| With a beautiful beach, an endless supply of fresh | | | | night. The latter is a beer lover’s paradise, open all |
| seafood and a string of hopping bars in the evening, | | | | day but not so late into the night. Four different beers |
| you simply can’t go wrong in Nha Trang, says Van | | | | are brewed on the premises and can be enjoyed on |
| Cong Tu | | | | the brew house’s waterfront beach lounges or by |
| | | | the pool. |
| Nha Trang Beach, Vietnam | | | | Away from the beach, you will find a number of |
| Nha Trang has long been a popular destination for | | | | popular bars, such as Crazy Kim’s, Guava, |
| both local and international tourists. Its long sandy | | | | Shorty’s and the Why Not Bar, which all have their |
| beach lined with coconut palms is the stand-out | | | | own unique atmospheres. There are eating options |
| attraction of this large city located on Vietnam’s | | | | galore in Nha Trang with Indian, Italian, Japanese and |
| south central coast. Entire days can quite easily be | | | | other international cuisines well represented. But, by the |
| whiled away relaxing in the sun, chasing a tan, | | | | seaside, the choice is obvious: seafood. Outside |
| recovering from a hangover or simply de-stressing. In | | | | restaurants throughout the tourist area, you will find |
| fact, a beach city like Nha Trang can be a highly | | | | fresh prawns, squid, lobster and fish. |
| therapeutic place. | | | | Customers can specify which creature they want to |
| It is tourist friendly. In Hanoi, the tourist patch is the Old | | | | dine on and watch it flipped onto the barbeque. |
| Quarter. In Ho Chi Minh City, it is District 1 and the strip | | | | However, you can find better seafood experiences |
| that runs along Pham Ngu Lao. In these areas, many | | | | where the locals eat. One such place is Bien Tien Hai |
| of the local folk can speak English reasonably well. | | | | San, a restaurant about three kilometres along the |
| This means information on tourist services, onward | | | | main beach road, north of town. In fact, there are |
| journeys and local sights is easy to obtain. | | | | many seafood eateries out this way, which are worth |
| Nha Trang also has its traveller’s zone, where you | | | | a visit. |
| can book boat trips, rent motorbikes and pick up | | | | Other local specialties, available away from the tourist |
| tickets for planes, trains and automobiles to your next | | | | strip in the streets around the main market, include fried |
| destination. Located along and parallel to a few blocks | | | | rice-flour pancakes (banh xeo), fish noodle soup (bun |
| of beachfront, the place to stay in Nha Trang is in the | | | | ca) and fresh roll-your-own spring rolls (nem nuong). |
| small district known as Biet Thu. Mini-hotels and | | | | Going hungry in Nha Trang is not even remotely |
| guesthouses abound in this area and the beach is | | | | possible. Apart from the above-mentioned sedentary |
| never more than a five minute walk away. | | | | activities of sunbathing, drinking and eating, Nha Trang |
| More up-market accommodation in high rise hotels is | | | | does have a few more active pursuits on offer. |
| available further up the beach road, if you don’t | | | | Diving is big here, with a few operators competing for |
| mind a long walk or a taxi ride at the end of the night. | | | | business underwater. All-day-boat trips to the |
| This is worth bearing in mind, because a night or two | | | | surrounding islands with frequent stops for swimming |
| of your holiday will inevitably be spent in one or more | | | | and snorkelling are also popular with the young |
| of Nha Trang’s great bars. The jewels in the | | | | backpacking crowd. The Cham Towers across the |
| crown of the bar scene here are the Nha Trang | | | | river are also worth a visit for those hungry for history |
| Sailing Club and the Louisiane Brewhouse, two long | | | | and architecture. |
| established watering holes right on the beach. | | | | Despite all of the possibilities, whenever I go back to |
| The former is a stunning complex with restaurants, a | | | | Nha Trang, I find myself gravitating toward the beach |
| bar and a nightclub, where drinks after a hard day on | | | | by day, the street food and seafood at meal times |
| the beach can be followed by a meal and some jiving | | | | and the bars by night. It’s a failsafe routine that I |
| on the dance floor. For many, it is the last stop of the | | | | thoroughly recommend. |