By 2019, there were still a few white spots on my map of visited Southeast Asian countries. A small but proud (in particular because of the availability of visas and oil) sultanate of Brunei, big Malaysia (where I was supposed to fly in 2014, but the trip was disrupted), the city-state of Macau and Vietnam, a favorite of many tourists.
And now I decided to paint one of them, the good thing was the opportunity to attend the Asian Tourism Forum in Halong city, famous for its picturesque bay.
- Travel plan
- Hanoi
- Halong City
- Yen Tu Pagoda
- Halong Bay
- Ninh Binh
- Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
- Mekong Delta
- Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang train
- Lang Co and the world of Banyan Tree
- Unvisited Golden Bridge and Hoi An
- Da Nang and the way back
- Hue
- To Hanoi and Home
Travel plan
I didn’t limit myself only to Halong and its bay, and you can stay only 15 days without a visa, so the itinerary was as follows:
- Morning arrival from Moscow to Hanoi, a day in the city, overnight stay at Chio Hotel near the airport (so it wouldn’t be far).
- Morning departure to Halong, walk around the city, evening excursion to Yen Tu mountain to the pagoda of the same name, overnight stay at Halong Park Hotel.
- Transfer to more comfortable FLC hotel, boat excursion on Halong Bay, dinner on Halong Princess ship.
- Meetings and press conferences at ATF forum, walk around Halong city.
- Groundhog Day.
- Groundhog Day.
- Morning departure to Ninh Binh, boat tour of Tam Coc National Park, overnight stay at Ninh Binh Legend Hotel.
- Morning departure to Hanoi, city walk, evening flight to Ho Chi Minh City, evening in the city, check-in at Sai Gon Hotel.
- Full day exploration of Ho Chi Minh City, purchase train tickets to Da Nang.
- Morning tour of the Mekong Delta, overnight train to Da Nang.
- Arrival in Da Nang in the afternoon, check-in at Banyan Tree Lang Co Hotel, relax.
- Rent a motorcycle, ride to Hoi An and back to the hotel.
- Again by motorcycle, but in the other direction – to Hue and back to the hotel.
- Late check-out, departure in the evening to Da Nang airport, evening flight to Hanoi, overnight stay at Dragon Airport Hotel near the airport.
- Morning flight to Moscow.
I can’t judge whether this tour is balanced or not, of course, if it wasn’t for the Asian Tourism Forum, I wouldn’t have stayed in Halong for so long. Besides, the atmosphere in Banyan Tree Lang Co disposes to doing nothing at the villa by the pool and on the luxurious beach of the resort, not to a bike ride around the neighborhood. But the tourist, who is greedy for new places, for the first time in Vietnam, but has already bathed in different seas many times in his life, of course, chose to move around constantly, giving only half a day for a beach vacation.
Hanoi
I don’t know why, but before the trip I had a stereotype: Hanoi is just a big eternally rainy city, and all the most delicious things are in the south, in Saigon. It was confirmed that Hanoi is big – by area it is one and a half times bigger than Moscow, if Wikipedia is to be believed. True, I understand, without taking New Moscow into account. And yes, it was cloudy, cool (up to +13 in the evening), and on our return from Ninh Binh it was really rainy. Winter time, what can you do.
However, the stuffing of the city in terms of “what to see” exceeded my expectations. The coolest Temple of Literature, the most colorful old quarters with a working railroad running in line with the houses, the large-scale Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, beautiful colonial villas of the embassy quarter, picturesque even in the haze and low sky pagodas on the lakes (Tran Quoc and Ngoc Son), the magnificent St. Joseph Cathedral with an iconostasis made of bamboo.
All these details impressed me quite a bit, and I was also impressed by the weather – it’s unusual to see a Southeast Asian entourage in such cold weather. Plus there is a huge influence of Chinese culture, and all these factors created a hard-to-digest but interesting vinaigrette in my head, Hanoi should definitely be seen in good weather, having allocated three days for the city.
