Located on Vietnam's southern coast, Nha Trang is a beach resort with tall sea-view hotel towers offering very affordable prices. I came thanks to a cheap plane ticket from Hong Kong, although I still needed to apply for a visa online and wait a few days as Vietnam has taken a different approach to foreign tourism compared to other ASEAN members such as Malaysia and Thailand.

I've read in the tourist literature that this place is a favourite among Russians and mainland Chinese, but what I saw were hordes of Koreans and domestic tourists. I don't think the international community has founded this gem yet.

The beach runs along Nha Trang's waterfront where there are many hotel towers. While the sand is only decent and nothing spectacular like in Southeast Asia's more remote islands, many were already out swimming shortly after sunrise. The early morning crowds were bigger than during the rest of the day.











Vietnam still shows a heavy colonial influence from the French. The Gothic-style cathedral sits on a very small hill a few blocks inland. Built between 1928 and 1933, the French used anti-personnel mines to destroy half the hill to build this stone church.







The Regalia Gold Hotel is a few blocks inland from the beach so it doesn't offer direct sea views although it commands a very good view of the skyline with the sea in the background. What attracted me to stay a night was its rooftop swimming pool and small observation deck perched above it, plus the very affordable USD $40 price tag for a 5-star hotel. Nha Trang has no shortage of hotels even in the higher-end range so prices are great, although there are few international brands along the hotel strip.









Religious worship is believed to have existed here since the 2nd century, and these stone and brick towers were built between the 7th an 12th. They honour Yang Ino Po Nagar, the goddess of the Cham clan who ruled the region and practiced Hinduism.

Po Nagar Cham is just a short Grab ride from the hotel strip, 1.5 km away. Bursting with tourists, the impressive site rises along a hill, with paved paths replacing steep steps that worshippers once climbed.















Located along the main road out of Nha Trang into the mountains just beyond the train station, Long Son Temple is built along the hillside and dates from 1900, with the worshipping facility at street level while 2 large Buddha statues sit uphill, first in a reclining position, followed by a sitting one at the top of the hill.















More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/nhatrang.htm