Nha Trang

Photo © automidori

Introduction

Nha Trang is an incredible Vietnamese town right on the beach front. The Government backpacker bus route includes Nha Trang and is a must see destination for unwinding after a 10 hour bus ride from Hoi An. The water temperature is great, merely watch out for getting in, the break is small but powerful and your swimwear can easily be sucked off!

Traces of human settlement in Nha Trang date back to the Cham Empire, though in times of Vietnamese rule, there wasn't much more here than small fishing villages. The French recognised that this beautiful bay, with its islands and white sand beaches, made for a perfect bathing spot, and began the transformation into a resort town. American soldiers agreed, and Nha Trang became a favourite R&R stop during the war.

After the end of Vietnam war, the Soviet military became increasingly more present in the Cam Ranh Bay, just south of Nha Trang. After retiring, many Russian military personnel settled down in Nha Trang and opened tourism businesses, leading to an increasing influx of Russian tourists to the city, who form nowadays the bulk of foreign tourists - in the main tourism area of Nha Trang, signs in Russian are even more common than in English. More recently, Chinese tourists have become quite common as well, as in the rest of Southeast Asia.

However, Nha Trang is definitely not a Westernized resort town like Kuta in Bali - it is hugely popular among Vietnamese tourists, who go to the beach mainly on early morning and late afternoon, and spend the rest of the day enjoying other attractions including mud baths or Vinpearl Land - dubbed Vietnam's Disneyland, although it's probably more akin to Singapore's Sentosa.

The monsoon season is from Oct to mid-Dec. Sea winds can be heavy, and sometimes the weather can get pretty chilly. Summer, naturally, brings many vacation goers into town and hotel rooms get somewhat more difficult to find.

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Neighbourhoods

Vinh Hai
Xuong Huan
Phuong Sai
Van Thang

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Sights and Activities

Nha Trang Beach. The city's main beach, south of the Cai river, is about 6 km long and lined with a beautiful, well-maintained promenade containing walking paths, gardens, monuments and leisure spaces. The beach itself has a broad strip of sand, and the calm waters are extremely inviting for swimming - but care is needed, as the waters get deep very quickly. While Nha Trang's beach is hardly one of the most beautiful beaches of Southeast Asia, it can still provide one of the best urban beach experiences in the region. You will see many female vendors walking along the beach selling fruit and hot, steamed seafood. Vietnamese typically come to the beach during sunrise and sunset, with the Russians occupying the beach en-masse during the peak sunshine hours. Make sure that you visit in the right season. The beach can be disappointing when the weather is grey and the waves choppy. The experience is then one of murky sandy waters, a strip of standard brown sand with a multitude of empty beach chairs and no one to be seen.
Bai Doung Beach (1.5 km N on Tran Phu St over the main bridge). North of the Cai river, Bai Duong beach is smaller than in the main tourist area. It is a beautiful beach, but the sewage channels make it somewhat less appealing. The beach is mostly popular among Vietnamese visitors, and hence quite empty during peak sunshine hours. Near the beach there are several seafood restaurants catering to Vietnamese tourists. It can be reached using bus #4.
Hon Chong (1.5 km N on Tran Phu St over the main bridge). Scenic rock formations in the sea. The disposition of the rocks, as well as the sculpture of a giant fist mark in one of them, is mysterious and a source of several folk tales. You can climb the rocks and get some nice views of Bai Doung Beach and the nearby islands. It can be reached using bus #4. Entrance 22,000 dong, including dance performance.
Hòn Tre island. Has several nice beaches, but unfortunately, almost of all them are of exclusive access to guests of the Vinpearl resorts. The exception is the small beach in front of the Vinpearl Land's waterpark, which is accessible for those who bought a ticket to Vinpearl Land. The beach offers waterports and contains a Russian restaurant.
Po Nagar Cham Towers, 2 Thang 4 St. 07:30-17:00. These four brick towers were built by the Cham civilization between the 7th and 12th centuries to honour Yang Ino Po Ngar, mother of the kingdom, and the aroma of incense emanating from within makes it clear that this remains a religious site for the local Buddhists of Nha Trang today. The longevity of these last vestiges of a once-dominant SE Asian civilisation should impress temple enthusiasts even if the insensitive restoration and surrounding mass of tourists don't. The small complex sits on a hill which enjoys views across Nha Trang's fishing village. It is a 20-25 min walk (or short motorbike ride) from the main beach strip, however be prepared to wander through the real Nha Trang, quite an abrupt change from the showy built-up beach side resort. Public Bus 4 stops near the Cham Towers. 21,000 dong.
Long Son Pagoda, Thai Nguyen St. 08:00-17:00. At this pagoda, you will see a 24-m-tall white Buddha. The pagoda was established in 1963 to honour the monks and nuns who died demonstrating against the Diem government. Beware of scammers claiming they are students studying in the temple, demanding that you offer a donation to the school before going up the pagoda. These students have no affiliation with the school and entry to the pagoda is free. Free.
Nha Tho Nui Cathedral. On a hill overlooking the city, the cathedral shows the influence of French Catholicism. The Nha Trang area still has a strong Catholic population. There are Catholic shops around the cathedral.

