| Day 11 Van Gia to Nha Trang, Vietnam Kilometers 62.8 Miles 39.3 |
| Cycle Touring Routes > Vietnam > Dong Ha to Nha Trang > Map > Day |
Ride/Road - Highway 1A is sealed with an
adequate shoulder. The highway is living up to its
notorious reputation for having the worst traffic in
Southeast Asia. Traffic is very heavy and chaotic.
Overloaded buses and mini-vans are heading
north transporting locals traveling for the Tet
holiday (Vietnamese Lunar New Year)
The ride begins flat.
The secondary road off of Hwy 1 that takes goes
toward Nha Trang is sealed but narrow with no
shoulder. Once off Hwy 1 it takes about 7
kilometers to arrive to Nha Trang town and the
beach.
The secondary road, 2 Trang 4, crosses over two
bridges, passes a Cham Tower, the French
Cathedral and finally enters the city on D. Quang
Trung Road. To get to the beach from D. Quang
Trung, take Yersin Road off the traffic circle toward
the water and then turn right on the beach road
toward the cluster of hotels about 3 kilometers
down the road.
Food, water and rest stops are well spaced along
this ride.
Scenery - At times the highway hugs the coast
past beautiful beaches.
Hills - Three kilometers north of Nha Trang there is
a long, steep climb that is about 3 kilometers long.
It has a good shoulder all the way up.
The second hill comes just as you get off highway
1 and turn toward Nha Trang on a secondary road.
The climb is gradual, not steep and about 1
kilometer long. This secondary road is a narrow
with no shoulder and traffic is light, mostly scooters
and pedestrians.
Accommodations along this ride - There are
guesthouses at Doc Let Beach about 13
kilometers off of Hwy 1A.
There is a sign on highway 1A announcing the
Paradise Resort about 30 kilometers north of Nha
Trang. Doc Let Beach also has the Doc Let
Resort.
Also north of Nha Trang past Doc Let is the Jungle
Beach Resort.
Nha Trang is a touristy beach town spread along
the Nha Trang bay.
The city it self is not an attractive place. It is very
built-up and that has progressed with few
restrictions. The haphazard layout of the streets
and the commercialism of the town is proof of its
chaotic growth.
The street that runs along the beach, Tran Phu, is
wide and heavily transited. On the beach side of
Tran Phu Road there is a lovely and expansive
promenade that includes several bayside
restaurants, parks, sitting areas, elegant resorts
and a water park. The other side of Phu Road is
primarily has hotels, restaurants, the Pasteur
Institute and two museums.
The beach is expansive and wide, water on the
bay is wave-less and the sand is yellowish and
course. Most visitors spent the day on rented a
lounge chair under a palm hut in front of the Sailing
Club or the Louisiana Brewery taking in the sun.
Most of the trendy shops, restaurants, hotels and
bars are spread around a four-block radius across
from the beach. There isn't much to need to
venture far from this area. There are shops selling
all the basic necessities including the small A-1
Mart supermarket at 17A Biet Thu Road that sells
imported western goods such as European
chocolates, Italian pastas and Muesli. There is
also a larger supermarket at the corner of Yersin
and D Quang Trung at the traffic circle. It has a
combination of some western items and
Vietnamese.
Seafood is the specialty in Nha Trang. It is plentiful
and makeshift restaurants set up on the sidewalk
across from the beach to grill lobsters, shrimp and
any sea creature to your liking.
Local touts are present in the touristy area and
most are eager to get you into a restaurant or bar.
Just a few blocks away from the tourist area there
are several open markets (Cho), the closest is a
few blocks west of Nguyen Thien Thauat, between
To Hien Thank and Ngo Gia Ty Rds. This is a large
covered market with small shop stalls and vendor
stands selling fresh vegetables, fruit, packed
goods such as cookies crackers, candy, coffee,
tea and all the basic sundries.
Places I would recommend in Nha Trang are the
Louisiane Brewery and Omar's Indian Food. The
Louisiane Brewery is compound on the beach next
to the Sailing Club. It is a well-run outfit with a
lovely location on the water. The restaurant/bar is
nice to look at and it has every amenity a traveler
would want such as a billiards table, poolside
dining, bar, restaurant, deli, bakery, swimming
pool, and lounge chairs set up along the beach
under a palm palapa.
Guests can enjoy all the facilities, including the
super, clean restrooms, for the price of a soda.
We could hang here all day and the uniformed staff
are very relaxed and don't put any pressure or
limitations on a guests' visit.
We also enjoyed dining at Omar's Indian
restaurant at in the touristy area. Every dish we
tried at Omar's was spectacular and the service is
impeccable and very professional. The restaurant
all does home/hotel delivery for free.
Slept - La Swiss Hotel
Cost - $22.00 High season Tet Celebration prices
Location - 34 Tran Quang Kahi St. Central area,
close to restaurants and market and one block
from the beach.
Amenities - Nicely decorated room, a bit small with
one double bed and one single, small window,
table two chairs, closet, T/V with two English
Channels and mini-bar. En suite bath with tub and
shower, hot water and a/c (much needed). Beds
are very comfortable. Breakfast is included a la
carte, but served in the cramped lobby. Not the
ideal setting. Drawbacks include a sewage smell
from the bathrooms, room are cleaned between
1-5 p.m. just as we were coming back from the
beach to shower for dinner.
Bikes are locked inside the lobby in the evening
and locked in front of the hotel during the day. We
did have problems with the bikes being moved
around and not locked.
Other accommodations in town - There are
numerous guesthouses, hotels and resorts for
everyone. We have noticed the newer hotels have
more competitive prices and the rooms are in
better condition.
