Phan Rang, Vietnam

The numerous vine trellises that abut the highway are the biggest surprise of the journey between Ca Na and Phan Rang. Grapes are a speciality of Ninh Thuan Province (of which Phan Rang is the capital) and the vineyards in which they grow lend the area a faintly Mediterranean tang. PHAN RANG itself is an unsettling and unlovely place, with the main thoroughfare, Thong Nhat, dissecting the centre of town. Its western limits have fused with the neighbouring town of THAP CHAM, whose name, meaning "Cham Towers", gives a clue to the real reason for stopping here. This region of Vietnam once comprised the Cham kingdom of Panduranga, and of the nearby Cham remnants none is better preserved than those at Po Klong Garai. Another nearby attraction is Ninh Chu Beach, a glorious sweep of wide sand that is sometimes deliciously quiet on weekdays, but often overrun with Vietnamese at weekends. There are a few resorts along the beach, which make better accommodation alternatives than staying in Phan Rang's drab hotels, though they are all geared towards Vietnamese visitors. Even if beaches and Cham ruins aren't on your agenda, you may have to overnight in the area if you're heading into the hills around Da Lat.