Holidays in Nha Trang (Vietnam) - 2021: my trip and reviews of tourists

Travel date: end of February-March
Duration: tour for 10 days
Company: 3 girls.

When we were planning a vacation in Nha Trang, reviews on the Internet almost made us change our mind! And it's good that the cost of the tour was more convincing - otherwise I would have missed such a cool resort :) Vietnam turned out to be even better than Thailand.

Our vacation turned out to be "lazy": we ate, sunbathed, took pictures and once went on an excursion. But we managed to climb all the beaches, markets and shops and tried a bunch of delicious places. I will tell you about this - and also warn about the tremendous disadvantage of Nha Trang.

Why choose Nha Trang?

A visa to Vietnam for Russians in 2021 is NOT NEEDED. There are conditions: a stay of 15 days or less, plus you cannot leave the country (more precisely, you can, but then you will not be able to enter without a visa).

Nha Trang (aka Nya Chang) is the most pop style in Vietnam. And here are five reasons why you should go there:

• Hangouts, parties, hubbub and the atmosphere of a large resort town.
• Developed infrastructure: shopping centers, restaurants and hotels of different levels (from "budget" to "5 stars"), massage parlors, pharmacies, banks and other joys of civilization.
• An excellent beach holiday: landscapes, as screensavers for your phone, the sea is warm, the sandy beach within the city stretches for 7 km.
• You can do without English - Russian is held in high esteem at the resort. Although a couple of times I had to remember the school course.
• The cheapest tours to Vietnam are in Nha Trang: the cost of rest starts from 70,000 rubles * for two!
  * a similar ticket to another resort (Phan Thiet) - from 80,000 rubles.

When is the best time to relax in Nha Trang? Weather

The key to a good rest in Nha Trang is the knowledge gained about its seasons “on the contrary”.
Vietnamese sage Nguyen Dinh Phuong

About the sage - a joke :), but about knowledge - the first rule of the tourist. A couple of my friends, without looking, took super-cheap tours to Nha Trang in December, by analogy with Thailand, in the same season. And ... they literally froze and hardly bathed. I had to go to that part of Vietnam where it is drier - Katho (you can visit the floating market), Ho Chi Minh City (a colorful Asian city) and Phan Thiet (beaches and sea).

The climate in Nha Trang is tropical, the air temperature during the day does not drop below + 24 ° С, and the water is steadily warmed up by at least + 24.5 ° С. It would seem that it is warm all year round, but everything can be disturbed by storms, winds, typhoons.

So, when is the best time to relax in Nha Trang?

— Beach season starts in March and ends in August. Most comfortable in spring. It can be too stuffy in summer.

- Comes in autumn rain season, the peak of which is in October and November. The sea is storming, you won't be able to swim.

- In winter, in January, it becomes drier, the weather levels off.

Season for holidays in Nha Trang by months:

Yellow - dry, but cool (at night it can drop to + 21 ° C), the sea is still worried
Green - calm water, lots of sun, high season
Orange - hot, above + 30 ° С, but dry and bathing
Red - rainy season, typhoons are possible in October-November

Our experience. We rested at the end of February-March, the weather was perfect: it never rained, it was not too hot (around + 27 ° C), it was warm at night (you can walk in shorts), swim comfortably. Want to know about the season at other resorts in Vietnam?

The cost of tours to Nha Trang - 2021

Nha Trang is a "package" destination, and profitable offers are quite common. We grabbed our tour a week before departure: from Kazan for 11 nights for ≈ 40,000 rubles per person. We searched for trips, as always, on online aggregators and eventually booked for:

• Travelata

... but monitored for:

• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

By the way, charters fly to Vietnam from 22 cities of Russia. On the services, you can see if there is a direct flight from yours.

- Prices for tours to Nha Trang from Moscow in the high season start at 80,000 rubles for two for 10 days. For comparison, in the low season in December - from 55,000 rubles.

- Celebrate the New Year - from 125,000 rubles.

- A family vacation in Vietnam in Nha Trang (mom + dad + child) will cost at least 120,000 rubles for 10 days.

- The cost "all inclusive" for the same period and 2 adults - from 195,000 rubles.