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Events and Festivals

Thap Ba - Po Nagar Festival
The Sea Festival

Tết Festival

The most important and busiest festival in Vietnam, everyone returns home to be with their family. For visitors, it is a colorful time, as streets are decorated with lanterns and lights. The celebratory meal consists of four dishes, giò (Vietnamese sausage), ninh (stew), nem (spring rolls), and mọc (meat balls).

Tết Trung Thu

On the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, many celebrate the harvest by worshipping the Moon genie. It is one of the most impressive festivals in Vietnam and is particularly exiting for children, as they get plenty of toys. Square moon cakes are eaten by all, while children light lanterns and participate in a procession. Lion dancers accompanied by gongs and bells roam the streets.

Tet Doan Ngo

Tet Doan Ngo (Killing insects) or Dragon Boat Festival in Chinese is one of the oldest festival of Vietnam, occurred around June or July in Lunisolar Calendar and May in Lunar calendar. This festival is to celebrate a new section of the year and erase all the illnesses and worms in the body by using glutinous rice wine and lotus seed sweetened porridge in northern Vietnam or sticky rice dumplings in the south. Tet Doan Ngo often occurs from the breakfast to the noon, Vietnamese people eat this festival’s specialties before they take the meal whom believed that it’s the most suitable time to cleanse the body. The origin of this festival was started when people were celebrating for having a good crop and then the pest suddenly destroyed all of what they have been worked on, people couldn’t find a way to overcome this disaster so a man called Doi Truan appeared and guide the farmers to started a simple feast which included lime-water dumplings, fruits and doing exercises. The after day people realized that all the insects have been wiped out, Doi Truan reminded people that the pest was dominating at this month and must do what they’ve been guided to keep the crops away from the pest.

Tet Han Thuc

Tet Han Thuc or Cold Food festival at the end of the spring season, commonly in March 3rd (Lunar Calendar) and April or May (Lunisolar calendar), the festival was originated from China’s classic reference which is about the exile time of Duke Wen of Ji when he was so hungry that his royal advisor Jie Zhitui cut a part of his thigh to cook a soup for the duke, after he found out what Jie did, he was so grateful and promise that he’ll repay the favour. By the time Duke Wen regained his throne, Jie Zhitui had resigned and taken care of his mother at home hill, after many failed attempts to repay him, Duke Wen set fire to the hill and hoped that Jie would come out but he and his mother died in the firestorm. Duke Wen felt regret about what he had done so he created Cold Food Festival and named that mountain as Jie to pay tribute his advisor. The main specialties that Vietnamese people eat in this occasion are: floating cakes and glutinous rice dumplings. Vietnamese marked this day as the change from cold weather to hot so the name Cold Food Festival is to celebrate this season-changing time of the year.

Vu Lan or Ghost Festival

This festival is common in Asia countries: China, Japan, Vietnam, etc. The main purpose of Vu lan is to pay the gratitude to parents and helping the homeless, hungry souls. According to Vu Lan Sutra, a Buddha’s discipline named Maudgalyayana had trained many powerful abilities and he had purposed of meeting his mother one last time, he used his power to search and find out that his mother was in underworld and punished for her karma to be a hungry ghost, he brought rice bowl to his mother but she afraid of her food being taken away so she cover her hand to hide it but the bowl suddenly turned into fire. To seek a way to save his mother Maudgalyayana come to Buddha and the Buddha said that he cannot save his mother unless asking for help from the monks in the fifteenth day of July, after doing what Buddha said Maudgalyayana saved his mother. Vietnamese people often go to pray at the pagodas at this month and prepare a feast at home in the daylight to make offerings for the wandering ghosts. Since Vietnamese considered this is unlucky month, most of the activities from trading, building house, going at night are minimized, so the stores often close earlier than usual.

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Weather

Nha Trang has a tropical savanna climate with a lengthy dry season from January to August and a shorter wet season from September to December, when 1,029 millimetres of the city's total annual rainfall of 1,361 millimetres is received from the northeast monsoon. During the wet season extremely heavy rainfall from typhoons is not uncommon,[2] though the city is shielded from the worst winds.