Halong City
Initially we wanted to go to Halong by public transportation, so we took a hotel near the airport. But then it turned out that we were misinformed, and buses run from bus stations on the outskirts of the city. In the end I remembered about Kiwi.Taxi service, which I used on Samui and in Bangkok a couple of years ago. I ordered directly from the phone, if you divide it by two, it came out like 30 dollars per person, it’s for 3.5 hours of driving, and also on a new Toyota jeep. The offer seemed to be advantageous in comparison with tansfery from the city for about 15 dollars in an incomprehensible automobile. Well, the bus, taking into account the size of the city and, accordingly, the cost of a cab, was almost the same. The very case when at first glance overpaying, you save a lot. In general, I recommend it, and if you are 3-4 people, there should be no questions how to get from point A to point B.
We arrived in Halong in comfort and to our own music. The weather was unlucky, to put it mildly. Low sky, fog, sometimes something fell from the sky, cool wind. But a positive attitude is our everything, so we managed to get positive emotions from staying in this place.
Halong city itself is divided by the strait into two parts, connected by a rather impressive bridge and no less impressive cable car. The part to the south is more party, with hotels, beaches, amusement park. The northern part is notable for a more interesting view of the rocks of the bay, closely approaching the shore, as well as a lot of fishing boats, a park overlooking the bay and a modern museum of Vietnamese history. In general, the northern part reflects more the realities of local life, most of the city’s population lives here. Besides, there is a conference center, where the forum events were held, as well as FLC Halong Bay Golf Club & Luxury Resort, where I migrated for the forum after Halong Park Hotel.
In the city itself I managed to walk along the promenades of both parts, hang out in the park and watch the locals doing gymnastics, walk around the street market and Halong Plaza shopping center (I took a minimum of things especially to replenish the park of T-shirts and shoes). Good impressions were left by the local restaurant Hutong, where you have to cook meat, fish, herbs and mushrooms in broth in the Chinese way – my colleagues were also delighted.
It is definitely worth visiting the local museum of local history – a modern building in the form of a black cube, with expositions from ancient times (fossils, skeletons and stuffed animals that lived here) to the Vietnam War and the biography of comrade Ho Chi Minh.
Yen Tu Pagoda
To diversify our stay in Halong, we took some excursions with our colleagues. The first one is to the pagoda and Yen Tu Mountain. Yen Tu Mountain is one of the highest points of the mountain range in the northeastern part of Vietnam. Surrounded by a striking landscape, the mountain is home to a pagoda and is generally known as the cradle of Buddhism in Vietnam. In 2014, the complex was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hoa Yen Pagoda is the largest among the Yen Tu pagoda complex. It is almost 500 meters above sea level high and is decorated with long rows of trees planted by the emperor hundreds of years ago.
Climbing another 700 meters to an impressive height of 1,068 meters above sea level, travelers see the Van Tieu Pagoda. Both Hoa Yen and Van Tieu pagodas are thousands of years old, and visiting them is very revered among Buddhists – both are holy places. And from the tops of these structures, there are stunning panoramic views of northeastern Vietnam.
Nowadays, you don’t have to climb on foot – there are cable cars to the pagodas, which will take you to the heights in a matter of minutes. However, climbing the ancient staircases is an integral part of exploring these holy sites.
On the first platform, where the cable car ascends, there is a souvenir store where you can buy many interesting products – from bracelets made of natural materials and other souvenirs, to interesting tinctures and teas.
Halong Bay
Of course, to be in Halong city and not to swim among the rocks of Halong Bay is a crime. So the next day we went to this hallmark of Vietnam.
Well, everyone probably knows everything about the bay. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, a figurehead of the “7 New Wonders of Nature” list and thousands of tourists from all over the world. According to the legend, Halong Island was created by a dragon living in the mountains – everyone knows about it too. But what surprised me was the presence of Titov Island among the toponyms. It turns out that the Soviet cosmonaut sailed among these places with Ho Chi Minh himself, and the Vietnamese leader named one of the islands in honor of German Stepanovich.
Also various movies were filmed here, including James Bond movies. In general, the place is a landmark from all sides, and even the overcast weather did not spoil the impression. However, the big is seen at a distance, and to perceive the whole bay you need to climb on the hills in the city. In our case, such an elevation was FLC Halong Bay Golf Club & Luxury Resort, which is not only high in itself, but is also located on a noticeable hill. The views from the rooms are amazing!
