Loving life; a short getaway to Central Vietnam [Travel Roundup]

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. ?

Summary of my days in Central Vietnam.

Summarising the highlights of the trip… Day 1: Learned how to operate a scooter. Now, all I need to know is where to sound the horn. ?

A photo posted by Pamela Loh (@pamelaloh) on Aug 2, 2016 at 9:25pm PDT

Recapping the memorable-light of the trip. Day 2: Took a cab to monkey mountain and this was the only monkey we saw. ?

A photo posted by Pamela Loh (@pamelaloh) on Aug 3, 2016 at 10:43pm PDT

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

A photo posted by Pamela Loh (@pamelaloh) on Aug 4, 2016 at 5:15pm PDT

Day 4 of a short and well-deserving break: Braved the notorious traffic in Hoi An and rode a bike from homestay to the ancient city of Hoi An. #wedidit

A photo posted by Pamela Loh (@pamelaloh) on Aug 6, 2016 at 12:31am PDT

On the last day of Central Vietnam adventure: solved the malediction of Jiangshi as we explored hoi an in a unique manner and rode bicycles along rice paddies.

A photo posted by Pamela Loh (@pamelaloh) on Aug 7, 2016 at 7:10am PDT

Goodbye central Vietnam. You have been amazing! ❤️ A well-deserved break before I begin the crazy and nerve-wrecking August.

A photo posted by Pamela Loh (@pamelaloh) on Aug 2, 2016 at 6:21am PDT

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