Nha Trang

We took a late flight from Da Nang to Nha Trang followed by a bus to our hotel. We didn’t get in until 10pm so we grabbed some food and went straight to bed.

This morning we rented a scooter and rode to Thap Ba mud bath and hot springs. The ‘treatment’ goes something like this: change into their swimwear and shower off first. Then they fill a bath tub with hot mud where you soak for 20 minutes. Unlike mud baths we’ve done before, this one wasn’t too bad. After 20 minutes you get out and dry off in the sun until brown and crispy then you shower off again and walk through what they call a hydrotherapy tunnel. This is no more than a tunnel with lots of high pressure water jets shooting inwards and boarderline painful! You’re then greeted with a hot mineral soak for 3 minutes in a large jacuzzi before finally relaxing in another hot still bath for 30 minutes. Given the water temperature was around 40C I’d have welcomed a bit of cool air but it was hot and clear blue sky. Finally there were swimming pools to relax by while out on the sun beds after the treatment. The largest pool was also heated to 38C but we stayed in the cooler pools floating around on inner tubes.

Given the clear blue skies, the afternoon was spent on the beach until after sunset this time. Similar to Da Nang, Nha Trang is also a big city along an east facing coastline backed with palm trees. Later that evening we wondered another night market although this one was actually quite underwhelming so we decided to head towards a beach club we’d seen on the first evening on the beach front. With music blaring, lights flashing and fire dancers dancing we couldn’t say no so ordered a pitcher to share although unlike Koh Phi Phi, we did manage to get home in one piece this time!

The following morning we explored Ponagar Cham Towers in Nha Trang, another very old trio of Hindu temples. Not too much to see but pretty amazing considering they were build over 1300 years ago. Lastly we stopped off at the central shopping mall. Not mush to say but interestingly we found genuine motorcycle helmets being sold right beside children’s toys. Not only that but the helmets cost less than a bottle of non whitening body lotion we eventually found and bought.

A short stop but worth seeing if only for a few days. We now head to Dalat, a mountainous region 1500m above sea level making it cooler than any place we’ve been so far. In fact I’m laying here right now on our first sleeper bus travelling though central Vietnamese mountains as I write. One hour down, three to go!Read more