Ninh Binh
Having spent enough time in Halong, we relocated to Ninh Binh. This province is famous for the landscape complex of Trang An, or Chang An. It is one of the largest and most important natural monuments in Vietnam. It is located in Ninh Binh Province, near the city of the same name, just 100 kilometers south of Hanoi. In 2014, the landscape complex was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Bui and Trong caves, explorers found traces of primitive people, and already in our era, these places became the capital of the first unified state on the territory of Vietnam, as well as the birthplace of three Vietnamese dynasties – Ly, Early Le and Dinh. Cultural sites referring to that period are located on the territory of the ancient capital Hoa Lu, which is also part of the complex, as well as the eponymous virgin forest in the mountains around the city.
The beauty of Ninh Binh lies in its incredibly picturesque rural surroundings, an area known to tourists for its karst cliffs, caves and wetlands. And the quintessential example of these beauties is Tam Coc District, which is located in the picturesque valley of the Ngo Dong River. The water surface surrounded by picturesque limestone mountains with three grottoes connecting water pools.
For acquaintance we actually took a tour of Tam Coc Park, it is a part of Trang An complex and means “Three Caves” in Vietnamese. There are about 50 caves and 30 lakes located underground in the entire Trang An complex. There are three main routes, and they pass through a varying number of natural formations.
- Route 1 – 9 caves: Hanh Khong, Hanh Toi, Hanh Sang, Hanh Nau Ruou, Hanh Ba Giot, Hanh Seo, Hanh Son Duong, Hanh Tran, Hanh Quy Hau
- Route 2 – 4 caves: Hanh Lam, Hanh Vang, Hanh Tranh Truot, Hanh Dai
- Route 3 – 3 caves: Hanh Dot, Hanh Van, Hanh Dai.
The most important thing here is the limestone mountains of the most bizarre shapes against the river scenery. The winding Ngo Dong River winds past cliffs and grottoes, past rice paddies and grassy pools where local fishermen fish and storks hide in the thickets. Among all this splendor there are also man-made beauties, for visiting which you can dock and walk a little, at the same time making a warm-up after sitting in the boat.
Of particular interest to tourists during the boat tour are swims into the through caves made by water in karst formations. We liked this part the most! Boats with passengers swim out from the other side and end up in the next river valley. The extent of the caves varies considerably: 60 (Hanh Lam), 150 (Hang Dai) and even 250 meters (Hang Vang). The caves are very low, so be careful when taking photos or videos: you can hit your head or drop your device.
The city itself is not very valuable, so after the tour in Tam Coc we mostly drank beer in the hotel, not counting a small walk in search of an ATM. And the next morning we took a two-hour bus ride to Hanoi to go to the airport after one more walk around the city (old quarters with the railroad, the cathedral, Hoan Kiem Lake) and then – to Ho Chi Minh, or simply – Saigon.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
If in Hanoi, and in general in the north of the country, the usual flavor of Southeast Asia was not really felt, being interrupted by the noticeable influence of China and low temperatures, then already on the way from the airport to the city center it made itself clear: millions of bikes, cacophony of sounds, sharp smell of street food, heat and humidity.
But the first thing that surprised me in Saigon was the small airport, and even located almost in the center of the city. I look in Wikipedia: the population is almost 8.5 million, a million more than in Hanoi. Remembering the enormity and remoteness of the capital’s airport, the puzzle does not add up. But all right, I take a bus to the center and for a ridiculous amount of money (something about a quarter of a dollar) and ridiculous half an hour in heavy traffic I get to the central part of the city.
I didn’t book a hotel in advance – luckily I have internet in my phone and a whole bunch of applications. I got off the bus in a place where there are quite a lot of hotels, and you can walk to various sights, and the train station is not far away, and I will need it.
While still on the bus from the plane to the terminal, I discovered Vietnamese people watching soccer on their phones. That’s right, the Asian Cup, ⅛ of the final, being played against Jordan. After getting off the bus, I sat down at the table of a street cafe, where 30 Vietnamese people, shouting over the rumble of cars, were supporting their national team. Under mango-fresh and the hum of fans, with one eye looking after things, and the other – the course of the match, I booked a hotel just a hundred meters from this institution. I drowned in a penalty shootout for Vietnam as for the motherland, and after the win I went to throw my things in the hotel and go for a walk around the city partying in honor of the victory.
