Trang overlooks the aquamarine waters of the South China Sea. While the city today is a modern, pleasant town, the area itself was quiet and undeveloped until the arrival of the French – who immediately set about transforming it into a seaside resort. Even during the turmoil of the Vietnam War, Nha Trang was a popular vacation destination for soldiers on leave; this trend continues today with an influx of tourists and sightseers.

While Nha Trang’s main beach is perhaps not as radiant as it once was, there are a number of sandy areas nearby that are still exceedingly beautiful, including the secluded, quiet Doc Let beach. Most visitors to the area frequent Nha Trang’s luxury resorts, the best of which is the Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, which features quiet, secluded villas with panoramic views of the nearby South China Sea. Additionally, another famous sight is the Po Nagar Towers, a series of monuments dating back to the Cham Empire, a Hindu civilization that once ruled much of southern Vietnam. Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the North by Ninh Hoà district, on the East by the Oriental Sea, on the South by Cam Ranh town and on the West by Diên Khánh district. The city has about 300,000 inhabitants, a number which is projected to increase to between 500,000 and 600,000 inhabitants by 2020 according to an estimation of Nha Trang Administrative Board Statistics.

Nha Trang is well known for its pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving and is fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers as well as more affluent travellers on the Southeast Asia circuit. It is already very popular with Vietnamese tourists. Nha Trang Bay is widely considered as amongst the world's most beautiful bays. Tourists are welcome to participate in the Sea Festival, held biennially. Nha Trang was the site of the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant on July 14, 2008 and Miss Earth 2010 held December 4, 2010.Besides, Nha Trang was also approved to host 2016 Asian Beach Games.

Historically, the city was known as Kauthara under the Champa. The city is still home to the famous Po Nagar Tower Champa built between the 7th and 12th centuries. For a truly dirty pleasure try the mineral mud baths warmed by natural hot springs. Being a coastal city, Nha Trang is a centre for marine science based at the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute. The Hon Mun marine protected area is one of four first marine protected areas in the world admitted by the IUCN.

Commercial flights to Nha Trang no longer use the city's municipal airport, but fly to the larger Cam Ranh International Airport, a former U.S. Air Force Base (built during the Vietnam War) located approximately 35 km south of Nha Trang

Nha Trang: is a coastal city and capital of Vietnam's Khanh Hoa province, 1 hour by flight from both Danang and Saigon City. This city is well known for its pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving, it is fast becoming a destination for international tourists. Large numbers of backpackers on the South-east Asia circuit head there for sun and salt water. But locals have been on to it for years. Flanked by almost 10km of prime beach and warm water year round, it's not surprising people love going there. Its average temperature is 26ºC and it has Vietnam's lowest level of humidity.

Po Nagar Towers:
Built by the Champa kingdom, a Hindu realm which ruled much of central and southern Vietnam for almost a millennia, the Po Nagar Towers were named after Devi, the fierce, many-armed Hindu goddess. Consisting of a series of engraved steles commemorating events from various Cham kings, the Po Nagar Towers serve as a repository of historical events and knowledge of a bygone kingdom. The towers comprise four structures that ring Cu Lao Mountain, and provide visitors sweeping views of the beach and sea.

Eight Po Nagar Cham Towers were built on Cu Lao marble hill, 2 km north of Nha Trang, between the 8th and 13th centuries. The largest of the four remaining towers was built in honor of Po Nagar, also known as Lady Thien Y-ana or Goddess Mother; she spent part of her life teaching new weaving and agricultural techniques. The 22.5 m tower contains her sandstone statue sitting cross-legged on Buddha's throne. The 2.6 m statue has ten hands, each holding a specific object illustrating the intellect and power of Buddha. The remaining towers were dedicated to different gods: the central tower to Cri Cambhu, the northwest tower to Sandakan and the south tower to Ganesha.

Not only are the towers famous for their architecture and sculpture, but they are also well known for their great significance in history, nationalism, and archaeology. Standing on the top of the hill, one can admire the beautiful landscapes of the coastal region of Nha Trang.

Long Son Pagoda
Siituated at the foot of Mount Trai Thuy, northwest of Nha Trang, in Khanh Hoa province. The pagoda was first built on Mount Trai Thuy in 1886 and named Dang Long Pagoda. In 1900, the pagoda was damaged in a storm and was rebuilt down the mountain in its present location. The Khanh Hoa Buddhist Studies Foundation originated here in 1936. The pagoda underwent further restorations in 1940, 1971, and 1975. Among the interesting things to see is the naturally lit image of Buddha displayed in this pagoda. There is also the 14-m red brass statue of Buddha sitting on a lotus pedestal. This pagoda was built to commemorate the monks and nuns who died while fighting against the Diem government.

Alexandre Yersin Museum:
Housed in the former residence of the Swiss-French bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin, best-known for isolating the bacterium that caused bubonic plague, the museum contains several of Yersin’s historical artifacts and possessions. Yersin, who was born in Switzerland, spent his final years in Nha Trang, where his good works, including the establishment of a medical school in Hanoi and his efforts against malaria, brought him wide acclaim and respect from the Vietnamese people. Here you can get an inkling of the work of one of Vietnam's greatest heroes, expat or not. Swiss doctor Yersin founded Dalat, isolated a plague-causing bacterium, and researched agricultural methods and meteorological forecasting, all to the great benefit of the Vietnamese. He founded the institute in 1895. On display are his desk, overflowing library, and scientific instruments.