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Getting There

By Plane

Cam Ranh International Airport. (IATA: CXR) serves Nha Trang and is located 30 kilometres south at Cam Ranh. It is the 4th busiest airport in Vietnam. There are lots of domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh, Da Nang, Hanoi, Haiphong, with prices starting at 250,000 dong. Internationally the city is connected to Seoul, South Korea and to a decent amount of cities in China.

By Train

Nha Trang is a stop on the main railway line connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. If you want a soft-sleeper (the highest class available on Vietnamese trains), book your train ticket directly at the train station as far in advance as you can. Having a private travel agent book this ticket will quite often result in you paying the agent for a soft-sleeper - the agent will book a hard-sleeper and you will not know until you board the train and it is too late to make changes. This is one of the most common scams in Vietnam. Soft sleeper rooms are 4 berth, hard sleepers are 6 berth. You can sit comfortably on a lower bed in a 4 berth room but in a 6 berth you will have to be very short in order to sit up straight. SNT trains (meaning Saigon to Nha Trang) have similar quality cars, but are slower than the SE trains. The TN trains have the oldest and dirtiest cars and are the slowest so therefore are not recommended.

The journey to Nha Trang from Ho Chi Minh City takes between 6-8 hours on SE trains (often delayed), so a sleeper is not really necessary, a cushioned seat in the air-con car costs 190,000 dong, soft seats are 310,000 dong, soft sleeper about 500,000 dong. There are 2 overnight and 2 daily SE trains. The SNT trains take over 9 hours and travel overnight only, departs Ho Chi Minh City at 19:40 and arrives in Nha Trang at 05:20, 535,000 dong. The scenery on this journey is not that great compared to further north, so you are not missing out too much by travelling overnight.

By Car

Private car rental with a driver are usually modern air-con cars and can be rented for about 1,000,000 dong per day. Car rental prices (as mostly anything in Vietnam) usually increase during holiday seasons especially around Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Make sure to avoid high prices by booking it beforehand with the car rental services.

By Bus

Nearly all long distance sleeper buses stop in Nha Trang. They come from Ho Chi Minh City (6-8 hours, 250,000-500,000 dong, both morning and overnight buses available, both are sleeper buses), Hoi An (12 hours). In Nha Trang, the sleeper bus will take you to the bus station, where small vans are available (usually included in the ticket price) to transport you to your hotel or chosen attraction.

Besides, there are hourly buses from Da Lat (3-4 hours, 120,000 dong, hourly between 07:00-15:00) and a couple ones from Qui Nhon (6 hours, 115,000 dong, at 07:30, 08:30, 13:00 and 15:30), Mui Ne (6 hours).

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Getting Around

By Car

Tourists are advised to take ride hailing service like Grab, Be or Mai Linh (preferably) or Vinasun taxis, where the drivers usually use the meter and do not attempt to cheat on tourists. A ride inside the city of Nha Trang should never cost more than a few dozen thousand dong. On the other hand, going to places outside of Nha Trang by taxi can cost hundreds of thousand dong, and possibly much more if you would like the driver to wait for you to bring you back to the city.

By Public Transport

Nha Trang's city bus system is surprisingly useful for travellers that have more time than money. Buses are white and blue in color, have air conditioning, Vietnamese music, and are very cheap, typically costing less than US$ 0.50. While there is very few information available, online or otherwise, about city buses, there are not many bus routes such that it is relatively easy to understand them. In addition, buses are rarely crowded except on peak hours. On the negative side, buses are often infrequent and with limited working hours, drivers and fare collectors seldom speak English, and bus stops are often quite far from each other. Therefore, make sure that you have enough time and patience before going somewhere by bus.

Bus #4 is probably the most useful for visitors, as it passes through the main tourist area (between Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai and the old airport) as well as many points of interest, including the Vinpearl cable car entrance, the Hòn Chồng promontory, the Po Nagar towers and Nha Trang Cathedral, as well as nearby the Cho Dam Market. Visitors staying in the main tourist area can take the bus at Nguyễn Thiện Thuật.

Bus #12 also passes through the main tourist area, and can be used to go to Doc Let beach. While this would take at least 90 minutes, it is one of the few ways to go to Doc Let for travellers which do not have their own transportation.

Buses are always paid with cash. Fare collectors can provide you change, but avoid using large bills. As in other cities in Vietnam, buses often do not completely stop to allow people to board, and even when they stop, they will often start moving as soon as the first person climbs the stairs of the bus. Therefore, do not stop or try to pay the fare as soon as you board the bus; instead, find a place to sit or stay and the bus fare collector will walk towards you.