With independent "purchases", the prices for vacations in Vietnam (Nha Trang) look like this:

✓ 52,000 - 66,000 rubles - air tickets for two (both with a transfer).
Where to look: Skyscanner or Aviasales

✓ 10,000 rubles - a 3-star hotel.
Where to look: RoomGuru or Booking

✓ ± 2,000 rubles transfer and insurance.
Where to look: transfer - on the spot, insurance - on Cherehapa

Total: ≈ 64,000 - 78,000 rubles for two for 10 days.

Of course, you need to understand that this is how the prices for holidays in Nha Trang, which will take place in six months, look like. And it is not always possible to plan a trip that much in advance. I confirm the reviews of tourists: it is more profitable to take tours with a flight in a month or less.

Areas of Nha Trang - where is the best place to relax?

Nha Trang is divided into 3 districts:

• The center is the most moving
• North - actively developing (where we lived)
• South - calm

It is believed that the best rest in Nha Trang is in the center. Bars, restaurants, hotels, nightclubs are concentrated here. And most of the "package" tourists do too.

It is believed that in northern and southern regions getting on the voucher is unlikely. We, apparently, became an exception, because our hotel was located just in the north. But from conversations with tourists, we realized that here, in this part, an independent vacation in Vietnam is more popular. They come for 2-3 months, rent an apartment on Airbnb and ... live :) You can rent separate apartments for a month (in high season!) Within 25,000 rubles.

Center, in turn, is divided into several more zones, but this is oh-oh-very conditional. "I live in the Military Hospital" sounds strange to a Vietnamese Nha Trangian.

✓ Gorky Park - unexpectedly, but it just so happened. A lively, party place. There are a lot of people on the beach in the season, but you can walk along the city coast (the total length of which is 7 km) and find a more or less quiet place.
What's really annoying is the noise at night. If you open the window, then from the restaurant "Gorky Park" of the same name with the area, in which ... wait, wait! There is karaoke! .. The notorious "Junior Lieutenant" Allegrova can be heard in pure Russian.

✓ European quarter - the place where most of the cafes, massage parlors, souvenir shops and other tourist attractions are concentrated. From here, it is a stone's throw to the Xom Moi market and the Nha Trang Center shopping center (my advice to everyone who is not indifferent to shopping: visit both points).

✓ Military hospital - if you need a more or less quiet rest in Nha Trang. The main plus of living in this area is cleanliness. Although Vietnam is not considered the most trashed by Asian standards, many moments look barbaric to Europeans. Throwing an empty bottle on the sidewalk is the norm here.

✓ Business center - expensive quarter. Here are the most "biting" hotels like the five-star Sheraton.

Prices in Nha Trang in 2021

The local currency is Dongs (VND). 1000 VND ≈ 3 rubles. We translated the price tags as follows: threw away three zeros and multiplied by 3.

Where to change money?
Favorite joke of all the guides: "by changing money in Nha Trang, you become a millionaire." Well, a few million dongs in your pocket are not very convenient in everyday life, but after a couple of days you get used to it. As a rule, the best exchange rate is in jewelry stores... And yes, the Vietnamese are practicing a bargain rate for the new $ 50 and $ 100 bills!

How much money to take with you on vacation in Nha Trang in 2021?
Asia in the minds of tourists = inexpensive. In many ways it is. The travel budget may vary up or down depending on requests, but my expenses on the spot were around $ 300 (many cafes, souvenirs and a visit to Winperl).
After asking friends and reading reviews of tourists for 2020, I came to the conclusion that active excursionists are stocking up $ 1000 for two for 10 days - and this is more than enough.

Prices for rest in Nha Trang.

• Hike to a local cafe - $ 3-5
• Breakfast with coffee in a European cafe - $ 6-7
• Lunch salad + pasta + drink in a European cafe - $ 10-12
• Pho soup - $ 1-2
• A cup of coffee - $ 2-2.5
• Fruit shake - $ 1.5
• Transport (taxi ride about 7 km on the way) - $ 5
• Tour from a street agency - $ 15-30
• Small souvenir (ointment, T-shirt, figurine) - $ 1
• 1 kg of fruit - $ 0.5-2

If you estimate the budget of an average tourist for 1 day at sea (excursions, transport, food, shopping), it comes out about $ 50 per person. Minimum cost: $ 10 per person.