The hotel had minuses that I hadn’t noticed when booking. Apparently because I was distracted by the soccer game. For example, there was no window (there was a narrow vertical slit, suitable only for airing), there was no breakfast, and to leave things before the evening train on the second day, I had to call the owner of the hotel, the reception persistently did not understand what I wanted. But there were also pluses, for example a good location: between the station and the main sights, not far from the river, very close to the night market, with a lot of cafes and stores around, and a little at the back of the block – you could not hear the noise of a fairly large intersection with traffic circle traffic. The room itself is quite spacious, the bathroom is full, with a good shower section, change of towels and linen, no complaints about that. In general, I won’t say that I recommend it in every way, but if you need a hotel mostly comfortable in silence and for little money to sleep, and you prefer local authentic cafes to hotel breakfasts – here’s a link, it’s called Sai Gon Hotel.
Saigon in the evening is basically buzzing. And after winning ⅛ of the Asian Cup final, even more so. Enterprising Vietnamese sell flags along the roadside, joyful fans are buzzing without ceasing, although it happens here without any soccer. But the scale is not the same as it was in Russia after significant victories, or everything is lost in the flow of noise and traffic of the southern capital of Vietnam. In general, after an hour or two it seemed to me that all the euphoria has come to naught, and the city continued to live an ordinary life, devoid of soccer battles.
I walked to the train station, realized that it was closed and should return for a ticket tomorrow, looked a little at the night market, dined on excellent pho bo in a street café with the inevitable cockroaches on the ground, took another beer to the hotel and went to bed.
The second day in Saigon was devoted to a leisurely walk around the city. To begin with – on the familiar from yesterday way to the train station to buy a ticket for tomorrow to Da Nang. Like the airport, the station surprised me with its size – a small two-story building, four ticket offices and about the same number of tracks. Don’t they go anywhere or what? Anyway, the ticket is bought, you can pause for a cold beer and get on your way. By the way, they often give you a warm can, and put a huge, half the volume, piece of ice in the glass, such a local peculiarity.
In Saigon it is pleasant to walk along the streets with colonial buildings, and also to see several colonial churches: Huyện Sỹ Church, Redemptorist pastoral center and, of course, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Saigon. However, it is under reconstruction, and you can get in only during service hours, we couldn’t wait. From the outside it is impressive, but the scaffolding spoils the view. We also managed to see the Palace of Independence and the Town Hall from the side – very beautiful building.
And of course – Ho Chi Minh City Military Museum. In the sense of the city, not in honor of comrade Ho Chi Minh, although of course there is plenty about him there. Inside the building – mostly photo archives with terrible images of war times, the consequences of chemical attacks and other atrocities of the U.S. Army. On the third floor is the famous photo of a girl, Feng Tai Kim Fook, tearing off her burning clothes. Nick Ut, the author of this photo, entitled “The Terror of War,” won the Plitzer Prize for it. The reproduction was donated to the museum by the photographer. Besides this photo, there are many others on the third floor that are impossible to look at with any degree of calmness. On the outside of the building, American military equipment is on display.
After visiting the museum I just wanted to walk around the city. And for complete relaxation – a ride on a private boat on the river. An hour-long ride was offered for 800,000 VND, I bargained it down to 500. It’s convenient to go to areas on the water that are quite far to walk to, and boat houses probably don’t look so cool from land. The boatman will also take pictures of you against the backdrop of the sunset.
I was pretty decent, only had enough energy to go to Bin Tan night market, book an online tour of the Mekong Delta for tomorrow, eat pho bo and drink beer.
Mekong Delta
In the morning, having found an English-speaking Vietnamese guide, I get on the bus and under the cheerful stories, jokes and jokes we are going to see how people live in the delta of one of the world’s largest rivers.
To begin with, our company consisting of Englishmen, Poles, Americans, Koreans and who knows who else, went to some temple. Typical Asian novodel: sitting Buddha, standing Buddha, lying Buddha, building, building, building. There was beer being sold on the grounds, I couldn’t help but take that chance!
After a rather boring temple, we finally moved on to the boats, which as we set sail turned my white t-shirt black and white due to soot (hello Plitvice Lakes and electric ferries!). We had to cross a rather large arm of the Mekong to land on one of the islands in the river delta.
Even on the other side of the river I saw tour operator Pegasus Touristik buses and immediately suspected something wrong. So I was already morally ready for a purely tourist attraction. It included: a visit to an apiary and sampling of honey drink, photo session with a python, listening to a cup of tea folk art from artists with a stone face saying “how I’m sick of it all!”, a trip on bicycles and carts, lunch, riding on small boats on the narrow channels of the Mekong, a visit to a coconut farm with tasting coconut candy and local moonshine….
