Nha Trang

So we went to Da Lat. Da Lat is in the Central Highlands, our bus climbed windy (motion-sickness inducing for several people on our bus) curvy roads for hours to get there. While Da Lat sounded great in the guidebook and really inviting, we didn't stay as long as planned. The milder temperatures sounded refreshing but it was downright COLD - dreary and grey, like Vancouver in November.

It's really pretty in Da Lat, but everything to see of interest is really spread out and the best way to see everything is by motorbike tour, and in the drizzly chilly rain we couldn't muster up much enthusiasm. So we stayed a day and continued to Nha Trang.

(By the way, the tourist-class buses in Vietnam are awesome, over air-conditioned to FREEZING temperatures, but comfortable and efficient. Courtesy neck pillows and bottles of water and pee breaks every hour and a half.

Nha Trang is a pretty crazy city...now that we're here it sort of feels like how I imagine Florida beach towns to be, only... in Vietnam. Lots of Asian tourists, fewer backpackers, lots of hotels, a lot of party culture. Sounds lame, no? Well, admittedly our first impression wasn't great, but as the day has gone by we're more excited. The beach is astonishingly beautiful, and the draw of Nha Trang is that it's the kickoff point for no less than 71 magnificent tiny islands for snorkeling and diving, with little or no development on them. Boat trips are very affordable and Nha Trang is considered one of the best value places for PADI certification in the world, in terms of cost and and quality/health of the coral reefs. So we'll stay for a bit. Maybe do our scuba courses. We're settled into a great, cozy hostel with all kinds of perks, a block from the beach. We'll do a few boat trips and maybe our scuba courses.

It certainly doesn't have the undeveloped charm of Koh Chang, but we'll withhold judgment until we see some of these islands a few kilometers offshore. The water here is clear as gin.