By Foot

Although not as treacherous as in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, walking in Nha Trang is certainly no walk in the park. Zebra crossings are almost meaningless as no vehicle will ever stop for pedestrians crossing the street, and the few traffic lights in the city are systematically ignored. Pavements are often unusable for walking, as they are almost entirely occupied with parked motorcycles, kiosks and restaurant tables, such that pedestrians are expected to walk mostly in the road. See the general advice for crossing the road in Vietnam.

One of the few pleasant places to walk in Nha Trang is the walking path along the beach, which is quite well-maintained and lined with nice gardens, monuments and public places, although sometimes interrupted by motorcycle parking lots.

By Bike

Nha Trang is quite flat and bicycles are easily found for hire, typically 20,000 dong for one day for a basic no-gears bike. Locals on bicycles are more commonly seen at night when its cooler and no sun to burn their skin. However, note that if you have no experience with Vietnamese traffic, you should think twice about using a bicycle as your main means of transport in Nha Trang.

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Eat

Far East Rock Cafe. 08:00-00:00. Popular restaurant and bar with tourists and serves international food. Now owned by Russians and has menus in Russian as well as English. Plays lots of rock videos, especially from the 1980s. Also sometimes live music in the evenings.
Tiem Banh Hoa Hung, 39 Phan Boi Chau St and 72 Ly Thanh Ton St, ☏ +84 58 3823141, +84 58 2211992. Bakery with sponge cake less than US$1, pâté chaud, chocolate cupcake, sesame toffee. Founded in 1936.
Lac Canh, 11 Hang Ca St, ☏ +84 58 3821391. 07:00-21:00. What’s different about this long established restaurant (25 years) is that you get to cook, yourself, and both locals and tourists seem to love it. It's famous for its thinly sliced beef, marinated in chilli source that you cook with your own mini tabletop BBQ. Large San Miguel bottled beers are served by San Miguel-attired servers for 18,000 dong. US$2-10.
Lanterns Vietnamese Restaurant, 30A Nguyen Thien Thuat St (new location upstairs), ☏ +84 58 2471674. 07:00-23:00. Local restaurant with authentic Vietnamese and also Western dishes. Relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff. Expect a large crowd there every night during dinner. They work closely with two local orphanages, where the children and their caretakers are invited to regularly dine at the restaurant. The restaurant also offers a half-day introduction to Vietnamese cooking, which includes travelling to the local market in a cyclo and a guided tour of the marketplace to teach you about local produce that you will buy and subsequently cook. Cost for the class is 540,000 dong. Mains 60,000-150,000 dong.
Thien Thanh, 386-388 Le Hong Phong (1 km from Nguyen Duc Canh/ Nguyen Tat Thanh St to the south, or 1.4 km from Van Don St to the north), ☏ +84 58 3880195, fax: +84 58-3880192, ✉ [email protected]. 07:00-22:00. This modern restaurant serves Vietnamese traditional dishes and provides excellent Western and Asian menu. Over 100 fresh seafood dishes. US$1-10.
Truc Linh 2, Biet Thu St, ☏ +84 58 821259. 07:00-23:00. Asian and Western food. Especially popular for seafood. Truc Linh has been here for years but the original corner one is now the location of a new high rise hotel. US$1-10.
BBQ Un In. Great new place along side the river. Same owners as Lanterns. Their speciality is bbq pork ribs.
Good Morning Vietnam (new location), ☏ +84 58 815071. 10:00-23:00. Pasta and other Italian food. US$4-9.
Louisiane Brewhouse, Lot 29, Tran Phu (S along Tran Phu from the Sailing Club), ☏ +84 58 3521948. 08:00-23:00. Microbrewery with locally brewed beers, restaurant with fresh cakes and tarts, sushi, quality pizzas, steaks, Vietnamese food and seafood. Pool table, live music and own loungers right at the beach or pool available. Chaises longues at either the pool or beach are 40,000 dong per day. Even if you get a chair on the beach, you still have pool access. They have a sampling tray of beer for 100,000 dong. 30,000-600,000 dong.
Nha Trang Seafood, 46 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St, ☏ +84 58 822664. 09:30-22:00. Serves fresh and scrumptious seafood. Inexpensive prices and good service. US$2-14.
Sailing Club, 72 Tran Phu St, ☏ +84 58 826528. 07:00-23:00. This restaurant serves Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, and Italian food. Crowded at night, when it turns into bar. US$3-10.
Local 4 (formerly, Salut and before that Hello), 16 Tran Quang Khai St. 06:00-23:00. Two-storey corner restaurant serving Western and Vietnamese food.
Texas BarBQ and Steaks, 26 Tran Quang Khai St, ☏ +84 58 2240979. 09:00-22:00. A taste of Texas in Vietnam. They import their steak, chicken and pork from the US. The ribs are smoked for 5 hours a day. Charcoal fired burgers and authentic Memphis and Texas BBQ. Nice waitress and staff, who speaks English well. 60,000-550,000 dong.
Ana Pavilion, Tran Phu Blvd (In the Ana Mandara Resort), ☏ +84 58 829829. 06:00-23:00. An Asian/continental restaurant, and it is excellent. US$7-20. edit
Lac Viet Quan Chay, 72 Huynh Thuc Khang St (SE of market, 1.5 blocks NW of To Hienh Thanh St), ☏ +84 58 3513 716. Vegetarian restaurant. Plate of mixed vegetable and tofu/veg meat dishes with rice or a bowl of noodle soup, less than US$1. A small, humble place, but a nice option for vegetarians and it is right next to the market.
Restaurant at Long Son Pagoda (At the entrance to Long Son Pagoda). The restaurant serves vegetarian meals only. Great Vietnamese food.
Bánh ướt Nha Trang Quế 23/10, 708 23 Thang 10 St. Specialty restaurant. Offers dishes ranging from 2,000 to 35,000 VND. This restaurant is highly rated by both tourists and locals for its delicious flavors and the friendly, enthusiastic service of the owner, making it a must-visit spot for those in Nha Trang. Opening hours: 6:30 – 11:00; 15:30 – 22:00.
Bánh canh Bà Thừa, 27 To Vinh Dien St, ☏ +84 974 554 357. Noodle soup restaurant. Prices range from 25,000 VND to 45,000 VND. Renowned for its generous portions of noodle soup filled with mackerel, steamed fish cakes, fried fish cakes, green onions, and fragrant onions. You can choose one or multiple types of fish to enhance the variety of your noodle soup. They also serve a sour-sweet fish cake salad with onions, a perfect side dish to complement your meal. The prices are quite reasonable, starting from 25,000 VND for a regular bowl and 45,000 VND for a special bowl loaded with toppings. Opening hours: 6:00 – 20:00.

