Nha Trang – The Riviera of the South China Sea

We had been home in Da Nang for about a month. The girls had a couple of days off from school coming. So, we began strategizing what to do with the girls on a lovely long weekend. We had two options: close by or by plane. The train or bus was too slow and would eat much of our long weekend. We’ve been damn near everywhere there is to go in Vietnam in the past several years, and our final choice wasn’t exactly obvious.

I knew very little of Nha Trang when we decided to go. The airfare was affordable. I think the seats were $1.39 US. However, the taxes and fees are what get you. But for just over $150 for four tickets, it was a real bargain. The resort we chose was equally affordable, but heading to another beach town wasn’t precisely appealing beyond a change of scenery. After all, we live in what I think to be one of the best beach cities out there. But Nha Trang proved to be much more.

From Kauthara to Nha Trang

Of all the cities and places I’ve visited in Vietnam, Nha Trang seems to be shrouded in a historical mist. Like most cities in the south, Nha Trang was formerly part of the Champa Kingdom and later the Cham Empire. Though then known as Kauthara. But by the time of early Vietnamese scholars mapping the region in 1653, Kauthura had collapsed into a deserted jungle wilderness. It remained much in this way until well into the French Colonial period. The only elements of civilization that remained were five ancient and primitive fishing villages hugging the sea around modern-day Nha Trang.

It wasn’t until well into the 20th century that what would become Nha Trang began its rise from the ashes of the ancient Champa city. On August 20th, 1924, the Governor-General of French Indochina formed the five ancient fishing villages into the townlet of Nha Trang. Thus making the city in any organized capacity just under 100 years old. It wasn’t until 1977 that the once-remote villages were incorporated into a city. It’s hard to imagine seeing the city today has only been a city for just the span of my lifetime.

Departing Da Nang

It has been just over a year since we have flown anywhere. So, I was curious to see how things would go. The only real noticeable difference was the health declaration we needed to board. But it wasn’t a hassle. It’s only about 330 miles to Nha Trang, but that’s about 9 hours on Vietnamese highways. It had been a very long time since the girls had flown, so they enjoyed the flight, which lasted about an hour, which I liked. Flying domestically in Vietnam is so much easier than in the States, too. No liquid problems or countless regulations. No knives and guns, and that’s about it. They’re more likely to tell you to take something out of your checked luggage and carry it on than the other way around.

The only real hassle we had was that our flight was delayed twice. The first delay we were emailed about was the day prior, which was a four-hour difference. That one threw me sideways. What scenario sets up a delayed flight of four hours with no actual weather in the area and air travel reduced to a fraction of what it was a year ago, over a day before the flight is scheduled to take off? But the second delay was only 15 minutes, and by 3:30, we were finally airborne and on our way.

Camh Ranh to Nha Trang

We landed in Camh Ranh, about 45 minutes south of Nha Trang. Nha Trang Airport, which operated in downtown Nha Trang, was closed to air traffic in 2009. Due to the quickly expanding city swallowing the area around the airport. Making its use unmanageable in the rapidly rising cityscape. I can’t say it’s a negative thought, as the ride to Nha Trang is absolutely wonderful. The new coastal highway hugs the cliffs as it winds around the mountains northward to Nha Trang. Giving the ride a very West Coast US feel.

Modern-style houses overhanging cliffs and seaside resorts, in areas that looked more modern and pristine than many of the more affluent areas in the US. If not, more so. Unfortunately, time was not on our side. As we finally made the last turn around the mountain south of Nha Trang, the sun had already descended below the horizon. We had an additional miscue when our driver, whom the condo had arranged, dropped us off at the wrong hotel. We had to walk several blocks, full luggage, looking for the proper location. But that was okay. We finally made it. It was completely nightfall when we checked in, some 5 hours after our original ETA. But again, it was alright. We had arrived for a weekend of fun for the girls and maybe a little cultural and historical element for myself.

Settling in.

