```html Cam Ranh - Nha Trang 4-Day Getaway: The Ultimate Family Adventure!
Cam Ranh - Nha Trang 4-Day Getaway: The Ultimate Family Adventure!
Get ready for a detailed breakdown of our incredible 4-day, 3-night trip to Cam Ranh and Nha Trang! It's a long one, but packed with insider tips!
Getting Around: Phương Trang Bus & Local Transport
- Transportation: We used Phương Trang bus for the long haul and relied on taxis and Grab for getting around locally.
Day 1: Cam Ranh - Selectum Noa Resort
- Early Start: We boarded the Phương Trang bus at 12:30 AM from Mai Chí Thọ.
- Arrival in Cam Ranh: Arrived at Nga Tu Cam Hai Tay - Cam Duc (Cam Ranh) around 7:00 AM on Saturday.
- Breakfast: A short 50m walk to Banh Canh Cha Ca Phuong for a delicious and affordable breakfast (25k VND/bowl). I loved the "banh canh bot xat" - not too sweet, just perfect!
- To the Resort: Took a taxi to Selectum Noa, costing around 80-90k VND.
Selectum Noa: Family Fun Begins!
- Early Check-in Perks: After check-in and luggage drop-off, the kids immediately enjoyed the indoor play area (open from 8:30 AM).
- Water Park Fun: Around 9:00 AM, we headed to the water park just opposite the resort lobby. (A little heavy on the chlorine smell, though!)
- Animal Encounters: Next to the water park is a mini-zoo with chickens, rabbits, fish, and birds – about 10 enclosures in total. A hit with the kids!
- Relaxation Zone: A dedicated relaxation room with comfy sofas and charging points for those needing a power nap!
Buffet Bonanza!
- Lunch Time: We headed to the reception around 11:00 AM to get our wristbands for lunch (swapped our check-out lunch for check-in lunch).
- Lunch Review: The buffet was diverse. Whether it's good or bad depends on your taste. My kids loved it, especially the popcorn, which was super crispy, the good ice cream, and free-flowing drinks, beer, and wine! However, some might find it less flavorful than traditional Vietnamese food. Some of the cakes were surprisingly tasty. The breakfast and dinner buffets were similar, with some main dish variations.
- Selectum Observation: It seems that Selectum Noa and Asteria mainly use basa fish, prepared in various ways!
Afternoon Delights
- Room Time: Received our room around 2:30 PM. Relaxed until 4:00 PM and then headed to the beach (skipping afternoon tea to save room for a delicious dinner).
- All-Inclusive Benefits: Enjoyed free drinks at the poolside bar – an all-inclusive perk!
Noa Garden Room Review
- Room Choice: We booked a Noa Garden room (double bed – 2m wide, plenty of space for 2 adults and two kids (8 & 3 years old)).
- Location Quirks: Requested zone 21xx but got room 3410! Despite that, the electric car service was super fast – arrived within 2 minutes of calling!
- Themed Rooms: Noa Garden ground-floor rooms are adorably decorated. Ours was race car themed – a huge hit with the kids!
- Proximity Perks: Noa Garden is close to the beach and Restaurant 11 by the sea. Easy walk to the S'Arena stage for evening entertainment. However, it's further from the water park and reception.
Noa Garden: Perfect for Families
- Ground Floor Advantage: The Noa Garden ground floor rooms are perfect for families who want to relax outside their room in the evenings.
- Hotel Rooms: The hotel rooms are more convenient for accessing the indoor play area, billiards, table tennis, gym, and library.
Departure Day
- Check-Out & Transfer: Checked out at 12:00 PM on April 28th and used the Selectum Noa bus to get to Nha Trang city center (saving 250k VND on taxi fare). We booked the bus at noon on the day we checked in and luckily got 3 seats. Book early to guarantee a spot!
- Bonus Transfer: The staff knew we were checking into Asteria Comodo (same chain) and took us directly to the hotel, saving us another 50k VND from the bus drop-off point at Gold Coast Hotel.
Selectum Noa Verdict
- Overall Experience: Our Selectum Noa experience was excellent and worth the money during the holiday season.
Day 2: Nha Trang - Asteria Comodo & City Exploration
- Check-in at Asteria: Checked into Asteria, right in the city center (1km from Tram Huong Tower). I loved the panoramic ocean view from the Asteria Suite!
