Nha Trang: Beach Resort City

Nha Trang is Vietnam's largest beach-resort city — about 500,000 people, a 6-km curve of sandy bay, and a long line of high-rise hotels along the coast road. It's the most touristed beach in mainland Vietnam, with a heavy Russian and Chinese visitor population in particular.

If you want a calm, traditional Vietnamese seaside experience, Nha Trang is not it. If you want a beach city with everything (restaurants, nightlife, diving, day trips), it works.

What to do

• The main beach — Bãi Biển Trần Phú — 6 km long, broad, well-maintained. Crowded in the centre, quieter at the north and south ends.
• Hòn Mun (Black Island) — Vietnam's first marine reserve; snorkelling and diving. Visibility is decent but not the Maldives.
• Vinpearl Land — a large amusement-and-aquarium complex on Hòn Tre island, accessed by the world's longest sea-crossing cable car (3.3 km). Family-oriented.
• Po Nagar Cham Towers — 8th-century Cham temple complex on a hill at the river mouth; still an active Cham shrine.
• Long Sơn Pagoda — large white-Buddha hilltop pagoda above the city.
• Nha Trang Cathedral — French neo-Gothic on a small hill.
• Tháp Bà mud baths — multiple operators offer mineral-mud bathing. Touristy but pleasant.
• Boat tours of the surrounding islands — standard four-island day trips; quality varies wildly.

Food

• Bún sứa — jellyfish noodle soup, a Nha Trang speciality.
• Bánh xèo tôm mực — squid-and-shrimp banh xeo.
• Nem nướng Ninh Hòa — grilled fermented pork rolls.
• Seafood — everywhere; fresh and inexpensive at the local restaurants on the south end of the beach road.

When to visit

• February–April — best weather, dry, mild.
• May–August — hot, mostly dry. Good beach weather.
• September–December — wet season, sometimes typhoons.

Diving and snorkelling

Nha Trang's reefs have been heavily diver-trafficked for decades and the coral health is mixed. Conscientious dive operators (Sailing Club Divers, Rainbow Divers) take groups to lesser-trafficked reefs. Beginner Open Water courses are available; reasonably priced.

What it's not

• Phú Quốc-quality beach. Phú Quốc is cleaner and more developed for international tourism.
• A "real Vietnam" experience. The tourist economy is overwhelming.
• Quiet. The city centre and the beach are loud, especially in summer.

Getting there

• Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR) — 35 km south of the city; flights from Hanoi, HCMC, several Chinese cities, Seoul.
• Train — the north-south train calls at Nha Trang station; overnight from HCMC (~9 hr) or Hanoi (~25 hr).
• Long-distance bus — extensive routes; sleeper buses from HCMC overnight.

Day trips and beyond

• Đà Lạt (4 hr drive) — the cool-climate hill town to the west. Pleasant contrast to Nha Trang's heat. See: Đà Lạt
• Mũi Né (4 hr south) — kite-surfing capital of Vietnam.
• Quy Nhơn (4 hr north) — quieter beach city, increasingly popular.