Nha Trang Main Cathedral:
Built in the early twentieth century, the beautiful Nha Trang Cathedral is situated atop a hill that overlooks the city. The interior of the cathedral is a bright, airy, well-lit place, replete with colorful stained glass windows, high, vaulted arches, and a domed ceiling. The construction of Nha Trang Main Cathedral was started on Sep 3, 1928. Archbishop Louis Valet had the top of the mountain blown off with 500 mines to obtain a flat surface of 4,500 m2.

In March 1934, the colorful windows were fixed into the domed doors and in the cathedral, completing more than ten construction items. Three big bells were supplied by the famous Bourdons Carillons company (established in 1786) and were christened in July 1934 and in October 1939. The big clock on the top of the cathedral was inaugurated in December 1935.

The cathedral was built with steel reinforced concrete with walls in top quality cement slabs. In general, the construction has a solid and strong structure with details getting smaller as they climb up the building. The highest point is the place where the cross is fixed on the top of the church: 38 m from the surface of the street below. Although it was built nearly 70 years ago, the cathedral keeps its majestic beauty and its unique architecture.

Marine research institute
Marine research institute was previously the oceanography institute founded in 1923, which is situated on a large area alongside Cau Da, 6 km away from Nha Trang. Laboratories, libraries, warehouses... are designed as a spacious multi-storey architecture, gracefully situated in the shade of Blue Dragon (a kind of fruit). Marine creature museum in the institute owns some 20,000 specimen of aquatic creatures and especially there is a giant whalebone of 26 meter length, 3 meter height.

Palace Of Ocean King
Palace of Ocean King is at the present the largest side nationwide, opened in 1998 on Hon Mieu Island, close to Tri Nguyen fish lake. Palace of Ocean King was designed and constructed with the look of a sailing yawn, allowing visitors to relax, to behold the live life of marine royal and mermaids.

Tri Nguyen Aquarium
Location: South-east of Nha Trang city, on Hon Mieu Island. Also named Bong Nguyen Island - Island of Immortals Distance from central Nha Trang: 7 kilometers. Tri Nguyen Aquarium was built in 1971, a highly inventive work of distinction, by Le Can, a fisherman who was fond of nature very much with goodwill and proud of his homeland. With his own money, he hired local inhabitants to block the sea and build a dam for the construction of a large pond 160m in length and 130m wide.

The pond consists of three compartments, one for breeding savage fishes, one for aquarium fishes, shrimps and turtles of different kinds and many other species of sea life to breed in his aquarium.  Therefore, the aquarium creates a unique world of multifarious aquatic animals, a living museum of the marine life in Nha Trang. This splendid work is highly entertaining, for it has been much visited and lauded by tourists from far and near. The sea-water has an easy circulation into and out of the pond, for the banks were built of stones which had been as cleverly arranged as to provide sufficient spaces for the water to flow in and out, and thus providing sea conditions quite suitable to the marine animals in the compartments.
 
From the Aquarium, a short walk up and down a small hill will take you to a gravel beach (motor-boats are also available). The beach faces south-east, Hon Tam is in front and a little farther on are two other small islands, Hon mot and Hon Mun. With the monsoon winds fanning all year round, there is always fine weather here, and the sea is calm. The beach is really ideal for holiday-makers; it is formed not by sand but fine layers of pebbles and round-shaped cobblestones of various sizes, which are finely, mingled together, a splendid work achieved through ages of erosion by the sea-waves...At noon you can come into a gorge to have a rest out of the dazzling sunshine. Or, in the shade of some overhanging branches of bush, you can lie down, completely relaxed on a large and smooth stone-flat, amuse yourself listening to the ever-lasting sounds of music coming from the sea. Certainly you are having exquisite moments on your trip to this beautiful city.

Hon Mieu Island
The largest of the surrounding islands, Hon Mieu has a fishing village, Bai Soi, that isn't very active any longer but features many seafood restaurants. There is also an aquarium of sorts, consisting of a lake divided into three sections: one for ornamental fish, one for edible fish, and one for carnivorous varieties; there's a wharf to stand on.

Salangane Island
Salangane Island is most famous for Yen Sao which is the name of the nest of Salangane or swifts. The locals harvest the bird nests (considered a delicacy) used in soups. These nests are processed and exported to Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The birds build their nest high on the walls of the cave on the islands. To access the nests, harvesters must climb on ladders fashioned from bamboo. Because the caves must remain dark lest the birds are scared off, many climbers fall to their death every year trying to harvest the nests.

The bird nest comes in two types, white and red nests. The nest are fashioned by the Salangane that make their homes in caves. The nest are made out of the bird's saliva. Usually, a typical bird creates one nest a year during springtime using both parents saliva.

As there is such a demand for their nest (thought to have medicinal qualities), the locals began to remove the nest several times a year causing the birds to have to continue producing the nests.

