Travel Nha Trang Like A Local 2.0 Day 3 🇻🇳 | 3 Bowls of Cháo Lòng, Local Markets
Nha Trang Day 3 🇻🇳 — A Relaxing Day of Food, Markets & Local Experiences
Day 3 in Nha Trang was a much more relaxed affair. We didn’t have any tourist attractions or fixed itinerary planned for the day. Instead, we decided to slow things down and embark on a little food adventure, hunting for unique local flavours and experiences along the way.
Our day began with Cháo lòng Bà Điên, a traditional Vietnamese breakfast that would go on to become one of the most memorable meals of my entire trip.
Cháo lòng is Vietnam’s beloved rice porridge served with an assortment of pork organs and other toppings. But this particular place was something else entirely. Bà Điên literally means “Mad Woman”, and honestly, the restaurant lives up to its name — because the food was madly, crazily delicious!
The porridge was comforting, flavourful and incredibly satisfying. It was so good that between the two of us, we somehow finished three bowls — two for me and one for Kelia! And even after that, we still couldn’t resist trying another local specialty: Bánh hỏi lòng.
Bánh hỏi consists of delicate Vietnamese rice vermicelli woven into incredibly fine bundles, traditionally served with fresh herbs and meat. It was another wonderful introduction to the kind of simple yet deeply satisfying local food that makes travelling in Vietnam so special.
With our stomachs completely satisfied, we made our way to Chợ Xóm Mới, or Xóm Mới Market.
This is the kind of traditional local market I always enjoy exploring. You can find almost everything here — clothes, snacks, meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables and plenty of everyday essentials. There’s something wonderfully authentic about walking through a market like this and seeing how locals shop, eat and go about their daily lives.
I couldn’t help wondering if places like this might slowly disappear in the future, as younger generations increasingly gravitate towards modern shopping malls. Hopefully, markets like Xóm Mới will continue to thrive, because they are such an important part of a city’s character and culture.
After picking up some snacks and souvenirs, we headed towards the beach to slow down even further. We sat there, watched people playing football, enjoyed the sea breeze and had some silky smooth tofu. Nothing particularly extravagant — just one of those simple travel moments that somehow becomes a favourite memory.
For dinner, we had something I had been looking forward to: the legendary Xôi Cá Cơm.
This isn’t your ordinary sticky rice. It’s a special recipe prepared by a local lady, and she doesn’t even operate a traditional restaurant. Instead, she sets up by the roadside outside a café, serving her legendary creation to hungry customers.
It’s one of those wonderfully local food experiences that you probably wouldn’t discover unless you spent time exploring beyond the usual tourist spots. And during rush hour, travelling by bike is definitely the way to go!
We enjoyed our sticky rice alongside some delicious coffee at Starbucks Gold Coast Mall before heading over to FaceWashFox for a facial.
This turned out to be another highlight of the day. I had one of the most comprehensive facial skin scans I’ve ever experienced, followed by what was easily one of the best facial treatments of my trip. It was the perfect way to unwind after a full day of eating, exploring and wandering around Nha Trang.
And finally, we decided to make our way back to the hotel by trishaw, also known as a rickshaw.
Sitting back and slowly cruising through the streets of Nha Trang was such a relaxing way to end the day. After all the food, markets, beach time and pampering, there was no better way to wind down than simply enjoying the city at a slower pace.
Day 3 reminded me that you don’t always need a packed itinerary to experience a destination.
Sometimes, the best travel days are the ones where you simply eat, wander, discover, relax and let the city take you wherever it wants to go. 🇻🇳❤️
Hari ketiga saya di Nha Trang benar-benar mengingatkan saya betapa nikmatnya menyelami budaya tempatan melalui makanan dan pengalaman santai. Cháo lòng Bà Điên bukan sekadar sarapan, tetapi sebuah perjalanan rasa yang sulit dilupakan — dengan tekstur bubur nasi yang lembut dan taburan organ babi yang kaya rasa, benar-benar menghangatkan jiwa. Saya menyarankan siapa pun yang mengunjungi Nha Trang untuk mencuba hidangan ini; rasanya unik dan sarat dengan tradisi. Selepas itu, saya menjelajah pasar Xóm Mới yang terasa sangat hidup dan penuh warna. Pasar ini adalah tempat terbaik untuk mengamati gaya hidup orang tempatan, dari pelbagai jenis bahan makanan segar hingga pakaian dan cenderamata, semuanya dengan harga yang berpatutan. Ada kehangatan dalam suasana pasar ini yang sukar ditemui di pusat membeli-belah moden. Momen santai di tepi pantai sambil menikmati tauhu halus jauh daripada hiruk-pikuk bandar menjadi kenangan manis untuk saya. Percaya atau tidak, kadangkala aktiviti paling sederhana seperti menonton orang bermain bola sepak atau merasakan angin laut mampu memberi ketenangan yang mendalam ketika melancong. Untuk makan malam, Xôi Cá Cơm yang dijual oleh seorang wanita tempatan di tepi jalan adalah highlight yang tidak boleh dilewatkan. Rasanya sangat halus dan kaya, berbeza daripada nasi lemak atau nasi pulut biasa yang biasa saya cuba. Ini mengingatkan saya bahawa makanan jalanan tempatan seringkali menyimpan kejutan yang paling nikmat bagi pelancong yang ingin menyelami budaya sebenar sebuah destinasi. Satu lagi pengalaman yang saya sangat hargai ialah rawatan wajah di FaceWashFox — rawatan yang lengkap dengan teknologi imbasan kulit terkini, memberikan kesegaran dan relaksasi yang optimum selepas seharian berjalan dan mencuba pelbagai makanan. Pengakhiran hari dengan menaiki beca untuk kembali ke hotel memberikan saya peluang menikmati pemandangan kota Nha Trang dengan santai, menutup hari yang penuh dengan rasa dan pengalaman budaya dengan cara yang cukup autentik. Hari ini benar-benar menunjukkan bahawa kadangkala anda tidak perlu aktif dan padat jadual untuk merasa sebuah kota; cukup dengan membuka diri dan membiarkan diri merasakan setiap detik setempat yang sederhana tetapi penuh makna.
Is this vietnam ? If vietnam the halal food is difficult for muslim right? My brother had been there before. He said diff to get halal food so he bring megi.