No, it’s all cool, but it’s so much put on the stream that together with tourists from the buses of large tour operators causes some rejection. In any case, the tick is checked, I visited the delta of the great Asian river, and thank God.
On the way back I went to the familiar night market, bought souvenirs, beer and snacks for the train and went to pick up my luggage from the hotel. Fortunately, it was in place, and I tried to catch a cab at a familiar café with excellent mango freeshes. Not so easy, I’ll tell you – all cabs were already with passengers. In the end I asked a guy from the cafe to call a driver from my phone (yes, Uber does not work there, there is a certain Grab, and even on motorcycles, but the application refused to be put on my phone). After three calls back with clarification of the landing place (and accordingly my running to this guy) a big black jeep arrived, where some locals immediately sat down. With the help of the already mentioned guy I managed to kick them out and I finally went to the station. In general, I should have ordered Kiwi taxi again instead of experimenting in this way!
Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang train
The Vietnamese train is quite civilized, but with nuances. The queue is lined up at the electronic turnstile, which starts in 15 minutes and reads the barcode from the boarding pass. Then, as usual, you have to proceed to your carriage. I took a seat in a 4-seat compartment (there was only an upper one), because 6-seat compartment (yes, there were such compartments) seemed to me too much. But instead of three more passengers there was one and a family… with two children. That is, in the end there were still six people, although the children slept with their parents on the lower shelves.
However, a couple of hours passed without a crowd of neighbors, they sat somewhere further away, I do not remember the station. And then, not to disturb the family idyll, and also not to sit in the role of a white monkey, I went in search of a restaurant car. From the last car it was necessary to pass to the first one, on the way having familiarized with all other classes. There are no usual platzkartes, there are only 4- and 6-seater compartments, and also sitting places. In which, by the way, there were European tourists saving a lot, but I’m probably too old for this shit, as they call it, and I didn’t agree to it at once.
But what a delight was waiting for me in the dining car! Pho Bo at 40,000 dong and beer at 20,000 dong. And yes, you can smoke in the dining car! I ended up sitting there for several hours, drinking I don’t know how much beer and watching the conductors’ life, because there were no passengers except me. At two o’clock in the morning the conductors began to hint that it was time to know the honor – many of them took out some boards and laid down to sleep right on the tables. Ok, rightly reasoning that the kids in my compartment had also gone to bed, I headed back and had a great night’s sleep.
Upon waking up, I discovered that the train was only two hours late and there was still a decent amount of time left to get to Da Nang. Nothing else but to go to the restaurant to have breakfast again came to my mind, and could not. That’s why I spent the rest of the way at food and beer, looking at Vietnamese landscapes outside the window and estimating how much more to drive on my phone. The only thing that bothered me a bit was that I was to be met at Da Nang station by a driver from the Banyan Tree Lang Co hotel, and I had specified the transfer time according to the schedule. But the driver was from patient, and for sure familiar with the peculiarities of the railway traffic of his country, so at the exit I safely found a stately man with a sign “Nikolay Lebedev”, he was like from the movies about colonial Vietnam – courteous, in a cream suit with a high collar in the manner of the 20’s and absolutely imperturbable.
Lang Co and the world of Banyan Tree
I’ve been familiar with the Banyan Tree hotel chain for quite some time, ever since my second visit to Bali in 2013, when I spent three nights at the Banyan Tree Ungasan Villa. I was so impressed that I started to allow myself at the end of busy travels in Asia to relax 2-3 nights in one of the hotels of this chain, because they are well represented in Asia. So, in 2015 I spent two nights in a villa in Banyan Tree Samui and one more in Bangkok, in Banyan Tree Bangkok, to put a beautiful end to a month and a half of traveling around Southeast Asia and to relax before a 10-hour day flight. There’s more about these hotels in my story about the month on Samui.
