Sightseeing in Nha Trang - what to see. Complete travel guide

Nha Trang is a true beach capital of Vietnam. This is a vibrant resort city with a bustling and energetic life that doesn’t slow down at night. Naturally, these factors make Nha Trang very attractive for tourists. Every tourist finds something that she or he likes in this city. Some are in love with the clean, turquoise-colored water, some people like white sand, and many tourists adore Nha Trang’s nature with its enchanting green hills and islands in the bay. Fans of nightlife will be pleased with the choice of entertainment options. Finally, the historic heritage of the country has always been one of the main reasons to visit this Vietnamese city. In Nha Trang, tourists can visit ancient towers that still decorate the city’s skyline.

Initially, Nha Trang had another name – Kauthara. The Cham people were the founders of the settlement. For a long time, Nha Trang was a small village, which population was mostly fishing to survive. Nha Trang started developing in the 17th century. The economy kept growing until the 19th century. As a resort, this region became famous during the French colonization period. At that time, the territory of modern Vietnam was a part of Indochina. The first villas appeared in Nha Trang, and European tourists started arriving in the city to spend a vacation in the beautiful place. Since that time, Nha Trang has been a popular resort.

Po Nagar towers are one of the most outstanding landmarks of Nha Trang. These Cham towers were built in the period from the 7th until the 12th century. Initially, there were eight towers, but only four of them have survived to this day. All these towers are dedicated to Yan Po Nagar, the goddess of the country and the patroness of the city. Vietnamese Chinese people and Buddhists still perform their sacred rituals here and consider this place holy. Tourists particularly enjoy visiting the North Tower - Thap Chinh. God Shiva in his dancing form stands near the entrance to this tower. His figure is a symbol of creation and the birth of everything living. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Meditations take place in a special hall. Even many years ago, people were coming here to meditate. Many of them found peace of mind and harmony inside the shrine, and some were successful in finding their path in life after several hours of meditation rituals in the North Tower. The original hall has almost not survived to this day, but it is still easy to notice the great power in these ancient walls. Even skeptical people feel it. Would you like to learn more about the Cham wise men? There is a museum in the tower that exhibits a collection of artifacts that tell about the life of these people who were so important for the city. This is also the right place to learn more about the lifestyle of the peoples who inhabited Nha Trang in different periods.

The city has one more important shrine situated on the foothill of Trai Thuy Mountain – Long Son Pagoda. This is the most visited religious landmark in the province. The temple was built in the 19th century. Initially, the building was standing at the top of the mountain. However, a devastating landslide at the beginning of the 20th century damaged the shrine, and so the sacred building started slowly moving down the hill. The city’s authorities decided to move the important landmark of Nha Trang to the foothill in order to protect it from permanent damage and loss.

Nowadays, tourists traveling in Vietnam come to this place to admire the beauty and picturesqueness of the gardens that surround the pagoda and to look at the colorful fish in the local manmade ponds. However, the white statue of Buddha, certainly, gets the most attention. It is erected on top of the hill and has a height of twenty-five meters. The holy state is a gift of Buddhist monks to the city of Nha Trang. The city received the Buddha statue in the 60s of the 20th century and installed it five years later.

Hon Chong-Hon Vo is an unusual place that is particularly suitable for couples. The park’s name can be roughly translated as “husband stone – wife stone”. This place is often considered a stone garden, but stones form a big pile in Hon Chong-Hon Vo. What is so particular about this place? According to a local legend, a wizard giant was once sitting behind stones and secretly watching a mermaid who was swimming in the local water. The giant was really big and he was madly in love with the half-girl and half-fish creature. In order not to scare his love with a random movement, the giant was resting his hand on a stone, and the print of his palm has remained on the stones.

Local people have many interesting traditions associated with the “husband stone – wife stone”. All couples, who decide to marry, come to this place to sit on one of the stones. According to local beliefs, every couple that sits at least some time on the giant’s imprint will be happy in the marriage and will make a good family.

Many European tourists arrive in Nha Trang by air, making a connecting flight to Guangzhou. If you choose to travel from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or other Vietnamese cities, it is more comfortable to take a bus or train to Nha Trang. The flight is roughly fourteen hours long. At the airport, tourists can always call a taxi or get on a bus to the city center.