Nha Trang (Nha Trang)

Member Name: tlg

Product:	Nha Trang
Date:	05/08/00 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: As listed above.

Disadvantages: I suppose if it was you who lost your bikini bottoms in the sea it could be a bit of a downer, but your friends will find it funny and write about it on an opinion page for everyone to laugh at.

North of Ho Chi Minh, on the coast, lies the beautiful town of Nha Trang, which is well worth spending a few days in if you are visiting this amazing country.

Arriving by train is probably the most comfortable means of getting there, but if you are coming from Hanoi it is more likely that you will be arriving at around 3am (the train from Ho Chi Minh arrives during the day). If you have the money then flying there is also an option. It is about 11 hours in a minibus from Ho Chi Minh. We arrived on the Hanoi train (a 30 hour journey) and rather than follow the touts around town in the middle of the night, decided to sit around the station until day break at least before venturing into town and finding a hostel. Sitting on a bench outside the station we were treated to an impromptu live (one man) sex show as a local, whose sleeping bench was opposite ours, decided to have a wafty crank whilst staring at us. A fine welcome.

Nha Trang is best known for its beautiful beach, which is a fantastic hang out for a sunny day/week or two. It is amazingly clean and quiet with palm trees, white sands and blue sea, and a spectacular backdrop of hills surrounding the bay. There are also a number of stalls along the roadside that runs along the sea front, under the shade of some giant trees, where you can buy drinks and ice creams. The sea can get quite rough and the undercurrents strong when the weather turns, so hang on to your swimming trunks/ bikini bottoms tightly because once its got them you never see them again (but that’s another story). Also beware the seldom giant wave which strikes whilst you are wading around looking for your friends clothes amongst the surf. This one washes further up the shore than all of the rest put together and no matter how safe and dry you think your towel, book, walkman are…

If the weather has turned you could do worse than sitting in one of the ice-cream cafes in town and watch the world go by for a coupl
e of hours. Not only do they serve the meanest banana splits, but whole stories from soap operas are acted out in front of you as the locals go about their daily business and you are bound to witness some minor road accident that stirs things up a bit. The Banana Split Café itself also has a lemon vodka on the menu for around 5000 dong (about 25p), a long tall glass of mostly vodka and a hint of lemon. If you want to drink with the rest of the tourists in town then head to the Nha Trang Sailing Club on the sea front. It kicks off most nights with a bit of a disco and a number of drunken laughs, but it is a bit pricey.

On a more serious side to life and travelling in Vietnam, you will hear stories of the enormity of paedophilia. In Nha Trang the residents have taken the step to print hundreds of T-shirts for the local young children to wear which say ‘Child Sex is a Crime’ and ‘Enfant + Sexe C’est Criminel’. It is a shocking site to see a child wearing one of these T-shirts, and an excellent cause that you can easily afford to donate money to.

Nha Trang has a stunning Hindu (?) Temple complex that is well worth a visit, although you will be charged three times the price as the locals to get in to see it. And, as with a lot of places in this part of the world, there is also a Giant Seated Buddha perched atop a hill near the railway station with great views of the town.

Perhaps the biggest tourist attraction in town, and the least written about, is Mamma Hanh’s Boat Trip. A legend amongst travellers in this part of the world, Mamma Hanh’s Boat Trip costs around $10 and takes you out into the bays many islands for a days swimming and lounging around whilst Mamma Hanh herself forces food, booze and spliffs to anyone in need. If it rains the boat trip will be cancelled so don’t bother getting out of bed, but dates are easily transferable. The local police know all about what happens on the boat an
d most of your ticket price will go as a backhander for turning a blind eye.

If you are fortunate to be exploring this amazing country Nha Trang is (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again) definitely worth a visit, even during the rainy season.

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