Explore Nha Trang
Well known for its beaches and scuba dives, Nha Trang is a popular place for both local and international travellers. Here you can find some of the other fun activities you can do.
Best time to visit Nha Trang
I visited Nha Trang in January and the weather was pretty chilly! That was my first experience of being at the beach with strong sunlight, yet feeling cold due to the chilly dry wind at the start of the winter season.
The best time to visit Nha Trang varies based on your itinerary. If you love chilly weather, January would be good (note that some shops might be closed around Tết). If you would like to go for scuba dives, however, the months of April to August yield the best visibility. September to early January would be off season for scuba diving due to the rainfall bringing sediment from the mountains down to the ocean, causing poor visibility.
Bus Ride from Cam Ranh International Airport to Nha Trang City
If you arrive by flight at the nearest international airport to Nha Trang, the most economic way is to get a bus ride to the city. If you arrive at the international flight terminal, head left when you are outside to walk toward the domestic flight terminal. Follow the shaded path all the way to the domestic flight terminal building. When you see some cafes near the building, just walk along the road for a bit and you will find some busses and a bus ticket counter setup with tables. The ticket to Nha Trang city cost 50,000vnd.
Sit at the right side so you could enjoy the blue ocean scenery on the way to Nha Trang.
Things to see in Nha Trang
Ponagar Tower
The towers are located in the Hindu temple called Po Nagar. This ancient temple was founded sometime before 781 A.D., built between the 8th and 11th centuries by the Cham people.
At the base layer, are the iconic pillars.
On the higher levels, stand the huge and tall towers.
Getting to Ponagar Tower
You can get there by taking the bus route no. 4, which cost about 8,000vnd from the city center.
Ponagar Tower entrance fee
You can buy the ticket from the booth near the entrance for 22,000vnd per person.
Hòn Chồng Promontory
Also known as Chong Rock, this promontory spot attracts a lot of tourists.
One of the attractions is this overhead rock.
Legend says that this handprint belonged to a drunk ‘heaven staff’ who slipped and hit his hand on the rock while trying to pry on bathing fairies.
The tip of the promontory provides a great view of the mountainous coastline.
Christ the King Cathedral
Also known as Nha Trang Cathedral, this historical building can be a great place for photo shooting.
Gothic Revival architecture
At the outside, statues with numbering serve as narrative art for biblical events.
Inside the cathedral, the stone ceiling structure could steal away all architectural enthusiasts’ attention.
Other than the stone structure, stained glass windows are also the key feature of the cathedral.
It is a fully functional cathedral that serves the local Catholic community, with mass being held frequently.
Another interesting thing to find is the combined influences of oriental culture: dragon sculptures and burning of joss sticks.
núi Cô Tiên (Fairy Mountain)
Not to be confused with the Fairy Mountain in North Vietnam, this Fairy Mountain is a rather popular hiking spot for the locals, which provides a great panorama view of Nha Trang. Unfortunately during my time of visit, I was very sick with symptoms of dengue fever(kinda crazy back then when I was still doing long walks and bus rides and wanted to hike the mountain, despite having tremendous fever, chills and bone pain) so I did not manage to proceed.
I did, however, searched for the trailhead and hiked a little bit. What I can tell is the starting point of the trail was pretty steep and slippery due to the loose rocks, and there were quite a lot of spiky thorny plants. The trail starts at the side of an abandoned building, you can find it here.
Dốc Lết Beach
Situated far North out of Nha Trang, it is said to be quiet and beautiful so I went to take a look. While there are still a number of crowds there, it was significantly less than the city beach in Nha Trang. The water looks much cleaner too. Other than that, I did not find anything else interesting in that area. There were some resorts there too. (or maybe I just did not explored enough, the soft sand had proven to be too difficult for me with high fever to walk and maintain balance)
Bus to Dốc Lết Beach
You can get bus route no.3 to reach Dốc Lết Beach. The journey would take around 1 hour 40 minutes. It cost me 28,000vnd one way from Nha Trang.
Hit the Waves
This is a beach city, so… yeah
The waves were pretty big
It is very convenient to get to the beach in Nha Trang because most of the guesthouses are located within a few minutes walk to the beach.
I stayed in Backpack Abode Hostel and it’s of great value! You’ll get great breakfasts, unlimited free beer from a machine during happy hour, and fresh towels and blankets everyday. The bed was comfy. The dorms and bathrooms were clean. Staff were helpful in providing guidance around Nha Trang. If you are lucky, you’ll even meet the owner’s cute pug!
Mac’s Conversational English Class
It was a special moment when Mr Mac invited me to join his conversational English class, where I got the chance to interact with the local community of all ages. For almost a decade, Mr Mac has been conducting free classes for the local community, in order to help them engage in English conversation with confidence.
He welcomes travelers from all parts of the world to join his classes not to teach, but to have conversations with the students. As the name implies, the classes focus on English conversations in the real world, and the aim is to enable students to relax and demonstrate their ability to themselves, in a friendly non-teaching atmosphere. Facebook page: Mac’s Conversational English Class
On my last day of joining his classes during the trip, I had the opportunity to taste and to learn how to prepare Vietnamese food, made by the students, yum!
*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
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