Nha Trang Travel Guide

The capital of Khanh Hoa Province, and located on Vietnam's south-eastern coastline, Nha Trang is a popular tourist destination and a great stop on any backpacking trail. With a reputation as a glamorous 'party city' (it hosted the Miss Universe pageant in 2008, the Miss World pageant in 2010, and the 2016 Asian Beach Games) Nha Trang boasts fabulous, pristine white-sand beaches, and stellar scuba-diving and snorkelling.

The beautiful bay on the shores of the South China Sea is dotted with islands travellers can easily access and explore, and is home to the five-star Vinpearl holiday resort, an opulent, Disneyworld-like structure that caters for the well-heeled. One of those wonderful coastal destinations that is as popular with locals as with foreigners, and as revered by backpackers as by more affluent travellers, Nha Trang also features some interesting cultural fare that the more discerning traveller will enjoy seeking out.

Must-see tourist attractions include the Po Nagar Cham Towers (a beautiful collection of temples built between the 7th and 12th centuries); the Long Son Pagoda; the Alexandre Yersin Museum (constructed in honour of the French-Swiss bacteriologist who spent 50 years living in Nha Trang); Nui Hon Chong beach; and the Lanterns Cooking Class, offered by one of the best restaurants in downtown Nha Trang. While in Nha Trang, travellers should be sure to try the local specialities, which include fresh seafood and barbecued pork rolled in rice paper.