Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [172]
The south–central coast | Nha Trang and around |
Listings
Airlines Vietnam Airlines, 91 Nguyen Thien Thuat (daily 7–11.30am & 1.30–5pm; 058/352 6768), and at Khanh Hoa Tourism, 1 Tran Hung Dao (Mon–Fri 7.30–11am & 2–4.30pm; 058/352 5036).
Bank Vietcombank, 17 Quang Trung, changes cash and traveller’s cheques, and has an ATM. There’s also a convenient branch of Agribank at 2 Hung Vuong.
Bicycles and motorbikes Just about everybody and their grandmother, including most hotels, wants to rent you a bike or motorbike in Nha Trang, so you shouldn’t have difficulty finding one; about $1 for bicycles, $4–5 for a motorbike per day; just check that it’s roadworthy.
Books The best selection of new books is at the brand-new Fahasa Books at 11 Ly Thanh Ton. At Shorty’s, 1e Biet Thu, you’ll find a good selection of second-hand fiction and non-fiction, salvaged from the ghosts of travellers past.
Car rental Most tour operators, including Khanh Hoa Tourism at 1 Tran Hung Dao (058/352 8100), can arrange car rental with driver for $40–45 per day; minibuses are also available at a slightly higher rate.
Hospital 19 Yersin, below the city stadium 058/382 2168.
Internet access There are hundreds of places offering internet access in Nha Trang, including 24d Nguyen Thiet Thuat, where rates are a standard 100đ per minute.
Mini–markets Dai Thuan Mini Mart, 17a Biet Thu; Maxi-Mart, 66 Quang Trung; ABC Bakery, 76a Ly Thanh Ton.
Pharmacy 27 Le Thanh Ton.
Police 5 Ly Tu Trong 058/382 2400.
Post office 4 Le Loi (daily 7am–9pm), has fax, IDD facilities, internet access, poste restante and DHL courier desk (closed Sun); there are also several other small post offices scattered around town.
Souvenirs Vietnam Pure Silk, 19 Le Thanh Ton, has ready-to-wear silk garments and tailor shop plus embroidery, artwork and ethnic souvenirs; Bambou, 15 Biet Thu, offers original-design T-shirts at $10 each, plus other bright and colourful souvenirs; Lac Viet, 4c Biet Thu, specializes in lacquerware ornaments and wood carvings; XQ Arts and Crafts Centre, 64 Tran Phu, displays and sells embroidered pictures, some of which are stunning works of art, from $30 upwards.
Tour operators Con Se Tre Tourist, 100/16 Tran Phu 058/352 7522; Hanh Café, 10 Hung Vuong 058/352 7467, hanhcafe@dng.vnn.vn; Khanh Hoa Tourism, 1 Tran Hung Dao (058/352 8100, www.nhatrangtourism.com.vn) is the official government office, so the best place to go for visa extensions; Mama Linh, 23C Biet Thu 058/052 2844; Sinh Café, 2a Biet Thu 058/352 2982, info@sinhcafevn.com; TM Brothers Café, 34 Nguyen Thien Thuat 058/352 3556, tmbrotherscafevietnam@yahoo.com.
The south–central coast |
Around Nha Trang
Several of Nha Trang’s attractions are just outside the city, including the Po Nagar Cham towers, Thap Ba Hot Springs and the National Oceanographic Institute. A short distance north of town lie several natural areas that are worth exploring, namely the Hon Chong Promontory, Monkey Island and Ba Ho Falls, which can be easily visited by renting a motorbike or xe om, or joining a tour. However, the most popular activity for most visitors is to take a boat trip to the islands that speckle the waters around Nha Trang (see "Boat trips to the islands").
The south–central coast | Around Nha Trang |
Hon Tre Island
The biggest island in the bay, HON TRE can be reached by the impressive new cable car (daily 9am–10pm) that runs from Phu Quy pier, next to the harbour. Over three kilometres in length, it is the world’s longest cross-sea cable car: the journey takes around ten minutes and costs 100,000đ return. Once on the island, you can visit the Vinpearl Resort(see "Expensive") and the Vinpearl Land Amusement Park (058/359 0111, www.vinpearlland.com; 250,000đ, children 175,000đ), which includes a waterpark with slides and flumes, a mini-oceanarium, 4-D movies, a shopping mall, and some rides.
The south–central coast | Around Nha Trang |
The National Oceanographic Institute
Located right beside Cau Da Wharf, 6km south of Nha Trang, the National