As the first big city I have seen here since Hanoi, Danang is such a refreshing contrast. Everything felt much more spacious and relaxed in comparison. We took a walk along the river shortly after arriving, and were met by a view of mountains in the distance, and several bridges stretching along the water. One in particular was designed as a golden dragon, which we have been told, blows fire on a weekend.

The following day we took a trip to the Marble Mountains. Nearly missing the bus we flagged it down as it passed and I had to do my first run and jump on board as it didn’t fully stop moving!

View from top of Marble Mountains

Once there we had a wander around and nearly managed to miss all the caves we had heard about until a lovely Vietnamese woman (who now lives in America) helped us along. She gave us fruit and sent her brother to buy us a map of the area, telling us to make sure we rest if we were tired. It was really heart warming to get such kindness from a complete stranger.

Returning to Danang I had my first mock meat dish, it was very tasty though it was a strange feeling to have no idea what I was actually eating!

From Danang we moved on to Hoi An which was less than an hours ride on the local bus. After finding a hotel and settling in we went for a walk into the Old Town which is the main tourist area of the city. It was dark by this point, which made the atmosphere amazing. Shops lining the streets were all lit up and as we turned the corner to the river I couldn’t help but gasp. Both sides were lit up with what felt like hundreds of lanterns. Every bar, shop and cafe in sight had lanterns hanging from their roofs, lighting up doorways. We crossed the An Hoi bridge, which was lit up and filled with admiring tourists, then took a slow walk down the opposite riverside trying to take it all in.

Hoi An at night

After passing so many interesting looking shops I had plans for a mini spending spree the following day, however on closer inspection they all had very similar items of stock. It appeared the challenge here was more about finding the best price for an item rather than an individual piece of clothing, you could easily find yourself in a bartering situation purely by asking how much something was, and then leaving without purchasing. The seller would shout after you asking what price you would be willing to pay (they didn’t want to believe you just didn’t want something!)

On Thursday afternoon Leah, myself and Scott (a guy we had met the previous evening) decided to rent bicycles and head to the beach, this was 4km away so not possible by foot. The highlight of this trip for me was actually the return journey, as we cycled back towards town and into the setting sun. Taking inspiration from locals we decided to enjoy some music while riding, and so had a small speaker playing tunes to help us set the mood. I will now forever think of that sunset cycle when I hear the band LCD Soundsystem!

At first we were at a loss of what to do on our final full day in Hoi An, any trips we could have gone on had already left, as had a boat to a nearby island. Eventually we decided to hire bicycles for a second time and get a shuttle boat across the water to nearby Cam Kim island. There aren’t any sights to see here as this was more an island just for locals, but it was great to cycle around. We were able to see more into the real life of some Vietnamese, including meeting a very excited group of school children. Luckily for us we meet two Spanish guys, Carlos and Pablo, before heading across who decided to join us, and who had GPS on their phones, otherwise I fear we may still be cycling in circles trying to find a way back off the island!

I am now much further south in Dalat. A place which is supposed to be a stark change to the rest of Vietnam, with a cooler climate, different vegetation and a more French feel to the architecture. I have not yet seen much of the city as we headed straight to our hostel after a long 18 hours travelling, but I have enjoyed some local delights around the hostel. These being an incredible couple of hours with a stream room, sauna and full body massage with hot rocks for only three pounds and a local Vietnamese pizza, which is on a thin crispy crepe type base and has egg and other toppings mixed onto it as it is cooked. Tomorrow I am hoping to go to the Lang Bian Mountain on the outskirts of town.