NHA TRANG, VIETNAM (Port No. 19, 3/14/12)

∙ GEOGRAPHY 101
          ∙ Land Mass/Continent: South Vietnam, Asia

VIETNAM

          ∙ About Nha Trang: Nha Trang is on the South Central coast of Vietnam
          ∙ Estimated Population: 350,375 in the city, 500,000 in the metropolitan area (and increasing rapidly)
          ∙ Distance From Home (San Diego, CA): 8,074 miles
          ∙ The Water That Got Us Here: South China Sea

∙ ITS PLACE IN HISTORY/INTERESTING FACTS
          ∙ Currency:  Dong (VND)
          ∙ Official Language:  Vietnamese
          ∙ Local time: 
          ∙ Known for its pristine, white sand beaches, turquoise waters, scuba diving and beachfront cafés
          ∙ Nha Trang Bay is one of the world’s most beautiful bays
          ∙ Up until 1832, the kingdom of Champa (an Indianized kingdom) controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam, including Nha Trang
          ∙ Its Cam Ranh International Airport is a former U.S. Air Force base, built by the U.S. during the Vietnam War
          ∙ The local cuisine is famous for fresh seafood and barbequed pork rolled in rice paper
          ∙ 75% of the population are Buddhist
          ∙ The weather is hot and humid

∙ HIGHLIGHTS/THINGS TO SEE
          ∙ The venerated towers of the Po Nagar Cham Temple complex, built by the Champa sometime before 781 AD

PO NAGAR TEMPLE

          ∙ Long Son Pagoda, built between the 7th and 12th Centuries, and its Big Buddha
          ∙ Tran Phu Street along the seaside – its “Pacific Coast Highway”
          ∙ The Vinpearl Cable Car, a gondola linking the mainland to a 5-star resort and theme park (including Vinpearl Water Park) on Hon Tre Island (Bamboo Island)

VINPEARL RESORT & SPA

VINPEARL CABLE CAR