A visit to Viet Nam was not in my plan for travel this time over to SE Asia. I had booked a round trip to Chiang Mai in Thailand for almost four months to give me just enough time to escape the worst part of a Canadian winter. On my past forays to this part of the world, I had a plan about where I would go to do visa runs to other countries and then return to Thailand until it was time to go home.. Making a plan this time wasn’t so easy as travel has become more challenging with trying to fit any kind of plan into the constant changes to each country’s visa requirments. After mulling over the various possibilities facing me, I quite suddenly woke up early one morning with my answer…it would be Viet Nam.
Viet Nam (VN) is no stranger to me since I have visited it three times: the first time in 2010 and the last time in 2017. Viet Nam was always more of a challenge back then so the question was whether I could be up for the challenge again after adding considerably more years to my age portfolio? Thailand is still the easiest country for me to spend my winters. The ease of getting around by train, plane or bus and most important for communicating is a real plus. Furthermore, add to that their low cost of living which I have found is still better than VN, but not by a whole lot, is another plus. However, after almost a month in VN, I saw it with a different set of eyes. Although Thailand is one of their neighbours and share some similarities, in essence it is quite different and that is what made my fourth visit well worth while.
My previous trips to (VN), an incredibly scenic country by the way, took me from the North (Hanoi and Sapa) down to the South (Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta). However, this time I wanted to return to Central Viet Nam where I too hastily visited Hoi An over fifteen years ago.There was still lots more to get aquainted with in this region. Knowing I had less than a month to explore all Central Viet Nam, I decided to concentrate on just two places: DaNang: Hoi An and DaNang.
DaNang now has a spanking new airport which has contributed greatly to its rapid growth, not just in tourism, but for the expansion of its world wide shipping industry, and its location midway between the north which can be cold in winter and the south which can be frightfully humid. With a population nearing three million, it is one of the fastest growing cities in SE Asia. Nevertheless, many backpackers and budget minded tourists are giving it a pass with the exception of the wealthier tourists from other parts of Asia and Europe who prefer group tours. Since I booked my flight to the airport in Da Nang with my number one destination as Hoi An, I decided to book a small hotel Benzen Boutique Stays*for several nights in DaNang so I could find out for myself why tourists were giving it the brush off.
The first task I had to face in both places was learning how to handle the constant traffic where it seems like there are few rules for bikes, cars and buses leaving pedesterians to fend for themselves. It’s always daunting at first, but if you can manage to have your eyes take in a larger range of vision and be super careful, you can manage. The drivers seem to have the ability to see in all directions so are masters at manoeuvering around us. Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, VN’s two largest cities, are even worse which I remember all so well. No wonder VN has been aptly dubbed as a country on “steroids”!
Since I prefer to stay ‘put’ in one place to get a feel for it and hopefully find locals who speak English, I prefer to walk everywhere and stop frequently at cozy little coffee shops which often turn out to be the best way to find young people who can speak some English. I am not inclined to take day trips trying to see and do everything in a few days with a bunch of tourists. I did that in my early days of travel to VN with my husband which again explains why I can barely remember all the things we saw and did. I knew that DaNang was situated on the east coast of VN on the China Sea and served as a major military base during the Viet Nam war in the 60’s. Thanks to the US navy who were stationed there, it became known as”China Beach” followed by a popular TV series in the US with the same name. With my curiosity aroused, I opted to see this famous beach and others all along the coast on the China Sea. I also knew it would be a nice break from the heat that was building up in Chiang Mai.
However, although Benzen Stays was a stone’s throw from DaNang’s famous Dragon Bridge* the bridge was a long walk across followed by a complicated network of streets after that before I would reach the beach. I was forced to at last give in and flag down a taxi. However, it was well worth it so please read on to find out why with some pictures as proof.
