The 4.5-hour train ride from Quy Nhon was quite pleasant, and the “soft seat” I had was adequate for that length trip. Nice views from both sides, and the train station in Nha Trang is just a few blocks from the beach, so if you landed there from the train without a plan, you could just walk down to the beach and start hunting for rooms. I actually booked a hostel before I got there, and for $7.00 night in a 4-room dorm, it was perfect for what I wanted.

One of my biggest issues of Quy Nhon was the limited selection of “western food” options, but in Nha Trang, that was NOT a problem! Every ethnicity was there, from Italian to burgers; from Armenian to Greek, and I was shocked at something I was not prepared for. There is a HUGE, and I mean huge, disproportion of Russians in the city. I felt like I made a wrong turn and ended up in Moscow, and the majority of the signage was in Russian along with Vietnamese, and English was third on the list. When I did hear English spoken on the street, most of it was the Queen’s English, and there were far more Brits and Aussies than Americans. Most of them were under 30, or even mid-twenties, and it seems that THIS is the party spot for the young Brits. Historical note: The Russians used to have a military base there during the cold war, and many Russians stayed after that ended. So their history goes back a long way, and from Russia they offer almost a dozen direct flights into Nha Trang.

I was also shocked at how many businesses did NOT accept credit cards, and it seems to be a very “cash only” city, surprising with a town of half a million people (10th largest in the country). In Bali they took credit cards almost everywhere, but charged a 3% premium: in Vietnam they’re going 5%. Ouch! But the town itself was quite lovely, pretty clean, with a gorgeous—and very long—beach, with nice sand. There were at least two malls, another surprise, even movie theaters, a rarity so far. Those were the goods, but there was some not so good, too.

The Friendliness—or Lack of—Factor. The merchants were noticeably unfriendly in my brief three days there, which was disappointing considering it is such a tourism heavy town. We definitely got spoiled in Bali, and that paradise may be pulling us back harder than we expected. I also ran into some issues renting a scooter, and two shops were VERY particular about what is known as the “International Driving Permit” (IDP). I’ll not dive in the particulars, but the IDP is issued from the country where your driver’s license originates and verifies its validity. But there are TWO types, each ratified in different years, The US IDP is NOT, I repeat, NOT recognized in Vietnam, and without it you (theoretically) cannot rent anything larger than 150 cc. BOO. One of the vendors said that the fine to the rider who gets caught is steep, but the fine to THEM is even worse, about $350 USD, so they don’t want to risk it.

I also learned a valuable lesson about carrying my passport when I go on these side trips, since I usually DO NOT. My hostel wanted to see a copy of my entry visa AND the passport page that was stamped, which I did not have. In over eight years of travel, we have not had that issue, but we have noticed that Vietnam DOES have a militant, rules heavy side. I ended up doing a video call with Kat who shared it with the front desk and got me in.

Those are all mechanics and I hope might offer some insight, along with this; my 10-hour train ride back to Da Nang on the Sleeper train. I was not able to book a lower bunk, but I was OK with being on top. I’m not the agile monkey I once was, but I highly recommend the Vietnam train over the buses. Get the lower bunk, and there are several online sites you can do that with