Yang Bay Eco Park is a tourist destination approximately 1 hour away from the Nha Trang city center.
On a beautiful Sunday morning, our family group of thirteen decided to take a day trip to Yang Bay. All we’ve heard of Yang Bay thus far is that it has hot springs.
The Cost
Package prices as of January 2018 are as follows:
Standard Package (train transport, landscape, animals, crocodile, pig racing, instrument performance)
- Adult- 120,000 VND
- Child- 90,000 VND
Package 1 (Standard package + Hot spring) ** We chose this package**
- Adult- 200,000 VND (approx. $9)
- Child- 140,000 VND
Package 2 (Standard Package + Hot Mineral mud bath)
- Adult- 290,000 – 360,000 VND (depending on number of guests, more guests=less expensive)
- Child- 200,000 VND
Package 3 (Standard package + Mineral Cosmetic mud bath)
- Adult- 550,000 VND
- Child- 300,000 VND
See here for more information on package and attraction costs.
*Current money conversions:
- 1 USD = 22,709 VND
The Journey
The majority of the car ride from Nha Trang city center to Yang Bay was pretty dull, with several impressive pot holes. As we get farther away, we get to the rural areas with sparsely littered buildings.
Only ’till the last 30 minutes prior to arrival is beautiful, with luscious green mountains and plantations. We see cows walking on the road right along side our car.
The Attractions
Fresh Water
- Yang Bay, Yang Khang are natural falls right by each other where guests can get in and swim in the water. At this time of year, the water is very cold and shallow, coming up to our knees. It is a very safe place for kids to play in, so long as you don’t cross the ropes marking “STOP.”
- The cool part is that we’re able to swim right next to the falls in the relative safety of a lifeguard watch. I got out of the water about 15 minutes in because the rocks underneath my feet hurt with every step we took.
- There are some photo opportunities with a path leading right near the Yang Bay Falls.
Hot Springs
- Famous for its hot springs, Yang Bay attracts many locals as well as tourists. The pools drain water at 3:30 pm, so if your highlight was to go to the hot spring, remember to make time to visit the site early.
Wildlife
- Wildlife enclosements are available for viewing by everyone. Certain ones allow guests to get up close with the animal, which costs extra money. The Bird Garden (additional 30,000 VND) looked really fun as you can go inside and be in the garden itself. There is also a wonderful display of peacocks spreading its feathers. On the way into the park, we also saw a dozen white horses tied to a tree.
Feed the Fish with Baby Bottles
Exactly as it sounds, for an extra 12,000 VND, we can feed fish with a baby bottle filled with fish food. It was an intense several minutes were dozens of large fish jump halfway out of the water to feed from the bottle.
The aggression of the fish lead us to believe that they leave the fish to starve through the day so they can amuse the tourists.
Fish Massage
Costs an additional 30,000 VND per person. If you’re really patient and still as a statue, you might get a few nibbles. Otherwise, it really depends on the people. Out of our group of 13 people, only 1-2 of us had a decent “massage.” Waste of money when we could be going to a natural spring where we get fish massage for free. 😉
Crocodile Feeding
Costs an additional 10,000 VND per bait. As one free bait was supposedly included in our ticket price, we were peeved when the rep said that it was no longer in it and had to pay for it ourselves.
Sneaking Food In
Unlike most amusement parks like Vinpearl, Yang Bay’s isn’t too strict with food restrictions. We can bring food and drinks in through the gate and most of the park.
Once we reached the hot springs, the employees requested that we leave our foods and drink behind. We left behind a cooler with some ice and water, and kept our food hidden in our bags to eat once we got in.
Overall
Yang Bay, though with several good photo opportunities (if you’re into Instagraming-Facebooking your travels), was full of hidden costs and mediocre attractions that could be better provided elsewhere.
For the distance it takes to travel there and back, I felt that by myself, I probably wouldn’t go again.
Luckily, I was with my family, with nine kids, it was well worth it because they’re having fun and we’re having fun!