However, to keep some kind of thread going here in this missive, the following day after my sojourn to My Khy, the vietnamese name for “China Beach”, I was scheduled to check into my next place of stay in Hoi An at the Pink Tulip*. Hoi An is the most famous town in Central Viet Nam and a mere 14 km. south of DaNang on the South China Sea. Like DaNang, it had its beginnings as an important shipping port for all Asia dating back to the 1500’s. With HoiAn’s location on the sea and its numerous rivers and small islands, it’s easy to see why it reminded me of Venice. Many of the buildings of Chinese origin are still standing despite the annual flooding that occurs there every year. These buildings were known as shophouses providing the inhabitants to not only carry out their business, but also their daily living. This forced them to build them so they could survive the annual rains and tides. In fact, Hoi An’s success at preserving its heritage has won it the designation as a Unesco World Heritage site.
With such a history, a unique location, and the honour as one of the world’s heritage sights, it’s no surprise that Hoi An draws a huge amount of tourists. It also explains why many tourists don’t go to DaNang. HoiAn’s architecture, colourful markets, and their expertise in making good quality clothing and shoes is another big draw for the tourists. Their tailors are famous for turning out suits, dresses, pants and other articles of clothing all made to measure often on the same day for their buyers. Moreover, it’s a shoppers delight with even more markets than Chiang Mai or so it seems since they are all crammed together within walking distance. I was tempted to buy silk scarves and jewellery for my small import business, but I had already completed most of my shopping in Thailand where prices are lower and more suitable for my customers.
Since I did very little site-seeing in either city spending much of my time visiting coffee cafes and simply soaking up the atmosphere with the help of my feet, I want to share with you three things I love the most about both DaNang and Hoi An.
The Food
Surprisingly Vietnamese food has moved up to the top of my list beating out Thai food which has been, not just a favourite of mine, but for many foreigners for some time. Over the years Vietnamese cuisine has been appearing on menus in other countries around the world. Canada, for example, is one. There are various reasons for this, of course. Maybe it’s because we foodies want to try something different. Or, is it because to us Westerners, Vietnamese food isn’t quite so spicey as Thai food can be? That is certainly one reason why I put it up at the top of my list. However, my guess is that more and more restaurants in Viet Nam are satisfying the taste buds of their clientele who are choosing to change their diets to focussing on such healthy choices as plant based foods over meat and fish. I am amazed at the number of restaurants in Hoi An who are advertising vegan dishes on their menus. They are including lots of leafy greens, veggies, and herbs in their dishes and their sauces are less spicey. Fish sauce is a good alternative to a red hot sauce laced with chilis. This suits my taste buds as it would for many others who are realising that we need to change our diets by eliminating the abundance of processed foods which we have been inandated with for real food with healthy organic ingredients.
The Coffee
I was surprised to learn that Viet Nam is the largest producer of the Robusta coffee bean in the world and the second largest producer of coffee overall. Many coffee lovers in the west will turn up their noses at drinking Robusta coffee, but because of the climate in VN and their skill at growing it, the world is waking up to the fact that their coffee is good. It’s estimated that over 550,000 farmers are now in the coffee business which is predominantly in the Central Highlands. Viet Nam’s coffee, often known as Black Coffee, has more caffeine in it but is less acidic than the Arabica. What turns off most people with black coffee is the condensed milk used by the locals as their sweetener. Cafes and restaurants wanting to satisfy their tourists tastes now offer cow’s milk, oat milk and coconut milk for your coffee. Or if you are brave enough, you can try salted coffee or egg coffee, Vietnamese favourites becoming popular with tourists as they are advertised everywhere. Coconut coffee is my favourite and is the number one choice for most visitors. The Vietnamese make their black coffee using a small steel filter called the phin filter. However, the trend for more upscale coffee cafes and restaurants is to also offer brewed coffee for us americano and cappuccino lovers. Starbucks isn’t too happy about the rise in good coffee cafes throughout the country and from what I have heard are actually closing down many of their stores.
The Beaches
The best thing about DaNang has to be the beautiful white sand beaches of the China Sea stretching all the way along the eastern coast of South Central Viet Nam. The most popular beach for locals and tourist alike is My Khe.
As soon as I saw it, I felt the stress I had been carrying around melt away. In fact, the view before me literally took my breath away. Clear blue sky and water with snowwhite waves, and miles of soft sand lay at my feet. However, the most surprising thing of all was there were few people around. I couldn’t believe it! Since this wasn’t the best time of the year for swimming, I didn’t bother taking a bathing suit. All I wanted was to take a long walk along the miles of sand that stretched before me!
