- Nha Trang islands
- Attractions of Nha Trang
- Religious buildings
- Where to go in Nha Trang with children
- For body and soul
- Note to shopaholics
- Restaurants and cafes
Travel guides position Nha Trang as one of the most popular resorts in Vietnam. The city is located on the shores of the South China Sea, and its entire infrastructure is somehow subordinated to the needs of foreigners arriving on hot beaches. The former fishing village has been transformed into a spa center and offers many activities and leisure options. But the Vietnamese resort is alive not only with beaches and restaurants. Travel agencies will help the traveler to organize an educational and cultural program to the sights. The answer to the question of where to go in Nha Trang can be found in guidebooks describing natural masterpieces, and in the programs of massage parlors, where high-class masters offer body and face care, and on the sites of moon and water parks built according to the latest world fashion in the entertainment industry.
Nha Trang islands
From the water, the resort is surrounded by many islands, some of which are of particular interest to tourists.
The name of the most famous and most often visited Hon Che is translated from Cham means "Bamboo Island". It is easy to get to by ferry or boat: the journey will take no more than half an hour. If you prefer a national flavor, go to the island on a junk. In Nha Trang, as in all of Vietnam, the folk means of transportation by water remains very popular not only among tourists, but also among the local population. The third way to get to Hon Che is to use the cable car, built in 2007 and called one of the main attractions of Nha Trang. The world's longest funicular is supported by nine columns, passengers are transported by 65 cabins, from which, from a height of 70 meters, magnificent views of the island and the sea open.
On Bamboo Island, guests will find the Vinpearl Land amusement park with dozens of slides and other attractions, golf courses, sea lagoons with secluded beaches and rich diving opportunities.
There are smaller islands near Hon Che: Hon Moon with excellent diving sites and Hon Do with stone sculptures in the form of mythical creatures created by nature itself.
If you like animals, another picturesque island awaits you 20 km from the resort, all of whose inhabitants are four-armed. Monkey Island has become a haven for one and a half thousand small primates, which are very friendly towards guests, and sometimes even overly intrusive. When you get tired of vigilantly guarding your personal belongings, you can go to the circus, where, in addition to all the same macaques, elephants, dogs and bears perform. Ferries run from Nha Trang to the island, and boats are rented for organized excursions.
Attractions of Nha Trang
Interesting excursions for tourists in Nha Trang are offered at every step. Where should lovers of architectural landmarks or fans of museum exhibitions go? The list of the most popular places looks quite decent:
- The tourist complex of Villa Bao Dai is an interesting object for a tourist. In addition to the museum and the park, laid out in accordance with all the rules of oriental ideas about landscape design, on the spacious territory you will find a hotel - chic and not cheap, but very beautiful. The villas were built in the first third of the 20th century. for the emperor of Vietnam, after whom they were named. Vietnamese gardeners worked on the landscape and the park is called one of the most beautiful in the country.
- Long Son Pagoda is the main Buddhist temple in Khanh Hoa province.
- Po-Nagar Towers on the top of Ku-Lao Mountain is the oldest architectural structure in Nha Trang. They were erected about 1000 years ago, and they served as part of the temple complex of the Champa Kingdom. Locals consider the towers to be a very important part of their spiritual culture and still carry out religious rituals near them.
- The Swiss microbiologist and bacteriologist Alexander Ersin spent a substantial part of his life in Indochina. A museum dedicated to his stay in Vietnam and research carried out in Southeast Asia was opened in Nha Trang. The exposition is modest, but very interesting.
- The Incense Tower was built according to an unusual design. The building on the embankment resembles an aquilaria tree, the fruits and leaves of which are often used in folk medicine of the East. Inside the tower, you will find an interesting museum telling about the achievements of the national economy of the province where Nha Trang is located.
If you consider yourself a fan of Buddhist religion and culture, come to Nha Trang in March. At this time, a festival is taking place in the Po-Nagar complex, during which you can see interesting rituals and performances of the ancient Cham culture.
Religious buildings
The view of St. Mary's Cathedral in the realities of Vietnamese exoticism at first surprises a European, but acquaintance with the history of its appearance puts everything in its place, and the majestic bell tower ceases to be perceived as something alien.