Most accommodations include free internet, free
bike use and free breakfast. It is wise to shop
around and look at the rooms.
adequate shoulder. The highway is living up to its
notorious reputation for having the worst traffic in
Southeast Asia. Traffic is very heavy and chaotic.
Overloaded buses and mini-vans are heading
north transporting locals traveling for the Tet
holiday (Vietnamese Lunar New Year)
The ride begins flat.
The secondary road off of Hwy 1 that takes goes
toward Nha Trang is sealed but narrow with no
shoulder. Once off Hwy 1 it takes about 7
kilometers to arrive to Nha Trang town and the
beach.
The secondary road, 2 Trang 4, crosses over two
bridges, passes a Cham Tower, the French
Cathedral and finally enters the city on D. Quang
Trung Road. To get to the beach from D. Quang
Trung, take Yersin Road off the traffic circle toward
the water and then turn right on the beach road
toward the cluster of hotels about 3 kilometers
down the road.
Food, water and rest stops are well spaced along
this ride.
Scenery - At times the highway hugs the coast
past beautiful beaches.
Hills - Three kilometers north of Nha Trang there is
a long, steep climb that is about 3 kilometers long.
It has a good shoulder all the way up.
The second hill comes just as you get off highway
1 and turn toward Nha Trang on a secondary road.
The climb is gradual, not steep and about 1
kilometer long. This secondary road is a narrow
with no shoulder and traffic is light, mostly scooters
and pedestrians.
Accommodations along this ride - There are
guesthouses at Doc Let Beach about 13
kilometers off of Hwy 1A.
There is a sign on highway 1A announcing the
Paradise Resort about 30 kilometers north of Nha
Trang. Doc Let Beach also has the Doc Let
Resort.
Also north of Nha Trang past Doc Let is the Jungle
Beach Resort.
Nha Trang is a touristy beach town spread along
the Nha Trang bay.
The city it self is not an attractive place. It is very
built-up and that has progressed with few
restrictions. The haphazard layout of the streets
and the commercialism of the town is proof of its
chaotic growth.
The street that runs along the beach, Tran Phu, is
wide and heavily transited. On the beach side of
Tran Phu Road there is a lovely and expansive
promenade that includes several bayside
restaurants, parks, sitting areas, elegant resorts
and a water park. The other side of Phu Road is
primarily has hotels, restaurants, the Pasteur
Institute and two museums.
The beach is expansive and wide, water on the
bay is wave-less and the sand is yellowish and
course. Most visitors spent the day on rented a
lounge chair under a palm hut in front of the Sailing
Club or the Louisiana Brewery taking in the sun.
Most of the trendy shops, restaurants, hotels and
bars are spread around a four-block radius across
from the beach. There isn't much to need to
venture far from this area. There are shops selling
all the basic necessities including the small A-1
Mart supermarket at 17A Biet Thu Road that sells
imported western goods such as European
chocolates, Italian pastas and Muesli. There is
also a larger supermarket at the corner of Yersin
and D Quang Trung at the traffic circle. It has a
combination of some western items and
Vietnamese.
Seafood is the specialty in Nha Trang. It is plentiful
and makeshift restaurants set up on the sidewalk
across from the beach to grill lobsters, shrimp and
any sea creature to your liking.
Local touts are present in the touristy area and
most are eager to get you into a restaurant or bar.
Just a few blocks away from the tourist area there
are several open markets (Cho), the closest is a
few blocks west of Nguyen Thien Thauat, between
To Hien Thank and Ngo Gia Ty Rds. This is a large
covered market with small shop stalls and vendor
stands selling fresh vegetables, fruit, packed
goods such as cookies crackers, candy, coffee,
tea and all the basic sundries.
Places I would recommend in Nha Trang are the
Louisiane Brewery and Omar's Indian Food. The
Louisiane Brewery is compound on the beach next
to the Sailing Club. It is a well-run outfit with a
lovely location on the water. The restaurant/bar is
nice to look at and it has every amenity a traveler
would want such as a billiards table, poolside
dining, bar, restaurant, deli, bakery, swimming
pool, and lounge chairs set up along the beach
under a palm palapa.
Guests can enjoy all the facilities, including the
super, clean restrooms, for the price of a soda.
We could hang here all day and the uniformed staff
are very relaxed and don't put any pressure or
limitations on a guests' visit.
We also enjoyed dining at Omar's Indian
restaurant at in the touristy area. Every dish we
tried at Omar's was spectacular and the service is
impeccable and very professional. The restaurant
all does home/hotel delivery for free.
Slept - La Swiss Hotel
Cost - $22.00 High season Tet Celebration prices
Location - 34 Tran Quang Kahi St. Central area,
close to restaurants and market and one block
from the beach.
Amenities - Nicely decorated room, a bit small with
one double bed and one single, small window,
table two chairs, closet, T/V with two English
Channels and mini-bar. En suite bath with tub and
shower, hot water and a/c (much needed). Beds
are very comfortable. Breakfast is included a la
carte, but served in the cramped lobby. Not the
ideal setting. Drawbacks include a sewage smell
from the bathrooms, room are cleaned between
1-5 p.m. just as we were coming back from the
beach to shower for dinner.
Bikes are locked inside the lobby in the evening
and locked in front of the hotel during the day. We
did have problems with the bikes being moved
around and not locked.
Other accommodations in town - There are
numerous guesthouses, hotels and resorts for
everyone. We have noticed the newer hotels have
more competitive prices and the rooms are in
better condition.
Most accommodations include free internet, free
bike use and free breakfast. It is wise to shop
around and look at the rooms.