Pure Vietnam Beauty & Spa Nha Trang Blog

This blog is primarily used to showcase some of the community work we do in and around Nha Trang. Thanks to our staff and customers who help make this happen. We will also from time to time, post some of the great street food available in Nha Trang as well as a few off the tourist map places to go.

A few of the things we have done and places we have been to that are not listed in tourist brochures.

Lunch at Van Gia, north of Nha Trang

(Tiếng Việt bên dưới)

It was such a magnificent day and our friends last day of their holidays. We decided to go to Ninh Hoa for lunch. We got to a local fishing village at Luong Son and stopped to take some fantastic photos.

Ngày cuối cùng trong kỳ nghĩ dường của những người bạn đến từ Úc đã là một ngày trên cả tuyệt với. Chúng tôi quyết định chạy xe máy ra Ninh Hòa để ăn trưa. Chúng tôi đã đi qua làng cá ở Lương Sơn, tất nhiên cả đoàn đã không quên dừng lại và chụp ảnh. 

 

We decided instead of Ninh Hoa lets go to Van Gia and sit on the beach and eat Banh Mi for their last lunch. The countryside was sensational.

Chúng thay đổi quyết định thay vì đi Ninh Hòa chúng tôi sẽ chạy xe máy thêm một đoạn nữa là đến Vạn Giã, nơi đây chúng tôi có thể ngồi trên biển và ăn bánh mì - bữa ăn cuối của những người bạn tôi nơi đất khách quê người.

Of course we saw a funny motorbike shot. They were carrying glass and it was so clean it was hard to see what they were carrying.

Hình ảnh hai người đàn ông đang chở một tấm kiếng chính giữa. Phải đến gần thì chúng tôi mới phát hiện ra đó là một tấm kiếng vì nó trong và khó nhận biết từ xa.

This lady was making new fishing nets.

Hình ảnh người phụ nữ đang đan lưới.

Lunch was tasty as always and what could be better than sitting on the beach.

Còn điều gì tuyệt với hơn khi được ngồi trên biển chưa kể đến là thúc ăn ở đây rất ngon.

It was all just one hour north of Nha Trang. I highly recommend getting out and about. The country side is sensational.

Nơi đây chỉ cách xa thành phố Nha Trang một giờ đồng hồ. Tôi thấy chúng ta nên đi thăm thú xung quanh. Phong cảnh vùng nông thôn thật là mang lại cảm giác dễ chịu đến lạ thường. 

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Going for a ride to Ta Gu Falls

A friend of ours comes from a village in the mountains 3 hours from Nha Trang and was telling us about some beautiful waterfalls near her home.

Tôi có một người bạn của chúng tôi đến từ một ngôi làng nhỏ nằm tận sâu trong núi, nói này cách Nha Trang tầm 3 tiếng chạy xe máy. Cô kể cho chúng tôi về thác nước tuyệt với gần nhà cô.

We decided that we would go for the day while our friends were visiting from Australia.

Chúng tôi quyết định sẽ đến nhà cô tham quan đi cùng lần này là bạn tôi,một cặp vợ chồng đến từ Úc

Map of Ta Gu

There were a few of us.

group photo on bikes

The ride up was spectacular. The mountain range is beautiful and the twisty road is in good condition.

Đường chạy xe lên nơi này thật là ngoạn mục. Các dãy núi nối tiếp nhau rất đẹp kết hợp cùng những con đường quanh co, tất cả khung cảnh thật tuyệt đẹp.

two roads

We went to our friends home to pick up some chicken and then stopped at a little road side stall to buy salad.

Loan's family group shot

roadside stall

Along the way we stopped to buy some drinks and a water buffalo was making his way past. My husband decided that he might need a hand getting up the hill.

Trên đường đi chúng tôi dừng lại để tìm thức uống, một chiếc xe kéo, được kéo bởi một con trâu nước đi qua. Chồng tôi đã ngày lên chiếc xe kéo đó, đi nhờ một đoạn lên đồi.

water buffolo water buffolo

There were coffee beans drying everywhere. Some of them are by the roadside and on tarps drying in the sun.

Nơi này người ta phơi hạt cafe khắp nơi. Một số thậm chí còn được phơi ở ngay trên mặt đường.

coffee beans coffee beans

The falls were spectacular. It was a bit of a challenge for us oldies to get up to the main water fall but a bit of water a few slippages and lots of laughter and we all made it. Luckily the chicken made it and didn't get spilled.

Thác mước mà chúng tôi được tham quan thật sự ngoại mục. Hơi thử thách cho những người lớn tuổi như chúng tôi phải trèo lên các thác nước, và thác nước chính là nói khó chinh phục nhất, nhưng tất cả chúng tôi đều đã làm được với rất nhiều tiếng cười.

waterfalls waterfalls

There was a group of young people who came along after. Of course they got in with no problem.

Hôm đó còn có một nhóm người cùng leo lên thác ngay sau chúng tôi. Tất nhiên họ leo lên đây dễ dàng hơn chúng tôi.

group getting to waterfalls

After we had eaten our fill and relaxed we left to go back to our friends home. Her parents have this wonderful home and her father is a carpenter and he has made the house. It is so peaceful here.

