short getaway to Danang

Why do we take that short weekend getaway?
to recharge some batteries, to get away to relax in the company of good friends..

rainy beach

I have always wanted to visit Danang and Hoi An in Vietnam and as a couple of friends were there for work  another friend and I decided to join them after they had finished their work for a few days of R&R.
One thing we didnt check was the weather, it was the rainy season.. so we couldnt enjoy the famed beaches of Danang much.

street in Hoi An

Anyway...The Vietnamese people must be quite fed up of tourists trying to take pictures of them while they go about doing things that are quite normal to them.  When taking a picture please do politely ask them if not you will get told off or in my case got told " USD $1 for picture"  I politely declined.

Danang is a very busy little city, with beaches that stretch all along the coast, with 5 star hotels and lots of 4 and 3 star hotels fighting for space one road down.  The  food is delicious, cheap and fresh.  From the famed Pho to   the seafood that is in abundance all along the streets.  We found a few places and were surprised at what we ordered but it was all good.  For once I was the attraction, with my friends being chinese, and looking like the Vietnamese, me being the only Indian attracted a bit of attention.  Being told I was very pretty on a few occasions, did help to boost the morale..

some of the ruins at My Son

Danang is not a city I will visit again though, nor will i repeat my visit to Hoi An further along the coast, a quaint little town which has preserved the old part of town and is now a Unesco World Heritage site.  I did however enjoy our tour out to My Son to see the ruins of the Cham temples more info from Wiki here

The next Vietnam visit will probably be to go on a scooter or bike tour through the rural landscape, away from the cities and tourist traps.

All in, a too short getaway that didnt quite fulfil its promise....

more pictures on flicker - HERE