Pax Ana Doc Let Resort & Spa

The resort sits in Dong Cat, Ninh Hai ward, Ninh Hoa. On Doc Let beach itself, about 50 km north of central Nha Trang. Its strength is not something the resort built but the beach it stands on: fine white sand shelving out so far that you can wade tens of metres and still be waist-deep.

That is exactly why locals pick Doc Let when they bring small children, and it is a real difference from steeper beaches. There is also a coconut grove immediately behind the sand for shade. Something Bai Dai to the south has none of.

Accept the distance before booking: 50 km, about an hour and a quarter each way. This is not a base for seeing Nha Trang. It is its own destination, for two or three nights. In exchange, Monkey Island and Ninh Hoa, home of the grilled pork rolls, lie the same way and fold into the drive.

TTC Van Phong Bay is on the same beach, larger, with a water park and a small zoo. With children who need things to do, TTC fits better; for something quieter and smaller, Pax Ana.

Other places to stay in Ninh Hoà and Vạn Ninh: Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, TTC Van Phong Bay Resort. The beach here is Dốc Lết, and Ninh Hoà is where the nem comes from.