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Drink

Alley Cafe. Closed on Tuesdays. Cheap drinking bar and cafe popular with English-speaking expats.
Altitude (28th floor, Sheraton Hotel). 16:00-23:00. For a great view of Nha Trang at night, perhaps visit the second highest bar in Nha Trang. Heineken 100,000 dong.
Skylight Nha Trang (Chef's Club at Skylight), 38 Tran Phu, ☏ +84 2583 528 988, ✉ [email protected]. 09:00–14:00, 16:30–00:00. 360˚ skydeck & rooftop club. Besides, it also features a skywalk, pool deck and an international restaurant - Chef's Club on the 43rd floor. Entrance 50,000-250,000 dong depending on time and day of the week, price includes 1 drink.
Blue Fox Sports Bar, 110 Nguyen Thien Thuat St. 10:00–02:00. Located just above the former Booze Cruise bar which has now closed. Its last manager Paul has now opened his own bar, so named as he is a Leicester City football club fan. Entrance is at the back via a yellow staircase on a back street. Popular with English speaking expats.
Crazy Kim Bar, 19 Biet Thu St, ☏ +84 58 816072. Closes 01:00. If you are young and wild, this is the place to be. 50,000 dong large beer.
Ha Van 'A' Rooftop Lounge & Restaurant, 3/2 Tran Quang Khai, 5th floor (On the 5th floor of the Flamingo Suites Ha Van Hotel), ☏ +84 58 3525454. 07:00-late. Offering the coldest beers, drinks and cocktails. Small, but very good menu of food. Great city views, and a favourite of expats. Internet stations and Wi-Fi free (good connection). 50-inch TV for movies and sport events. Live NHL ice hockey available in the morning. Football fans are welcome. Canadian-run & managed.
SinhTo20, 20 Hoang Hoa Tham St, ☏ +84 58 3525870. This place has a very good yoghurt and many kinds of cocktails. Prices are reasonable.
Why Not Bar, 24 Tran Quang Khai St, ☏ +84 58 811652. Long running and still one of the most popular late night bars for the young Western backpacker crowd in Nha Trang. It's been transformed into a much more upmarket establishment and is more popular with Asia tourists.
Alpaca Coffee, 60 Hùng Vương. 08:00-21:30. A small homestyle cafe with a good-quality Italian and Mediterranean food and drinks. They also have vegetarian and healthy food. Located upstairs above the green A-mart store. 20% off drinks when ordered with a meal. Its more of an eating place and often gets full, so the drinks discount is probably there to deter customers just buying drinks only.
Highlands Coffee. A number of Highlands Coffee houses have opened up in town including one on the ground floor of Nha Trang Center, near KFC.
Iced Coffee, Nguyen 31 Huynh Khang St. Coffee shop in similar style to the large chains such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee, i.e. espresso styles, lots of comfy seating inside and out with upstairs seating too. They also sell cakes and pastries and have a small food menu too.
Lava Coffee. More of a Vietnamese-style coffee shop but with both comfortable air-con and alfresco dining areas.
Star Coffee House (opposite Big C). Nice espresso style coffee shop with low prices.. Latte 40,000 dong.

