Nha Trang has traces of human settlement dating back to the Cham Empire, though during Vietnamese rule, there wasn&rsquo;t much more here than small fishing villages. The French recognizing the beauty of the bay, with its islands and white sand beaches, began the transformation into a resort town. American soldiers agreed, and Nha Trang became a favourite holiday spot during the war.

Nowadays there are a lot of French here and an extraordinary amount of Russians. The Russians have direct international flights into Nha Trang from many of their cities and they come in their thousands to avoid the cold Russian winters. Many Russians, married to Vietnamese, purchase apartments and prefer to stay here whilst renting their places in Russia. They treat Nha Trang the way many Europeans treat Mallorca or Costa del Sol, unfortunately also creating a similar vibe. 