Nha Trang Bay

Nha Trang Bay, covering 507 sq.m with 19 named islands and dozens of small rocky outcrops, is located in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province, and was acknowledged as one of the most beautiful bays in the world in 2003.

The beautiful landscape has become a popular tourist destination with interesting island tours that attract an increasing number of visitors from both Vietnam and abroad.

The seaside park along Tran Phu and Pham Van Dong streets is many kilometers long and features hundreds of hotels and stunning white sand beaches, in addition to a number of popular tourist activities such as airship tours, parachuting, sailing, water motoring, water-skating and waterskiing, which promise a wonderful, exciting time for tourists.

There are tours of Tri Nguyen Fish Lake, Tam Island, Mot Island and Mun Island where tourists can relax at comfortable seaside resorts, enjoy seafood at the fishing villages and play in the sea.

With its tourism complexes, beautiful beaches, islands and appealing tours, Nha Trang Bay is an ideal destination for tourists in Nha Trang City.

Hon Chong Beach along Pham Van Dong Street

A beach along Tran Phu Street

Tourists can get a panoramic view of Nha Trang Bay and Nha Trang city parasailing from the park along Pham Van Dong Street

Nha Trang Bay holds domestic and international sailboard races

Vinpearl's beach on Hon Tre Island is considered the most beautiful natural beach on Nha Trang Bay

Tam Island is one of the most beautiful islands in Vietnam

Thrills at Vinpearl Land

The aquarium tunnel at Vinpearl Underwater World

Tourists can hire a boat at Cau Da Wharf for private tours

Tourists visiting a fishing village on Nha Trang Bay

Relaxing on a boat

Swim in the sea and see coral reefs

Tourists can hire a boat at Cau Da Wharf for private tours

Tourists visiting a fishing village on Nha Trang Bay

Relaxing on a boat

Swim in the sea and see coral reefs

Historic homes offer tranquil tourist retreat in Nha Trang

The coastal city of Nha Trang is located in Khanh Hoa Province in the south-central region of Vietnam, 440km north-east of HCM City. Known for the friendliness of its people, the city is flanked by nearly 10km of white-sand coastline, where the clear waters are warm all year round.

Leafy: Nguyen Xuan Hai's house has been singled out to serve sightseeing tours.

Gnarly: Hai often entertains visitors with tables and chairs he sculpts from tree roots.

Shady: The house sits in the middle of a massive garden, providing a complete cool atmosphere.

But don't be fooled into thinking Nha Trang is just a beautiful beach-side location – there's so much more. You can check out the city's ancient houses, a fascinating example of the cultural heritage that is being preserved by local people.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Khanh Hoa has around 50 old houses, mostly located in the districts of Dien Khanh and Ninh Hoa, and Nha Trang City. One-third of the houses are more than 100 years.

About 4km from the city centre, Phu Vinh Village in Vinh Thanh Commune, is well-known in the area for its old houses, many of which bear unique characteristics. The city's culture sector has singled out six houses that are almost intact, including old-style interior decor as well as vintage household objects.

Visiting these houses will give you an insight into old customs, worship practices and the way local people lived many years ago.

There are two different ways to Phu Vinh Village: by car or by boat. Under the August scorching sun, I decided to take a boat along the Cai River, which starts 900m above sea level in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and runs through Nha Trang.

It turned out to be a smart choice. As I was heading up river to the village, I felt completely relaxed. Along the way you can see some quintessentially Vietnamese landscapes of palm trees on the river banks and makeshift bamboo bridges crossing the river.

About 30 minutes from the pier at the foot of the Po Nagar Temples complex, the boat stops at a small pier on the property of 72-year-old Nguyen Xuan Hai. His property in the village is open to visitors as an example of the area's traditional architecture. Surrounded by a garden, from the pier to the house you will stroll along a path filled with green trees blowing in the breeze.

This is one of the only six antique houses left in this village. The houses were all built according to a layout of three rooms in a structure supported by 36 pillars.

Hai's house has been extremely well preserved and he boasts that the house has never undergone major repairs during the six generations that have lived here.

Built 200 years ago, the house still has its original wooden doors, altars and pillars, which are carved with inscriptions. In accordance with tradition, altars for worshipping the family's ancestors take a central position in the house.

Like other houses in the village, Hai's faces the southeast and has a roof of yin and yang tiles. That's why Hai told me "you would feel like there is an air conditioner running inside the house even when it's hot outside".

The house is located in the middle of a massive garden covering more than 1,000sq.m and filled with fruit trees and indigenous plants. If you come at the right time, Hai may even treat you with some seasonal fruit in his garden.

The house's owner also spends his free time sculpting tables and chairs from tree roots from the area. He regularly entertains visitors to the house and garden, sipping green tea or a soft drink and enjoying the pleasant atmosphere.

It's easy to see why this part of south-central Vietnam attracts people from all over the world. From the laid back atmosphere of the magical islands and beaches to the old houses by the Cai River, all give you a sense of the diversity and beauty of Vietnam.

Int’l yacht festival to be held in Khanh Hoa

The International Yacht Festival intended to take place in the south central province of Khanh Hoa this year has been rescheduled for mid-2013, announced the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Festival on August 7.
Around 250 international and domestic yachts have registered to take part in the four-day event.
They will be on display at an exhibition and join in a parade around the Hon Tre island in Nha Trang Bay.
A series of activities, including a concert about Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, a fund raising ceremony to support Vietnamese fishermen, and other cultural and sporting events will be held as part of the festival.

Source: VOV