Nha Trang, Vietnam

This was an unexpected delight. 25C with a blue and sunny sky and expected to rise to 32C. Beautiful views of Nha Trang and the countryside from the ship. We took the tender to the mainland and then the shuttle bus to the centre. The view of the bay was fantastic and so was the beach. We passed a long promenade with wide gardens containing all manner of shrubs and trees. There were large and architecturally impressive hotels lining the road. Our drop off point was a large cafe and from here we walked to Dam Market and this was located in a much poorer area but we enjoyed looking round the stalls. Crossing the road was an art form. There were pedestrian crossings and traffic lights but traffic did not obey them. We then negotiated a taxi ride to the Po Nagar Cham Towers for a price of US$20 between the four of us. The entrance fee was US$3 each. What an impressive site. The exterior of the main temple is covered in intricate rock carvings and inside the main chamber was a black stone statue of the goddess Uma with her ten arms. From the site there were wonderful views of the Cai river. We had a local beer for US$1 each. We then decided to visit the Long Son Pagoda on the other side of town. This site contains a huge, white seated Buddha, reached by climbing 152 steps. Very impressive. We then headed back to town by taxi and we strolled along the promenade alongside the beach.

Nha Trang had exceeded all our expectations. The scenery was beautiful, the beach splendid and the promenade and gardens were attractive and well kept and the people were very friendly.Les mer