Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [175]
The south–central coast | Around Nha Trang |
Monkey Island
Following the main road running north from the Cham towers and over the Ru Ri Pass, after 14km you’ll see at Da Chung village a pair of dragons perched on a huge arch to the right of the road, which signals the jetty for departures to Hon Lao, or Monkey Island. Predictably enough, the island plays host to a colony of inquisitive monkeys, and a boat trip to see them is great fun – especially if you’ve got kids with you. The boat trip (daily 7.30am–4.45pm; 55,000đ per person return), is operated by Long Phu Tourist (058/383 9436; www.longphutourist.com), and takes an hour or so; boats depart every fifteen minutes or when there are six passengers, and the price includes a guide on the island. The tour includes a monkey show as well as dog and goat shows, which may not be to everybody’s taste.
The same company also offers day-trips (about $10 with hotel pick-up) to nearby Thi Island, which has a decent beach with good swimming, and Orchid Stream, further east on Hon Heo Peninsula, where there are picturesque waterfalls among dramatic cliffs and forests.
The south–central coast | Around Nha Trang |
Ba Ho Falls
Therapeutic properties are attributed to the waters of the three pools at Ba Ho Falls, the turning for which is signposted to the left about 7km further up the highway. At the lowest of the falls, the water is beautifully clear, and ideal for a refreshing dip. From there, a steep track leads through lush forest to two more pools. To get there by public transport, take a bus headed for Ninh Hoa District from Nha Trang’s local station, and tell the driver your destination; a xe om from the turn-off should cost around 10,000đ.
The south–central coast |
North to Son My
Most tourists leapfrog the four-hundred-plus kilometres of coastline between Nha Trang and Hoi An on a tour bus, and it’s hard to fault their decision. Though swathes of splendid coastline do exist along this stretch of the country, few have been exploited to any great extent as yet. However, this is changing fast, and visitors to places like Doc Let, Whale Island and Bai Dai will find good accommodation options and uncrowded beaches in front of their resort. The next significant town north of Nha Trang is Quy Nhon, with good accommodation options, a reasonable beach and some Cham towers that are worth visiting.
About 100km north of Quy Nhon, shortly before reaching Quang Ngai, Highway 1 passes through Sa Huynh, which has a long, inviting beach that is often empty. The final “attraction” of the south-central coast is near Quang Ngai, at the eerily quiet Son My Village, site of one of the American War’s most horrific incidents, the My Lai massacre.
The south–central coast | North to Son My |
Hon Khoi Peninsula
At Ninh Hoa, about 33km north of Nha Trang, Highway 26 branches off left from Highway 1 to Buon Ma Thuot, then about 5km later, a signposted turning on the right leads 12km to splendid Doc Let Beach, along the Hon Khoi Peninsula. You’ll be keen to linger at Doc Let: its casuarinas and white sands are perfect for a day’s beach-bumming, although you do have to pay a small entrance fee for the privilege unless you are staying at one of the resorts here. If you want to stay overnight, there are a few choices. In a class of its own is the Ki-em Art House Resort (058/367 0952; www.ki-em.com; US$76–US$151 and over), a dreamy compound with a handful of individually decorated bungalows, a meditation room, art gallery and huge picnic tables in the garden. Run by an artist, this place is something special. It is located in the middle of the beach, next to Paradise Resort (058/367 0480, paradise_doclech@hotmail.com; US$21–50), which has a few huge rooms and some simple bungalows, plus a shady terrace overlooking the beach. Rates at both these places include three meals a day. A reasonable budget alternative which mostly attracts Vietnamese, the Doc Let Beach Resort (058/384