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EXPAT LIFE
30,000 hectares, with its highest peak,
Co Tuy, 1,039m above sea level. You
can trek through the forest to reach a
lake and then continue down to Thung
Beach. Must-see destinations are the
sea turtle rescue site at Thit beach and
the giant ancient coral reef dating back
2 million years in Otter cave.
You can take a boat trip out to Binh
Ba island to enjoy the delicious, fresh
lobsters from a small local restaurant.
Snorkeling and scuba diving are highly
recommended. You may also observe
brightly coloured fish from a glass-bot-
tomed boat - perfect for non-divers.
Year round sun
For many years, Nha Trang has
been a popular holiday destination for
Vietnamese and international travel-
lers, with its 7km of white-sand beach.
It’s a perfect place for swimming in
quiet, calm waters and taking day trips
out to surrouding islands.
The coastal city can be reached from
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City by air to Cam
Ranh airport, 30km from town, or by
train from Danang or Ho Chi Minh City.
Khanh Hoa province has three fa-
mous bays including Nha Trang Bay
which is a premier beach resort with
many bars, restaurants and dive shops
along Tran Phu Boulevard, with many
offshore islands ideal for snorkeling and
diving. Van Phong has a long white-
sand beach and lagoons and a deep
seaport for industry and Cam Ranh is an
off-limits naval base.
The islands of Mot and Mun are ma-
rine protected areas and are preferred
places for scuba diving and snorkeling.
Nha Trang experiences sun year round,
with an average temperature of 23°C
due to mild northern winds. The rainfall
is lower than anywhere else in the coun-
try and the area is rarely threatened by
storms as it is protected by the Truong
Son mountains and Ca pass.
Van Phong Bay
A scenic three hour drive from Ama-
noi, past deserted beaches and fishing
villages, the sand dunes and endless
beaches of Bai Na are even better than
Mui Ne. Whale Island is accessed from
Dam Mon jetty if you wish to escape for
a few days and stay in the only lodge on
the island. We decided to just cruise for
an hour or so, sailing past small islands,
lovely beaches and fishing villages. We
were told there is even pearl production
in the bay.
Just 15 minutes from Cau Da har-
bour by speedboat, Mieu island has a
bustling local market selling vegetables
and fish, and the pungent smell of fish
sauce (nuoc mam) is very strong.
In the Whale temple, locals come
to pay their respects so that the whale
will protect them at sea and bring them
good luck.
One hour away, the Mot and Mun
islands are popular with snorkelers and
scuba divers of all levels of ability thanks
to the rich marine life in the Hon Mun
Marine Park. As time was short, we
chose a trip in a glass-bottomed boat.
Dam Bay is a tranquil lagoon which
is home to fishermen and farmers. Co-
conut palms dot the deserted beach. As
we cruised through the bay we discov-
ered another paradise at Tre Beach, a
wild strip of sand with tropical coconut
trees. We were accompanied by Robin
Loc, so called because he has escaped
the rat race to live close to nature on
the island.
Within just 30minutes he had caught
fish for our lunch, which he served up
with vegetables and cold beers under
One of the pools at the Six Senses
Ninh Van Bay
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