Vietnam TravelTravel Special FeaturesNha Trang - Down by the sea

Nha Trang - Down by the sea

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What I liked most about Hoan Tam was the forest of kim giao trees - a rare species of tree that has grown to extraordinary proportions. In the classic Vietnamese epic The Tale of Kieu, the young man Kim Trong is compared to one of these trees in a line "Sparking like a jade and ruby grove". Since the sap is extremely poisonous, folk wisdom discourages people from cutting these trees.

Dirty pleasures

The following day I rented a bicycle and explored historic sites around Nha Trang like Chanh Toa Church the Ba Po Nagar Cham Towers and the remnant of Dien Khanh Fort. Hot and tired from biking, I made my way to Nha Trang's famous mineral mud baths, which lies 3 km from the Cham Towers. Mineral rich spring water is sourced 100m underground temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Celsius the water has cooled to about 45 degrees by the time it reaches the baths. After soaking in the spring water, I slipped into a tub filled with mineral rich mud for about 30 minutes, then sat in the sun to let the mud harden before washing it off. People can choose private mod pools (VND150,000) or tubs big enough to fit groups.

As well as being relaxing, the mineral soak and mud bath left my skin and hair smooth. Mineral baths are also reported to ease conditions like arthritis, sciatica and muscle aches.

A new addition to the facility is a 20m-high manmade waterfall. Visitors sit on a boulder beneath the falls, allowing the water to cascade down and massage their neck and shoulders. Hot springs hydrotherapy is another new service, in which dozens of jets of warm water provide a soothing underwater massage.

On the way out, be sure to buy some bottles of mineral mud. The mud keeps for three months and is great for your skin. Back home you can slather on a mud facemask, sit in the bathtub and relive your beach holiday.

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Resort Hideaway in Nha Trang