Food prices. Where to eat?

My opinion: you shouldn't take an all-inclusive vacation in Vietnam, because then you won't have enough stomach to taste local delicacies :)
Food in Nha Trang is not more expensive than in Moscow. And if you don't eat in the most touristy establishments, it's completely cheap!

Here are some interesting places from our list of cafes - everywhere they taste very much. I personally didn’t really like Vietnamese cuisine, so we visited those European cafes. I indicate food prices in dongs. Don't forget, remove 3 zeros and multiply by three:
* all establishments are located in the center of Nha Trang
** everywhere the menu is in Russian

• Alpaca - a place for breakfast (we ate them for 5 days in a row!), And for dinners. We liked it - nice interior and good cuisine. When the owners saw us for the second time, they gave us a cheesecake.
  Breakfast dish: 90,000-105,000 vnd
  Paste: 85,000-125,000 vnd
• Time House Auberge & Bistro - great burgers! Served with generous French fries. I noticed that there are breakfasts and Vietnamese dishes.
  Burger with fries: 120,000 vnd
  Pho bo soup: 60,000 vnd
• Oh! Sushi bar - the name is clear, Japanese cuisine - sushi-rolls-noodles-soups. When the local concoction is completely bored.
  Udon: 80,000-100,000 vnd
  Avocado rolls: vnd 35,000
  Tempura shrimp: 85,000 vnd
• Lee's grill Is a popular place for seafood and grilled meats.
  Baked oysters: vnd 150,000
  Seafood assorted: 290,000 vnd
  Cold cuts: vnd 250,000
• Jumanji - a hookah bar with Russian guys. Like :)
  Hookah: 230,000-350,000 vnd. Until 19:00 the price is lower
• Nom Nom - everything is mixed: Asian, European cuisine, burgers, cakes. We stopped by once and liked it. Try Vietnamese coffee (with condensed milk).
  28 cm pizza: 80,000 vnd
  Piece of cake: 50,000 vnd
  Cappuccino: 35,000 vnd
• Haus Bremen - Nha Trang has everything, even this German restaurant. They serve the most delicate pork knuckle, German pickled cabbage and many other European dishes.
  German sausages + salad + potatoes: vnd 190,000
• Rainforest Is a modern Instagram institution. Unusual style, many people. Had in for a smoothie, turned out to be one of the best in the resort.
  Smoothies: 55,000-65,000 vnd

About products.
Where and how much to buy products for self-cooking? The most popular supermarkets in Nha Trang:

➢ CitiMart

➢ MaxiMark

➢ Big C

➢ VinMart + - small

The thing is, if you come to Nha Trang on vacation and rent an apartment with a kitchen! Prices in 2021 for products:

• Chicken, kg - 75,000 vnd
• Yogurt, pcs - 5000 vnd
• Eggs, 10 pcs - 25,000 vnd
• Shrimps, kg - from 170,000 vnd
• Chocolate - from 25,000 vnd
• Pasta - from 15,000 vnd
• Chips - from 16,000 vnd
• Local beer - 10,000 vnd
• Wine - from 40,000 vnd
• Water, 1.5 l - 10,000 vnd

Most important: fresh exotic fruitsthat are sold at every turn. You can bargain, the cheapest on the market:

• Mango, kg - from 25,000 vnd
• Watermelon, kg - 6000 vnd
• Passion fruit, kg - 30,000 vnd

Pay attention to sanitation and be sure to take preparations for the gastrointestinal tract with you on vacation in Vietnam (just in case)! If you suddenly forgot / did not take into account something, you can buy medicines in Nha Trang in the pharmacy 777 with Russian-speaking staff (but there are almost no names we are used to, for the most part various dietary supplements).

Best hotels for vacation in Nha Trang

Most of the hotels are located in the Central area of ​​the resort. Outwardly, they are very similar: snow-white skyscrapers with a rooftop pool. Land is expensive here, there are hotels in Nha Trang with a private beach only in the highest price category.

What are the prices for hotels in 2021 in Nha Trang?
(if you go on your own)

* I take into account accommodation in the season for two for 1 night

If you plan to organize your own vacation in Nha Trang, hotels are often booked for the first days, and then they are looking for an apartment on the spot. Vietnam, of course, is not India, but it is still better to inspect the potential residence first so that there are no surprises.

