Nha Trang

Nha Trang, capital city of Khanh Province, is the “Woy Woy” of Vietnam nestled north of Ho Chi Minh City. (Woy Woy, despite it’s name suggesting some sort of Asian virus spoken by someone with a speech impediment, is a popular seaside town on the central coast of New South Wales north of Sydney).Nha Trang is a popular seaside town that shows its fishing heritage in a milieu of gaily-coloured fishing boats circling its rustic harbour. Approximately 300,000 people inhabit Nha Trang.

From the 2^nd century to the 15^th century AD, Nha Trang was the centre of the Kingdom of Champa until the Ly Dynasty Emporer and his army, who were just passing and thought they would drop in, sent the fish eating Champas’ packing and formed the beginnings of independent state of Vietnam.

Today, a few years on, its four-mile white-sanded beach and blue hued Caribbean like waters have made it a popular resort town with the richer peoples of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

I have a polarised view of Vietnam as a future holiday destination. I was not impressed with, or comfortable in, the dusty, dirty streets of Ho Chi Minh City and left with a mind to not return as the city has not quite captured a tourist friendly streetscape.  The shopping is ordinary as well. In contrast, I was immediately relaxed amongst the scattering of colonial-era beachfront hotels and sidewalk cafés that set the backdrop to the white beachfront of Nha Trang.

The day market behind the beach is a “must-do” where all the best fakes can be perused and bargained for amongst the usual local handicrafts and produce. A great time was had bargaining in the Asian equivalent of a Sydney “Paddys Market”, Hong Kong’s Stanley Market or a less grand version of the “Grand Bazaar” in Turkey. The Vietnamese are a jovial and welcoming culture and this played out in laughter, hard bargaining and many offers of hot green tea from the stall keepers once the final price was agreed.

Of course there is the usual smattering of temples and pagoda’s. I visited the Long Son pagoda where an enormous white Buddha reclines on the hill behind the pagoda. It commemorates Buddhist monks who protested the abuses of the Diem regime in the early 1960’s by setting themselves on fire.  Today, self-immolation, a protest against the Chinese rule of Tibet, is a current concern for the Buddhist faith as the practice is sadly undergoing a resurgence. Eleven monks have set themselves alight this year. Recently, the Dalai Lama questioned how effective the practice of immolation was, stating that “Courage alone is not the fullest expression of wisdom”. The pagoda and the Buddha are still worth visiting.

Now for the big secret of Nha Trang, Vin Pearl.

Not one mention of Vin Pearl or its connecting skyway was made by any of the tour guides on our ship. Nha Trang has a very modern cable car skway that allows stunning views back across the harbour. With no visual assurance of compliance with world safety standards we took to the sky for the grand sum of 150,000 Dong ($US20). We enjoyed a silent 15-minute journey above the harbour to a nearby island. We could see some sort of resort in front of us on the connecting island but were happy with the cable car views.

We got off the cable car and surprisingly stepped into a full-blown amusement park, included free in our 150,000 dong fare. There were many free and wild rides. They appeared to have an element of risk about riding them that made them all the more alluring.

The rides were as good as any in Disneyland, Universal Studios or Luna Park, sans safety features. One insane ride was sitting on a sled that is winched up a huge mountainside and then rolls, with manual breaking by yourself, on rails back down again in a zig zag pattern. There is no speed limiting on the sled and no brakes unless you apply them yourself.

There is absolutely nothing to stop you smashing into the sled in front of you at high speed other than your sense of survival and ability to operate machinery under extreme duress….. Absolutely crazy and we loved it.

You are visually and verbally warned (in broken English) that if you do smash into a sled in front you, any damage will be your responsibility and must be paid for. I took this ride several times as it was just so much fun.  (see the previous picture, the vertical track going up the mountain to the left of the “Vin Pearl” sign is the sled track !!)

There were other rides that were a bit more controlled but just as much fun. The fun park sits on the side of a mountain so the roller coaster was that much scarier as it twisted and turned out into the void of space with the ocean sparkling enticingly hundreds of metres beneath you.

With our testosterone levels returning to post teenage levels we jumped back into the cable car for the return trip, free of course. Nha Trang and the Vin Pearl fun park are a great combination. 

I will be back!