Food Adventures
- Lunch at Thanh Suong 1: Had lunch at Thanh Suong 1 (15 Tran Phu). Crowded, but fresh and surprisingly cheap! Be aware, taxi drivers might try to take you elsewhere.
Asteria Comodo: A Mixed Bag
- Pool Disappointment: The kids thought the pool was too small.
- Breakfast Blues: They also complained about the breakfast buffet, finding it less impressive after the huge selection at Selectum.
- Overall: Still, a decent experience overall.
Evening Vibes
- Louisiana Buzz: Across from the hotel is Louisiana, offering beachfront dining with great music. It was too crowded, so we ordered ice cream on Grab and enjoyed the music from our room! Very chill!
Day 3: Vinpearl Adventure!
- Vinpearl Bound: After breakfast, we headed to Vinpearl harbor.
- Harbor Hustle: A Grab ride from the hotel cost 70k VND. It was hard to get a Grab due to traffic, so we added a tip. The harbor was packed due to the holiday.
- Check-in Process: Vinpearl has two separate lobbies – one for the cable car and one for hotel check-in (large and organized with separate check-in areas for each hotel). Checking in early gave us plenty of time to enjoy VinWonders! Expect about 1-1.5 hours for check-in and transportation, depending on the day. Luggage is delivered to your hotel room.
Getting to the Island
- Canoe Option: We took a canoe to the island to avoid the long cable car queue.
- VinWonders Strategy: Once at the island terminal around 12:00 PM, take the shuttle straight to VinWonders. Enjoy the park and lunch until 3:00 PM, then check into your hotel. Checking in early and waiting for a room can waste time.
VinWonders with Little Ones
- Height Restrictions: If your child is under 1.05m, they will mostly be observing rather than participating in the rides.
- Walking Required!: VinWonders involves a lot of walking! Rent a stroller for small children. We rented a stroller in Nha Trang and brought it to the island. Stroller rentals are available in the Harbour area but I did not check the price. Expect to pay around 50-150k VND per day, depending on the stroller type.
Evening Entertainment
- Tata Show: The Tata Show at 7:30 PM is fantastic, with amazing 3D lighting effects. The kids loved it!
VinWonders Food & Drink
- Vin Harbour: The Vin Harbour shopping area, near the Tata Show stage, offers reasonably priced food (35-70k VND/dish, 30k VND/juice). Fresh juice is perfect for the hot weather.
Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang Bay
- Hotel Arrival: We headed to Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang Bay around 8:30 PM.
- Dinner & Music: Enjoyed dinner and live music at the poolside restaurant, also reasonably priced! The two live singers were excellent.
Day 4: Beach Bliss & Departure
- Lazy Morning: The kids slept in, so I went for a morning swim. After breakfast, everyone relaxed, and the kids enjoyed the pool.
- Warm Pools: The pool was warm in the evening and still warm in the morning.
- Beach Time: The beach was clear and easy to swim in, but with a bit of trash. I loved how close it was to our room.
Back to VinWonders
- Check-Out & Play: We checked out at 12:00 PM and headed back to VinWonders for lunch and more fun until 3:30 PM.
- Cable Car Farewell: We took the cable car back to the mainland, collected our luggage at 4:00 PM, rested, and then had dinner before our 9:00 PM bus back to Saigon.
Final Meal
- Vong Xoay 2 - Com Que: We chose Vong Xoay 2 - Com Que (79B Cu Chi, near Hon Chong area). The sour fish soup, clam soup with tofu, and fried fish with mango sauce were delicious. We also had free-range chicken with fish sauce. The rice in clay pot was crispy and delicious. After eating seafood and chicken for days, we were craving this Central Vietnamese-style comfort food.
- Departure: The Phương Trang shuttle picked us up at 7:30 PM and brought us back to Saigon.
Overall Verdict
- Positive Vibes: Luckily, we had a great experience everywhere we went. Happy and only slightly tired from the sun!
Trip Costs (Approximate)
- Total: Around 17 million VND
- Hotels: 7.7 million VND
- Phương Trang Bus: 2.5 million VND
- Food: 6 million VND
- Taxis & Incidentals: 1 million VND
Travel Tips for Nha Trang
- Electric Rickshaws: Always ask for the price and agree before taking an electric rickshaw in Nha Trang. Don't fall for scams like "pay what you want" or "this restaurant is better/cheaper".
- Taxis: Stand your ground and insist on your preferred restaurants and destinations.
