mlchad147
- Apr 21
- 5 min read

April 21, 2024–Nha Trang, Vietnam

Vietnam. I hardly knew what to expect, given this country’s turbulent history and America’s part in shaping that history. What is this communist country like (almost) fifty years after the war, and how would our overwhelmingly American passengers be received? I had done some research and attended an excellent onboard enrichment lecture, but all of that only goes so far. It was time to see for myself, and what I saw was fascinating.

Let me answer the second question first, because the answer is easy. We were received with open arms, and there wasn’t the slightest bit of animosity exhibited anywhere we went. Most Vietnamese were born after the war, and it really doesn’t factor into their daily lives. At one of our stops today I saw paintings of Thomas Edison, Ernest Hemingway, and Marilyn Monroe right alongside paintings of Che Guevara and other communist heroes. For most Vietnamese the war is behind them and they’re moving on with their lives. It probably didn’t hurt that our first of two Vietnamese ports of call was at one of the country’s top tourist destinations, which brings me to our day in Nha Trang, so let’s get started.

Nha Trang is a city of 500,000 packed around one of the world’s prettiest horseshoe shaped harbors. Almost all of that curved shoreline is beach, a really nice beach that goes on for what seems like two or three miles. All along that beach are parks, restaurants and beach clubs, while across the street are high rise hotels, malls and shopping centers, and office buildings. Privately owned and operated businesses, both large and small, are everywhere, and seem to be thriving.

Vietnam’s official position is that it has a socialist-oriented market economy, a concession that it has not yet achieved socialism, but is building the basis for full blown socialism at some point in the future. What I saw was all-in successful capitalism and an implicit admission that socialism doesn’t work. Put all that together and the result is that Nha Trang is a great beach town, one that any westerner would feel very comfortable in, and a place I liked a lot.

Our first stop was at the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, a research center established in 1923, which has a large exhibit area with live and preserved ocean creatures. It was fun to walk through, and I was blown away by a skeleton of a humpback whale. We know they’re big, but until you stand next to one and marvel at the size of their bones, you can’t truly appreciate just how big they are.

Our next stop was at Po Nagar, a Cham temple that dates back more than 1200 years. The brick temple, which is perched on a hill overlooking the bay, is Buddhist, and is dedicated to Yan Po Nagar, the goddess of the country. The temple is especially prized since many of Vietnam’s other temples were destroyed by American bombing, primarily in 1969, when the Viet Cong were believed to be using them for military purposes. The temple is elegant, and in good shape considering its age. The grounds are also nice, and I really enjoyed our time there.

From the temple it was a short drive to Nha Trang Center and a complete change of pace, as we were dropped off at a modern shopping mall and given some free time to poke around and do some shopping. Our favorite shop was up on the third floor, where we found a minimart of sorts, where we scored some miniature Snickers bars, a couple cans of Vietnamese coffee, and a few other odds and ends. As we found in China and Japan, the dollar is very strong right now, and we have been purchasing items for considerably less than they would cost at home.

We still had two more stops to make on our busy day, and the next one was at a large beachfront restaurant, where we each got a free drink (I chose a local beer), and had time to order a meal if we so chose. Most of us opted to spend our time there enjoying the marvelous beach. This is probably a good time to point out that it’s really hot here in late April. It was bright and sunny all day, very humid, and according to my weather app the temperature hit 95. Wow. Fortunately almost all of our stops today were close to the beach, which was blessed with a strong breeze blowing in off the bay, so a day that could have been insufferable was merely really hot.

Tearing ourselves away from the beach and that wonderful breeze we boarded the bus for the trip to our final destination of the day, the Lang Nghe Truong Son craft village. On more than one occasion on this cruise we’ve stopped at craft villages that were little more than a collection of souvenir shops, but this one was different. This center is home to true artisans and craftsmen and women who are highly skilled in their traditional Vietnamese arts and crafts, and we got to watch them work. Whether it was sand painting, wood carving, guitar making or weaving the traditional Vietnamese conical hats, these artisans were really talented, and they were more than welcoming as we watched and took photos.

That was it for our long, hot day in Nha Trang, and while I really enjoyed it, I was very happy to get back to our air conditioned ship, where I could cool off, shower, get something to eat, and prepare for an even longer, hotter day tomorrow in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). The weatherman says it’s going to be 99 degrees, and I don’t think we’ll have the benefit of an ocean breeze. I’ll be toting two bottles of water and a bottle of Powerade, which will hopefully keep me hydrated. Should be interesting, so be sure to check back, as I’ll tell you all about it if I don’t melt.

Gorgeous fish sculpture outside the Oceanographic Institute.

Clownfish. Anyone see Dory?

They had a healthy collection of sharks.

If you’re ever in Nha Trang, the Oceanographic Institute is worth a visit.

Quick shot of some boats anchored near the Oceanographic Institute.

There are a LOT of communist flags and national flags flying all around Nha Trang, as if trying to remind the residents of who’s running things among all that robust capitalism.