Nha Trang, Vietnam: A Photo Diary + Helpful Travel Tips
Planning To Visit Nha Trang, Vietnam?
During my round the world trip, I visited some an ex-pat friend who was living in the coastal city of Nha Trang. People either love or hate Nha Trang. Over the years this sleepy beach town has become a tourist hot spot with many resort developments coming in.
For helpful Nha Trang Tips, please scroll to the bottom of the post
TRIP PLANNING STARTS HERE
- Important: Get your Vietnam visa here before you arrive
- Visiting Hoi An
- Top 10 Things To Do In Hanoi
- Hanoi Photo Diary
- Ha Long Bay: A Day Trip From Hanoi
- Tam Coc, a day trip from Hanoi
- Arnette’s favourite gear and gadgets for travel and daily life
- For more travel tips and other destination guides
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HELPFUL GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS
- Flights: Find a cheap flight using Skyscanner or Momondo. I like these two booking sites because they both search all websites and airlines around the globe including budget airlines.
- Accommodations: I use Booking.com or Tripadvisor to find the best rates on hotels. Hotels.com offers a free night after booking 10 nights.
- Get up to $40 off your first Air Bnb stay by using this code!
- Travel Insurance: Having gotten sick on my travels in the past, I never travel without being insured. You never know when something may happen. For my round the world trip and extended long-term travel, I use World Nomads. For other trips, I have used Roam Right and they cover activities like extreme sports.
In 2011, I had my friend Quinn was living in Nha Trang with his wife and daughter. I visited him and met many of his fellow ex-pat friends who were also living there at the time. Many of their group have since moved on. Even though I don’t see myself going back, the city marked a turning point in my travels. At the start of my trip, I was quite guarded and not so open to making new friends. In Nha Trang, Quinn’s group was so friendly and kind, I learned to let go and be more open to new friends and faces.
Thank you to the Nha Trang crew…hopefully we can all reunite once again somewhere!
Some photos from my time in Nha Trang:
Welcome to Nha Trang!
Cloudy days in Nha Trang
Crouching Tiger, hidden Asian
Buddha is into napping….a lot
Another angle of sleepy Buddha
Weaving ladies
Learning to weave
Rice, rice baby!
Tropical breakfast at the Ha Van Hotel in Nha Trang
Boat party vibes
Fun with local ex-pat friends on a boat!
Beach vibes in Vietnam
Outside the Sailing Club
The Surf Shack at Bai Dai Beach
This is where I learned to surf!!
Helpful tips for Nha Trang:
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- If you fly into Nha Trang, instead of taking the taxi from the airport, take the shuttle to the old airport (now closed). From there you can take a taxi to your accommodations. It’s much cheaper and you’ll save money.
- I stayed at the Ha Van Hotel which is a really simple budget hotel. I had a basic room with air conditioning because I was out all day at the beach or exploring. It came with the breakfast seen above.
- I also stayed in the Golden Rain Hotel which was really cheap for something that is similar to a Best Western or Holiday Inn.
- Take a taxi at the end of the night rather than walking to your accommodations if you have been drinking. Even if you’re a pair, it’s worth the dollar taxi fare. Many travellers have gotten mugged late at night or had their bag slashed by someone on a scooter.
- At the time of my trip, ATMs only dispensed approximately $200 at a time (many hotels wanted cash payment or would charge a surcharge to use a Visa or Mastercard). Be aware especially if you are charged transaction fees
- Explore the beaches further away. I really enjoyed Bai Dai aka Long Beach. Try and get a whole crew of people and get the taxi driver to stay for the day or if you have access to a scooter, go for sure. It’s about 30 minutes away. The Surf Shack seen above is where we hung out and learned to surf! My friend Becky raved about Doc Let Beach which I did not make it to. It looks very beautiful, though!
- When going to temples be sure to be covered up properly or you cannot go in. No tank tops! No shorts! Bring a scarf so you’re covered. Be respectful…it doesn’t matter if you’re hot. Wear flip-flops to make shoe removal easier.
- When you’re tired of Asian food, there’s an Italian restaurant called Good Morning Vietnam (cheesy, I know) that’s actually quite good. I ate pizza here twice. The owners are Italian ex-pats.
- Enjoy Vietnam and how cheap and delicious the food is!
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