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| Ninh
Chu Beach |
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With
most tours only stopping over in Ninh Thuan to visit
the Po Klong Garai Towers or spend a night at the
Ninh Chu Beach outside of Phan Rang, visitors end
up missing much of the diversity the area has to offer.
As
the driest province in the country, with annual rainfall
totals between 700 mm and 1100 mm, Ninh Thuan is endowed
with a diverse topography of coastline, deltas, mountains,
rivers, and sand dunes.
Located
344 km northeast of HCMC and 147 km south of Nha Trang,
Ninh Thuan boasts some of the most beautiful beaches
in Vietnam. The 10-km long Ninh Chu Beach is prime
for development because of its proximity to Phan Rang.
For more seclusion try the remote Ca Na and Binh Tien
beaches.
Forty-two
km northeast of Phan Rang is Vinh Hy Bay. From the
main-land in Vinh Hy visitors can take a boat trip
to the Hon Do coral beach. Hon Do is a gorgeous beach
that contains 307 varieties of coral.
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TIPS
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Avoid touring in the harsh afternoon sun
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Round-trip bus between Mien Dong Bus Station
(HCMC) and Phan Rang:
Minh Dung Bus: Tel (08) 511 5234
Quoc Trung Bus: Tel (068) 830 200
■
Phan Rang local bus station: 23 Thong Nhat St.,
Phan Rang - Thap Cham, Tel: (068) 822 926
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Train Agent: 351 Thong Nhat St., Phan Rang -
Thap Cham, Tel (068) 834 008
■
Taxi Agents:
Ngoc Hoa Taxi: (068) 838 383
Ninh Thuan Taxi: (068) 888 111
Mai Linh Taxi: (068) 898 989 |
Ninh
Thuan boasts a number of interesting sand dunes along
the shoreline. The most well-known is the Nam Cuong
sand dunes a few kilometers south of Phan Rang near
the Lu River. At Nam Cuong visitors can watch the
colors of the sand changing as the sun sets in the
evening. The local children will goad tourists into
playing games with them.
Other
provincial attractions include the salt fields in
Phuong Cuu and Tri Hai, and the vegetable gardens
in the villages of Van Hai and Van Son.
Ninh
Thuan’s Cham culture
The
culture of Ninh Thuan is deeply influenced by the
50,000 or so ethnic Cham living in the province. Cham
festivals are considered provincial public holidays.
The
Cham are well-known for their traditional handicrafts.
In the village of My Nghiep, 12 km south-east of Phan
Rang, visitors can see firsthand the weaving techniques
of the Cham as they make decorative cloth. For a display
of ceramic production, head to the village of Bau
Truc about 10 km south from Phan Rang. It is believed
that the composition of the clay from the Quao River
is one of the secrets behind the beautiful Bau Truc
ceramics.
The
history of the Champa Dynasty shines through with
a visit to any of the three-tower sites of Hoa Lai,
Po Klong Garai or Porome.
The
Hoa Lai Towers, dating back to the ninth century,
can be found 15 km north of Phan Rang on Highway 1A.
This three-tower site is considered the oldest relic
of Cham architecture.
Po
Klong Garai Tower, located 6 km west of Phan Rang,
sits atop Trau Hill. Po Klong Garai was built by King
Simhavarman III at the end of 13th century. The towers
were dedicated to King Po Klong Garai, a king legendary
for his protection of the Champa Kingdom. The main
tower faces the east and is a good representation
of Cham architectural and decorative style.
Porome
Tower is located about 17 km south of Phan Rang. Construction
on these towers began at the end of fifteenth century.
The site includes an 8-meter high main tower dedicated
to King Porome, the last king of the Champa Kingdom.
Reported
by Thu Giang
- ThanhNienNews 28 Oct 2007
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