Brett and Bernii

Hi there! Bernii here. I don’t usually compose posts for our travel blog because I prefer to be in charge of the photographs. So this will be fun!

By now, you know that Brett and I went on separate adventures for 2 weeks. His latest update took us on his journey through Nepal’s Langtang Valley with Intrepid. This was a training trek for an upcoming adventure he has planned for June this year, which we’ll tell you more about later. In case you don’t know, Brett is no stranger to epic treks, having summited Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m) with Kiliwarriors in 2023. In 2024, we both trekked to Everest Basecamp (5364m), Cho La Pass (5420m) and Gokyo Lakes (4700m – 5000m) with iTrek Everest.

This time around, I (and my sore knees) wasn’t so fussed about joining him on the trail. So while he ventured from tea house to tea house along what I’m calling the ‘Gorkha Beer Trail’ (see his last blog post), I decided to switch back a gear and return to one of my favourite places in the world: Da Nang. This is how I spent 15 days of solo travel in Vietnam.

Days 1 – 4 | Da Nang Riverside (Han River)

Brett’s alarm went off at 6AM and after a heartfelt farewell, I went back to sleep. 6 hours later, it was time for me to leave the Parinda Hotel and make my way to the BTS. I transferred to the airport bus (30 THB = AUD $1.40) at Mo Chit (Chatuchak) and arrived to Don Muang Airport with plenty of time to spare.

Even though take-off was delayed by half an hour, the flight was a quick 1hr 45mins. There were long queues at immigration which slowed me down again, but I soon checked in to the Wink Hotel Da Nang Centre (AUD $67.25/night) at 7PM. After throwing my duffel bag in the room, I quickly headed to the street for a delicious and spicy grilled pork banh mi (30,000 VND = AUD $1.80), and walked one block to reach the Bamboo 2 Bar on the Han Riverfront. From here, I settled back with a couple of delicious Strongbow ciders (kiwifruit & dragonfruit, and pineapple & pomegranate flavours) and watched the famous Dragon Bridge fire and water show from the comfort of my bar stool.

Having ticked off one Vietnamese culinary staple already, I knew I had to start the day with my all-time-favourite dish: Bun Cha. Just one street behind Wink Hotel, there is a wonderful little restaurant called Bun Cha Ha Noi (Ha Noi is where this dish originates) and I devoured a portion of the grilled meat patties, pork belly, vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs and greens, dipping sauce and crispy nem (spring rolls) like they were going out of fashion. Actually, I’m not ashamed to say that I returned every single day to get my bun cha fix. This massive portion is 95,000 VND (AUD $4.80).

After browsing some cute handmade craft stores and comparing the range of malbecs at a couple of wine cellars, I café-hopped to sip some delicious (and super strong) Vietnamese coffee. I tried a crème brulee coffee and it was as decadent tasting as it sounds.

Having got my coffee and wine fix, next thing on my list was, of course – chocolate! Luckily straight across the street from my hotel is Marou Tran Phu and I can confirm they indeed do make Vietnam’s most delicious artisan chocolates!

I could not resist returning to the head of the Dragon of Cau Rong Bridge to watch the fire and water show up close and personal. Beforehand, I wandered the bustling Son Tra Night Market and squeezed through narrow aisles of the typical touristy trinkets and street food with at least a thousand other people. Following the Dragon show, I had heard that the nearby Han River Bridge also performed a little trick between 11PM-Midnight on the weekends, so I decided to wait to watch that. The centre section of this bridge rotates 90 degrees to allow large ships to pass. The spectacle attracts a few tourists to the bridge (not as many as the Dragon Bridge) but it takes a full hour to complete it’s 90 degree rotation. I got a bit bored with the snail pace after 20mins and called it a night.

Time to check out and head to the beach!

Days 5 – 9 | An Bang Beach and Hoi An Ancient Town

Less than 40mins drive south is An Bang Beach, just a short way from the Ancient Town of Hoi An. Brett and I had a delightful stay at Life Beach Villa back in February. Its proximity to An Bang beach is the determining factor why I had to return (AUD $67.80/night). It’s only a leisurely 2 minute stroll to Shore Club, a beach club overlooking the crystal clear water, and I happily reclined in a fabulous day bed with a book and a pina colada served inside a fresh coconut. In between chapters, I took the 10 steps down to the beach to cool off in the gentle, rolling waves.

In the evenings I would take my book down the best hangout spot for travellers, locals and expats: Bungalow Beach Bar. They have a great pool table, wonderful musical talent (including an open mic night), an awesome selection of craft beers, cool staff, and a relaxed and very chill vibe.

Each day involved some combination of the above. Except for one where I actually did drag myself away from the beach to explore the Ancient Town. I ordered a Grab motorbike taxi (29,000 VND = AUD $1.80) to take me the 10 minute ride into Hoi An. Brett and I visisted in February but I was feeling unwell and didn’t take many photographs that time. In a way, that worked out well, because the place was overrun with tourists last time. Maybe the relentless 43 degree heat kept them away, because this time I had many of the streets to myself and could wander and photograph to my heart’s content.

Hoi An Ancient Town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprised of delightful yellow painted houses, a famous Japanese Bridge and hundreds of fine tailors. It used to function as a busy trading port in the 15th – 19th Century and it has been meticulously well-maintained since that time.

After these laid back few days, it was time to pack up and head back to Da Nang. From one beach to another!

Days 10 – 15 | Da Nang Beachside (My Khe Beach)

I do love a beach holiday. This is what I do best. And I currently rate My Khe Beach as my favourite in the world. It’s got an impressive 9KM strip of powdery white sand, lined with tall palm trees and a paved boulevard dotted with juice bars. There are also bars and beach clubs on the beach, beach volleyball courts, surf schools, paragliding and plenty of places to swim safely thanks to lifeguards patroling by motorbike and coconut boat. You can hire a sun lounge all day for only 40,000 VND (AUD $2.40), which I did nearly every day.

I stayed at the Nesta Hotel (AUD $69.35/night) literally straight across from the beach and has a nice pool, some hammocks and close proximity to restaurants and bars.

I waited for a day with cooler temperatures to go explore the Marble Mountains (40,000 VND = AUD $2.40). These outcrop of 5 limestone hills are named after the 5 elements of nature: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Thuy Son, the Water Mountain, is the largest, highest and most visited of the Marble Mountains. There’s much to explore at the top, including various Buddhist sancturaries, ancient pagodas and mystical caves. If you climb to the highest peak you can take in panoramic views of Da Nang.

“According to a Cham legend, an old fisherman living on the coast of Danang saw a dragon emerge from the water and lay a dragon egg. When the dragon left, a turtle appeared and claimed to be the god Kim Quy. It was charged by the fisherman to protect the dragon egg. The egg was buried underground. The egg grew until it hatched and then it broke into five pieces.”

Sadly, the solo trip had to come to an end. But this meant I got to fly back to Bangkok to reunite with Brett and hear all about his amazing adventure.

I miss the pristine beaches of Da Nang and Hoi An and I already know that I’ll be back again soon!

Thanks for reading!