Our hotel. We went on tour and stayed at the 2 * Ocean Bay hotel in the north. What can I say, unpretentious, I can recommend it for an overnight stay. There is air conditioning in the room, next to cafes, shops, massage. Cool beach ≈ 10 minutes walk. But you had to get to the center either by bus in 15 minutes (9000 vnd), or by taxi in 7 minutes (60,000 vnd).

The best hotels in Nha Trang for vacation - my selection from the reviews of friends and personal marks on the spot in the spirit of "mm, cool hotel!":

• 3 * Hanoi Golden Hotel
  Tour price: from 85,000 rubles
• 3 * Edele Hotel
  Tour price: from 85,000 rubles
• 3 * Balcony Hotel - my friends' choice, advise
  Tour price: from 90,000 rubles
• 4 * TTC Hotel Premium - Michelia
  Tour price: from 115 000 rubles
• 4 * Green World Hotel
  Tour price: from 110,000 rubles
• 5 * Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort & Spa - popular all inclusive hotel
  Tour price: from 165,000 rubles
• 5 * Diamond Bay Hotel
  Tour price: from 115 000 rubles
• 5 * Evason Ana Mandara
  Tour price: from 160,000 rubles

Transport in Nha Trang

In Nha Trang, you can get around in several ways:

1. Buses. City ticket price 7000-9000 vnd; to the airport (No. 18) - 50,000 vnd.
   The most famous in Nha Trang is bus number 4. It travels to all tourist places and is very popular with visitors.
2. Taxi. It's really cheap! It is used by many tourists (including us). Officially, the price is collected from 8000 vnd per landing and then 13000 vnd per km. On the Internet, they remind that it is important to take a taxi by the meter, it is more reasonable in terms of the final cost.
   But not always, you can offer your amount and bargain - this is often done when they want to visit an attraction outside Nha Trang, but they cannot rent a car / bike (they also agree about waiting).
   Taxi from the north to Winperl cable car (10 km): vnd 170,000
3. Rent a Car. Renting a car in Vietnam is not as easy as it seems. Despite the fact that an international driver's license has been "in law" since 2014, everything is still bad with rent. Most car rentals require a Vietnamese driving license and do not provide a car to foreigners (only with a driver). It is necessary to look for an office that "turns a blind eye" to the lack of local rights.
   The cost is in the region of $ 30-40 per day, a liter of gasoline is about $ 1.

Rent a bike

Taking a scooter is much easier. It is the most popular means of transportation for both locals and tourists. You can ride it under international category A license or without a license if you rent a low-power device (up to 50 cubic meters). However, in practice, many people drive without a license and in more powerful cars.

Price - from 100,000 vnd per day. They usually take $ 100 as a deposit (it's good that not a passport). Hotel guides scare tourists that tourists are stopped / fined / bikes taken away. We noticed that the main thing is the presence of a helmet. If there is no organized "round-up" in order to replenish the state treasury, a foreign tourist will be admitted.

And yes, keep in mind that in Vietnam the movement is mega-chaotic, everyone goes where they need to, and no one seems to have heard about the observance of traffic rules! And to cross the road is a separate fear ...

What to see in Nha Trang? sights

Excursions in demand:
(prices from agencies on the street)

* it is advised to take a 2-day one, otherwise everything will run.

If a trip to the coast of the South China Sea is planned for the rainy-wave season (and if at the very peak of good weather too), a well-thought-out cultural program will not hurt.

The main attractions of Nha Trang and its environs (I wrote it out for myself, but did not visit :)):

