2016-01-23 Uncle Kai tells stories
Author | Yiyi Mom
A two-year-old girl’s mother
Master of Education in Beijing Normal University
(This article is the original first published "Uncle Kai tells stories". Please contact: [email protected] for reprinting authorization)
throughout the winter of 2015, Beijing has been shrouded in haze. Xiao Douding and my mother, who are less than 2 years old, were also forced to squat at home all the time. You can imagine how irritable you are. I really want them to go out and breathe fresh air and soothe their stuffy mood, and there is also a New Year holiday. But the husband was too busy with work and couldn't walk with him. So where can I go?
Standard 1: Can't be too far away.
Standard 2: Visa-free or on-arrival visa, and you don’t need to spend too much time on strategy.
Standard 3: Warm climate, beaches, the important thing is that the air is good and there is no haze!
, and finally, I decided that the three generations of old and young went to Nha Trang, Vietnam to take a trip that was just a matter of walking.
Put some pictures first.
Na Trang can have a visa on arrival, which is very convenient and suitable for families who are in a hurry to go there. It's OK to book about 2 weeks in advance. Moreover, there are relatively few tourists going to Nha Trang during this period, so there is no crowding of anything to play (I asked the tour guide that there will be a lot of Chinese tourists going to Nha Trang during the Spring Festival, but it is estimated that there will be less than popular tourist destinations such as Japan, South Korea and Tsai.)
In addition, the climate in Nha Trang is also relatively moderate at present, with the highest temperature during the day at about 28 degrees and at night at around 22 degrees. In summer clothes, I took my baby with me for a day and only sweated a little at most.
Na Trang prices are also relatively cheap. Taking meals as an example, our two big and small meals generally do not exceed 100 RMB. A cup of yogurt is only about RMB 2. The expensive lobsters in China are only equivalent to 200 or 300 yuan here.
1 minutes to learn about Nha Trang
About geographical location:
Nha Trang is located on the central coast of Vietnam and is a famous seafood production and diving resort in Vietnam. The entire city is built along the coastline, and the urban area is not large. The main road along the seaside is north-south, the urban area is west and the sea is east.
About currency
Na Trang cannot use RMB locally, but near attractions and hotels, there are many currency exchange points, and ATMs with UnionPay logos can be withdrawn using domestic bank cards. If you are worried, you can also bring some US dollars to the local area for Vietnamese dong (it costs about 400 or 500 US dollars for three people in 5 days). In addition, Nha Trang Airport also has currency exchange points, and there is no handling fee. It is said that it is more cost-effective than changing it in advance in China. If you travel with a group tour, you can also exchange it with a tour guide. The advantage is that you can exchange the unused Vietnamese dong back to RMB before returning to China.
(reference exchange rate: 1 yuan ≈ 3300 Vietnamese dong)
Regarding the Vietnamese dong, what I must complain about is that the denomination is too large! For math poor students like me, there are often confusions. Send a picture and feel it casually:
Vietnam's prices are generally in thousands, such as 300,000 things. They will tell you that 300, and zeros on the Vietnamese Dong will also be separated by thousands. Just ignore the next three zeros when you get the money. When converting to RMB, the simple method is: you can multiply 3 and divide by 10, for example, 500,000 and ignore the three zeros after the last ones. 500*3/10=150, which is approximately equivalent to RMB 150.
The most important thing is to count the zeros after the number! zero! zero! It’s not enough to say important things three times!
Preparation before departure
(I) Regular:
ID: Passport + 4 ID photos within the valid period (note that the size of the photo required for a visa on arrival in Vietnam is very special, 4 cm * 6 cm, which is larger than 1 inch. Generally, when you go to the photo studio and say that you want a photo of this size, you know that you are going to Vietnam to use it).
mobile phone charger, camera battery, etc. The power supply voltage in Vietnam is 220 volts, the same as the Chinese standard. The sockets in hotels are usually two-legged round sockets from German standard, so you don’t need to have a converter. Domestic two-legged plugs can basically be used (especially the flat pin type).)
more sets of summer clothes + one or two sun protection and windproof jackets + swimsuits. (Adults and children are the same.)
high-multiple sunscreen or sunscreen oil, as well as post-sun repair cream, Nha Trang's sunshine is strong, so you can bring high-multiple sunscreen products. What I prepared myself was: 50 times sunscreen, and also brought a large jar of aloe vera gel for post-sun repair.