The Condo was awesome—a three-bedroom condo in a brand new building whose ground floor retail section was still under construction. We chose the three-bedroom option as Diem’s brother Quan had flown up from Saigon to join us for the weekend. The building had excellent security and was very modern, as was our balcony. The master bedroom opened onto the balcony as did the living room. The balcony was the largest I’ve ever had in any place I’ve ever stayed and may have had square footage greater than our actual condo. With dual views of the mountains and the bay, it was an incredibly unique and beautiful addition to the space.

It had been a long day of travel, and I think we all just wanted to fill our bellies and settle in for the night. We had a packed couple of days ahead of us, and I, for one, was famished. Diem had sourced one of the best local restaurants in Nha Trang. So, after freshening up, we called a cab and headed to the heart of one of the local neighborhoods to a family restaurant known as Lạc Cảnh. Sitting a street over from the Cai River and a few blocks from the Nha Trang Bay, the veritable heart of the beautiful coastal city.

Bò Nướng Lạc Cảnh

The cab pulled up to a scene that always made my heart grow a little—a vibrant, packed, bustling restaurant with no available tables. In Vietnam, that usually only means one thing. You’re about to have a fantastic meal. We went inside and were offered to wait it out or see if the second floor looked any more promising. The restaurant is a typical Vietnamese BBQ spot, with traditional molded clay charcoal burner grills sitting on the table to cook your own freshly marinated meats. With the first word in the name being Bò, it indicates the major attraction at the restaurant is beef.

As we climbed the stairs to see if our fortunes would be better there, the smell and smoke of freshly grilled beef, goat, octopus, and shrimp filled the air. I hadn’t had a morsel since the airport back in Da Nang, and the scents and stimuli did nothing to offer my rumbling stomach any reprieve. Unfortunately, no tables were immediately available. But a family was finishing up, and after a brief wait, we were seated. We began to peruse the menu’s wonderful offerings.

Diem always handles business

I would say that occasionally, I’ll see something I want and specifically request it, but for the most part, Diem knows me better than I know myself. She engaged with the server and chose the best for the table. As usual, she was not wrong. It is fascinating how much one will often find crammed into a finite space in a Vietnamese restaurant. In short order, the grill was sat on the table. Followed by a platter of rice, seafood stir fry noodles, and a chilled thinly sliced goat salad. Consisting of fresh herbs, onions, peanuts, sliced banana flowers, and a tangy dressing. Then, as the coals began to flame high from the clay grill, platters of chili-marinated chunks of sirloin and thinly sliced sesame-marinated flank steak arrived.

In addition, rice papers and copious amounts of fresh, thinly sliced raw vegetables, lettuces, and more herbs were laid out to wrap with our grilled meats—as well as dipping sauces and lime-seasoned salts. We began to load the grill and slowly worked our way through the table. I find a table with friends and family over a good meal and good vibes to be about the closest to enlightenment one can find on this earth. There is always something beautiful about it in any setting. We had an amazing dinner, but everyone was looking long in the eyes, especially the girls. It was time to call it an evening.

Sleep comes quickly to the wayward traveler.

It was well after nine when we finally made it to the condo for the night. We had what would be an amazing day ahead of us. We had no idea just how amazing it would yet be. I took a walkout on the patio to survey our surroundings in the night. The mountain just north of us, past the cathedral, was on fire. It seemed odd, and I gazed at the unusual sight for some time. Pondering its significance and strangeness in an otherwise beautiful moonlit evening.

I often find myself in such scenes. Part of something wonderful and eternal. How did life become so full of wonderment and just constant surreality? I can’t begin to express the blessings that have found me in this life. One day my feet may again find the ground. But when you’ve gotten a taste of what life can be, what it’s like to experience a constant centering towards happiness truly, nothing else will ever be good enough. Why should it be? Eventually, after one of my typical introspective meanderings, I was called in, and it was time for bed. Sunrise comes extremely early in Vietnam.

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama.

Click here for an article on another Vietnamese city we visited in November of 2019 to the north with Cham roots, Qui Nhon.