Hoi An, Vietnam

Trip details:

Accommodation: Airbnb (3 nights) 

Currency: Vietnamese Dong

Visited in: June, but I'd suggest going not in the summer season

Transport: Uber

Food: Not that much halal areas, eat seafood when we can. Fishball pho is the way to go

Itinerary: 2 Days for Da Nang (including the famous Hand Bridge), 1 day trip to Hoi An. 

Must try: 

Lantern boat and coconut bowl boat in Hoi An, 

Vietnamese Coffee, nightmarkets and streetfood in Da Nang.

In the heat of the tropical summer we made a trip to Vietnam to test out optical wear from Braun Buffel. I'd always thought that for Vietnam I'd end up in either Sa Pa, Ho Chi Minh, or Ha Long Bay first.. so it was interesting to be introduced to the country via Da Nang. Direct flights from Malaysia are aplenty but I'd never really heard much about the city. Apparently it's an up-and-coming destination and from the looks of it, there's a certain Floridian vibe that goes on there. This is especially true for My Khe beach, with it's stretch of luxury hotels right on the sandy shores. I'd give it a couple of years for Da Nang to really mature as a destination though, because honestly for me, the highlight of the trip, as evidenced from these photos, was Hoi An.

Hoi An, with it's colourful shoplots and quirky little alleys; Hoi An with it's streets smelling of smoke and soup and shrimp; Hoi An with the rivers and boats, a mini Asian Amsterdam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walking around the town you're transported into what feels like an elaborate theatrical stage, where people walk around in flowing áo dài, and you can hear traditional fiddles playing from the back ends of homes. I was so mesmerized by the colours, in this old port well known for it's annual Lantern Festivals. At night Hoi An turns into a magical maze for the senses, and even when filled with visitors, the whole area manages to surprise you with small local scenes. 

It's about an hour away by car from Da Nang but I'd suggest making a trip here, trying out the delicacies (and Vietnam's famed decadent coffee), and going on a lantern boat ride (about 20 minutes). On the way to Hoi An you might want to stop over on a Coconut basket boat tour just to complete the experience. It's definitely not the serene river ride of old, but if you open your heart, wallet and ears enough, the coconut boat is a neighbourhood party you'd love stumbling upon. We got around mostly via Uber, stayed at an Air BnB, and just explored the night markets in search for palatable food. I'm not the most adventurous eater but a good fishball soup (sorry, pho) goes a long way.