A relaxing spa day, ancient ruins, and a festive dinner in Nha Trang
June 8, 2024
Morning by the Sea
At 5:45 a.m., people were already swimming in the sea — locals enjoying the water early in the morning. For breakfast at our Citadines Hotel (see on map), there was bun cha (grilled pork with noodles). I also had toast with honey, a very bland, small fruit that looked like an apple, and Vietnamese coffee. The breakfast buffet was full of so many tempting choices.
We met up with a Vietnamese couple who live in Vietnam and are helping us during our stay in Nha Trang. Then we called a Grab and headed to Nui Spa (see on map).
Relaxing at Nui Spa
From the entrance, we saw the price list and chose the Nui Spa plan. With this plan, guests go through a special gate, take an elevator up, and then ride an electric cart to a private zone.
Inside, we had private lockers, and the mud bath and herbal bath were reserved for our group. There was also a pool just for Nui Spa plan users. Behind the lockers was a shower area.
After soaking in the mud, I felt warm and smooth skin. The floor and tub were muddy, but the feeling was pleasant, and the buoyancy made me feel like I was floating. The herbal bath was very relaxing — it smelled unique, and its color was like cola. They provided water, towels, and even watermelon.
When lunch time came, we were hungry — but there was only one restaurant on the spa grounds. So we took the cart back to the entrance. We sat in a beautiful garden filled with blooming flowers and shared several dishes.
After lunch, we returned to the private spa zone and swam in the pool. They served us pickled ginger in sugar and ginger tea as a service. The tea, flavored with lemongrass and lime, was really good. The pickled ginger was quite spicy, though — too spicy for me, so I left most of it. I learned that this ginger sweet is a snack people eat during the Vietnamese New Year.
Khmer Temple & Dance Show
On our way back, we visited ruins from the Khmer era (see on map). There was also a dance show by a local ethnic minority group from Nha Trang.
Although the temple is a tourist spot, it is still a sacred place. Inside the temple, visitors wearing only short sleeves and shorts are not allowed. We borrowed free cloth to cover our skin.
Inside the temple, the space was dark and soot-blackened, probably because of candlelight. The atmosphere was solemn. Some people were praying deeply, which made the moment feel very spiritual.
Evening: Hot Pot at Hai Di Lao
For dinner, we went to Hai Di Lao, a hot-pot restaurant. The place was so much fun: they performed noodle-pulling tricks, and there was a face-changing show. The kids seemed to love it. I didn’t know this, but it turns out Hai Di Lao has branches in Japan.
After dinner, everyone else went to a rooftop bar for drinks. Since I don’t drink, I returned to the hotel early. There, I peeled and ate a chilled custard apple (soursop). It was sticky and a little gritty on the tongue, sweet and refreshing, though the many seeds made it a bit tricky to eat. But it was so, so, so delicious — I really want to eat it again.
