Nha Trang

Nha Trang is in Khanh Hoa province, a rich land of history and culture. Located in the southern part of central Vietnam, this coastal city is endowed with a special natural beauty, with its untouched bays, dreamy islands, white sand beaches, coral reefs, Cham historical remnants and peaceful fishing villages.

With an average temperature of 26.50C and an average 2,380 hours of sunshine a year, Nha Trang’s beaches are warm year round, making it the perfect place for a holiday. The city’s main beach is covered in fine, white sand and forms a crescent around the sparking blue water of the bay.

Beaches aside, there are a number of attractions not to be missed when visiting Nha Trang, including Ponogar Tower, Yen Island, and beautiful bays such as Van Phong and Cam Ranh.

Just one kilometer from the center of Nha Trang, the red brick Ponagar Tower was built by the Cham people on what is now called Cu Lao Hill between the seventh and twelfth centuries. Before the Cai River changed its course, the tower stood on its rocky foundation at the point where the river met the ocean. Dedicated to the Champa Earth Mother, who is believed to have founded the region and taught the Cham people to farm rice, the site is believed to have been of religious significance since the second century AD.

Alongside the area’s rich history and modern attractions including the many water sports on offer on Nha Trang Beach itself, Khanh Hoa is home to a number of stunning natural features.

About 50 km north of Nha Trang, Van Phong Bay, one of the deepest bays in the world and a favorite with scuba divers, is a wild paradise famous for its untouched beaches, beautiful mountains, and pristine forests with hundreds of species of rare plants and animals.

This beautiful bay contains a number of islets, peninsulas and beaches, and is home to a diverse range of ecosystems, including rainforests, mangrove swamps and sand dunes.

While the road from Nha Trang City to Van Phong Bay is worth a journey in itself, with its breathtaking views of villages full of coconut trees, verdant rice fields, and deserted white sand dunes, once you get there, make sure not to miss the chance to visit fishing villages such as Hon Ong and Dam Mon to gain an insight into the lives of the local people.

Another attraction, Cam Ranh Bay, has become famous as one of the world’s best deep-water ports. Set on an inlet of the East Sea between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Cam Ranh is perfectly situated at a point where the continental shelf of Southeast Asia is relatively narrow, bringing deep water close to land.

Other must-see attractions for visitors to Nha Trang are the area’s beautiful islands. There are many pristine islands around Nha Trang, including Mun, Mieu and Mot islands, which are renowned as the perfect places for water sports and scuba diving. But perhaps the most special is Yen Island, which takes its name from yen sao, the nests of the swifttles who make their homes high on the walls of the rocky island’s caves.

While most birds make their nests from grass and twigs, swiftlet nests are made from the saliva of the birds themselves. The nests are highly prized for their use in Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine and can be worth their weight in gold on the retail market.

There are two types of yen sao, white and red, with the red nests fetching higher prices. Once reserved only for royalty, the nests are often steamed in a porcelain pot with young pigeon, lotus seed or chicken, but few people ever have the chance to taste this delicacy due to its great cost.

As the birds build their nests high on the walls of the island, the harvesters must climb bamboo ladders to collect them. It is dangerous work and many climbers fall to their death every year.

Another special feature of Nha Trang is its cheap, fresh seafood. One local specialty not to miss is a bowl of bun ca, which can be had on the street.

With so much to do in Nha Trang, most visitors stay for at least five days, and many come back again and again to this beautiful coastal city.