Sau khi đã ăn trưa no và thư giãn ở thác một lúc, chúng tôi quay về lại nhà của cô bạn tôi. Gia đình cô đã có một ngôi nhà thật tuyệt đẹp nơi này, ba cô là thợ mộc và ông là người đã xây lên ngôi nhà. Khỏi phải nói là trông ngôi nhà và khung cảnh xung quanh nơi đây rất là yên bình.

cooking food

eating

On the way back down the mountain we were a little camera happy. We came upon these ladies returning home after working.

Trên đường về mọi người đã thi nhau làm mặt tếu để chụp ảnh. Chúng tôi đi theo những người phụ nữ đã làm xong việc và đang trên đường đi về nhà.

walking ladies

lady returning from work

These children were swimming and trying to catch some fish in a local waterway.

Mấy đứa nhỏ đang bơi và bắt cá trên con sông nhỏ trong làng.

children children swimming

We arrived back in Nha Trang at 6pm. A little sore, tired but very happy. It was a great day!

chúng tôi về lại Nha Trang lúc 6h tối. Hơi mệt và mỏi chút xíu nhưng chúng tôi rất vui. Quả là một ngày tuyệt với cho tất cả chúng tôi!

view

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Going for a ride to Ninh Van

A friend of ours had invited us to visit her home town of Ninh Van. This is a ninety minute motorbike ride from Nha Trang up Highway one. You turn in to Vinashin and then go down the coast road.

The view as you go over the mountains to Ninh Van is spectacular.

View of Ninh Van View of Ninh Van

Gates into the city of Ninh Van

The streets are wide and clean. There is a naturally sheltered bay here. The main economy for the town is shallots and fishing.

clean wide streets Safe Harbor

preparing the fishing nets New nets

We went to our friends parents place for lunch. One of the girls climbed a coconut tree to get fresh coconuts for us to drink. We had the best chicken and rice. Her parents grow so many different vegetables. We sat around an old coconut tree that had been cut down and we used it as a table. It was great.

sitting around drinking coconut Cooking Hut

Home sweet home

After lunch we went to a local bay where the water was crystal clear and you could see little snails and shells in the water. Everyone was on hammocks rocking in the breeze just relaxing.

Local Bay Shell in the water

It was a wonderful day. We kept a head of the rain, got a little sunburnt and met some lovely people.

 

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Going for a ride on the bike near Lien Sang

Sunday was such a beautiful day that we couldn't help but go for a ride. We decided to go via some back roads up to Lien Sang. This is about an hour west of Nha Trang on the road to Dalat.

The countryside was beautiful. After all of the recent rains everything was so green. It looked like a giant patchwork quilt in greens.

patchwork of Green on the hills

We stopped for lunch and then a drink beside a beautiful river. It was quite shallow but there were people down further swimming. many people seemed to use this place to stop at.

river

After lunch we decided to explore around the village of Lien Sang. This is quite a poor village but everyone was so friendly. The children were all saying hello and laughing and smiling.

Children of Lien Sang Young Boy in Lien Sang

Some of the houses here are really basic but the yards are impeccable. The pigs wander around. I'm unsure how they tell who's who's unless they are communal.

House in Lien Sang House in Lien Sang

Local shop in Lien Sang

We went up in the hills behind the village and found a couple of bridges that the kids were jumping off of and cooling down.

local children Children jumping off bridge

There was a lovely suspension bridge in further and someone has been to a lot of trouble to make a tourist attraction alongside the stream.

suspension bridge

eco tourism

On the way back on the main road we came across some boys delivering fresh Bee's wax.

Fresh Bee's wax

A recycling man.

Recycling Man Recycling Man 2

We had to stop for the cows to move.

Cows

When we got closer to Nha Trang we came upon the farmers preparing the fields for the upcoming rice crop.

Preparing the rice fields Preparing the rice fields 2

Preparing the rice fields 3

All up we were out and about for around six hours. It was a great day seeing the real Vietnam reminding us of how beautiful this country is.

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Hon Chong

 

Hon Chon is a collection of rocks that form a Promontory just off Tran Phu Street. It is over the bridge away from the tourist area in the north. It is only about 7 minutes away from Thap Ba Ponagar so it makes sense to combine these two attractions if you are going to go.

Hon Chong Promontory Hon Chong Fairy Bay

You can climb around on the rocks but once you start getting out to the Promonatory you might get ushered back by the guards as they want you to go to the top of the hill and pay a small fee of 22 000 VND to access the area. You do also get to go through a room with artifacts. The landscape is very beautiful. There are two coffee shops. I know some of my friends with children prefer the bottom coffee shop so their children can access the beach and rocks but I prefer the top one as the views and breeze I think are far superior. It is very easy to sit here and waste an hour or two at a very cheap price.

View from top coffee shop Hon Chong

There are local legends surrounding this area. There is a meant to be a hand print on one of the giant boulders out the front of the Chon promontory. In comparison to other places there is almost no tourists.

About 300m south of Hon Chong (towards Nha Trang) is tiny Hon Do (Red Island), which has a Buddhist temple on top. To the northeast is Hon Rua (Tortoise Island), which really does resemble a tortoise. The two islands of Hon Yen (Bird’s-Nest Island) are off in the distance to the east.

The area here is called Fairy bay. The water is calmer than at Nha Trang Beach. You can sometimes see men using fishing nets around the rocks and on most mornings there are a few fishing boats that pull in and off load their catch and sort it on the beach. Great photo opportunities but around 6 – 8 am depending on the weather and their catch.

Fairy Bay fishermen Fairy Bay Beach

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