And so, planning Vietnam, I went to the site Banyan Tree and found out that there is a hotel of this chain. And it is located just right for my plans: after northern and southern Vietnam, I wanted to see the central Vietnam – the historic cities of Hoi An and Hue, as well as the largest city of the center – Da Nang. And it’s also home to the famous new Golden Bridge – the one held by two hands and which has become Vietnam’s new calling card, at least on Instagram. So, Banyan Tree Lang Co is located on the beachfront at about equal distance from all these locations – within 50 kilometers. As a result, I booked three nights and, despite the fact that you can spend three days in the hotel and not get bored, I was going to make trips.
But on the day of arrival, considering that the train was delayed for two hours, plus the transfer and the general condition after the train – I decided not to go anywhere, but to plush at the villa with its own pool, drink wine and indulge in hedonism. By the way, there are three types of villas: overlooking the lagoon, on the sea and located on a high cliff. All of them have their own advantages. Villa with access to the sea – understandably, the sea itself, in fact, its own piece of beach with stunning sand, ideal entrance to the sea and falling asleep to the sound of the surf. Villas on the cliff – mind-blowing view from the height on everything around, I specially asked the butler (a man who drives visitors on a golf cart wherever they want within the hotel) to take me to the top.
Well, my option – lagoon villa – was the most budget-friendly, and I first thought – maybe I should upgrade to a sea villa? But it turns out that this option also has its advantages, and having realized it, I decided not to change anything. The view from the veranda is really on the lagoon, with smooth and smooth as a mirror water, surrounded by lush greenery and swimming geese-swans! I decided that I had been to a sea view before, but this was the first time I had been in such a tranquil setting. Indeed, nothing but the rustling of leaves and the sounds of birds can be heard, and it is very, very relaxing. So I was very satisfied with my lagoon villa.
And as for the beach – to go through the well-maintained territory with a river 3 minutes did not bother me at all. I bathed only 1 time, sacrificing water procedures for the sake of studying the rich cultural heritage of the country! But about it later. On the day of arrival I didn’t even go to the beach. I was so relaxed by the peaceful atmosphere of the villa that I found the strength to get only to the hotel restaurant “The Water Court”, where I dined on all kinds of exquisite dishes and drank a couple of cocktails. That’s all, half of the day was spent in blissful idleness.
Although I lie, I did something useful – I asked the reception to rent a bike for riding the next day and the day after, for two days. The privacy, peace and quiet has a downside – it’s quite a long walk to the nearest civilization with scooter rentals. But the hotel had no problem responding to my exotic request – they found a bike somewhere and the next morning it was already waiting for me in the parking lot at the reception building.
Unvisited Golden Bridge and Hoi An
In the morning, after an impressive breakfast selection (there was even a cocktail mixing station, first thing in the morning!), I saddled up my steed. Getting out towards Da Nang, Hoi An and the Golden Bridge you have to head south, and the hotel and the surrounding village are separated by a mighty ridge jutting into the sea. In this ridge is dug a 5-kilometer tunnel, and what luck that I still on the approach with the hotel driver noticed a sign prohibiting the movement of bikes. And smart google showed me the way to bypass the tunnel – on the serpentine through this ridge, laying on it about an hour.
Well, I like serpentines, and though the weather was not pleasant today, I started to meet new discoveries quite cheerfully. The serpentine turned out to be picturesque, not for nothing Jeremy Clarkson in Top Gear about Vietnam called it “one of the best coast roads in the world”. There’s even a fortification at the top. I stopped to drink tea with a view of it, but I didn’t climb up, though there were people who wanted to. It is a fortress, built in the beginning of XIX century to fight against robbers. By the way, this ridge was the border between the kingdoms of Champa and Daiviet, and for a long time it was the only road connecting the north and south of the country.
Strictly speaking, Hoian was not in the plan. It was supposed to be the day after tomorrow and without a bike, because Banyan Tree has a free shuttle service there. And the plan was to visit the Golden Bridge, take selfies and go see Da Nang. However, when I through the fog and light drizzle got on the navigator to the half of the way – ran into a huge parking lot (there was even a covered parking lot for bikes!), beyond which there is no way to go. But according to the map there is! I turned around and took a slightly different road, which ended with a barrier and a roadblock. It turns out that the further road that the navigator showed was through the territory of some super-luxury golf hotel, and the guards didn’t want to let me in.
