Having boarded the train and settled in we are quite alarmed when a family of four join our cabin with a baby ( no sleep) - we needn't have worried as the baby slept 'like a baby' as did we. Nha Trang is roughly 400km from HCMC and as it says on our tickets about a nine hour train journey. After a friendly chat with the baby's father we settle down for the night. At 5.30am we are awoken by a train guard, but realizing that it is at least 2hrs till our destination roll over to catch a few more zzzzzz's only to be told by our fellow train traveller that the train would be arriving at Nha Trang in 10 mins. Jumping up we manage to pack up but not wake up fully and get off a few minutes later. After a 2km hike and being given unsolicited directions by friendly motorbike taxis (Xe om) we arrive at our hotel exhausted.

The Troung Giang Hotel is a friendly budget hotel and at $14 a night we are delighted to find we have hot water, air con, TV and a fridge. Heading off to the beach we are pleasantly surprised at the beautiful landscape; 6km of uninterrupted golden sand with a mountainous backdrop and off shore islands. Crashing into the bay were huge waves from the shimmering emerald China Sea. Unfortunately it was very windy and sometimes overcast. A cable car system goes from the far end of the beach over to an Island in the distance where Vinpearl, a theme park operates. Although Nha Trang is the beach capital of Vietnam including high rise hotels and numerous shops selling tourist tat it is no where near as commercialized as say Phuket in Thailand.

After a much needed day of R&R on the beach we turn in.