Everyone has a different impression of Vietnam, but after my trip to Vietnam, my impression of it is like something different. The food, the sea, and the beach here all make me want to go back again and again. Many times, people always like to exaggerate the facts. In fact, people here are very kind to you when they know you are a foreigner. There are no characters from TV dramas that are deeply rooted in your heart but make you disgusted. So don’t listen to what others say, go there yourself! After going, you will find the difference there.
There are no Vietnamese brides, no “tooth brace girls,” and no “Salma” hair styles.
What there is is sunshine! Beach! Seawater! All kinds of fresh fruit juices! Authentic Vietnamese coffee!
Nha Trang Beach
The reason this place is called Nha Trang is actually because of its meaning (bamboo forest river), which is a very good omen. It used to be a fishing port town, and in recent times, with the booming development of the tourism industry, it has gradually become known and attracts foreign tourists. It has become the main source of income.
Because it is also a coastal city, the scenery is also exceptionally good. It was also the filming location for the movie “The Lover,” so this southern city has many European tourists and European-style architecture.
Stills from the movie “The Lover”
Nha Trang Sunrise
Nha Trang’s coast faces east. The current sunrise time is around 5:15 am.
Compared to the lazy relaxation of tourists, Nha Trang in the early morning is a place where locals enjoy themselves. There are many locals swimming, running along the coastline, and also rhythmic “square dances.”
Nha Trang Beach in the morning
Nha Trang Sunrise
Nha Trang Cuisine
* Eat
When you come to Nha Trang, you must first taste the local seafood, Vietnamese specialties, fragrant Vietnamese coffee, and all kinds of fresh juices and Vietnamese snacks with names you can’t pronounce.
Street food with a strong sense of “human touch”
Mango threads with a name you can’t pronounce and its sour and spicy taste
Indulgent seafood buffet
Grilled Crocodile
Delicious seafood fried rice
Nha Trang Accommodation
* Stay
Because of the free and easy itinerary, the hotel is arranged by the sea.
Actually, along the long coastline of Nha Trang, there are various hotels scattered all over the place. Unlike the north-south house layout in China, most hotels in Nha Trang are sea view rooms. So, basically, staying in a hotel in Nha Trang means you can see the sea view when you open the window. Just outside the hotel door, across the road is the coast. This is something you can’t enjoy at the same price level in China. Also, the hotels all provide breakfast.
Taking photos in the room
Taking photos while waiting for the elevator
Nha Trang Transportation
* Go
Nha Trang is not a big city, and the attractions are relatively concentrated. However, you will hardly see any buses on the streets of Nha Trang. Besides tour buses and taxis, there are only motorcycles flying by. Motorcycles are the most common means of transportation for people in Nha Trang. You can see them everywhere, on the roadside, on the beach, men and women, old and young.
The import tax on cars in Vietnam is very high. A car that costs 100,000 yuan in China can cost 300,000 yuan in Vietnam. So, if you see a private car in Vietnam, it’s equivalent to a “rich person” in Vietnam, yo.
In Nha Trang, the main mode of transportation is basically by taxi. The taxi fare is different, generally 7000-8000 Vietnamese dong starting price, depending on the type of car. Regular taxi drivers will meter the fare, and the cost is not high. There are also places where you can rent motorcycles, and the price needs to be noted by yourself. Because I don’t have a motorcycle license, I didn’t rent a motorcycle.
Nha Trang Sightseeing
* Play
The attractions in Nha Trang are relatively concentrated. It is recommended that everyone search for attractions on their own to arrange their itinerary. This trip to Nha Trang is mainly about leisure and vacation, so the focus is on the sightseeing attractions. It is recommended that everyone book tickets on major websites. In Nha Trang, tickets for sightseeing attractions are around 200 yuan, a good price.
Hon Tam Island. We booked a 225 yuan chartered car, so we just had to wait at the hotel, and a local driver with a sign would come to pick us up at the scheduled time. It took less than 20 minutes to get from our hotel Yasaka to Hon Tam Island pier. If you take a taxi by yourself, the price is around 100,000 Vietnamese dong. This island is very beautiful, you can experience 12 free golf courses, there is a beautiful swimming pool, and a beach that is cleaner than the city, you can swim and paddle for free, as well as various marine projects. The projects require separate payment, the most noteworthy thing is that they also include a lunch buffet, and fruit is served in the afternoon.
