1 Nha Trang beach
A few kilometres north of Cam Ranh Bay, where US naval forces were stationed in the 1970s, sits Nha Trang, an archetypal sleepy coastal town that's sprouted from a fishing village. The village of old is now served by an international airport 45 minutes away by road; flights from Hong Kong, with Cathay Pacific or Vietnam Airlines, operate via Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Nha Trang's prize draw is a long sweep of pristine, postcard-perfect beach. Six kilometres of gently curving bay lined with fine powdery white sand is what first brought tourists to this central Vietnamese dot on the coast. The sea is generally calm and the water clear, and the sights and sounds of water sports such as wakeboarding and jet-skiing are nowhere to be seen or heard - yet. Accommodation ranges from five-star seaview villas to modest 'mini hotels' in town, where rooms can be had from US$10 a night. The southern tip of the beach fills up with families and teenage moped-riders, who hang out there well into the night. The eagerness of some teens to practise English, combined with the fact that they are strangers and it is dark, means this is not the best stretch for moonlit strolls.
2 Boat trips, snorkelling and diving
Although not directly off the main beach, there are good snorkelling and reasonable diving to be had in clear, clean waters that are home to colourful fish and coral, mainly off small nearby islands. A handful of tour operators in town, such as Khan Hoa Tourism (1 Tran Hung Dao; tel: [84] 058 822 753), offer boat trips lasting up to a full day with lunch thrown in. Prices start at about US$15 a person for half a day's snorkelling, including hire of gear. Prices fluctuate according to group numbers and time of year (July and August are peak season, dive operations close in November and December for the local rainy season). Five-star hotels offer exclusive marine escapes that can include a drop off at an uninhabited island with a picnic and snorkelling equipment, with collection at sunset.
3 Po Nagar Temple complex
Sections of this ancient Cham-era ruin date back to the 7th and 12th centuries. The largest of the four remaining towers was built in honour of Po Nagar, also known as Lady Thien Y-ana, or Goddess Mother; she spent part of her life teaching weaving and agricultural skills. The 22.5-metre tower contains a statue of her sitting cross-legged on Buddha's throne. The central coastal plain is one of the few areas in Vietnam where Hinduism made inroads, and the remaining towers are dedicated to different gods. That built for Cri Cambhu has become a fertility temple much visited by childless couples.