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The
south central coast has Vietnam’s finest
beaches and the best-known beach resort is
Nha Trang
with its white sandy beach and swaying palm
trees. Most of Nha Trang’s accommodation is
directly opposite the beach and one, the
5-star Ana Mandara Resort, is right on the
beach. Needless to say life in Nha Trang
revolves around the beach and the sea for
both visitors and locals. A boat trip on the
clear blue-green waters of Nha Trang Bay
with some snorkeling among the coral reefs
and a fresh
seafood lunch is a great way to spend a day
in Nha Trang. For scuba divers there are
several diving shops along the beach
offering professional dive services. Away
from the beach Nha Trang has some other
interesting attractions including Long Son
Pagoda, with its enormous seated white
Buddha statue, and the 7th
century
Ponagar Cham Towers.
Further
south, and just 200km north of Ho Chi Minh
City, is the small fishing town of
Phan Thiet.
While Phan Thiet is a pleasant enough town,
the real attraction is the nearby Mui Ne
Peninsula and its 10km of sandy beaches and
coconut groves. Many attractive small-scale
beach resorts have opened up in recent years
amongst the palm trees of
Mui Ne and it has become a popular
place to rest up for a few days.
At the end of the peninsula near to the
fishing village are some enormous sand dunes
that look as if they belong in the Sahara
rather than southern Vietnam. For golfers Phan Thiet offers one of the best links golf
courses in the region, the Nick Faldo-designed
Ocean Dunes Course.
Just
130km to the southeast of Ho Chi Minh City
are two more beach resorts, Vung Tau, a
popular weekend resort for Saigon's, and
the much quieter and more attractive, Long
Hai. Around 100km to the south of Nha Trang,
near to the dusty coastal town of Phan Rang,
is another fine example of Cham
architecture, the Po Klong Garai Cham
Towers. Perched dramatically on top of a
rocky hill surrounded by cactus the Po Klong
Garai Towers dominate the surrounding arid
landscape. Sixty kilometers north of Nha
Trang and a short boat journey out to sea is
one of the most delightful little hideaways
in the country, Whale Island. Scuba diving,
snorkeling, wind surfing, hobby cat sailing
or just relaxing with a good book in a
hammock, you can do it all at Whale Island.
Nearly 240km north of Nha Trang is Quy Nhon,
a convenient overnight stop between Nha
Trang and Hoi An, with the attractive Life
Resort Quy Nhon nearby.
Nha Trang & The South Central Coast
Highlights
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Nha Trang for a cruise around
the offshore islands and
snorkeling in transparent
turquoise waters
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Phan Thiet for sandy beaches,
dramatic sand dunes and a round
of golf at a great links course |
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Long Hai for a peaceful beach |
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Phan Rang to explore Po Klong
Garai, the best-preserved
example of Cham architecture in
the country |
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Whale Island for diving, water
sports and a rustic island
getaway |
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Quy Nhon for a beach break
between Nha Trang and Hoi An |
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