Swimming Pool
Vinpearl Island
You must experience Vietnam’s most luxurious amusement park, Vinpearl Amusement Park, in Nha Trang. The price is 240 yuan, including a round-trip trip on the cable car across the sea. All the projects in the amusement park are free, and there is almost no need to queue, you can ride multiple times, but you cannot bring food from outside. At the entrance to the park, you need to have your bag checked. However, although the food consumption in the park is more expensive than in the city, it’s about the same as the consumption in first-tier cities in China.
Amusement park
In addition to the usual roller coasters, pirate ships, and big swings, there are also dolphin shows, aquariums, and animal shows, very good 4D movies, and various water projects, all **free**.
The park is still under construction. A new area will open in July 2017. However, the whole amusement park is not small, so it’s very tiring to spend a whole day there.
Cable car across the sea
The amusement area where you don’t see many tourists until noon
In addition to the above two places, everyone can arrange some leisure activities according to their own preferences, such as mud baths and massages.
Travel Tips
* How much money to bring?
China’s outbound regulations stipulate that you can only carry 5000 US dollars in cash. So, everyone should not carry more than this amount. According to the consumption in Nha Trang, because China’s visa on arrival to Nha Trang has been recently opened, prices have risen rapidly. The consumption in some restaurants is similar to that of first-tier cities in China. So, everyone should prepare at least 1000 yuan in cash for initial consumption according to their own needs.
* How to exchange money?
Because the Vietnamese dong is a small currency, most places in domestic airports that exchange cash do not offer Vietnamese dong. So, generally speaking, you can only exchange it at Nha Trang airport. Nha Trang airport is very small, and there are two places to exchange money right by the baggage claim area. However, I recommend that you get your luggage and then walk out. About 20 steps away, there are several places to exchange money and buy local phone cards. The exchange rate here is more favorable than inside, and the phone cards are also cheaper.
Alternatively, if you have a Visa/Master card, you can withdraw Vietnamese dong from any ATM in Nha Trang. If you only have a UnionPay card, it may not be very convenient, as many ATMs in Nha Trang do not support UnionPay withdrawals. We tried several ATMs in Nha Trang city, and only a few banks provided withdrawal services. Also, hotels and some banks in Nha Trang do not provide RMB exchange services. It is said that they once received fake bills, so they now only provide US dollar exchange.
However, you can exchange Vietnamese dong at jewelry stores, shops, and some ATMs. This bank is recommended to you. If your UnionPay card does not charge any cross-border transaction fees, it is even more cost-effective. This bank’s ATMs do not charge any transaction fees.
ATM machine
Language issues
Basically, everyone should not worry about communication problems. You only need to know basic English. As more and more Chinese tourists are coming, merchants in Nha Trang know simple Chinese. Also, because of historical factors, the proportion of locals in Nha Trang who know English and French is very high, so you don’t need to worry about language communication.
【Notes】
* Sunscreen
The temperature in Nha Trang is not high, and there is often a sea breeze, it’s not muggy, and the temperature is suitable for going out in the morning and evening. It’s just that the midday sun is very hot, so it is recommended that you pay attention to sunscreen when going out and sightseeing.
* Anti-fraud
This is a problem that everyone encounters in every tourist destination. Local prices in Nha Trang are not as low as they were in previous years. Many restaurants charge ridiculously high prices. What everyone needs to pay attention to is that, compared to the basic prices in first-tier cities, if the prices are higher than those in first-tier cities, don’t consume there. It’s definitely ripping you off. Take drinking water as a simple example.
A bottle of local mineral water is 10000vnd/bottle at a vending machine, which is equivalent to about 3 yuan. Some restaurants sell it for 15000-30000 vnd, and some roadside vendors sell it for 5000vnd. So, everyone should pay attention to comparing basic prices.