The famous bridge is part of an amusement park. Admission is 35 dollars, which includes a cable car to the top and a visit to all sorts of rides and temple-watersheds. I wasn’t interested in any of this, I left my card at the hotel, the cash was barely enough for a ticket, but then I couldn’t afford much in the way of further destinations. I got a little discouraged, and at that time the fog finally thickened and dispelled my doubts – it would be impossible to take a decent photo in such conditions up there. All in all, a bummer.
So I changed my plans. The peaceful atmosphere of the villa also played its role – on the last day (and I had a late check-out, just in time for the plane) I had to drive an hour to Hoi An, then return to the hotel and then drive again in the same direction (the airport is in the center of Da Nang, between the hotel and Hoi An) – not a good idea when you have a private pool at your disposal before the flight. Anyway, I decided, Hoi An to be today – I refueled and hit the road! Needless to say, as we approached this postcard town, the sun came out and it was the complete opposite of what it had been an hour earlier at the Golden Bridge cable car? Well, I’ll close the gestalt with the bridge some other time…
Hoi An… I wouldn’t say this place disappointed me — it’s beautiful after all, with its old houses and the 500-year-old covered Japanese bridge — but there are sooo many tourists! In my opinion, any small town loses its charm when it’s flooded with visitors. It’s one thing in New York, where thousands of tourists blend into millions of locals, but quite another in a tiny village with just a few streets and the same number of tourists. Many historic buildings have been turned into souvenir shops, the rest into cafés, and only a handful remain as museums.
By the way, to enter the museums, including the famous Japanese bridge, you need to buy a ticket. It’s inexpensive, but at first, I couldn’t find where to get one. And when I finally did, I had already seen enough from the outside. I’m not sure what could be that interesting inside, but the complex is remarkable for its exterior. Along the waterfront, boats of all kinds offer rides, cycle rickshaws with tourists nearly knock people over, and the entire town seems to exist solely for tourism.
After wandering through the streets under the warm sun, I sat down at a café with a view of the river and the countless boats, ordered a beer and some surprisingly good food — guess their TripAdvisor recommendation wasn’t for nothing. My verdict on the town: visually pleasing, worth a visit, but the crowds of tourists definitely leave their mark. Though maybe my impression was influenced by the contrast with the peaceful solitude of the villa I stayed at yesterday?
Da Nang and the way back
We set off for Da Nang — it’s a short and beautiful ride, passing by the Marble Mountains that separate the road from the sea. They look especially stunning at sunset, which is when I was driving through, though I couldn’t get a decent photo — plus, I was in a hurry to reach Da Nang. By the time I arrived, it was already dark, but honestly, that only made the city look even better.
If Hanoi can be compared to Moscow, and the equally large yet different Saigon to St. Petersburg, then Da Nang — the main city of central Vietnam, home to 1.5 million people — reminded me of my hometown, Yekaterinburg. Granted, I only saw it at night, but the city’s lighting really enhances its charm, especially the breathtaking Dragon Bridge. Overall, Da Nang felt much more vibrant, modern, and cozy compared to the dominant cities of the north and south. It was also the only place where I found live music in bars and felt a unique atmosphere — maybe a sense of freedom?
And yes, I stopped by a café for dinner and ended up watching a football match with the locals again — unfortunately, Vietnam lost to Japan in the quarterfinals. Still, they were thrilled that I was cheering for their team. At that café, I also tried a rather unusual dish—something like pizza, topped with cheese and whole, unpeeled shrimp. The idea was to peel them, drizzle with sauce, add fresh herbs that came separately, and then wrap everything into a roll using rice paper. It was delicious—but required about a million napkins.
I enjoyed Da Nang so much that I stayed longer than planned, but I still had a long journey ahead — crossing the entire city, then the highway, and finally the mountain pass. By then, it had gotten pretty chilly. And oh, what a road that was! Visibility was close to zero, barely anyone was driving in either direction, and it was cold and damp. As I later learned, that’s the norm for this pass — Hai Van, which literally means “ocean mist,” named after the fog that rises from the sea right here. Adding to the thrill was my blinking fuel indicator, but in the end, I made it back to the hotel just before midnight. The reception staff were genuinely happy to see me and even said they had considered reporting a missing tourist — they were worried!
Hue
After yesterday’s exhausting ride, I wanted to take it easy — and with the sun shining bright despite it being the off-season, a swim seemed like a great idea. Plus, after checking the route to Hue, I saw it was mostly flat, meaning I had some extra time. I decided to convert that extra time into a swim and some lounging on a beach chair before finally heading off to the ancient capital of Vietnam’s emperors.
