Nha Trang, Vietnam

Nha Trang, pronounced Nah Chang, is a coastal city in Khanh Hoa province. The word Aia Trang which was a Cham province got pronounced by Vietnamese as Nha Trang. The place was called Kauthara during the Champa kingdom.

Its long beachline provides an excellent place for scuba diving, parasailing, lazing on beach.

clicked this picture on flight

Nha Trang International airport

tapioca dessert with moong paste filling and covered with tender coconut flakes

 

Trầm Hương Tower or the Agarwood tower:
In 2004, it was decided to built a tower in central Nha Trang. On 22nd December, 2008, this tower was officially inaugurated. The shape resembles an incense core with an incense burner at the top.

The six floor tower, has halls which promote tourism and business.

At the base of tower formation takes the form of waves

tower at night

The tower also serves as a lighthouse for people at sea.

laser formations of birds on tower at night

Vinpearl island far off

a pepper plant finds it way among other plants

Po Nagar Temple:

One of the most visited place in Nha Trang is Po Nagar temple by the side of Cai river.

Po Nagar temple

Nha Trang beach:

I have seen one of the cleanest beach in the region.

Nha Trang coastline

clean your feet before you leave the place

Throughout the beach, at regular intervals are sensor taps.

Instructions for people visiting the beach, most of the sign are self explanatory. No doubt the beach is so clean.

enjoying durian

park very close to the bridge

 Bust of Alexandre Yersin in the park

Alexandre Yersin was a Swiss-French bacteriologist. He discovered the bacillus responsible for bubonic plague. Vietnam was close to him and he considered Nha Trang his second home where he breathed his last in 1943.

 

Nha Trang City Hall:

performance outside Nha Trang City Hall

 

 

Night market:

How can one miss not going to night market when in the region?

dried mango paste

so many things to buy!

raffia bag

Sea food:

Being near the sea, a wide variety of sea food is enjoyed here.

selling lobster by roadside

Lobster farming is one of the important industry for people.

Apart from lobster, there are so many things to chose from...

cockles, oyster

crabs

Nha Trang treasury building

Mud bath:

One of the most relaxing is mud bath here. There are plenty of places and packages to chose from.

Very pleasant staff at the hotel

enjoyed and loved their company

smiling girls who made our stay at Nha Trang a very memorable one

 

Our stay at Nha Trang was very short, but something to remember. Wish could have extended my stay there.

Mud bath in Nha Trang

 Nha Trang is a place is one of the places, where a mud bath is a must. There are two or three places where you can enjoy a relaxing mud bath. A distance of 15 minutes drive from the city nestled against the back drop of mountains and trees is the I-resort.

Since, this was going to be my first experience of a mud bath, I was overly excited. Every step was something to look forward to.

Apart from mud bath, mineral water soaking, there are water slides, pools in which one can enjoy and have a great day.

On entrance was a pond with pink blooming lotus.

Tickets are bought before enjoying the services. Ha looking pretty in a sun hat :)

There is a choice where one can decide what to chose.

images of Buddha

This is the entrance from which we were taken in a golf cart for our first session of exfoliation.

Ticket price include towels, swimwear and a bottle of mineral water.

This is going to be the schedule for the day:

 

• choices of exfoliation to chose from: chocolate, coffee, sesame, match
• shower with warm salt water, change in shorts and into mud bath
• shower with salt water and into medicinal water
• change into your own set of clothes and have foot massage
• drink of lemon, pineapple, passion fruit and tomato
• pizza and pasta for dinner
  

Past pristine water falls which we were so tempting, we reached our first destination.

Everyone was given a locker in which we put our clothes, mobile phones, wallets. Jewelry also needs to put away. Wrapped in sarong we were escorted to a room where the girl massaged and exfoliated our body.

I chose sesame and my husband decided on chocolate. The paste is warm and soothing on your body. The girls take time in massaging the paste. I almost dozed off :)

 

Massage and exfoliation finished, we had a warm salt water shower. The warm salt water removed all the traces of exfoliation paste stuck on the body. We then changed into shorts swimwear which was provided. Now was the exciting part.

 

Mud bath:

Tubs were filled with gushing warm muddy water. The temperature is ideally suited at 38-40 degrees Celsius. We were three girls so shared one tub. By the side of tubs are coconut shell ladles which are used for pouring the mud over your body. It is a nice feeling the skin smooth and silky. Sadly, one has to get out after 20 minutes.

The tubs are situated in tiers so as to give some privacy and also enjoy the beautiful view.

After rinsing off the mud water under warm salt water, the next step is soaking in another tub but this time is is a  medicinal or mineral bath.

Two pipes, one for mud water and the other for pouring medicinal water.

 

Mineral or medicinal bath:

The tubs were filled with tea colored herbal water. In fact, you can smell the herbs. There were herbal compress pads for each of us.

Thatched roof cover the tubs. These provide protection against the sun and rain.

After a warm salt water shower, we changed into our own clothes.

Are the mud baths beneficial for your body?

Whether it really helps you, I do not know but it definitely is very relaxing.

• Good for skin: The volcanic mud which is soft and has minerals helps to smooth skin. The mud feels nice and glides on the skin effortlessly.
• Relief from pain: The water is warm and temporarily helps joint and muscle pains.
• Relaxing: The warm medicinal water is relaxing.
• Improves circulation: The warm water apart from relaxing helps in circulation of blood.
• Detoxifying: Since, the water has minerals, it removes toxins from body. It is therefore advised not to soak for a longer period. Longer soaking will deplete salts from your body.

It was now time for a foot massage or a sauna. We opted for a foot massage.

Got into golf cart and were transported to spa where the girls gave us all a therapeutic foot massage.

foot massage

The bud bath had already relaxed us enough. The foot massage brought back the circulation in our legs.

After this, we were all starving and looking forward to dinner.

In order to get back on time, we skipped our dinner which was a choice between pizza and pasta but took a fruit drink each, choice of passion fruit, fresh lime, tomato, pineapple.

I decided on passion fruit, it was not outstanding but a drink after hot water was welcome.

There are shops at the entrance, in case, you are tempted to buy something :) Gifts and beauty products as their mud packs is tempting.

There are however, few things one needs to keep in mind before venturing for a mud bath.

• Some places give a change as a swim wear, one needs maximum exposure for the mud to act on body surface. In case, they do not give any change, get a wear which you may be discarding or is not in a good state.
• The mud may stain your clothes.
• Towels are usually provided.
  
• Check for any jewelry which you forgot to put in the locker.
• Avoid bath if you have any cuts or open wounds.
• Soak body for a comfortable time, people might become nauseous if they remain for a longer period. Though, one might not get a chance to extend the soaking time, the caretaker will ensure that you get out before the time is over.

Overall, it was a wonderful and relaxing experience.