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 Alexandre Yersin Museum
Here you can get an inkling of the work of one of Vietnam's greatest heroes. Swiss doctor Yersin founded Dalat, isolated an important plague-causing bacterium, and researched agricultural methods and meteorological forecasting, all to the great benefit of the Vietnamese. Yersin arrived in Nha Trang in 1891 and dedicated the better part of his life to scientific discovery from his busy laboratory here, until his passing in 1943. He founded the institute in 1895. On display are his desk, overflowing library, and scientific instruments.
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Cam Ranh Bay
Go. Someday, you'll be able to say, "I went to Cam Ranh before it was touristy." It won't be for long. Adjacent to the new airport, you can't miss this stunning sweep of sand if you're on your way to or from a flight. The high, winding road offers stunning views, and we aren't the first to think so; developers are lining up to have at it with pick and shovel. There's a bit of a hold on it now, but not for long. There's nothing to the beach but sand and a few local hammock-swinging joints. Cam Ranh is 30km (19 miles) south of Nha Trang and can be reached by car for about 150,000 VND ($10) each way (same as the airport), or by motorbike taxi for about 70,000 VND ($4.65) round-trip.
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Doc Let Beach
More or less geared toward regional tourists -- chairs and tables line the surf instead of beach loungers, and affordable guesthouses are nearby instead of pricey resorts -- Doc Let is a good place to meet locals and get away from the backpacker factory that busy Nha Trang has become. Doc Let is 45km (28 miles) north of Nha Trang. You can get there easily on a rented motorbike (for something like 60,000 VND-70,000 VND/$3-$5). By rented car, expect to pay about 450,000 VND ($30) one-way. Once there, the choices of accommodations are slim. Doc Let makes a good day trip rather than an overnight.
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Long Son Pagoda
The main attraction at this pagoda (ca. 1930s) is the huge white Buddha on the hillside behind the main compound; the 24m-high (79-ft.) statue is an important symbol of Nha Trang. Around the base of the Buddha are portraits of monks who immolated themselves to protest against the corrupt Diem regime; each monk's portrait, carved in relief on a paneled side of the statue, is framed in flames. After climbing the numerous flights of stairs, you'll also be rewarded with a bird's-eye view of Nha Trang. |
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National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam
Established on September 14, 1922, the Oceanographic Center south of Nha Trang (at the foot of the outcrop where Bao Dai built his villa) is a fun visit for kids, and popular with large groups of domestic tourists. The place is a bit run-down, with outdoor aquarium areas that could use a good scrub and a coat of paint. Despite some rather lackluster presentation -- the shark tank, for example, is a big cement pond that you look over from above and one window on the side -- there is an exacting collection of the kinds of fish you would find in the sea near Nha Trang, and all are labeled in English. The best are the smaller aquariums in the back. Find reef sharks, turtles, living coral, anemones, puffers, lionfish, clownfish, sea horses, and a whole array of colorful reef species, some quite rare. The big turtles out back live in pretty cramped quarters, as do the crocs, but the kids delight at being close-up to these big boys, and particularly the aquarium area is a fun visit alongside the many Vietnamese tour groups who don't see too many Westerners in their day to day (you're as much on display as the fish). The museum area holds 20,000 specimens collected over its long history, some full skeletons and others preserved in formaldehyde solution. Row after row of jars and glass cases of skeletons in the building's many colonial blocks are a fun wander, and there is a full skeleton of a whale, and even a rare Dugong (which is said to have been accidentally caught in a net). One structure houses aging scientific equipment, from old ship-navigation machines and analogue-sound- and depth-recording devices, to an old Apple II E used to catalog the collection. The institute sponsors ongoing research and community projects, ranging from monitoring aquatic life to developing captive breeding programs and encouraging preservation and regeneration of local coral reefs. |
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Nha Trang Cathedral
Begun in the late 1920s and completed in 1934, imposing Nha Trang Cathedral sits on a small hillock just a few clicks west of the town center (on the way to the northern bus station). French missionaries knew their market, as the Gothic spire of the cathedral still attracts a large following in heavily Christian Nha Trang -- with numerous masses read in Vietnamese throughout the day. Visitors are welcome. |
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Po Nagar Cham Towers
Starting in the 8th century, the Cham people, an early Hindu empire in central Vietnam built the Po Nagar Cham temple complex to honor Yang Ino Po Ngar, mother of the kingdom. Set on the site of an earlier wooden temple burned by the Javanese in A.D. 774, there were originally 10 structures here, of which just 3 remain. The main tower, or Po Ngar Kalan, is one of the tallest Cham structures anywhere, and its square tower and three-story cone roof are exemplary of Cham style. The towers of Po Ngar have retained structural integrity, giving you a good idea of how it might have looked in all its glory. Two pillars of carved epitaphs of Cham kings are in the vestibule, and two original carved doors are in the sanctuary. The statue inside is of the goddess Bharagati, aka Po Nagar, on her lotus throne. It was carved in A.D. 1050. The Po Nagar temples are still used by local Buddhists who have adopted the site as their own, and the altars and smoking incense add to the intrigue of the architecture. Detracting from the whole experience are kitsch stands and lots of hawkers. To get there, you cross an expansive bridge spanning the mouth of the Cai River as it flows to the sea. There's a small fish market along the river -- take a left to the riverside as you approach the temples -- a great place to visit in the early morning when boats are just bringing in their catch. The wide river, with its many bright blue and red fishing boats, is a picture.
Property information: www.frommers.com
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