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Sleep

There are plenty of budget hotels in Nha Trang costing less than USD20 per night and nearly all are en suite and have the usual air-con, cable TV, fridge, bedside table, wardrobe and night light. Most also have Wi-Fi, if not in rooms, at least in the reception area. "Mini-hotel alley" at 64 Tran Phu is a good place to head for as it has a dozen or so budget hotels located in a relatively quiet alley near the beach and the main tourist area. Hostel dorm beds are available for USD 5-7 per night. Don't be surprised if you are followed by a motorbike rider, sometimes they can be helpful showing you where your hotel is but often they are just annoying but either way if you arrive at a hotel with one they will demand commission from the hotel, even if you have a booking.

Blue Star Hotel, 1 Biệt Thự, ☏ +84 58 3525 447. Terrific hotel close to the beach. Six floors with an elevator and Internet computers in the foyer. Wi-Fi for the rooms, some of which have ocean views. Booking in advance recommended. US$15.
53 Yersin Mini Hotel, 53 Yersin, ✉ [email protected]. Neat, clean and nicely furnished, a bit outside of the noisy backpacker area. The owner speaks English and is very friendly. US$10.
Ha Thu, 64/2 Tran Phu, ☏ +84 58 522800. Rooms are clean and staff is friendly. There is free Wi-Fi and a computer with Internet in the lobby. The top floor room is huge, with a big, private, covered balcony with a view of the sea as the sun rises. US$12.
Ha Tram Hotel, 64B/5 Tran Phu, ☏ +84 58 3521819. In mini hotel alley, close to beach and main tourist area in quiet and safe location. All rooms have air-con, en suite with hot water, cable TV, Wi-Fi and fridge. Hotel has 15 rooms on 6 floors and has an elevator. US$10-15.
Ha Van Hotel, 3/2 Tran Quang Khai St, ☏ +84 58 3525454, ✉ [email protected]. US$18-30 (breakfast included).
Khách Sạn Hồng Hà, 28-30 Thai Nguyen St (Across from Nha Trang Railway Station), ☏ +84 58 3814522. Six floors with elevator. Free and good Wi-Fi for the rooms. Staff sleeping in the lobby for 24/7 access. Sometimes issues with charges for damages to the room that are pre-existing.
Nha Khach Thai Nguyen Guest House, 18D Yet Kieu, ☏ +84 58 3502130, +84 90 5183038, ✉ [email protected]. Not far from the beach, the owner is a nice and friendly woman. While you stay there she will make you feel at home, if you want to share local life. Free coffee, free Wi-Fi and cable TV.
Nha Trang Hotel, 127 Thong Nhat St, ☏ +84 58 3820476. From US$10.
Nha Trang Inn & Suites, 15B Nguyen Chanh, ☏ +84 91 5576211. Elevator, free Wi-Fi, free HBO in every rooms. Conveniently close to the bus stations Phuong Nam and Phuong Trang so can transit easily to other city. The manager speaks English and Czech. This place has changed its name in 2015. US$10-15.
Perfume Grass Inn, 4A Biet Thu St, ☏ +84 58 826345. Family-run and accommodating to travelers' needs. US$16-25.
Pho Bien Hotel, 64/1 Tran Phu, ☏ +84 58 3524858. Renovated in 2014, in mini hotel, all 19 private rooms have air-con, en suite, cable TV, fridge and Wi-Fi. This place is clean and has a terrific location. Room 503 (double) has a big balcony with fabulous sea views. The hotel has an elevator and 2 Internet computers for use in the lobby. They also have a brand new dorm room with 2 separate bathrooms and adjacent rooftop terrace with sea views. Buffet breakfast available for 50,000 dong. US$5-20.
La Suisse Hotel, 34 Tran Quang Khai St, ☏ +84 58 3524353, ✉ [email protected]. It has Internet access including Wi-Fi in all rooms and three computers in the reception area. They have an elevator. Free breakfast included in their rooftop lounge. Free pick up from train and bus stations with own minivan. US$13-40.
Thanh Ngoc 2, 14 Tue Tinh, ☏ +84 58 517759. All rooms equipped with TV, air-con and spacious beds. From US$10.
Truong Giang hotel, 3/8 Tran Quang Khai, ☏ +84 58 3522125, ✉ [email protected]. A budget hotel with essential amenities and facilities. Quiet and clean. US$12-20.
Viet Hai Hotel, 13B2 Hoang Hoa Tham St, ☏ +84 58 3523684. All rooms have air-con, en suite bath, cable TV, fridge and Wi-Fi. US$6-12.