The red variety of nests are a result of the birds having to create so much saliva for the new nests that they cough up blood along with their saliva causing the nest to take on the red color of their blood. This variety of nest costs their weight in gold or more in the retail market of Hong Kong or Taiwan.

Ba Ho Stream
Ba Ho stream is 25 km from Nha Trang to the north. This is a stream originating from the top of Hon Son (over 660m), flowing between the two sides of the rocky mountains into the fields of Phu Huu hamlet, Ninh Ich village, Ninh Hoa district, then pours into Nha Phu swamp. The stream gets its name in its supper stream, on the way through the forests and mountains, it opens three times in width right in the mountains into three continuous lakes.

With its beautiful landscapes, the stream has been in many people's mouths and mind and bears many legends told by the local people.

From Nha Trang, you can follow National Route 1A for 19 km, then 2 km of forest lane after turning left. Walking along the stream, you will soon reach the First Lake. The surface of the lake is about 150 m2, lying below a cascade 5-6m high. Around the lake are numerous rocks of all sizes and colors. Leaving the First Lake and continuing your way upstream, you will reach the Second Lake after making your way quite difficulty for 1,000m.

Unlike he First Lake, the Second Lake is narrower and milder, but with more "fairy" features due to its quietness. The lake is formed by a big flat rock lying across the stream. The surface of the lake is always tranquil like a huge mirror left behind by the fairies.
The Third Lake is only a few hundred meters from the Second Lake, but the way is covered with bushes and is a little challenging to visitors. The Third Lake is narrower than the two others but its bed is wider, lying at the foot of a small cascade beside a rock wall with many tree roots and rampant vegetation. But here, visitors may find in the age-old trees by the lake orchids giving out their sweet and soft fragrance among the twittering sounds of myriads of strange birds.

Mun Island
From the gravel beach of Hon Mieu, you will see three small islands lying in a row; they are Hon Tam, Hon Mot and Hon Mun; among these, Hon Mun has a most attractive landscape.

Its name derives from the geographical features - the high cliffs in the southwest are too risky, ragged with numerous caves; here rocks and stones are all ebony-like black, which is rarely found on any other islands.

It is also one of the seven islands in the Nha Trang sea that attract thousands of salangane to come and build their nests, which give thousands of tai, i.e products from their nests every year.
Like Bai Tru, the beach at Hon Mun does not have that kind of while fine-grained sand, and its formation and composition are much like the gravel beach at Tri Nguyen, the island of the Immortals, with layers of round-shaped pebbles and cobbles closely arranged by Nature's hand.

Doc Let
The place gets its Vietnamese name of Doc Let because if you want to reach to the sea, you have to cross high sand dunes and if you are not strong enough, the sand would seem to hold you back and quite a few people to lag ("let" in Vietnamese) to the destination. However, there is a great compensation for you once you have finished your conquer of the dunes.

In front of you now would be a wonderful beach with fine, smooth, and purse and the blue sea with tiny waves. The sand beach runs as far as 10km from Dong Hai Village to the Cement Factory of Hon Khoi.

Doc Let is not only an ideal swimming beach, but its natural landscape is also quite attractive to tourists. Islands of every sizes and shapes off shore into two bows hindering the wave. The big island from afar looks like a sunbathing girl.

Not far to the north is the famous Van Phong Bay, one of the future tourist spots that the international Tourism Organization OMT has surveyed and highly assessed the future development of tourism of the area.

To the south, beyond the Cement Factory is Hon Heo, the former revolutionary base with so many heroic exploits that have not noted down in history. Also, only 2-3 kilometers from Doc Let, tourists can visit the fishing village of Ninh Thuy, the salt fields of Ninh Diem or take a rest in the shade of the coconut palms and poplars or at windy shops beautifully decorated for a drink and other sea specialties such as fresh crabs, sentinel crabs, oysters,...at their own will.

Monkey Island:
Home to a tribe of monkeys who have long been accustomed to interaction with humans, Monkey Island is an easy day trip to Nha Trang. While the simians are undoubtedly cute, they are still wild animals – and cunning creatures who live to snatch food and possessions off unwary tourists.

Scuba Diving:
Given its location near the bountiful, clear waters of the Eastern Sea, Nha Trang is Vietnam’s premier scuba diving and snorkeling site. The area is home to a number of dive sites that feature soft and hard corals, polychrome tropical fish, manta rays, and a variety of species of sharks

Nearby Beaches:
A quick day trip from Nha Trang, Doc Let is a quiet, beautiful beach that lacks the crowds and pollution found throughout Nha Trang. Dine on freshly caught seafood, prepared beachside by local fishermen, lay on the sand, or go for a ride in a locally-made basket boat.

Basket Boat Rides:
Native to the area, basket boats are small, shell-like craft woven from strips of bamboo and waterproofed with a coating of pitch. Similar to western coracles, basket boats can seat approximately five people, though their shallow draft and light weight often means that they can be easily tipped over.

Getting there: A 45 minute drive from the small domestic airport located in Cam Ranh City. It is a 1 hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City and 1hr 40min from Hanoi.