^thanks David 48 for the reposts
From Danang, we went to Hoi An for a few hours of strolling around. It's a quaint old town with yellow houses, UNESCO preserved site. I'm sure many of you guys have been there, so I won't say much.
Japanese Bridge... Lots of tourists that day
^I called this girl Instagram GF. She got her BF to take 100s of pics of her on this bridge, in different poses. I have lots of younger friends/ acquaintances (millenials) who are Instagram addicts.
Did you enjoy the trip, Katie?
How was the train ride to Danang, pretty?
Did you enjoy Hoi An?
Some lovely food pictures, I would show my wife but if I did she may want to come with me next time I visit Vietnam...
Danang beech is nothing at all compared to the Philippines, but it's a very nice Southend-on-Sea-esque beech, so good for the Whiteys like me. Danang is quite small, easy to get around, clean, good food, nice and clearly demarcated areas, so just an easy place to spend time. &, the free wifi is city-wide.
Cycling should be banned!!!
@betty - yes, I enjoyed the trip. I did a North to South journey of Vietnam and it was quite interesting. It wasn't a long trip, but enough to give a glimpse of the main cities. I'd have liked to spend more time and visit more cities, but a girl like me has to get back to work.
The trip to Hoi An was nice. It was pleasant to just stroll around, take pics and watch people. However, it was very hot (36 degrees?) and after ~2H we had to sit down for a cool drink.
The train ride from Hue to Danang is indeed pretty; lots of beautiful scenery. It was just ~3H, so a pleasant enough ride. I reckon it's better than getting a bus (even a VIP bus) because the train goes through a more scenic route. We booked the soft seats and there was enough width/space and leg room. There are hard seats on the train, which were mostly occupied by locals.
I think your wife would enjoy Hue and Danang.
As for the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue, it was a bit tough, because although there were no smoking signs, the next cabin had older male locals who were noisy and smoked. I had a congested nose that night, but I could still smell a little of the smoke and it gave me a headache. As for the size of the bunks, they're regular Asian sized bunks, so would not be a problem for me or your wife, but would prolly be a bit cramped for large white mammals.
As for Danang Beach, it was too commercial for my tastes, as I've said before. But the sand was nice, and I would understand that it would cater to people who like mod cons during a beach holiday. Perhaps in 10 years if/when I've outgrown my backpacking days, then maybe I'll like the Danang beach atmosphere too.
Katie,
Seems you had a great time. I too love Vietnam, the fact its long and narrow means its easy to work out what to do.
If you fancy a laugh (and you've not seen it) google a search on Top Gear Vietnam Special, it a car programme but very tongue in cheek and it follows the three presenters who each buy a second hand motorcycle and have to travel from Saigon to Hanoi on them.
It would be great if you could give a bit more detail on itinerary and costs etc.
Seconded. Those legs are coming on with all the walking...keep it up
After a few hours in Hoi An, we proceeded to the Marble Mountains, which was ~7 km from Danang beach (same direction as Hoi An). There are 5 marble mountains, representing each of the 5 elements: air, water, fire, earth, metal. We visited the highest mountain which was the water mountain.
Outside the mountain/temple complex, there are lots of stores selling marble artifacts and statues. Some of the sellers were quite pushy (and a bit irritating at that).
Two of the other marble mountains
Saw this Korean girl and her BFF taking each other's pics. I remembered what Takeovers said before, that Korean girls always travel in pairs so that they can take photos of each other.
Last edited by katie23; 06-06-2019 at 02:46 PM.
@david 48 - thanks for the reposts and your kind compliments.
@toot - The itinerary was Hanoi, 2.5 days then o/n train to Hue, 2 days in Hue, 2.5 days in Danang, 2 days in Saigon. There are 0.5 days because those would be travelling days.
As for cost, I'm not a posh traveller, so my choice of hotels prolly wouldn't be the choice of most peeps on there. Having said that, the hotels ranged from 20-40 USD per night. As for meals, we averaged at 300k dong per meal (for 2), or around 15 USD (for 2). My conversion factor there was 20k dong = 1 USD. We didn't eat at posh restos and mostly ate local food.
Last edited by katie23; 06-06-2019 at 03:43 PM. Reason: Edit : wrong conversion of hotel prices
Thanks Katie, we're not all Dillionaires on here. I usually don't travel first class and stay at top end hotels and I am happy eating local - for me its about getting a feel for the place and you don't really get that stuck in 5 stars on the beach. Great thread and thanks for the effort.
Those caves look worth exploring.
Top photos Miss Katie!
And what classically curved and sculpted calves you have
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