Vietnam July - September 2017

Vietnam

July - September, 2017

We really enjoyed our three months in Vietnam; lovely friendly people, superb beaches and, for a bit of culture, the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An just down the road.  

We had booked an apartment in Da Nang for our first few weeks stay, just off Nguyen Van Thoai. The main beach is the almost deserted My Khe Beach; pale, powdery sand stretching for approximately 12 miles.  It was named 'China Beach' by American troops who enjoyed R & R here during their difficult and dangerous postings throughout the Vietnam War.  The name still sticks with many people. Here is a view of the beach:

and the Promenade:

On reflection we wouldn't have stayed our first four weeks in Da Nang - a busy city with a 20 minutes walk to the beach but it was difficult finding suitable accommodation before arriving in the country.  However, we enjoyed exploring different parts of the long beach there (and the fresh chilled coconut water), seeing the enthusiastic Asian tourists arrive late afternoon, the fresh baguettes from the local bakery for breakfast and occasional visits to the large supermarket at the modern shopping mall.  The traffic was crazy as you can see here.

Despite Da Nang being a busy town and apart from the horrendous traffic, the atmosphere is fairly laid back - although crossing the main roads can be a challenge.

The people are welcoming and friendly; you don't get hassled to go into shops or restaurants; and there are none of the persistent beach sellers you have to suffer in some parts of the world.  There is no haggling for sun loungers, either.  The price is fixed along the whole stretch of beach and clearly displayed everywhere.

We decided to spend the remaining seven weeks of our stay in Vietnam in the quiet coastal village of An Bang and after a day or two exploring the area, managed to rent a cosy (i.e. small!) family -owned apartment.  We were close to a superb, quiet, often deserted beach.

We were also closer to the World Heritage town of Hoi An.  This delightful riverside town has the added advantage of having a strict walking and cycling zone between 8.30 & 11 a.m. and 3 & 10 p.m. with cars and scooters banned.  So peaceful for gentle ambles through the ancient streets.

With its wooden Chinese shops and temples, colourful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the Japanese Covered Bridge & Pagoda, Hoi An is often described as Vietnam's most atmospheric and delightful town.

It has been so interesting to experience the life and culture of another SE Asian country.  Mainly clean, litter-free streets, children playing out enjoying themselves with make-believe activities, chalk games on the road and, after one overnight storm, floating home-made paper boats on a rain puddle outside the house.  We remember all those simple pleasures many decades ago!  

Seeing the women and men in the traditional conical 'nón lá' (leaf hats), which are both practical . . . . .

and fashionable . . .

the Vietnamese Coracles, still used extensively as fishing vessels, particularly in this part of the country, propelled and steered by a single paddle;    

and not forgetting the ice-cream man with fridge attached to his bicycle who passes our apartment ringing his bell most days . . . . . at about 9.30 in the morning!

Or our local petrol station in the nearby village

Most people seem to have quite modern cars here, and the taxis - so unusual from our experience in other parts of Asia - are well-maintained, clean, non-smoking vehicles offering officially-metered journeys.  So none of this ridiculous haggling before every journey. The Mai Linh company seem to have cornered the market around here with their bright green cars on the very rare occasions we needed a taxi.  The courteous, helpful drivers wear white shirts with a green tie to match the colour of the cars.  All very professional.

The locals here are proud of their houses, always pruning, tidying or watering their gardens.  Some 'gardens' just being shrubs and flowers in simple tubs outside smaller properties but all quite neat and tidy.

We are now into more of a routine of 'living' somewhere for a few months rather than being on holiday.  You may be surprised to hear we don't go down to the beach every day and then just for the afternoon.  Some days we just head out for a quick swim after lunch.  There always seems plenty to do 'at home'.  Domestic jobs, a bit of shopping, replying to or sending emails, planning future travels, etc. or simply just relaxing in our comfortable, air-conditioned accommodation.

Every morning David walks down to the '7 Son Bakery' in the village about 10 minutes away for delicious fresh bread for breakfast and a couple of their excellent pastries for after lunch - our favourites being sultana buns and chocolate croissants

It's quite expensive here with many grocery items (certainly some of the imported ones visitors would buy) being priced much higher than the UK.  This is true even in the major supermarket chains in Da Nang which cater for locals just as much as tourists. 

Our future plans from now on (always subject to change!) are to settle for six or seven months in a European country each summer and to continue our travels in S E Asia for the remainder of the year, including regular visits to the UK and Australia to see our extended family, of course.  

Next year we shall be renting an apartment in Paralimni, Cyprus from 17th March (when we arrive following our long journey from Australia) until  mid-October.

But for now it will soon be (in the two local languages) Chia tay Việt Nam (Farewell to Vietnam) and Selamat Datang di Indonesia (Welcome to Indonesia).

Finally, a rare sighting of the two ageing nomads spotted recently in the Chinese Garden of the Cantonese Assembly Hall, Hoi An:

Visas:  With effect from January, 2024, if you plan to stay in Vietnam for 45 days or fewer, UK Passport holders (and citizens of 24 other countries) do not need a Visa for Tourism, Transit or Business Travel.

Note: Length of stay permitted (from 14 - 90 days) varies for each eligible country 

Tourists staying more than the permitted time, can apply for an e-visa that allows a 90-day stay and multiple entries - e-visa restrict you to entry and exit points which you select when you apply.

Passport Validity.  Your passport should be valid for 6 months from the date you arrive.

A number of visitors have been refused entry and exit due to their passport being damaged. Make sure your passport is in good condition before arriving in Vietnam. Being refused entry can result in significant cost and a long stay at the airport.

Travel requirements can be subject to change at very short notice.  You should check and observe all health and entry requirements applicable to your journey and the latest travel guidance of the relevant authorities of your destination. 

Currency:  Vietnamese Dong (VND)

Shopping:  There was certainly no shortage of mini-markets and small shops in Da Nang or Hoi An but, for our self-catering stay in Da Nang, Go! (formerly Big C) supermarket offered a much wider selection of items.

There was a daily market selling just about everything on the opposite side of Nguyen Van Thoai to our apartment in the streets around Nguyen Ba Lan.

An Bang market, widely known as Beach Market or Early Morning Local Market, is where everything you can imagine is sold from fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, local street food, etc.  Opens around 5 a.m. until.about 9 a.m. Lang Ong Street, Cam An.