Nha Trang

Po Nagar at opening, Hon Mun by boat, Long Son at dusk

Three days suit Nha Trang: Po Nagar and the Thap Ba mud baths on the first, an island boat from Cau Da on the second, Long Son Pagoda and the stone cathedral on the third. Start each day early, because the Cham towers open at 7.30am and the boats leave in the morning.

Begin the first morning across the Cai River at the Po Nagar Cham Towers, which open at 7.30am. Arrive with the first worshippers, before the tour coaches, and look down from the hill over the blue fishing boats crowding the river mouth. A short Grab ride takes you on to the Thap Ba hot springs to soak in warm mud while the day heats up. Spend the afternoon on the southern stretch of beach and eat dinner inland around Dam Market.

Give the second day to the sea. Boats leave Cau Da pier in the morning for the islands; the reefs around Hon Mun, inside one of the earliest marine protected areas recognised by the IUCN, have the clearest water. Read the itinerary carefully when you book, since a quiet snorkel trip and a floating party look alike in a brochure. Divers should book with an established dive school.

On the third day, climb the steps behind Long Son Pagoda to the 24-metre white Buddha, set up in memory of the monks and nuns who died protesting under the Diem government. Continue to Nha Tho Nui, the stone cathedral on a hill above the railway station. End with a drink on a rooftop over Tran Phu as the lights come on round the bay, or take the afternoon bus up to Da Lat.

Banh can moulds, Bun Sua and Ninh Hoa's grilled pork

Eat a few blocks inland from the beach. Around Dam Market, family stalls serve banh can from clay moulds at breakfast, bun sua with jellyfish at lunch and Ninh Hoa grilled pork rolls, all cheaper than the pizza, borscht and grilled lobster on the Tran Phu tourist strip.

Breakfast is banh can: rice batter poured into clay moulds over charcoal and topped with quail egg, squid or shrimp, then dipped in fish sauce with green mango. Family stalls a few hundred metres south of Dam Market serve it all morning. At lunchtime look for bun sua, a light noodle soup with jellyfish and fish cake, a dish this stretch of coast claims as its own, and bun cha ca, the fish cake noodle soup that every neighbourhood serves. Nem nuong Ninh Hoa, grilled pork sausage from the town of Ninh Hoa just north, is rolled at the table in rice paper with herbs, green banana and star fruit, and dipped in a thick, sweet sauce.

For variety, Nui Mot street, close to Dam Market, packs family eateries side by side, each with one speciality: banh hoi, banh xeo, snail soup, broken rice. Mind the motorbikes that use the lane as a shortcut. Seafood restaurants near the market and along the river let you pick from tanks, but ask for the price by weight before they cook. In the evening, rooftop bars in the tall hotels on Tran Phu give the widest view over the bay.

Calm seas until August, then the November deluge

February to August is the time for Nha Trang's beaches and islands, with dry weather, a calm sea and the best visibility around Hon Mun. The rain comes late in the year with the north-east monsoon: October and November bring about 310mm and 380mm, rough seas and cancelled boat trips.

February is the driest month, at about 16mm of rain, and highs climb from 28C to 33C by June. Rain stays modest through the summer, around 40mm to 50mm a month until August, when it rises to about 80mm. These are the months for island trips, snorkelling and diving, when visibility around Hon Mun is at its best. June to August is also Vietnamese holiday season, so the beachfront hotels fill with domestic families and weekend prices rise.

September turns wetter at about 165mm. October and November are the deluge: roughly 310mm and 380mm, often with storms that close the harbour, cancel boat trips at short notice and churn the water brown. December eases to about 190mm. Temperatures stay warm throughout, with lows rarely under 21C, so the late-year months are fine for Po Nagar, the mud baths and the food, just not for the islands.

Every second year the city hosts a Sea Festival with parades and events along the beachfront; check the dates when booking, as rooms on Tran Phu go fast.