Na Thrang

Travel Stories - Vietnam

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The Sailing Club

After a few weeks in China and North Vietnam, I am ready for a few days at the beach; do nothing and relax. I chose Na Thrang for this beach resort exactly between my last destination Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. I arrived in the morning and found a nice beachhouse-hostel just behind the beach which is a lot cheaper and I check in.

I came here with two other tourists who put their bags down and are planning through to Ho Chi Minh City late at night. Together we go to the beach and while the boys fall asleep under a palm tree I go back to my room to refresh myself. In the evening the French ladies (which we met in Hoi An) also arrive and with the five of us we drink a small glass. We say goodbye to the men and the female company invites me to a party in the Sailing Club for my birthday.

First I can choose something toe at from the menu at their expense and then we take another drink. After our bite we get up from our table and people start to dance. It gets busier and cozier and we stick to the early morning hours.

Cham or beach

In the morning when I wake up with a little headache it is already quite late to do something and I do not know if I feel like doing something “big” today. Plan was actually to visit one of the Buddhist temples but can skip this because I have seen similar in My Son close to Hoi An.

I fall back on my bed and start to read in my travelguide about the religion in Vietnam which is mainly Buddhist. In Na Thrang you will therefore find the necessary Buddhist structures such as the Thap Ba Cham Temple, dedicated to the Buddhist priest Ponagar. Or the Long Son Pagoda with the beautiful 14 meter high white Buddha.

This is partly a monument erected for a number of monks who burned themselves as a protest against the Diem regime during the Vietnam War. Traces of the Kingdom of Champa can also be found. This people, who settled in central Vietnam from the year 200, dominated this area until the 10th century. The roots of this people are Indonesian, the Cham were partly Buddhist and partly Hindu. Nha Trang was the last city that remained in the hands of the Cham for a long time, so there are many buildings from this period, especially in this area. I decide after some reading up to go to the beach with a girl I met at the hostel.

My bag is in her room and she can take a shower there; I'm going to Ho Chi Minh City tonight with the nightbus and I’m not looking forward.

tips & advice (2002)

The main bus station of Na Thrang is the Lien Tinh bus station in the west of the city, 500 meters from the train station. The city is an important transport hub and you can almost any means of transport throughout the country.

Na Thrang - Ho Chi Minh City: there are countless buses a day (including overnight) to HCMC. This takes about 11 hours and costs about 130,000d.

The Sailing Club was once the creme-de-la-creme of Na Thrang where the legend is that people of their boats, via the beach entered the club and stayed till late at night or in the morning. These times are over but the Sailing Club is still a perfect place, strategically located, and great for a night out with local and tourists.

Na Thrang

Travel Stories - Vietnam

The Sailing Club

Cham or beach

tips & advice (2002)

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