Hoi An and Da Nang, Vietnam
Duration of stay: 5 days
I decided to put Hoi An and Da nang in the same blog post because they're in the same part of Vietnam with only a 50 minute drive between the two cities. If you have a limited amount of time to travel Vietnam and you're looking to start halfway through Vietnam, Da nang airport would be a great option to fly into. Hoi An is about a 50-minute drive from the airport. You’ll have many options for transportation from the airport to Hoi An like Grab which is the US equivalent to Uber, a private car which would cost about $15 USD or motorbike if you only have a backpack which would be the cheapest route. Try to avoid a metered taxi as some of them will scam you and I know this from personal experience.
Da Nang is a massive City but offers many places for sightseeing such as, The Marble Mountains and the start of the Hai Van Pass which we'll talk about later. Also to be noted, there is now a beautiful Monument call The Golden Hand Bridge which I was not able to visit as it was not built yet when I visited Vietnam. You can find this bridge about 35 km outside of Da Nang and from the pictures it looks incredible so bummed I didn’t get a chance to see it!
Hoi An was one of my favorite destinations in Vietnam. A charming, small town, rich with culture, it offers the experience of a traditional Vietnamese Village. To get around Hoi An you can rent a scooter for about $7 a day and remember you can always bargain, but to be honest, the city is very walkable. Hoi An is known for its incredible clothes tailoring and leather goods at a veeerrrry inexpensive price, so be sure to get a custom made suit or leather bag during your stay!
For accommodation there are plenty of places to choose from whether it be a hostel, homestay or hotel. I suggest staying near Ancient Town as this is where all the food, nightlife and shopping are. You can find accomidation as low as $10 a night to beach front resorts at $100+ a night. Be aware that most of the restaurants in the popular areas of Ancient Town are at tourist prices and to find cheaper food walk across the bridge near all the nightclubs down to the Fisherman's Wharf where you can find cheap local food stalls like Mr. Sons, with dishes starting at a dollar.
If you're there during a full moon you'll also be able to witness the Lantern Festival where small candles are lit inside colorful lanterns by the locals as offerings to their ancestors and the God of the land. This tradition starts at 8 p.m. on every full moon were all the lights in the city are shut off and the only lights are the colorful lanterns floating along the river.
One thing I absolutely loved about Hoi An were the beaches. I generally stayed at Bang Beach and Cua Dai Beach because both were less than 5 km away from Ancient Town. These beaches are perfect for lounging, swimming and spending the entire day hanging out. Be aware there are beach chairs for rent but most require a minimum spend at the restaurants they are outside of. I'm guilty to have spent most of my time in Hoi An at the beaches swimming and lounging about because they were so beautiful.
Nightlife in Hoi An varies and caters to every crowd. Some places to be named for their unique ambience and popularity are, Mango Mango, Dive Bar, Before and Now Bar and White Marble Bar and Restaurant.
I hope you have an amazing time exploring Hoi An and Da Nang, next up, Hai Van Pass…