Vietnam - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 880

NHA TRANG
Some 508km south of Hoi An, NHA
TRANG's main features are its fine
municipal beach, some excellent examples
of Cham architecture and the plentiful
marine life and coral reefs of the outlying
islands that make it the top diving
destination in Vietnam. he nascent
party vibe and glut of beachfront
high-rise hotels are not to everyone's
taste, however, and the region has a rainy
season lasting from November through
to early January when the sea becomes
choppy, the beach windy and rather dirty,
and the waters too murky to dive.

impressive is the 23m-high northern
tower, built in 817 and dedicated to Yang
Ino Po Nagar, Goddess Mother of the
Kingdom and a manifestation of Uma,
Shiva's consort. Time has taken its toll on
this square-shaped tower, but the
lotus-petal and spearhead motifs are still
intact, as is the lintel over the outer door,
on which four-armed Shiva dances.
Inside, the dark and smoky main
chamber holds a black stone statue of
ten-armed Uma. To go inside the towers,
scented with incense and used as places
of worship, you need to don one of the
“lab coats” provided if you're not
appropriately attired.

11

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Most new arrivals make a beeline for the
municipal beach , a grand 6km scythe of
soft yellow sand lined with some decent
restaurants and high-end resorts. If the
sea is too rough for swimming, you can
rent a bodyboard on the beach instead.
he Pasteur Institute at the top of
Tran Phu, which runs parallel to the
beach, houses the Alexandre Yersin
Museum (Mon-Fri 7.30-11am &
2-4.30pm, Sat 8-11am; 30,000VND).
It profiles the Swiss-French scientist
who settled in Nha Trang in 1893,
discovered the cause of the bubonic
plague in 1894, and became a local
hero, thanks to his educational work
and his ability to predict typhoons. he
work of internationally acclaimed
photographer Long hanh is on display
at Long Thanh Gallery , 126 Hoang Van
hu (Mon-Sat 8am-5.30pm; free;
W

The islands
Perhaps the single greatest pleasure of
a stay in Nha Trang is an excursion to
one of the nearby islands , easiest reached
on one of the popular day-trips for
around $8/person (see p.885). Morning
trips include a tour of the islands,
snorkelling and lunch on board, while
in the afternoon the booze-cruise party
boats come out.
he closest island, Hon Mieu , is also
served by a local ferry from Cau Da
wharf 5km south of the centre (irregular
service on demand; 15min; 40,000VND
return), which docks at the fishing village
of Tri Nguyen. From here it's a few
minutes' walk to Tri Nguyen Aquarium
(daily 9am-4.30pm; 60,000VND), a
series of saltwater ponds constructed for
breeding and research purposes, and a
small indoor aquarium.

longthanhart.com). Mr hanh, whose
black-and-white photographs capture
poignant vignettes of Vietnamese life, is
often on-hand to talk to visitors, and
prints are available for purchase.

TREAT YOURSELF
Soak yourself in organic mud and
mineral-water baths at the Thap Ba Hot
Springs (4km north of town, phone or ask
your hotel for their 30,000VND pick-up
service; daily 7am-7.30pm; T 058 3835335,
W thapbahotspring.com.vn). Treatments
cost from 60,000VND for a soak in a
communal mineral pool to 120,000VND
for a communal mud bath, and
2,300,000VND for a full-day's pampering
in the “VIP Spa”, including oil massage,
sauna, mud and mineral baths, and a full
health check.

★

The Po Nagar Cham towers
Nha Trang's most gripping attraction, the
Po Nagar Cham towers (daily 6am-6pm;
20,000VND), stand 1.5km north of the
city centre along Duong 2/4 (a
30,000VND xe om ride). he Hindu
Cham probably built ten towers, or
kalan , here on Cu Lao Hill between the
seventh and twelfth centuries, but only
four remain. he largest and most