Cozy Condos and Apartments, 6C Hem Tue Tinh, ☏ +84 58 3521001. For those who prefer a cosy home to a hotel room, this is the place to stay. Close to city centre and beach, quiet and safe location (near Military Hospital). Single rooms with large double beds, living room, kitchen and balcony. Fully equipped, including large refrigerator, oven, micro wave oven, kitchenware, in-room safe, washing machine with separate drying area. etc. Wi-Fi, domestic phone calls and international TV channels free of charge. 24-hour security, guarded parking lot, elevator, café bar on top of building. $20-25.
HQ Cafe and Apartments, 55/8 Nguyen Thien Thuat St, ☏ +84 58 6252524. Double rooms, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments in the centre of the nightlife and restaurant area. Rooms have free use of an in-room computer with Internet, fridge with minibar, satellite TV, LCD TV. There is a coffee shop that serves coffee and fruit juices in the foyer. US$22-49.
Nha Trang Lodge Hotel, 42 Tran Phu St, ☏ +84 58 810500. Most rooms overlook the beach giving you an extraordinary sea views. Rooms are equipped with phones, satellite TV, a minibar, etc. Service is great. US$50-170. (updated Mar 2016 | edit)
Que Huong Hotel, 60 Tran Phu Blvd, ☏ +84 58 825047. Within walking distance of the beach. There is a nice restaurant accompanied by a pool hall and disco. Great amenities offered as well as the services. Average quality as per internet reviews. US$55-105.
Starlet Hotel, 32-34 Tue Tinh (Down Tue Tinh, just before the Hospital on the left). Check-out: 12:00. This place has a bit of a business feel, but its very clean rooms have classy, attractive decor, if lacking a bit in character. Many of the rooms offer balconies with fantastic city and sea views, its location is great, and the included breakfast buffet is nothing to turn your nose up at. There is free Wi-Fi in the rooms, a good selection of reasonably priced room service, and it has a pool and gym. The staff is very friendly, and you can change foreign currency at the front desk at decent rates. US$30-50. (updated Mar 2016 | edit)
Vien Dong Hotel, 1 Tran Hung Dao St, ☏ +84 58 821606. Well-known and affordable, with all the basic amenities needed plus some live entertainment at night. US$40-45.
Citadines Bayfront Nha Trang (62 Tran Phu), ☏ +84 258 351 7222, ✉ [email protected]. Offers 310 studio and one-bedroom apartments. The property has a restaurant and bar, outdoor swimming pool, gym and yoga room.
Evason Ana Mandara & Six Senses Spa, Tran Phu Blvd, ☏ +84 58 3522222. If you don’t mind the price, this is the spot to go all out and get the once-in-a-lifetime royal treatment. US$210-450.
Diamond Bay Resort & Spa Nha Trang, Diamond Bay, Song Lo, ☏ +84 58 711711. This extremely spaciously laid-out resort hosted the 2008 Miss Universe pageant. Hotel rooms, suites and villas. Enormous pool (non-chlorinated) spa, fitness, several restaurants & bars, tennis, expatriate chef and expatriate GM. Two private beaches. US$125-600.
Novotel, 50 Tran Phu, ☏ +84 58 6256928. Luxury hotel. Awesome staff, food, room, Internet. Small pool, but the ocean is less than 100 m away. US$105.
Sheraton Hotel, 26-28 Tran Phu. Luxury hotel with swimming pool, gym and open air bar on 28th floor with great views across Nha Trang beachfront. From 3,000,000 dong.
Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa, 12 Tran Phu St, ☏ +84 58 920999. This resort is all polished marble and white columns with 10 floors. It has a great view of ocean-side as well as the sky from its glass rooftop. US$120-500.
Vinpearl Resort (On an island in Nha Trang Bay. You can get there by cable car). Luxury hotel with the biggest pool in Vietnam. Guests have unlimited access to the water park. US$200-500.
Yasaka Saigon-NhaTrang Hotel, 18 Tran Phu St, ☏ +84 58 820090. Japanese/Vietnamese hotel. Service here is very friendly, and it has all the amenities you would need. It is just walking distance to the beach. US$100-355.
Liberty Central. 4-star modern hotel with 227 guest rooms over 20 floors with sea views.

