A thousand-year-old Cham sanctuary looking out over the river mouth
The most complete and most important Cham site in central Vietnam
A rare panorama of the Cái river and Xóm Bóng bridge
Free Cham dance performances inside the grounds
Dress modestly (sleeves, knees covered) inside the main tower compound. Come before 8am for warm light and thin crowds.
Po Nagar is a cluster of Cham temple towers built between the 8th and 13th centuries, dedicated to Po Nagar — the mother goddess of the Cham people. Standing on Cù Lao hill, the complex looks straight down the mouth of the Cái river and over the fishing hamlet of Xóm Bóng, and it is the finest wide view of the northern half of the city.
The main tower stands almost 23 m high, built of fired brick with no mortar between the courses, and it is still standing after a thousand years. Early morning, when low sun rakes across that deep red brick, is the best hour for photographs — and the coolest, and the quietest.
Come to Nha Trang without eating gỏi cá mai and the trip is not complete
One family, one recipe, nearly 50 years. Fish landed that morning, rolled in rice paper and dipped in a secret fish sauce — the same taste since 1977.