The ride to Hue was simpler and a bit less exciting. But there was a stretch where the road passed by a lagoon — that part was beautiful. Otherwise, it was a straight and smooth ride through various villages. As usual in Vietnam, speeding isn’t really an option. And after spotting a rock in the middle of the road the size of a cat, I completely lost any desire to push the throttle — especially at night. I could only imagine what would’ve happened if I had hit it.
My GPS led me straight to the citadel, with the road running through part of its territory — between the outer walls and the inner structure. Parking was on the sidewalk, managed by attendants who charged a dollar or the equivalent in dong. I only paid them at the end — after they had actually provided the service.
The main attraction requires a ticket, sold only at the entrance by the main gate. There are multiple exits, but just one ticket booth. Entry costs 150,000 dong, or 280,000 if you want access to several royal tombs scattered around the city. I wasn’t particularly interested in the tombs, and given the citadel’s scale, I probably wouldn’t have had time for them anyway.
Inside, there’s a huge variety of buildings, open spaces, and structures from different eras. There are signs everywhere, and they give you a map at the entrance — everything is well-organized and easy to navigate. As a tourist site, it’s very well done! I spent about 2–3 hours exploring. Near the right exit (when facing the entrance), there’s a large souvenir shop right inside the fortress. That’s where I bought almost all my souvenirs — the selection is great, and prices are standard for Vietnam. Highly recommend checking it out.
I didn’t see much else in the city, but that wasn’t my goal. The citadel isn’t just the centerpiece of Hue — it’s arguably the most significant landmark in central Vietnam. Satisfied with my visit and with a backpack full of souvenirs, I headed back to the hotel. But not before grabbing a bowl of pho bo from an old lady’s street stall. So once again, I rode back after dark — but this time, the road was much easier, and I dressed warmer, remembering last night’s chill.
I also had another good reason to return earlier — Saffron. This is a chain of Thai restaurants in Banyan Tree hotels, not just in Thailand. But calling Saffron a “hotel restaurant” doesn’t do it justice — people come here even if they’re not staying at the hotel, and reservations are made well in advance. Mine was booked for 9 PM. The highlight of this place? Always an incredible view of the ocean, mind-blowing Thai cuisine with a creative twist, and impeccable attention to detail. I wrapped up my vacation with a luxurious dinner — the kind where they bring you four different types of rice on a cart. And of course, I didn’t forget about the cocktails — they were just as impressive!
To Hanoi and Home
My last day started off well with a late check-out, which meant more time for the pool and pure relaxation. It was a shame the weather was cloudy, but that didn’t stop me from heading to the beach — lounging on a sunbed with the sound of the waves and a cold beer in hand. I stayed in that blissful state until 4 PM, when it was finally time for my airport transfer.
Having already compared Da Nang to Yekaterinburg, I somehow expected the airport to be just as modern, stylish, and convenient as my hometown’s. But nope — it turned out to be a total barn, and on top of that, it had the most expensive beer I’d seen on the entire trip — even pricier than in the capital’s airport!
My flight was with Jetstar Pacific, the same low-cost airline I had used earlier to fly from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Technically, it’s an Australian airline, but unlike Malaysia’s AirAsia — which, for some reason, doesn’t seem to operate on Vietnam’s domestic routes — Jetstar flies freely within the country. Their website is user-friendly, the service was solid, and the prices were great. Overall, a very pleasant experience!
I landed in Hanoi just before 9 PM. Since I had an early morning flight to Moscow, there was no point in going into the city. Instead, I had pre-booked a room at Dragon Airport Hotel — affordable, spacious rooms, but very basic. Still, it was within a 10–15 minute walk from the airport, included breakfast, and even offered a free airport shuttle. They also provide pickup service, but I didn’t use it. For a quick overnight stay, it did the job perfectly.
The next morning, an Aeroflot flight took me back to snowy Moscow, and from there, back to Yekaterinburg.
Did Vietnam impress me? Absolutely! Would I return? Definitely — but not anytime soon. For now, I’ve seen enough to form a solid impression of the country, though there’s still so much more I’d like to experience and understand. One unfinished goal remains — kite surfing somewhere in Mui Ne. But that, as they say, is a story for another time.