Nha Trang Tourist Traps

itS a Shop for T-shirt's and another clothes . i' ve spend 600 000 for 2 T-shirt's and i found exactly
the same T-shirt's in Saigon for 80 000 ! Of course without Bambou logo . They bay cheap stuff somwhere in Asia , call it french Design and sell it overpriced !

Fun Alternatives: the Dam Market is a good Place to find a good souvenir , noisy but real Vietnam !

Our charming hotel tour operator in Ho Chi Minh recommended that we take the overnight train to Nha Trang in a '5 star' cabin and enjoy a complimentary dinner while taking in the stunning views.

The cabin was a small prison cell which we shared with an extended family of cockroaches.

Dinner was a funky tasting bottle of water and a rancid hotdog which consequently lead me to take in the stunning view of the toilet which I spent much of the night pebbledashing.

Get the plane.

We went on a 'Island hopping trip' for $7 that promised snorkelling and exploring the 4 local islands.

It was more a poor attempt at an 18-30 cruise from the 1980's! For a start you dont get anywhere near the islands and you wouldnt want to as a lot of construction work is being done everywhere. and the beaches were just stones

The life vests they provide fly off when you hit the water, nearly drowning me and many more that found out the hard way. Add to the fact that there is so many boats in the area it's very dangerous. Several people (me included) near got trapped between 2 boats as they moved close to each other.

The 3rd island... was promised as a 'water park' all lies.

20,000 Dong is demanded of you as soon as you walk 10 feet down the peir and there is nothing there apart from crap for sale and people demanding 25,000 Dong to sit on deck chair! The 'beach' was all rocks and rubbish was laying everywhere

The last island was a an aqaurium. 25,000 Dong again. I didnt even bother getting off the boat.

I was hoping for sun kissed islands and snorkelling like in Phuket, Thailand. What i got was mutton dressed up as lamb.

Save the money and avoid this mess

Unique Suggestions: Stay on the boat if you cant swin

Fun Alternatives: Stay on the main beach at Nha Trang, its free and much cleaner

Where ever we went people tried to sell us tours to Monkey Island but we'd heard from other travellers that it wasn't very nice especially if you kind of like animals. They have a monkey circus and you can go feed the elephants and monkeys. Its takes an hour by boat to get there and then another hours back so you're looking at 3 hrs in total. Quite frankly there are better things to do with your time and money.

Commission isn't a bad thing unless people are just downright dishonest about it. In the Hanh Cafe, their 'no commission' on train tickets turned out to be huge. First they added a 15% insurance (?!?!), then a 10% tax (?!?). At least the other places opposite the crossroads near the Hanh Cafe were honest about what they charged.

Fun Alternatives: They speak excellent English in the train station and charge no commission!!

Be careful with the trickshaw drivers in Nha Trang. They are more agressive here than anywhere else in Vietnam and from my experience, will try to rip you off. If you do use them, be sure you are extremely clear on what you are agreeing on price-wise, and if they try to claim you owe them more, stand your ground.

By the time you get to Nha Trang, you will be fully aware of the postcard sellers. But at the Big Buddha, they have turned guilt and selling postcards into an artform.

They will attach themselves to you and guide you around the rather small complex then at the end hit you up for an obscene donation to help keep the Buddhist school on the site running. Of course it is open to negotiation but they are hardened and very good at making puppy dog eyes at you.

Unique Suggestions: Give them a small donation or give it directly to the monks not the kids.

Generally getting rides around Vietnam on the back of a honda dream is a really fun way to see the country- but we found the moped drivers in Nha Trang to be rip off merchants, albeit charismatic ones. When we get to our destination our drivers tried to charge us 5times the going rate (and because they'd hung around waiting for us without us asking them to!)

Unique Suggestions: Be solid on how much you are paying before setting off. Most drivers are friendly and knowledgeable.

Fun Alternatives: Hire your own moped- the roads in most places outside Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi are quiet and local kids see you as film stars!