The temple was built in the first third of the last century, when there were many Catholics in the southern part of the country. To bring the project to life, the top of the cliff had to be leveled. The cathedral was consecrated in 1934, and it became a magnificent example of the Gothic style and one of the most beautiful religious buildings in Southeast Asia.
Nha Trang Cathedral looks monumental and light at the same time. Light and air are present in it thanks to the numerous stained-glass windows that fill the space of huge windows. The outer courtyard is decorated with sculptural images of the Mother of God and the Savior. The tower has three bells and a clock.
The main Buddhist temple of Nha Trang and the entire province of Khan-Hoa, Long Son Pagoda was built in the second half of the 19th century. Originally, the temple was located on the top of a hill and once was badly damaged during a storm. The pagoda was moved to a safe place and repaired, and on the site of its original construction a sculpture of Buddha was placed - a cult relic traditional for these places. 144 steps of stairs lead from the pagoda to the temple. Nearby there is a garden with ponds where lotuses bloom and goldfish swim. The interiors of the temple are decorated with painted tiles depicting traditional dragons and other mythical animals.
Where to go in Nha Trang with children
An easy way to please the younger generation is a trip to Hon Che Island, where an amusement park is open. At Vinpearl Land, you will find dozens of all kinds of attractions:
- Right at the entrance, guests are greeted by an inverted carousel, on which each booth rotates at dizzying heights.
- A summer toboggan run is arranged in the form of a mountain labyrinth. Not everyone dares to go down the rails on a sled, because even from the outside it looks very extreme.
- In the "Entertainment Cave", built on the top of a 24-meter cliff, you can leave the smallest visitors for a while. In addition to electric cars and slot machines, the cave is equipped with rest rooms where babies can sleep under the supervision of a nanny.
- The water slides in the park are designed for any age, but if you do not like the thrill, you will be offered leisurely rides on a rubber boat along artificial canals.
- The aquarium has a glass tunnel, moving through which through the water column, visitors can closely observe the life of marine life.
Every day a mermaid show is held in the park, and in the dolphinarium you can not only watch the performances of tailed artists, but also swim with them.
There is an oceanarium in the city itself and you can arrange an excursion there yourself. Children will love the Maritime Museum, initiated and funded by a local fisherman. The building looks like an old ship docked at the pier of Nha Trang. The aquarium is home to stingrays and turtles, sharks and seahorses - hundreds of species of marine fauna that inhabit the coastal waters.
For body and soul
The Thap Ba mud bath in Nha Trang is an ideal place where you can go not only to the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity. The complex offers a wide range of pleasant and useful body care services: baths with mineral water, mud wraps, massage in the jacuzzi and a variety of face masks, which include healing seaweed.
Note to shopaholics
In Vietnam, you will find a huge amount of inexpensive clothing made in local factories, a variety of souvenirs, leather goods, especially from the skins of exotic animals. In Nha Trang, it is worth going to the market to ask the price of the goods for which only this country is famous.
In the first place in popularity in the lists of goods bought in Vietnam is natural silk. This is followed by pearls and jewelry with it. Crocodile leather bags and purses, local tea flavored with flowers and silver are brought from Nha Trang.
The cheapest of all the above is in the markets. The Walking Street night bazaar is especially popular. Beware of counterfeits! If you don't feel like bringing home a plastic imitation instead of pearls, buy jewelry from malls that issue certificates.
Restaurants and cafes
Inexpensive eateries and street stalls in Vietnam are not suitable for everyone, and if "religion does not allow" you to buy food and snacks on the go, as the residents of Nha Trang do themselves, go to restaurants that have established themselves as ideal establishments with a European level of service and sanitation.
One of the best on this list is the Nha Trang Cookbook Café at the Intercontinental Nha Trang Hotel. There are lobsters on the menu, and twice a week you can enjoy an abundance of sea creeps at the buffet.
At Lao Ca Keo café, visitors will be offered to cook their own soup from the ingredients brought directly on the gas burner on the dining table, while Nha Hang Yen's Restaurant offers perhaps the most complete set of Asian dishes at the resort.
