Vietnam...once you go you never forget
What a surprise Vietnam was......So good in fact that we are researching our next trip there..
This was our first time in Vietnam and what a surprise....fabulous beaches, amazing food, the infrastructure was world class. I can see why Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. For a country ravaged by war not long ago be able to bounce back like it has and particularly Danang, to a modern, clean, orderly city is absolutely amazing.
As Australians we had to apply online for a 30 day tourist visa and that cost about US$25
At the present time you can only stay for 30 days. There are some countries that don't need to apply for a visa.
We arrived in Danang around midnight and it was all happening...so much atmosphere.
I had a collaboration with the beautiful Chicland Hotel that is right on the beachfront with a rooftop pool. It was a perfect location as you could walk to everything, plus the amazing roof top pool and bar was an added bonus.
The hotel had a very unique minimalistic style and our oceanfront deluxe apartment was just gorgeous and felt like a home.
We just used the phone app Grab to book the 30 min taxi ride from the airport and it was only AUD $12
There are so many options to eat in Danang and what I loved about Vietnam is that you can safely eat at local restaurants and the food will be just delicious and perfectly safe.
We had two nights in Danang, but I could happily stay a week as a lot to do and explore.
We really enjoyed the time just before sunset, as all the local families would come down to the beach, swim and picnic. What I did notice throughout our time in Vietnam, is how well the Vietnamese ladies dressed...At restaurants and just walking through the town they always looked so lovely.....hats off to them.
From Danang we moved south about 45 mins to Hoi An.
Hoi An is a mesmerizing UNESCO World Heritage site, with beautiful 16th-century architecture that celebrates its origins as a trading port that long welcomed merchant ships from China, Japan, and Europe.
The Old Town on the Thu Bon River has so many interesting things to do and see
These include the covered bridge, also known as the Japanese Bridge, gorgeous riverside French-colonial buildings, traditional merchant shop-houses, historic pagodas and temples, ornate assembly halls where Chinese immigrants would congregate.
Of course there are tailors and shoe makers where you can go crazy at incredibly good prices. But the greatest joy of Hoi An comes from wandering around it's beautiful streets. There is just so much to see from the traditional markets to the beautiful shops and restaurants.
The town centre is car-free and such a pleasant place to walk, especially at night, when it's lit by red lanterns strung on the exteriors of buildings.
The restaurants are really nice and very inexpensive.... I must admit though the best food we had was out of the old town and eating at restaurants where the locals eat. Vietnam is totally safe to eat street food. I just love to sit on the little red stools outside local restaurants and enjoy a great meal.
A huge meal for 2 with about 6 beers will only set you back about AUD $12 or US$8
A large beer is roughly about AUD$0.60...now that's a good thing!
A really good Banh Mi is about AUD 0.80 cents, a bowl of the most amazing local soup with noodles is around $1.00.....and its huge, plus a separate plate of all the fresh local herbs.... to die for.