[tintuc]
THINGS TO DO IN PHAN RANG – THAP CHAM
THINGS
TO DO IN NINH THUAN - ACTIVITIES
The beach is the main
attraction, and choosing the right place to stay is very important if your goal
is to have quality beach time. The resorts have private beach rights allowing
them to keep non-guests away from guests. It also motivates the resorts to keep
their beach clean. However, only Bau Truc and Saigon Tourist-Ninh Chu do it
consistently. Beaches in front of the other resorts can accumulate garbage from
the locals who come to the bay in the morning and evenings.
Waking up for sunrise
is highly recommended and may be a highlight of your trip to Vietnam. Get to
the beach before 5:30 AM with a towel to sit and watch what seems like the
entire city of Phan Rang doing their daily exercising/socializing in front of a
beautiful sunrise. You will also see many of the traditional round boats out in
the bay as the fisherman collect their daily catch.
The hundreds of locals
mysteriously disappear around 8:00 AM and the beach is all yours until the
evening. If you have traveled to other popular beach locations in Vietnam, you
will notice im/mediately that nobody will come and try to sell you trinkets in
Ninh Chu Bay. In fact, during the daytime you may not see anyone on the beach.
If you love to wind
surf or kite surf, then Ninh Chu Bay is a paradise. A consistent, strong wind
begins blowing before noon and lasts until the evening. Jet skis and motorboats
are still unknown, leaving just a few fishing boats as the competition. As of
now, none of the resorts rent equipment, however. If you feel like exploring,
behind the Saigon Tourist Hotel and within walking distance from the center of
the bay, is a hill with several temples and pagodas. Pathways make it easy for
visitors to walk up to the statues among the hills and look out over the area.
It is a very peaceful place.
Thap Cham is the
location of two of the most famous Cham temples. The most popular is Po Klong
Garai, which was built in the 13th century and is still an active site for Cham
celebrations. Unlike many old ruins, the government has recently renovated the
attraction and it is kept in good shape.
If you want to take a
day trip, the most popular attraction for the Vietnamese tourists is near-by
Vinh Hy Bay. Vinh Hy is a small fishing village about 30 kilometers north of
Ninh Chu Bay. Your resort can arrange for you to catch a bus. Once in Vinh Hy,
you can take a boat tour to some of the nearby islands and the deserted beaches
of the Ninh Thuan coast. Before the new coastal highway was built, these
beaches were only accessible by boat.
You also can visit : Bau Truc pottery village, Grapery Garden or Cham brocade
weaving village, Take photos with a herd of sheep on a gigantic hill, sand
dunes.
THINGS
TO DO IN NINH THUAN - EATING
Your dining options
are fairly limited, but they are also pretty god. Of course Vietnamese style
seafood is the main attraction. The Sakaya Restaurant at the Bau Truc Resort is
highly recommended. The restaurant is open air and located on the beach, unlike
many of the other resort dining options. The food is relatively inexpensive
with most dishes being around $4 and a beer costing $1. Stick with the
Vietnamese dishes and stay away from their attempts at western food.
If your resort has a
large group of loud Vietnamese tourists, then another excellent option is the
beach bar at the Saigon Tourist-Ninh Chu Hotel. It is usually very quiet and
you can order any of the dishes from the main restaurant.
Phan Rang is also
famous for its chicken and rice. The dish is fairly simple, just boiled
chicken, rice, and a spicy fish sauce. You can find this dish in many of the
local restaurants around Phan Rang.
THINGS TO DO IN NINH THUAN - ENTERTAINMENT
THINGS TO DO IN NINH THUAN - ENTERTAINMENT
Phan Rang does not
have any nightlife fitting for foreign tourists, yet. If bars and discos are
your thing, then Nha Trang or Mui Ne are more appropriate locations. That
doesn’t mean there is nothing to do at night, though. Check out 16 April Park
to experience a side of Vietnam that not everybody sees.
Hundreds of locals
gather around the park to eat street food, drink beer, and chat. It is safe and
you will be left alone to enjoy the cool evenings. The park is located between
the beach and Phan Rang city.
THINGS
TO DO IN NINH THUAN - GETTING AROUND
In general, it
is not safe for foreigners to rent motorbikes in Vietnam. Phan Rang might be
the exception, as the roads near the beach are wide and empty. Most resorts can
rent one to you for about $7/day. We still recommend a taxi or bus if you plan
on visiting the Cham Temples or Vinh Hy Bay. If you stay at a resort in the
center of the bay, you can walk along the beach or the road lining the beach
for some light exploring. Taxis are easy to find and Mai Linh Taxi and Phan
Rang Taxi have meters.
ISSUES
AND CONCERNS
The biggest factor
that can negatively affect your vacation to Ninh Thuan is if a large group of
Vietnamese stay in your resort. Ask the receptionist when you check in if they
expect a large group and ask for a room that is away from them. These company or
school trips are usually accompanied by an tour guide/MC with a microphone and
large speakers. A banquet with entertainment and karaoke can make dining at the
restaurant impossible. If this happens, try going to the beach bar at the
Saigon Tourist-Ninh Chu Hotel. Have some beer, good seafood, and relax while
listening to the waves. Another option is to go to your restaurant, order, and
have them deliver dinner to your balcony. The groups typically go to Vinh Hy
Bay for most the day or they move on to another destination. Daytimes at the
resorts are almost always quiet and peaceful.
Phan Rang is not Ho
Chi Minh City or even Nha Trang when it comes to service. Many of the staff
speak English, but you are far more likely to have to point to the menu
(written in English), and ask the receptionist to tell your taxi driver where
you are going than in the more popular tourist destinations. You should keep
your expectations low for any spa treatments from the local resorts.
The beaches are
separated from town, so there are not a lot of convenience stores around, yet.
It is possible to find some convenience store items nearby, but if your plan is
to stock up on groceries, you may want to take a taxi to the Co-op Mart near
Phan Rang.
CONCLUSION
Ninh Thuan Province is
very much like the eye of a storm. To the south are the bars and crowds of Mui
Ne and Phan Thiet. To the west is the increasingly popular mountain city of
Dalat. To the north is the beach city of Nha Trang. If you are looking to step
out of the storm that is Vietnam tourism and see what Vietnam is like when
foreign tourists are not present, then maybe you should try Ninh Thuan
Province. You might want to hurry, though, as this hidden gem is becoming
discovered.