* Network
Most hotels in Nha Trang provide wireless network coverage. If you are traveling, you can also use a local Vietnamese phone card. However, the network signal in Vietnam is not very stable. There are often situations where you cannot connect to the internet. Some travelers will rent mobile WIFI from China, but the network signal is also very general, and the price of 10 yuan per day is not as cheap as a local phone card. Local phone cards have unlimited data, and there is a kind of card that provides domestic call services, which is more expensive than one that cannot call domestic numbers.
* Exchange rate
The exchange rate of the Vietnamese dong to the RMB is 3300:1. If you exchange at the airport, the exchange rate is only 3150:1. Also, the denomination of the Vietnamese dong is very large. Many people suddenly get such a large denomination and cannot count the zeros. So, here is a suggestion for everyone: cover the last 4 zeros with your finger and then multiply by 3. This is roughly the price in RMB.
* Tips
Because China is not a tipping country, we generally do not have the habit of tipping. But is Nha Trang a tipping area?
Strictly speaking, tips in Nha Trang are relatively casual, and the amount of tips is also relatively small.
If you are staying in a hotel, it is basically enough to tip once every two days, about 10000 Vietnamese dong.
Other restaurants, bars, etc., are very casual. Everyone can make their own judgment.
When you enter Nha Trang Customs, you may have to tip 10 yuan. You don’t have to tip when you leave.
* How to buy souvenirs
There are many places in Nha Trang where you can buy souvenirs, and the price fluctuation is also very large.
Some even differ by several times. The most expensive is the airport, followed by some large shopping malls and supermarkets, then souvenir shops, and the cheapest is the night market.
There are many local products in Nha Trang, including cashews, coffee, and some dried fruit.
The night market generally opens after 5 pm, but the quality of the souvenirs is difficult to distinguish. It is best to be cautious when choosing them. Also, you can haggle at the night market.
* Prices are very capricious
Prices in Vietnam are generally low, but prices in Nha Trang are very capricious and also very casual.
Often, the price of one thing is different on the other side of the road, so everyone can refer to the price level of first-tier cities in China. If it’s higher than that, it’s definitely ripping you off. Basically, it should be around 50%-70% of the price level in China. A cup of black coffee is normal at 20000-40000vnd. It’s even more expensive by the sea.
This is the price of a seafood buffet in a seaside area.
If you want good quality at a low price, you should walk around and ask a lot of questions, referring to some online recommendations and strategies.
* Visa
Nha Trang has a visa on arrival. You can purchase visa services online in advance or collect the form at the airport, prepare 2 white-backed 2-inch photos, fill it out, and then get your visa on arrival locally.
* Safety
There are a lot of motorcycle gangs in Nha Trang, and there have been some incidents of motorcycle gangs stealing bags. So, the overall safety in Nha Trang is generally not good. Therefore, I suggest that friends traveling there should pay attention to property safety and use a money belt as much as possible, carrying as little cash as possible.
The safety of flights to Nha Trang is something you don’t need to worry about. I took a Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 flight from Shanghai to Nha Trang. Vietnam Airlines is Vietnam’s national airline. The comfort and safety of the aircraft are not much different from domestic flights, and the meals are much better than domestic flights.
On Vietnam Airlines flights, mobile phones can be turned on in flight mode, which is also better than domestic flights.
Unexpected gain—Nha Trang Ocean Festival
This time, I went during the Nha Trang Ocean Festival and actually saw a large-scale stage performance. There was a huge audience seating area built on the central coast of Nha Trang. You could watch the performance for free. There were also a parade of floats and fireworks. The most interesting thing was that I saw Vietnam’s most popular stars. They were completely different from the “Salma” hair styles I imagined. Their stars were trendy and sexy.
Setting off fireworks
Chinese float parade
This trip to Nha Trang lasted five days and four nights, and it was a completely independent trip. Basically, every day was sleeping until you wake up naturally and enjoying the local slow life.
Compared to the crowded and stressful tourist destinations in China, although you can see many tourists here, the real truth is that the quality of sightseeing is still very high. Vietnamese food is more sour and spicy, not greasy, and seafood is abundant and of good quality, so you can enjoy it to your heart’s content. Vietnamese coffee has a light bitterness and a strong aroma, with a distinct flavor.
Although this trip did not reach 100% satisfaction, it did achieve 100% meaning.
Experience a different world, correct the misconceptions of old ideas, it’s worth the trip.
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