Langkawi or Nha Trang?

[Requiem]

Hi,

 

I'm planning a short vacation from Bangkok, 3-4 nights in the end of January.

 

Has anyone been to both Langkawi and Nha Trang? Which one you would recommend in terms of:

 

- Food

- Beach

- Activities

- Cost

 

Any insider tips would be very appreciated as well :)

 

Br,

Req

[BMW Overlander]

I have been to both.

Nha Trang was full of Russians at the time, last Christmas. Nice looking town but not ideal holiday destination if you ask me, too busy and not so safe.

 

Langkawi is really nice, island is duty free which means tobacco, booze, perfumes, chocolate... are  cheap.  Rainforests, waterfalls, bizarre rock formations and jungles with a wide variety of wildlife. Hotels are top notch, beautiful beaches, not much of night time activities compared to Nha Trang. The cable car is one of the steepest in the region, you can see entire archipelago of 99 islands.

 

[gandalf12]

I have been to both places and would suggest Na Trang is the better of the two

[topt]

9 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

I have been to both places and would suggest Na Trang is the better of the two

Can you say why you say that as say compared to BMW Overlander's post?

Cheers.

[12DrinkMore]

They are both worth a visit.

 

More food options in Nha Trang, beach is full of Russians, the Vietnamese are always trying to charge more for foreigners.

 

Langkawi has more beach options, and more "tourist attractions", and do not have the "screw the foreigner" attitude.

 

I would choose Langkawi over the two. Downside I had was that a lot of the restaurants are islam. So if you like to sit in a restaurant with a nice view and enjoy a beer with your meal, better check they actually serve alcohol.

[geisha]

Both very nice. Nha Trang has a very clean, beautifully set out beach and promenade, with beautifully kept garden , flowers all along. ( thailand take note !) waste bins and toilets and clean ! Lots of small Vietnamese restaurants in the road behind the beach and behind the Novotel. If you go there, try Lanterns, great place, read the story it's very nice. Went three times. The only thing, the sea is very cold !!! Could not swim. As in most places, don't carry a handbag for ladies at night,  leave your jewels at home,  otherwise, nothing to worry about. Langkawi is lovely. Beautiful beach and kind people, gorgeous food too, it has that special " island" atmosphere. Lots of trees, also a nice seafront, I enjoyed it very much. I'd go back to Langkawi for the warm sea water. Never had a problem buying a drink, there are pubs and bars everywhere.

[autoc]

I hope that you want to go there for more reasons than just travel. Seems ridiculous to me to expect any better beach vacation than in Thailand (and do not speak about Philippines...)

Be cheated at Nha Trang or beheaded at Langkawi, what is the best option ?

Enjoy anyway !

 

 

:-)

 

 

Edited December 1, 2016 by autoc

[terryw]

January 27th is the start of Tet Holiday in Vietnam. Nha Trang will be very busy and prices will go up. Langkwai will definetely be a lot more peaceful.

[geisha]

autoc, There are a lot of great beaches outside Thailand !

[autoc]

29 minutes ago, geisha said:

autoc, There are a lot of great beaches outside Thailand !

 

Of course I know ! but not better and it is so useless to travel anywhere when you have everything at home !

 

Except if you are just one of the people who cannot think on its own and needs adventure because marketing companies told him that it is what he should do...

 

 

 

[Requiem]

27 minutes ago, autoc said:

 

Of course I know ! but not better and it is so useless to travel anywhere when you have everything at home !

 

Except if you are just one of the people who cannot think on its own and needs adventure because marketing companies told him that it is what he should do...

 

 

 

Thanks for your opinion, I would prefer a beach in Thailand, but I have to cross thai border due to METV obligations :)

[gandalf12]

9 hours ago, topt said:

Can you say why you say that as say compared to BMW Overlander's post?

Cheers.

Well I worked in Vietnam and regularly went into Nha Trang. Langkawi I went as a tourist and wasnt overly impressed with it. I know the post you refer to says there is a lot of Russians around the New Year and he may well be right. Overall, I found Nha Trang the better of the two options

[siam2007]

10 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

Well I worked in Vietnam and regularly went into Nha Trang. Langkawi I went as a tourist and wasnt overly impressed with it. I know the post you refer to says there is a lot of Russians around the New Year and he may well be right. Overall, I found Nha Trang the better of the two options

 

Nha Trang is a big City with all the good and bad that comes with it (I've been there). Langkawi is a large island with very few people living on it and the few tourists won't be seen except for the Tengah and Chenang beaches. It never feels crowded even during peak season, as long as you are not spending all your time at those two beaches.

Langkawi is nature pure. To rent a car there will cost you just 50 RM (420 Baht) if you bargain a little, and you can explore the island at your own will. Despite being a conservative Muslim place, BOOZE is dead-cheap, as it is a duty free island. In fact, I have never found any imported alcoholic beverages cheaper than on Langkawi.

Plus, you can get there easily by flying to Hat Yai and then taking a Minibus or Taxi to the Thammalang Pier in Satun.

If you want to find a similar place to Langkawi in Vietnam, check MUI NE

 

 

[Requiem]

1 hour ago, siam2007 said:

 

Nha Trang is a big City with all the good and bad that comes with it (I've been there). Langkawi is a large island with very few people living on it and the few tourists won't be seen except for the Tengah and Chenang beaches. It never feels crowded even during peak season, as long as you are not spending all your time at those two beaches.

