From my last post about Saigon, I wrote that I had been motion-sick and miserable on the overnight train to Nha Trang, in addition to finding the train dirty and uncomfortable. I was definitely looking forward to brighter days in this beach town – and I was not disappointed. Look at that view…brighter days, indeed! We were ready for the final leg of our trip in Nha Trang and at the nearby Mia Resort.

It was still dark when we arrived in Nha Trang and departed the train station. We took a taxi to our hotel, knowing we would be unable to check in but hoping reception would be open so we could drop our luggage and find a coffee shop. Not only was the hotel open, but the staff was warm and welcoming to us, recommending we head to the beach to catch the sunrise. It was a beautiful sight and a great way to kick off our stay!

I was still feeling nauseated so we went to a coffee shop to get me some ginger tea. It took some time, but that fresh ginger eventually worked its magic and I felt more like myself. Sean did some research online and found a highly recommended day spa. Massages at 10am on a Monday? Yes, please! 

We hopped in a taxi and zipped over to the other side of town. The spa was small and quaint, with a long list of services. We settled on a package that included a full body scrub, aromatherapy or hot stones, shower, sauna and an hour massage. Guess how much that cost? $21 EACH! That would have cost $150 per person or more in the States. WIN!

And it was the perfect thing to do to wipe away the grossness and the stress of the train travel. The sauna and shower refreshed me and the massage relaxed all my muscles. We were given a sweet passionfruit juice at the end of our session and we were all smiles as we left.

We had a quick lunch at a Turkish restaurant that had been recommended on Foursquare, (but it was really nothing special) before checking into our hotel, The Summer Hotel. We were informed that our room had been upgraded to a suite and that there was a rooftop pool and restaurant. We headed up to check out the view – and were not disappointed. I loved seeing the colorful buildings surrounded by mountains that went right to the sea. 

Once in our room, we gathered our clothes and Sean took them down the street for washing. He picked up a nutella and strawberry crepe for me on his way back – yum! Then we took a nap – we’d already had a pretty great day but needed some rest.

I slept for a couple of hours and felt great when I woke up – and hungry! As this was our only night staying in the city, we wanted to be out on the town so we headed out for dinner. We saw several of the places that had made it onto my lists, like La Mancha, a tapas restaurant. We saw restaurants cooking fresh seafood right over grills on the sidewalk and there was a wonderfully fun and carefree vibe to the city. 

We finally decided to try Yen’s restaurant – another one of the restaurants on my list of researched places – and had to wait for a table. The host took us next door and sent us to the rooftop bar for a cocktail. There were nice city views and Sean and I had mojitos.

Inside the restaurant, we were seated on the second floor and passed a duo performing traditional Vietnamese music. The perfect setting!

The entire menu looked great – this woman-owned eatery specialized in traditional Vietnamese dishes with a slight twist. I wanted something on the “safer” side after my nausea so I opted for a bowl of spicy beef pho. I’ve not been the biggest pho fan – usually opting for bun dishes (cold noodles with meat and veggie toppings) at Vietnamese restaurants. However, I believe homemade broth can be quite healing so it’s what I got on this day.

While I ate many delicious and memorable things on our trip, this was the best. It’s not the best by a lot (some of the dishes in Bangkok are very close seconds) but it was SO GOOD that I’m still thinking about it. And it made me fall in love with pho – so much so that I’ve had it several times in the last two months since being back in Atlanta.

This bowl of pho had the best beef broth I’ve ever had – rich, spicy, and perfectly seasoned. The noodles were thicker than traditional pho and were homemade. I didn’t even add the sprouts and additional herbs to this bowl because it was so good the way it was. I would have gone back each day for the remainder of our stay and had this dish – but we had too many other places to try.

After dinner, we walked about 10 yards and spotted a sign for “Patrick Wine Bar.” The front was unassuming – a long tent – but we wandered curiously underneath it and through a front room that was a gallery with beautiful paintings. Beyond that was the cavernous, romantic space filled with glorious wine and cheer. Patrick was French, jovial and had built a wine list with hundreds of bottles of whites and reds and bubbles – ALL available by the glass. It was incredible.

We sat at the bar and let our curiosity dictate what to try, keeping in mind to get some nicer wines that we would never be able to have at a restaurant at home without buying the bottle (that would almost certainly be out of our price range). Sean had a 2005 Rioja that was wonderful and I had a couple different Bourdeauxs. There was live music playing in the background as we chatted with Patrick, who informed us we were going to LOVE the Mia Resort when we checked in the next day. He gave us each a glass of bubbly and toasted our honeymoon.

What a difference a day makes – hard to believe 24 hours from this little slice of heaven I’d been on a filthy train, consumed with motion-sickness. Further proof that in a day the fresh sea air, ginger tea, a warming meal, and wine will cure just about anything!

We were in no huge hurry the next morning and made the last round of breakfast at our hotel. There were lots of options – from pho to sweets to fruits to the weird mystery meats that occupy many a breakfast buffet. 

We headed out into town after that, with Sean wanting to see about some scuba diving trips. We learned we were about 2 months past the end of the season and we really weren’t surprised given the cooler temps (about 75 degrees) and the high winds. Sean was bummed and I was too, as the big waves from the winds made it unlikely for us to enjoy a boat ride around the many nearby islands.

We decided to roll with it and just discover. 

I had read about a wonderful  local coffee shop tucked far off a main street and we decided to find it. After a couple of wrong turns, we made it – and were so glad we did. It was spread out through a lush oasis, complete with treehouses, cave-like rooms, a pond with fountain, and beautiful blooms and lanterns. A mini-paradise, for sure. I had another ginger tea and Sean had a Vietnamese drip coffee. We relaxed and took it all in, quite pleased with ourselves for finding a place “off the beaten path.”

We continued our walk, exploring side streets and watching locals tend to their shops, prepare food, clean, play with their children and go about their day. I stopped for a coconut water that cost the equivalent of about $1. 

Sean wanted a banh mi sandwich for lunch from a street vendor. We asked at our hotel if they had a recommendation. At first they didn’t understand what we were asking as we kept saying “bawn me” and it’s apparently pronounced “bawn my.” That cleared it up. And we learned that street food from carts is for tourists or is considered peasant food, as the staff wrinkled their noses and asked if we sure we wanted to eat that. So interesting!

I opted out of the banh mi as the meat looked….unappetizing.  But Sean seemed to enjoy his quite a bit. We still had time to kill before catching the shuttle to the resort, so we stopped in a little French cafe so I could have some lunch. I had a smoked salmon club sandwich that was delicious and fresh, and Sean had a crepe with honey and lemon.

We stopped in a local shop for a couple bottles of wine then made our way over to the main road by the beach to catch Mia’s shuttle to the resort. I was beyond excited for this portion of our trip – the resort had looked amazing in photos and the price was far less than what we’d pay in the western world.

Check out my next post that covers all of our New Year’s activities at the resort and in Nha Trang!