• Winperl Island Is an amusement park, and these very entertainments begin on the way! The cable car over the sea that leads to the island is breathtaking. The island is a gigantic fairytale park with palaces, swing-roundabouts, a water park and an oceanarium. It even has its own beaches and hotels. You won't find extreme attractions in the park, but don't get bored either! One day seemed to us not enough, we did not have time to get to the water park, to the beach and to the fountains.
  Ticket price: 880,000 vnd per adult, in agencies you can take for 850,000.
  How to get there: taxi from the north 160,000-170,000 vnd (that is, even cheaper from the center); bus number 4 for 8000 vnd.
  Life hack: return back from the island to the mainland by boat, there are no frenzied queues like a cable car.
• Lotus Tower - you can see it while walking along the embankment of the central district of Nha Trang.Free, of course!
• Long Sean Pagoda and the Seated Buddha - beautiful and free. It looks colorful in the rays of the setting sun, it works until 20:00.
  Free admission
  Life hack from compatriots: come by 7 am to the buses with the Chinese!
• Cham Towers Po Nagar - this is a temple, and there is something from the Cambodian Angkor Wat ... + views of Nha Trang.
  Price: 22,000 vnd
• Rock garden - objectively it is a pile of large stones on the coast. But tourists come in droves!
  Entrance: 22,000 vnd
  How to get there: bus number 4
• Chodum Market - both in Barcelona Boqueria, and in Budapest Central Market, and in Nha Trang, the Chodam market is the most tourist and therefore attractive.
• Mud bath Thap Ba - this is more to the liking of adult tourists, you can "heal".
  Standard package: 200,000 vnd
  How to get there: taxi 100,000-150,000 vnd
• Baho Falls - in addition to the waterfalls themselves, along the way, you can see many other interesting things: seascapes, an ancient pagoda, fishing villages.
• Dalat - a city that was built by the French (there is even a small Eiffel Tower). Mixing Europe and Asia makes an interesting mix. That only is the famous hotel Hang Nga (Madhouse), which you can wander around for half a day.
• Eco Park Young Bay - a favorite of many among the attractions of Vietnam. A cozy place in the rainforest with waterfalls and cute Asian bears walking around the territory. They can be stroked and fed. Such a kind of contact zoo. There are also hot springs here. 😊
  Excursion: $ 25
• 100 Egg Theme Park - another complex with hot springs. You will have to swim in egg-shaped mud baths.
  Attendance: 120,000 vnd
  Excursion: $ 12
• Halong Bay - a national park in the north of Vietnam, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Surely you have seen photos from there by insta bloggers - from the back, on a boat, in the middle of picturesque rocks in the sea. But from Nha Trang to get quite far.
  Excursion from Nha Trang for 2 days: $ 300-450
• Massage - there are many salons in Nha Trang, you can choose according to your taste. We liked TiGon Spa.
  Foot massage: from vnd 260,000 per hour

The best beaches of Nha Trang

The beaches in Nha Trang are wide, there is enough space for everyone. But palm trees grow along the edge, and therefore there is no shadow from them on the sand. You can hide from the sun under an umbrella - local "entrepreneurs" organize such compact areas with sun loungers on all beaches.
The cost of a sunbed is from 50,000 to 150,000 dongs.

The sand is golden, coarse, but there is debris. The sea is warm and, in principle, clean (it happens that the consequences of human activity are washed ashore, which is sad). And although there was a beach near our hotel (in the north), we stomped for 10 minutes to the North Beach.

There are cafes and bars on Central Beach - they provide sun loungers for the day and for the food and drinks that you bought, and for a fixed amount of 100,000 vnd (for example, Happy Beach).

Where to sunbathe and swim in Nha Trang?

• Central Beach (Nha Trang Beach) - the main city beach of the resort. A strip of white sand for 7 km. We liked the part near the Louisiana cafe - the area is well-groomed and clean, there is a wi-fi.
  The beach is free, but for a sun lounger you need to pay from 40,000 to 120,000 vnd. You can also on a towel
• South Beach (South Beach, someone calls Paragon) - not far from the Winperl cable car, that is, in the southern part of the resort. From the center you can take bus number 4 or by taxi. Here they poured a breakwater and planted with palm trees, there are no waves at all. A kind of pool inside the sea.
  Free, no sun loungers or umbrellas
• Zoklet beach - a popular "paradise" beach 50 km from Nha Trang. You can take a tour for $ 25, which includes transfer, lunch, sun lounger. Or you can do it yourself: by bike (but they say the road is difficult), taxi, bus # 3 (22,000 vnd) or minibus from any stop (30,000 vnd). The turquoise water and white sand of the beach certainly looks great for photos if you can find a place free of Chinese tourists ... There are free and paid sections on the beach. Paid is cleaner and nicer.
  Lounger rental - from 50,000 vnd
• Jungle beach - probably the only calm beach. Because it is located 1-1.5 hours from Nha Trang. You can get there by bike or taxi. Car rental will also come in handy! It is here that you can find yourself alone with nature.
  The beach itself is free, but you can pay 50,000 vnd and use the infrastructure of the local hotel

Rest in Nha Trang with children

Asia with a child is the most pressing issue among traveling parents. They scare you with scary viruses, jellyfish, poisoning and spoiled vacation for the whole family. Is Nha Trang and rest with children real?