Langkawi is nature pure. To rent a car there will cost you just 50 RM (420 Baht) if you bargain a little, and you can explore the island at your own will. Despite being a conservative Muslim place, BOOZE is dead-cheap, as it is a duty free island. In fact, I have never found any imported alcoholic beverages cheaper than on Langkawi.

Plus, you can get there easily by flying to Hat Yai and then taking a Minibus or Taxi to the Thammalang Pier in Satun.

If you want to find a similar place to Langkawi in Vietnam, check MUI NE

 

 

 

Thanks, very useful info. I was looking into Mui ne, seems awesome, as I prefer quiet beaches, but I don't see an easy way to get there. I don't want to stay in Saigon overnight, train/bus to Mui ne takes a lot of time and taxi from Saigon airport is around 90 USD one way :/

It seems it's Langkawi for me then. Do you recommend flight to Hat Yai and taxi to pier + ferry cheaper and better alternative to flight BKK - KL - Langkawi (180 EUR)?

[Mansell]

I arrived in Nha Trang by train 12 hours from DaNang in the dark. Walked out onto beach to stretch the legs and immediately was accosted by hookers and declined their services. Then took a walk along the beach front and was accosted by male hookers. Annoying. Upside was the beautiful resort hotel. While having dinner outside by the pool a lovely troupe of Vietnamese dancers and musicians proceeded to entertain us. Very professional and very enjoyable. I think they moved from resort to resort. There wasn't any charge, and the resort with breakfast ran around $25 a day. I didn't find Nha Trang a very authentic Vietnamese experience. I preferred Hue, but of course there isn't a beach there. But I found Vietnam and the people delightful.

[siam2007]

On 02/12/2016 at 1:35 PM, Requiem said:

 

Thanks, very useful info. I was looking into Mui ne, seems awesome, as I prefer quiet beaches, but I don't see an easy way to get there. I don't want to stay in Saigon overnight, train/bus to Mui ne takes a lot of time and taxi from Saigon airport is around 90 USD one way :/

It seems it's Langkawi for me then. Do you recommend flight to Hat Yai and taxi to pier + ferry cheaper and better alternative to flight BKK - KL - Langkawi (180 EUR)?

 

 

You are right, while indeed quiet and beautiful, Mui Ne is difficult and time consuming to get to. As you only seem to have 3-4 days, Langkawi would make more sense. And there are beautiful secluded beaches on Langkawi as well -> Tanjung Rhu (check your PM's)

[siam2007]

Langkawi skybridge

[siam2007]

Pantai (which means beach) Tanjung Rhu

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

As someone else pointed out, the end of January is the beginning of the VN Tet New Year, running till Feb. 1 this year. Very busy and transport difficult to arrange because so many Viets are travelling and vacationing.

[gandalf12]

On 01/12/2016 at 3:18 PM, topt said:

Can you say why you say that as say compared to BMW Overlander's post?

Cheers.

Because it is my opinion having been to both places and worked there. Why do you think everyone has to agree with any ones opinion? The OP asked for peoples opinions, that is mine. Dont agree that is fine but I wont agree with any one if I am of a different opinion

[topt]

On ‎02‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 1:02 AM, gandalf12 said:

Well I worked in Vietnam and regularly went into Nha Trang. Langkawi I went as a tourist and wasnt overly impressed with it. I know the post you refer to says there is a lot of Russians around the New Year and he may well be right. Overall, I found Nha Trang the better of the two options

 

2 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

Because it is my opinion having been to both places and worked there. Why do you think everyone has to agree with any ones opinion? The OP asked for peoples opinions, that is mine. Dont agree that is fine but I wont agree with any one if I am of a different opinion

Not sure why you have replied a second time or did you mean to quote someone else?

In case it was not clear I was asking if you could give any specific reasons (as per the mentioned post and other subsequent ones) and not questioning your view either way

[McMacao]

On 12/2/2016 at 5:49 PM, Mansell said:

I arrived in Nha Trang by train 12 hours from DaNang in the dark. Walked out onto beach to stretch the legs and immediately was accosted by hookers and declined their services. Then took a walk along the beach front and was accosted by male hookers. Annoying. Upside was the beautiful resort hotel. While having dinner outside by the pool a lovely troupe of Vietnamese dancers and musicians proceeded to entertain us. Very professional and very enjoyable. I think they moved from resort to resort. There wasn't any charge, and the resort with breakfast ran around $25 a day. I didn't find Nha Trang a very authentic Vietnamese experience. I preferred Hue, but of course there isn't a beach there. But I found Vietnam and the people delightful.

Wow! I was only in Nha Trang once, in 2000.  I thought it was interesting, but I specifically remember going between two beach bars at night, and some drug-addicted V-Chick grabbed me in the dark, and scared the living crap out of me.  The next day, I walked around the city, and counted 4-5 needles in the sands....damn, I was thinking.  But since that was 17 years ago, I have been thinking i need to get back to Nha Trang.  Sounds like it still has the same negative trappings that I didn't care so much for the first time.

 

As to this thread, I've also been to Langkawi (maybe 2011?).  It was too sterile in feel.  Sure, it had everything.  But it was around December, and tons of the full-garbed muslim men and muslim women everywhere on the beaches....which is something that annoys me - as I really do believe ONLY swimwear should be worn at the beach, even if they aren't swimming.  Langkawi was a bit sterile and boring for me.  Which was quite a contrast from KOH LIPE just north on the Thailand side, which was super laidback and comfortable.