Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khánh Hòa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is well known for its pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving and is fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers as well as more affluent travelers on the Southeast Asia circuit. It is already very popular with Vietnamese tourists. Nha Trang Bay is amongst the world’s most beautiful bays. Tourists can participate in Sea Festival and August- Nha Trang Rendezvous Festival every 2 years.
Historically, the city was known as Kauthara under the Champa. The city is still home to the Po nagar Tower built by the Champa.
As a coastal city, Nha Trang’s developed in marine science with Nha Trang Oceanography Institution. There’s also Hon Mun marine protected area – one of four first marine protected area in the world admitted by IUCN. The famous French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Émile John Yersin (who discovered the Yersinia pestis bacterium) identified himself with Nha Trang’s life for 50 years (people called him Ông N?m- Mr Fifth in familiar way), established the Indochina Pasteur Institution (Nha Trang Pasteur Institution now) to research bubonic plague and then died on March 1, 1943 in Nha Trang. A street in the city is named after him, there is a shrine located next to his tomb, and his house has been converted into the Yersin Museum.
Commercial flights to Nha Trang no longer use the city’s municipal airport, but fly into the larger Cam Ranh airport, a former U.S. Air Force Base (built during the Vietnam War) located about 35 kilometers or 22 miles south of Nha Trang (see the Transport section below for additional details.)
Tourist attractions
• Alexander Yesin Museum
• Boat tour on Cai River, visiting islands off the coast and Ba Ho Waterfall.
• Palace of Emperor Bao Dai
• Thap Ba Hot Spring (Lady Tower hor spring)
• Nha Phu Lagoon
• Hoa Lan Stream (Orchid Flower tream)
• Monkey Island
• S?n Beach
• Hòn Ch?ng Island (Husband Island)
• Hòn T?m Island (Silkworm island)
• Hòn Mun Island (Ebony island)
• Hòn Con S? Tre Island (Bamboo Sparraw island)
• Hòn Ông Island
• ??o Y?n Island (Swiftlet island)
• Hòn Tre Island (Bamboo island)
• Su?i ?? Stream
• Su?i Tiên Stream (Fairy stream)
• Hòn Bà Island
• Yangbay Waterfall
• Tháp Bà Ponagar Nha Trang (a Champa Tower)
• Chùa Long S?n (Long Son Pagoda- literral: The Dragon Mountain pagoda or White Buddha Pagoda)
• Nha Trang Oceanography Institue, the largest of its kind in Indochina where thousands of oceanic life samples, exhibits are on display. It is also home to the largest oceanic library in Vietnam.
• Chánh T?a Church (or Mountain Church)
• Nha Trang Pasteur Institue
• Trí Nguyên Aquarium (an aquarium where hundreds of rare oceanic species are fed)