Beautiful hats, both adults and children need them. They can not only protect themselves from the sun, but also take beautiful photos. For example, I bought a small Vietnamese hat locally for my baby to wear, and it was also very cute to take photos.
Basically, the planes to Nha Trang from China are not at mealtime. For example, the direct flight from Tianjin we took was late at night. And there is no free hot water or meals on the plane in Vietnam. So be sure to prepare some children's snacks and hot water before boarding the plane. In addition, if it is a plane at night, the child may sleep on the plane, so he needs to prepare a light blanket or use thick clothes to block the child.
Nha Trang plays like this
(I) About living in
Nha Trang is a tourist city, with Hotels all over the streets and all levels of them. We chose Best Western Premier Havana Nha Trang, which has a long name, but we basically know it when we say "Havana".
This is the largest and highest-rise 5-star hotel in Vietnam. The facilities are very new, the beach is 1 minute walk away, and basically every room can directly see the sea. It is not far from the city center and attractions. The surrounding dining and shopping are also quite convenient.
(The room we stayed in is facing the sea, and the baby lies here to watch the sea every day when he gets up)
What I especially want to mention is that the buffet breakfast here is really rich! ! (I think about it now and I'm drooling.)
In addition, the swimming pool here is also great, facing the sea and the scenery is invincible. Even I, a person who has not exercised for thousands of years, couldn't help but jump in and consume a lot of calories.
If you don’t live in the city, there are still many parents who choose to live in the Pearl Island Resort (this will be discussed later), which is also very good.
(II) About playing
I believe many mothers have the same feelings as me. Taking the children out for fun is enough as long as there is the sea and the beach (10,000 words of the history of blood and tears are omitted here~~). It happened that Nha Trang met this condition. Nha Trang has a long coastline and is full of sandy beaches. But the public beaches have huge waves. It’s okay to let your baby play with sand, so you must not be too close to the beach. (Of course you will find that there are many Russians basking in the sun and surfing there. Let’s not use the PK of the fighting nation, it’s enough to appreciate it).
In addition to the main island, Nha Trang also has many small islands, such as the most famous Pearl Island and Black Island. The sand is very delicate, the sea water is very clean, and the waves are not big, making it more suitable to take your baby to play in the water.
Take your children to Nha Trang. The first thing you must recommend is the Vinpearl Amusement Park, which was invested and built by the richest man in Vietnam. The island has the largest swimming pool in Southeast Asia, a private beach of 700 meters, the longest cross-sea cable car in the world, a large amusement park with roller coasters, carousels and indoor video games, a 4D cinema, an aquarium and a five-star resort, which definitely allows the family to play all day.
Going to Pearl Island requires a boat or a cross-sea cable car. From the perspective of viewing, I recommend the latter. In order to have a little longer, you can leave after breakfast in the morning and take a taxi from the hotel to Phu Quy Port south of Cau Da Pier to take a speedboat or cable car.
My feeling is that Pearl Island is like a Disneyland in Vietnam, and of course there are much fewer people than Disney. Pearl Island is a ticket to play all the items, and there is no limit on the number of times! There are many projects to play, so there is no need to queue up (we even played many personal sessions). Especially recommended water parks, which not only have super fun various water projects, but also children can enjoy the water.
(The water slide with a drop of up to tens of meters, slides down and is super decompressed.)
(The children play in the pool, and there are many tricks.)
In addition to the water park, the aquarium on Pearl Island also gave me a great surprise. Although the area is not large, there are many types of fish, and there are even mermaid performances. When I saw it, I couldn't help but applaud excitedly (please forgive my girlish heart)
In addition, there are dolphin performances on Pearl Island, and there are special children's amusement parks, including carousels, small planes, etc., but there are usually height restrictions, and some babies under 1.2 meters cannot play. My family is less than 2 years old, and Xiao Douding, who is less than 1 meter tall, can only leave regrets.
Many Chinese families we meet choose to live in a five-star hotel on Pearl Island, so that you can enjoy Pearl Island with ease. Of course, the cost of staying in a Pearl Island hotel is much more expensive than staying in the main island.