Well, judging by the number of families with kids whom we met, it is very real :) Everyone looked happy. In fact, the resort has everything that a small person might need:

• entertainment - for example, car rental on the waterfront, playgrounds along the Central Beach
• baby products in supermarkets
• European menu in cafes
• fresh fruits
• sandy beaches with gentle entry into the water (South Beach or Zoklet)

But! Viruses, jellyfish, mosquitoes and gastrointestinal disorders are also about Vietnam. And in Nha Trang it is still noisy, crowded and dirty. Therefore, the rest should be approached thoughtfully, especially the choice of places to eat and stay.

Family-friendly hotels in Nha Trang:

- 4 * Diamond Bay Resort & Spa
Family tour (mom + dad + child) for 10 days - from 160,000 rubles

- 4 * King Town Grand Hotel & Wedding Center
Family tour (mom + dad + child) for 10 days - from 125,000 rubles

- 5 * Swandor Cam Ranh Hotels & Resorts
Family tour (mom + dad + child) for 10 days - from 230,000 rubles

What kind of excursions are chosen with children?

• To the Vinpearl amusement park
• To Young Bay Park - where you can ride an ostrich and feed the animals

Reviews of tourists about the rest in Nha Trang - 2020

Our vacation in Nha Trang and the reviews of other tourists generally agree.

- A lot of transport and noisy - yes, yes, yes! Both locals and tourists are noisy, buzzing, shouting. And yet it is not clean everywhere.

+ Many cafes and restaurants at affordable prices. In addition, there is a wide variety of world cuisines.

+ To the question Vietnam or Thailand, I answered unequivocally for myself: Vietnam. He is not so spoiled by tourists and - THE BIGGEST PLUS - there is no open debauchery like in Thailand. Here these foreigners-grandfathers with young Thai helpers, he called to the ping-pong show, shemales with their "photos, pliz".

- AND THE BIGGEST MINUS: theft is rampant in Nha Trang. Especially in its northern part. Be careful, they rip off bags from your shoulders, riding up on a bike, steal things on the beach, you just have to look away! I would advise you not to take anything of value to the beach.

By the way, about a long stay in Vietnam and a visa. I found out: you need to get an entry permit.

• For example, an e-visa ($ 25) is issued online, is valid once, and you can stay in the country for up to 30 days.
• Or a visa upon arrival - you need an invitation (Invitation letter), which is received in advance at a travel agency. This can be done remotely via the Internet. Cost from $ 6 depending on the length of stay.
• At the consulate - again, an Invitation letter is required. Bonus, you will not need to wait at the airport in Vietnam for about 2 hours while the verification and paperwork lasts.

What to bring from Vietnam?

Tourists shop in Sapphire chain stores - from coffee and tea to all kinds of souvenirs.

- Coffee - it's really great here. I loved it with chocolate. Local pride is Luwak coffee, which is processed in the stomach of a small animal. Expensive and not very tasty. We didn't appreciate the charms.
From 50 000 vnd

- Tea is a priority, of course, green.
From 25 000 vnd

- For the first and second - coconut candies!
75,000-100,000 vnd per kg

- Exotic fruits - can be requested to be packaged for transportation directly in the store / market. Officially, up to 5 kg of agricultural products can be exported from the country (which also includes nuts and dried fruits).
From 10 000 vnd

- An asterisk - this is how it helps with all diseases, if you did not know! My grandfather successfully treated her migraines, and I love to use her for a cold.
From 8000 vnd

- The Non hat is the same cone-shaped hat that pops up in the mind when it comes to Vietnam. By the way, it perfectly protects from the sun. A friend of mine has been taking her on trips to sunny countries for several years now.
From 35 000 vnd