If you’re travelling Vietnam from north to south you’ll notice a big change in the vegetation as you approach the twin cities of Phan Rang and Thap Cham, joint capitals of Ninh Thuan province. The familiar lush green rice paddies are replaced with sandy soil supporting only scrubby plants. 

Local flora includes poinciana trees and prickly-pear cacti with vicious thorns. Famous for its production of table grapes, many of the houses on the outskirts of town are decorated with vines on trellises. 

The area’s best-known sight (and a common stop on the Dalat–Nha Trang route) is the group of Cham towers known as Po Klong Garai, from whichThap Cham (Cham Tower) derives its name. There are other towers dotted about the countryside. This province is home to tens of thousands of Cham people people, particularly in the vicinity of the twin cities. The Cham, like other ethnic minorities in Vietnam, suffer from discrimination and are usually poorer than their ethnic-Vietnamese neighbours. There are also several thousand Chinese in the area, many of whom come to worship at the 135-year old Quang Cong Pagoda (Ð Thong Nhat), a colourful Chinese temple in the town centre.

With both Hwy 1A and Hwy 20 (heading to the central highlands) passing through the towns, this is a good pit stop for either a coastal trip or the journey to Dalat. Nearby Ninh Chu Beach is another, quieter alternative.

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