The town of Nha Trang is built along a wide sandy beach fringed with coconut palms. Close to the town, it is busy with vendors offering a wide range of refreshments and services, but quieter further away. Once known as Viet Nam's St. Tropez, Nha Trang is the closest thing to a Western-style resort in the country. The beach is good for tropical vacations and safe for swimming, although heavy rain in November and December makes the normally crystal-clear water very murky.