Johnmango

Will be going to Vietname and Cambodia for a 3-week trip this Fall.

We want to stay a couple of nights between Hue and Saigon, at either Nha Trang or Phan Thiet. It appears that both are "beach towns", and the hotels are these 2 places seem to be more expensive than other Vietname cities like Hue.

Does anyone have experience to share or recommend which place may be better? we love nice beaches but are not the type to lie under the sun and bake. We may do some swimming, snokeling (if available), kayaking, hiking. Can anyone gives some pros and cons of each place if you don't mind sharing? Thanks.

crellston

Haven't been to Phan Tiet but we did spend a week at the Ana Mandara in Nha Trang a few years ago. A fine hotel on a nice beach with other beaches (and islands) close by. We went there mainly for the dving which was pretty good. The only negative that I recall was that teh wind really blew every afternoon which is a bit of a problem if you want to lie on the beach. Some good hikes out in the countryside and most places will rent you a bike or motorbike. We also hired a boat and went upriver at sunset which took us right into the countryside. Don't expect a small town as there has been a tremendous amont of development in NT in recent years.

crellston

Haven't been to Phan Tiet but we did spend a week at the Ana Mandara in Nha Trang a few years ago. A fine hotel on a nice beach with other beaches (and islands) close by. We went there mainly for the dving which was pretty good. The only negative that I recall was that teh wind really blew every afternoon which is a bit of a problem if you want to lie on the beach. Some good hikes out in the countryside and most places will rent you a bike or motorbike. We also hired a boat and went upriver at sunset which took us right into the countryside. Don't expect a small town as there has been a tremendous amont of development in NT in recent years.

crellston

Haven't been to Phan Tiet but we did spend a week at the Ana Mandara in Nha Trang a few years ago. A fine hotel on a nice beach with other beaches (and islands) close by. We went there mainly for the dving which was pretty good. The only negative that I recall was that teh wind really blew every afternoon which is a bit of a problem if you want to lie on the beach. Some good hikes out in the countryside and most places will rent you a bike or motorbike. We also hired a boat and went upriver at sunset which took us right into the countryside. Don't expect a small town as there has been a tremendous amont of development in NT in recent years.

paigeTN

We were in Phan Thiet/Mui Ne in 12/07. It's a very, very small town, with one main street, some nice hotels, friendly people, famous for kitesurfing and the sand dunes. There wasn't much going on at night. We enjoyed it a lot, stayed at Mui Ne Sailing Club (highly recommend it), rented a motorcycle and rode around a couple of days into Phan Thiet town, and rented bicycles one day. If I remember correctly, it's 3-4 hrs from Saigon, we hired a private car/driver from Saigon airport. If you want a party scene and lots going on, you should go to Nha Trang. Hope this helps.