VIETNAM – NHA TRANG

FEBRUARY 21 – 25, 2026

We chose to stay at Nha Trang because it was a mid-way stop on our way to Da Nang. An 8 hour train ride was enough, thank you very much; even though massages were offered on the train. That said, Nha Trang was a lovely place, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time here. It didn’t hurt that the room was lovely and had a HUGE bed!!

We didn’t really have plans for this place so we just wandered around. As usually happens, we came across some interesting stuff.

These ladies were cooking up a storm just outside of a small restaurant. The smoke from their fires was billowing into the packed eating space. They were making little meat pies. First they would pour in a rice flour pancake batter, then they would add different meats, vegetables or quail egg, depending on what the customer ordered. They would cover the pie with a little clay lid, then after a minute or two they would scoop it out. They were so fast! Pouring, adding, covering, scooping. I ordered a combo plater of the six different pies they offered. They were as delicious as they looked.

Everywhere in Vietnam is colourful! The TET holiday was just over, so I suspect a lot of the decorations were left over from that. However, the brightly flowered trees were still trees.

Vietnam does like its bright colours, though. There are neon signs everywhere, flashing and blinking while changing colours.

They also like their pretty round-abouts.

There was a row of men and women with sewing machines just outside of McDonalds. They all seemed to be doing business.

NHA TRANG CATHEDRAL (MOUNTAIN CHURCH) was indeed on top of a high hill. In a predominantly Buddhist country it was strange to see a church.

The TRAM HUONG TOWER, a performing arts centre, sits along the beach and is a common meeting point.

The BEACH spread for miles. Some sections had cabanas and lounge chairs set up, others were more natural. We did not partake in the beach scene.

A walk along the beach took us to the INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY, which was basically an aquarium. It was nice to see the fish that I usually dive to see up close.

There were a few salt water crocodiles in pathetically small enclosures. But I suppose they are typically sedentary creatures, so if they are fed regularly they don’t need a lot of space.

As we were walking to the Institute we noticed a gondola across the water. We decided to see what that was all about. It took us 3.3 km (2 miles) to a small island. The island hosts VinWonders, an amusement park; and VinPearl, a luxury resort.

Approaching the island we saw what looked like hotels and shops. But when we began walking around we saw they were all empty. What looked like shops, were just false fronts. It was like walking around a huge ghost town. Everything was sparkling new and brightly painted, but empty. It was creepy.

The square at the entrance to the amusement park was just as creepy. It was brightly decorated for TET, with huge decorations. It was a huge square, entirely void of humans.

Since I did not have a ticket, nor wanted one, for the amusement park, all I managed to get was a photo from the gate. It also looked strangely empty. There was an hour long queue waiting to get on the gondola, but I did not see the masses once we arrived.

We saw massage chairs in every waiting area throughout Vietnam. They were in malls, train stations, and museums. They were anywhere someone might be waiting for something, or simply need a break.

We went to see LONG SON PAGODA. It is the oldest temple in Nha Trang and has the world’s biggest Buddha statue, according to the Guinness Book of World Records for Vietnam. It’s sparkling white exterior certainly catches the eye, even from a distance. We climbed the hundreds of steps to get a closer view. There was a small temple in the base of the statue.

Coming down the steps we noticed a small path. We followed it to a huge reclining buddha. Just to give you an idea how big it was, Pierre put his hand next to a toe.

We took another walk to PO NAGAR TEMPLE. It is an old Cham Temple dating back to 781 AD. The Cham were expert Maritimers, as well as builders of red brick towers. They were an influential group of people who were eventually stuffed into a small part of SE Asia from centuries of conflict.

It was not a large site, but the quality of brickwork was absolutely amazing and made it worth the visit.

The site was built next to the river, which was swarming with fishing boats.

Another interesting thing about Vietnam is they congregate similar shops. There will be lots of tire shops side by side, followed by mechanic shops, followed by power tools, followed by duvets, then plumbing, then dishes. The congregating makes sense, but going from a tire shop to a duvet shop makes no sense! All the shops are stuffed to the rafters with goods. Some were just stuffed!

We decided to fly to Da Nang rather than take a bus or train. The difference in price was not that much but the time factor was significant. The airport was small, and had its usual last minute souvenir items. But it also sold frozen meat!!??

We were playing crib in a coffee shop while waiting for our flight. These two little kids came up and wanted to play too. They had no idea what they were doing, but we would tell them which card to play on our behalf. They had lots of fun and so did we. Their mother asked if she could take our picture. What a special moment for all involved!!