In addition to Pearl Island, the one-day tour itinerary recommended by Nha Trang also includes four island tours. I feel that the most worth visiting are Black Island and Silver Island. These islands need to be taken by boat and reserved for one day.
Hei Island is also called Coral Island. It has excellent water quality and is the only place in the area where you can admire corals. Those who like snorkeling can participate in the diving activities there to enjoy the beauty of the sea. Because I took the elderly and children, I chose to take a glass boat. When the boat is moving, you can also see beautiful corals and tropical fish through the glass at the bottom of the boat.
(The water on Black Island is too clear, and it is said that the corals here are more beautiful than those in Thailand)
The characteristics of Yin Island are large beaches and many sea sports, such as parachutes, windsurfings, etc., as well as swimming pools suitable for all ages and young people. The buffet lunch is also good.
(Sea parachutes on Yin Island, I also find it very interesting to be a bystander)
(The swimming pool in Yin Island also has a special children's area, and there are fresh fruits next to the swimming pool to enjoy)
In addition to island tours, Nha Trang also has some historical sites to visit. For example, the Ponaga Zhanpo Pagoda, which is quite Angkor Kiln-style, the Longshan Temple, which worships the white Buddhas, the Zhongyu Stone Headland, which once filmed films and TV dramas, Nha Trang Cathedral, etc. These attractions are located in the city and can be visited in half a day.
Na Trang also has a unique experience project in Vietnam, which is mud bath, also called hot mineral mud bath, which is said to have the effect of beauty and fitness. No matter how effective it is, it is still worth experiencing. The one we went to was called Thap Ba Hot Mineral Spring Centre, which is quite famous, but there are many people. After soaking the mud, you can continue to soak in the hot springs and swim here. However, it should be noted that mud contains minerals, so don't let your baby get mud into his eyes. Moreover, the pool where you soak in a mud bath is slippery, so be careful not to let the elderly and children fall down.
(III) About eating
There are all kinds of restaurants in Nha Trang, both high, medium and low grades. The overall diet style is very light, which is better because the ingredients are fresh. I think the most suitable local food for babies is Vietnamese rice noodles, porridge or wonton noodles. When ordering, remind the waiter not to add chili peppers to the dishes given to the children. Some rice noodles have too much peppery flavor and are not suitable for children. If it really doesn't work, the popular Vietnamese baguette in Nha Trang can also make children temporarily fill their hunger.
Na Trang has many types of tropical fruits, which are really “ripe from trees” and are not expensive. During those days in Nha Trang, we would eat fruits such as jackfruit, passion fruit, rambutan, banana, coconut and the like every day.
(IV) Regarding shopping
To be honest, I have always been keen on buying and buying, and I have not bought too many things in Nha Trang this time because I always feel that many things are already very common in China. And with my kids, I really couldn't carry my luggage... Finally, we bought some Vietnamese cashews, local-style gadgets and other gadgets, and went home.
If you want to shop, it is recommended to go to Nha Trang Center. There is a comprehensive supermarket on the second floor (equivalent to the third floor in China). The local specialties sold in it are of guaranteed quality and the prices are also moderate.
Other practical tips
1. Essential apps and other devices for travel
In order to ensure smooth communication at any time, before departure, I rented a portable wifi for emergencies. There are special places for renting wifi at all airports in China. You can rent it before departure. Remember to return it at the airport when you return home. The portable wifi is not large and easy to carry. It can ensure that you can access the Internet at any time in Nha Trang, so that you will not be delayed by calling or sending WeChat photos.
In the local area, I searched for "dianping" that all attractions and restaurants, and it turned out that it was still very reliable. In addition, the two apps "google maps" and "very simple exchange rate" also helped a lot.
2. Security issues
Take the elderly and children out to play, the most important thing is to go happily and return safely. Nha Trang is generally safe, but there have been many cases of robbing tourists' property. Therefore, it is best not to go out after dark, and it is best to walk together, not to go to the beach, not to carry too much money, and not to take out your phone to take selfies frequently.
In addition, there are a lot of motorcycles on Nha Trang Street, and locals do not abide by traffic rules, so you should pay special attention when taking your children out.