Resorts outside of town

About 60km north of Nha Trang is a stretch of coastline about 20 km long that contains some of the best beaches in Vietnam. Soft power like white sand beaches with clear blue sea and gentle gradients, these beaches are more beautiful and easier for swimming than in Nha Trang. This is an ideal area to explore by motorbike, perhaps taking a night or two side trip from Nha Trang city. The turn off for Jungle Beach gets you off the busy highway for a more relaxing 20 km stretch of road to Jungle Beach Resort. Just after this turn off for Jungle Beach is the turn off for Doc Let Beach, which is another 13 km away and a similarly more relaxing and scenic road. There is an interconnecting road between Jungle and Doc Let so no need to go all the way back to the highway to get from one to the other.

Doc Let Beach Resort (Sign-posted), ☏ +84 58 3849663. The best-known place and closest to the mainland. Though it started out as a traveller's secret, it quickly became a destination for domestic tourists, especially during weekends and holidays. If you take a Vietnamese partner, they won't let you stay in the same room unless you can prove you are married. 250,000-420,000 dong depending on how close to the beach they are.
Jungle Beach Resort (64 km N of Nha Trang, 15 km S of Doc Let Beach), ☏ +84 58 3622384, ✉ [email protected]. Run by a Canadian-Vietnamese couple, all meals are included. If you are looking for a beautiful beach in a very remote and quiet location then this could be your paradise. Keep in mind that they don't have hot water here. This resort also charges US$20 for transportation each way. Extra drinks will cost from 15,000-20,000 dong. US$25 including meals for rooms with shared bath; US$35 including meals for rooms with a private bath.
Paradise Resort, Nha Nhi Thien Duong (Heading N, follow the signs from Doc Let Resort through Dong Hai village), ☏ +84 58 670480, fax: +84 58 670479, ✉ [email protected]. Run by an elderly gentleman and his Vietnamese family. Vladimir is a very interesting, jovial guy and his family cooks up wonderful food. Beer is cheap, and you just mark a chit on a sheet on the refrigerator to keep track of your total. The beach in front is beautiful and usually deserted except for some village children. It is very easy to sleep a week away there in a hammock kissed by sea breezes. There is usually various travellers there to socialise with at meals and in the evenings. You can rent a motorbike in Nha Trang for the easy ride up to Doc Let. Any buses can also drop you on the main road for a 10 minute walk to Paradise. Vladimir will also drop you in Nha Trang on the back of his scooter if he's going into town. He usually drives his car into Nha Trang on Saturdays so could be a good day to arrive or leave and get a free trip in or out. Bungalows are US$45 for 2 people, US$25 for one. Meals included, and prices for drinks are reasonable. Water, fruits, coffee and tea are free.
White Sand Doclet Resort & Spa, ☏ +84 58 35129771. Adjacent to Doc Let Resort is this more upmarket resort with private beach, large swimming pool, gym, spa, restaurant. From US$100.
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay (By speed boat to Ninh Van Bay), ☏ +84 58 3728222. Private resort, suitable for whomever wants to get away from everything. US$600-1255.
Memento Resort, 15 Le Chan St (in the countryside around 15 km W of Nha Trang). In the middle of the rice fields you will find this little family-owned resort. If you like a traquil place and want to enjoy the countryside, then this is the place for you. They also have a swimming pool. Based on reviews, people in general like this place. US$30-35.

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Vietnam Post is the government owned national postal service of Vietnam. Services are generally fairly reliable, cheap but not overly fast, except express services. Express Mail Service (EMS) ensures that letters and small parcels are delivered within 24-48 hours domestically. International EMS is associated with over 50 countries worldwide, with a delivery time ranging from 2 to 10 days. Regular services are cheaper but much slower. Most post offices keep much longer hours than most other official businesses, usually starting from 6:30am until 9:30pm and also open on Saturday and even Sunday. You can buy stamps here and they also offer other services like money transfers. You can also try other companies to send parcels, for example with DHL, TNT and UPS.

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