I found out later that this was the best beach for walking and is the ‘go to’ place for exercise buffs in the mornings. When I arrived, there were a few people swimming and some tourists tanning. Most Vietnamese, not wanting to expose their skin to the sun because white is better than dark, will come out to enjoy the beach later in the day with their children.
To cool down there were numerous kiosks selling drinks and food with some providing chaise lounges to relax in. There were also fishermen on shore hauling in ropes stretching far out to sea helping to bring in the strange looking round fishing boats. They are the region’s iconic round basket boats which have served the Vietnamese fishermen as a cheaper and more innovative way to catch fish after the French colonial government raised the tax for the standard fishing boats being used by the fishermen. For more on this story, you can read this interesting article in National Geographic by tapping on this ULR below: Url:https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/partner-content-charting-their-own-course:
Pictures of DaNang’s beaches: The sun was shining when I arrived at My Khe on my first visit to the city. Those with the clouds were taken on An Beach when I returned to DaNang for a few days before departing for Chiang Mai. Whether it was overcast or sunny didn’t matter. I was simply happy to be near a beach where the air was clear and away from the mad traffic.
Hoi An has a couple of good beaches as well. I chose to visit Cau Dai the closest one to the town. Unfortunately, this beach has taken a couple of hard hits from recent typhoons eroding much of its coast and washing away most of the former restaurants. Many efforts by the Government have been made to rebuild it bigger and better. The rebuilding began in 2020 with the erection of breakwaters, walls of rock, and sea plants. It now has a plethora of restaurants offering drinks and Vietnamese food along with beach chairs and umbrellas for its patrons to spend their days in the sun, eating and swimming. When I was there fifteen years ago, there were very few restaurants with much more sand. I only hope that the government’s efforts and money won’t be washed away again by future storms.
How can I sum up Viet Nam in as few words as is possible other than to say that making the choice to come here for my visa run was the right one. I have much admiration for a country that has pulled itself together after many years of being under the thumb of China and France and then having to deal with both internal and external conflicts where thousands of citizens lost their lives. They deserve the peace and prosperity that they are enjoying these days. They are good example of how it is possible to move forward by forgiving their past. They believe in family and having fun but work hard as well. When I left a few days ago the whole country was gearing up for Tet their most important holiday of the year when they will celebrate with their families no matter the cost or distance apart to wish that the coming new year will bring prosperity to everyone. Sure it can be a nuisance to us tourists but who are we to judge? So long as we can learn a thing or two from them as well as they can from us.
* Dragon Bridge – is a 2,185 ft, undulating, golden bridge always lit up at night with alternating coloured lights. On weekends the dragon’s mouth will spit out fire and water to entertain the onlookers.
*Pink Tulip Hotel
BetsTravelsAbout 
Hi Sally – If I go back again, I’ll just have to plan my trip more carefully. We should leave Tet to the Vietnamese. Keep me posted on your next travel move.
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Thanks Betty, for that great travelogue! I note many signs in English. How did you find the country for us dumb furriners who don’t speak the language? And do the Vietnamese still speak French as a second language, or has that gone by the wayside? Come home soon, we’re holding down the fort for ya.
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Hi Allan – I really must thank you for taking the time to read through this rather long report on Viet Nam. It was a challenge to gain a good sense of a country and its people in three weeks. I could have used more time….maybe next year? To answer your question about the Vietnamese language, it has so many tones all with different meanings which limits their vocabulary. Hard for us foreigners because we are totally different in how we approach our language. As for French, I didn’t hear any at all. I remember from my first trip to the country when I was in Hanoi discovering that some of the older generation still spoke it. What they have kept of the French culture is their ability to make really good croissants!
See you all in April.
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Bets you did a lovely description of Vietnam. We love the country!
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Easy to see why you keep returning. It really does have much to offer. Hope you enjoyed the remainder of Tet. Where to next? Keep me posted.
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Hey Bets, lovely descriptive blog about this area. I agree with everything you said…but have to add that you’re lucky you escaped prior to their Tet holiday!
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