Nha Trang

February 2026.

I headed to Nha Trang for a break during a stretch of truly beautiful weather. We went over the Lunar New Year holiday — Korea was bitterly cold at the time, but Vietnam was warm enough to walk around comfortably. It wasn’t too cold for swimming, either.

Knowing I’m not a fan of crowded city centers, I spent almost the entire trip at the resort, except for the first and last days. The days fell into a fairly regular rhythm: morning workouts, reading or working outside in the cool sea breeze, swimming in the pool in the afternoon, and a massage in the evening. I think staying at a Vietnamese resort like this again — part workcation, part holiday — would be just as good next time.

I stayed at three resorts — the Westin, JW Marriott, and Mövenpick — and if I were to go back, I think I’d spend the whole time at the Westin. It had everything you could want from a resort and was reasonably priced. The JW Marriott was the best of the three, but too expensive for a longer stay. The Mövenpick felt more like a place for families with kids than a proper relaxation retreat.

Among the natural sights, the Phan Rang sand dunes left the biggest impression on me. The sand was far finer than anything I’d seen in the Egyptian desert. It was almost surreal to find sand dunes so close by.