Travelled to Danang, the fifth largest city in Vietnam recently with Susan, my Kindergarden best friend. Why Central Vietnam? Susan wanted a beach holiday and I wanted a destination not too touristy so Da Nang was the perfect fit for us. We squeezed in a couple of days in Hoi An, an ancient UNESCO listed heritage town less than an hour bus ride away from Da Nang.

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Travel buddies.

Theme of the trip was nua sai which essentially means a super relaxing trip. We did not do much planning. All we wanted to do was to take a break from our hectic lives and take a moment to wind down, enjoy the beauty of life.

Incredible sea view from our room! <3
Incredible sea view from our room! <3
For someone who do not spend much time in the hotel except to sleep at night, this trip was an exception for me. I watched many TV programmes, took afternoon naps and read my book just to hide away from the harsh sun during mid day in the cloudless sky. It was so simple yet so right.

~*~*~*

Statistics

Travel Period: 29 July – 2 August 2016

Total leaves taken: 2.5 days

Distance travelled: 3508km

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Country: Vietnam

Cities: Da Nang and Hoi An

Expenses:

Total expenses per person was under SGD$400 (SGD$395.71 to be exact) including air tickets. Split the cost of accommodation and food between us. Scored dirt cheap return tickets to Da Nang bringing our cost down and also the cost travelling from Da Nang to Hoi An merely cost us less than $1.50 on a local public transport and accommodations were not expensive at all with many great choices.

Transportation > SGD$138.08 (~ 2,209,300 dong)
Accommodation > SGD$88 (~ 1,704,290 dong)
Communication > SGD$6.25 ( ~ 100,000 dong)
Insurance > SGD$21.70 (~ 347,200 dong)
Food & Beverages > SGD$36.81 (~ 589,000 dong)
Sightseeing/ Tour/ Admission Fee > SGD$64.06 (~ 1,025,000 dong)
Miscellaneous > SGD$40.81 (~ 653,000 dong)

It is definitely an affordable place to travel to for a short getaway!

Best Moment

Lying on the white sandy beach as the sun heats up my skin, roasting it to a nice tan. A book on one hand while the other holding an ice cold beer as I listen to the music of the wave crashing ashore. Life was such a bliss.

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Worst moment

Got food poisoning from the dinner at one of those roadside stalls which were clearly targeting tourists in the touristic old town of Hoi An on our last evening. Well, Susan got it too just that I had it worse with climbing temperature and constant visits to the toilet. I wanted to kick myself for not packing charcoal pills and some paracetamol thinking that these are the basic medication which can be bought anywhere.

Ate along the river bank with food stalls like this.
Ate along the river bank with food stalls like this.
Really, we all need some lessons in life to wake up our idea so this episode did the trick!

I WILL NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT MY BASIC MEDICATION PACK!

In summary…

Our third adventure together and it had been amazing. Pretty beach, delicious food, awesome people and beer to chill on hot cloudless days. I like how Da Nang is still unexploited as there are no big-name chain supermarkets or convenient stores. It has retain its rustic feel and I really like it that way it is now. With many constructions happening near the beach, I cannot bring myself to think how it will turn itself into a full-blown touristy town in the next few years.

The dragon that spits fire and spout water attracts many people over the weekend.
The dragon that spits fire and spout water attracted many people over the weekend.
No doubt Hoi An is touristy but I understand why it is a UNESCO ancient town for its beautiful buildings and architecture of rows of timber frame shophouses. A spontaneous self-discovery mystery solving tour in Hoi An was a great way to experience the place and nearby island, Cam Kim.

Ancient town.
Ancient town.
I was secretly pleased that I was mistaken for being a Vietnamese many times through out the trip. It reaffirms how I look more Pan-asian rather than a Chinese. ?

Xin Chao! :D
Xin Chao! 😀
Summary of my days in Central Vietnam.

Day 3 of adventure: Went hiking at Marble Mountain and met a couple of new friends!

A photo posted by Pamela Loh (@pamelaloh) on

You cannot tell but there are jellyfishes everywhere!
You cannot tell but there are jellyfishes everywhere!

So the wave was too strong for me…

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Pretty Hoi An.

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Japanese bridge.
Till the next Vietnam trip to conquere Northern Vietnam then. Ciao!

Pamela Loh

Pamela, born and raised in Singapore. She is a dreamer, explorer, traveller and local tour guide.

A perfect day for Pam would be being on the road, having beers and endless of great conversations that shape a wider perspective.

Come say hi!

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