Da Nang and Hoi An: Two of the Most Popular Cities in Vietnam
Published:
After my feet touched the ground of Suwannabhumi Airport, my mom came to me and said, “Let’s go to Vietnam.” Though I just came back from Maine and still had not adjusted from the time difference, this trip killed my jet lag!
We planned the trip a month ahead and booked the plane tickets and three hotels for three nights in Vietnam. I’d longed for a backpacking trip like this with my family, and it was like a dream comes true. The first day in Da Nang was quite hot, but My Khay beach was so pretty. We went for seafood at the restaurant opposite the Diamond sea hotel where we stayed for the night. The food was excellent even for Thai people who are so proud of our taste like us.
Then, we went to Linh Ung Pagoda, which is located on a cliff 14 km far from the beach. After that, we called a grab and went to Da Nang cathedral. The cathedral was not that impressive, but the city was! There were tons of motorcycles and people, but it somehow made me feel at home. We walked along the river, crossed the bridge, and ended up at the head side of the dragon bridge.
On the second day, we spent the morning in Da Nang jogging at the beach. Almost noon, we traveled to Ba Na hills, one of Vietnam’s most popular vacation places. We took a cable car uphill and stayed there for a night. There was more than enough to do there. We started by visiting the gardens, the French village, the famous golden bridge, to the beer plaza at night. The weather was not at its best because of the strong winds, but we still enjoyed this place a lot!
One of the places I enjoyed the most on this trip is the tea house in Ba Na hills. We went there before we left this magical place. It was super relaxing and covered with Japanese-Chinese culture, definitely recommended!
After we enjoyed the tea, we went down to Hoi An, an ancient city in Vietnam. Nu eatery was where we had lunch before checking in to the hotel. The restaurant is tiny yet classic. The food was amazingly tasteful and well-designed.
We finished our lunch around 3 pm, and it was so hot out, so we decided to go back to the hotel.
In the evening, we were fully charged and ready to roam! We bought a ticket to enter the old town of Hoi An. The Japanese-covered bridge was the highlight but always crowded. We also went to the temple to get the most out of the tickets, but it seems like just walking around the old town and absorbing the cultural experience was more than enough for me. I also got the lotus iced tea, weird but quite delicious. We ended the night with the view of the lantern festival, which is probably the most colorful one I’ve seen.
When we decided to road trip north from Champaign, Illinois to Minnesota, we knew we were in for some driving—but we didn’t fully realize how much incredible wilderness, misty shores, and cozy small-town charm awaited us. Here is how our action-packed trip unfolded across the North Shore, two National Parks, and the Twin Cities!
From July 1st to 6th, we embarked on a trip from Sacramento, driving over 2600 miles to explore five incredible National Parks across Nevada, California, and Oregon. Our adventure took us from the ancient bristlecone pines of Great Basin and the volcanic landscapes of Lassen to the brilliant blue waters of Crater Lake and the towering giants of the Redwoods. Along the way, we balanced raw wilderness hikes with unforgettable stops for local donuts in Portland, a coastal drive down the Pacific shoreline, and a wine tasting at a Tuscan castle in Napa Valley.
The Canadian Rockies had never truly been on our radar, not for lack of awareness, but simply because we never imagined we’d have the opportunity to visit Canada. That changed entirely when I was invited to the prestigious Women in Numbers workshop at the Banff International Research Station. Seizing the moment, we decided to turn this milestone trip into a grand adventure, arriving a few days early to explore not just Banff, but a stunning circuit of five neighboring national parks, including, Jasper, Yoho, Glacier, Mount Revelstoke, and Kootenay.
One of the most popular National Park routes that Poy and I hadn’t tackled yet was the Utah ‘Mighty Five.’ We’d heard nothing but non-stop hype from friends, and after checking off several harder-to-reach destinations, we decided it was finally time to go for it! We initially tried to squeeze in Great Basin National Park in Nevada, but a car shortage at the Las Vegas airport left us with an electric vehicle. As it turns out, there are no non-Tesla charging stations near Great Basin (aside from one incredibly slow charger), so we pivoted. We ended up focusing solely on the five Utah gems, which actually made for a much more relaxing, less rushed experience.