Back to my home, Binh Dinh, to see Father

Then, Phu Yen, to see Mother, and Khanh Hoa, to my Sweet Honey

Khanh Hoa, an aloe wood region

Has high mount, has wide sea, and has our dearests back home!

- Vietnamese Folk Song -

Nha Trang not only gets great natural advantages of its geography position, landscape, and climate, but inherits itsrich background in culture and humanities as well. Although it is 1,280km far away from Hanoi and 448 km from Ho Chi Minh city, it is easilyaccessible for tourists by all means of transport: by road, rail, airand waterway.

Until the middle of the 19th century, Nha Trang had still been a deserted area with wildlife animals like tigers,and was a part of Hà Bạc, Vĩnh Xương District, Diên Khánh Province. NhaTrang officially became a center urbain under the Indochina GovernorGeneral’s decision issued on the 30^th August 1924. After only 2 decades of early 20^ndcentury, Nha Trang underwent rapid changes and became today’s Nha Trangcity – a marvellous picture with old view but modern and freshenvironmental city of Khanh Hoa.

The name of the city - “Nha Trang” - derives from a false Vietnamese spelling of a geographical name in the Cham language of the site Ya Trang, (which litterrally means Lau River,the name of the now Cai River as referred to by the Cham people). Fromthis, the name was adopted to call what is now Nha Trang.

Natural conditions

NhaTrang is known as a sea city with a great long beach and a lot ofislands, making the city different and outstanding from any othercities of Vietnam. With 19 islands, Nha Trang is famous with beautifulview and different species living inside (such as the Monkey Island).People also live there, specifically around 2,500 households and 15,000persons. The biggest island is Hon Tre with 36 square kilometer, being laid far far away in the distant sea, bringing Nha Trang Bay the impression of being out-of-the-wind, “all calm and still”.

Concurrentlyon mentioning about Nha Trang Bay, there is a small story to tell. Oneof my friend from Japan, Sono Kimura, who has just come to Vietnam forlanguage and culture study, asked me to bring him to somewhere in thecountry that has 100% pristine sea sight but modern services as well.Of course I brought him to Nha Trang Bay. Sono spent much time onleisuring around most fastinating rocklands, coral beaches, sand banks,mysterious caves and islands. “ Wow, all is 100% prestine but fresh,beautiful and enchanting, making tourists feel like falling in lovewith… nature”, passionately said Sono. Then, when coming back, hedecided to apply for 1 more course, Oceangraphy, his new “love”.

Cultural values

NhaTrang is famous for natural beauty, therefore, most great BeautyContests of Vietnam and some of the World have selected this city to bethe performance place. Nha Trang people are now very proud to witnessthe greatest Beauty Contest of both Vietnam and the World to take placehere. For the past years, Miss Vietnam and Miss Earth have occurred inNha Trang. More importantly and proudly for Nha Trang in particular andVietnam in general, Nha Trang (to be exact, Vinpearl Land (which meansVietnam’s Pearl) – the 5-star resort of the city) was selected for the“Miss Universe Pageant 2008”.

Anothercultural activity is sea festival. Sea Festival is held anually, andAugust-Nha Trang Rendezvous Festival is held every 2 years absorbnumerous tourists. All the festivals fully cover sea food, arts andactivities like Sea-Food Zone, Sea Night Carnaval, ect., and someexhibitions about Cham Brocade Textile, Arranging Art, and so on. Ifyou would like to get to know about this City, please come and jointhem on any of those occasions.

Theculinary offer in Nha Trang is very varied, which are the reasonstourists enjoy their stay in Nha Trang. One of Nha Trang’s mostvaluable specialities is "yen sao" (translated as “salangane”), “nhím biển” (translated “sea-chesnut”), “cầu gai”…,which make this sea city special. A salangane is not a swift orswallow. It builds its nest with its saliva. The salangane wasassociated with royal banquets in the past, and with expensive formalparties today. In the past, salangane was an “ideal precious ageprolongging medicine” for Kings.

Apartfrom Seafood, Nha Trang has many other delicious special delicacies,such as Ninh Hoa dried Spring Rolls (Nem nướng Ninh Hoà), Fish noodle(Bún cá), Canh cakes (Bánh Canh), etc., containing the characteristicsof the land. Some scholar once said: “Special food or delicacies revealtheir genuin land in the most lively way”.

Sea Entertainment & Places of Interest

Ifyou are a young active person, longing for sports activities to refreshyour mind, you have chosen the right place. Nha Trang has a wealth oftourist activities for visitors, for example, boat sailing, islandhopping, scuba diving, etc. are performed in Nha Trang. Scuba diving isone amongst the most interesting, mysterious and unique sports seagames in Vietnam in general and Nha Trang in particular. If you prefersky to sea bed, you could join kite boarding. Winds are steady butdon't expect to get up on one hull too often. For luxury stay,high-quality services and interesting sea activities and games,Vinpearl might be an ideal destination. The 5-star resort is located onHon Tre Island off the coast of Nha Trang City. It is considered one ofthe top 29 most beautiful bays in the world, there is a tropicalparadise waiting to be found, one of Asia’s best kept secrets.

Ifyou are more quiet, and would like to discover natural scenes, youcould spend time on sight-seeing tours. There are a lot of beautifulsea sights here, such as Hòn Chồng Island, Hòn Tằm Island, Hòn MunIsland, Hòn Con Sẻ Tre Island, Hòn Ông Island, Monkey Island, Đảo YếnIsland (Swallow Island), Thuỷ cung (sea palace), Thap Ba Spring, and BaHo Waterfall. All the islands are scattered around the bay, and again,100% pristine and beautiful. Each name reveals the island itself’s maintraits, for example, Monkey Island, where thereexists hundreds of monkeys, or Swallow Island, which has a number ofswallow species, the rich source of salangane (“Yến sào”). And theothers’name express the islands’ shapes. Hon Noi Island is the mostbeautiful island of swallow, which you really have to come and see tohave a brief real understanding of Vietnam’s traditional precioussalagane-making industry.

Ifyou are a scholor coming here to discover historical sides, you mustdrop by Tháp Bà Ponagar (a Champa Tower), Palace of King Bảo Đại, LongSơn pagoda, Đá Hang pagoda, Kim Thân Phật Tổ Statute, Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, the largest of its kind in Indochinawhere thousands of oceanic life samples, exhibits are on display. It isalso home to the largest oceanic library in Vietnam, Chánh Tọa Church(or Mountain Church), Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, Trí Nguyên Aquarium (an aquarium where hundreds of rare oceanic species are fed), and so forth.

The city is now fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackersand more affluent travelers as well. Are you going to visit the SouthBeaches of Vietnam? Well, the foremost summer advice is “Nha Trang”!