Check out my previous post about the "Sleeper Bus" in Vietnam :)
This post will be all about Hoi An and Da Nang!
Hoi An
The lanterns at night were so pretty! It rained heavily, but walking around the main streets along the river was so nice. I loved the vibes here, and I highly recommend spending some time here. During the day time, you can walk around the streets to do some shopping (souvenirs include ground coffee, coffee beans, cashews, etc.- all local).
Coconut Village & Basket Boat
This is a must-do when you are in Hoi An. You can book a tour from downtown Hoi An but I decided to go there on my own. Taking a Grab bike was easy! Just type in "Nong Thon Travel Tourist Village" on the Grab app as a drop-off location and you will see a handful of companies that run basket boat tours. I did it with DICH VU THUYEN THUNG BA LOC COCONUT company, and I wouldn't recommend this company. Maybe because I was there by myself on one of the basketboats with one staff paddling the boat, it felt like I was rushed to see things and didn't get to fully immerse myself in the experience. There were some "shows" along the way through the forest (not really a forest, but that's how they call it); some locals were singing Karaoke, and making spins on the basket boat. Throughout your time, you will also see how locals cast a fishing net. I recommend doing this but go with a different company!
Da Nang
Marble Mountain
Getting to the Marble Mountain took me only 25 minutes by Grab bike from downtown.
Hyuen Khong Cave was located right by the entrance of Marble Mountain so I decided to get inside. Inside the cave were statues of Buddha, and religious carvings. The locals were praying and conducting religious ceremonies. I think you can skip this and spend more time at the Marble Mountain.
I initially thought I could "hike" the mountain, but Marble Mountain does not require a hike. I took a lift to the top of the mountain-- once I got to the top, it was a short walk to the scenic point. There were temples and caves spread out at the top of the mountain, which was a very interesting setup. I spent around 2.5 hours here exploring caves with bats and enjoying the city view of Da Nang was very enjoyable!
Entrance fee
Hyuen Khong Cave: 20k dong
Marble Mountain: 40k dong (15k to use the elevator/lift to get to the top of the mountain/ Roundtrip 30K
Dragon Bridge
I didn't know this was a well-known place to spot sunset until my hostel roommate told me to check out the Dragon Bridge. It was located right in front of my hostel and close to the downtown area. Every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm, the dragon will blow out a fire!
I loved exploring Hoi An and Da Nang! It was interesting to see how each city has its own vibes and things to do. I had great cultural experiences and would recommend both places. I liked Hoi An more because it seemed more local to me than Da Nang. Da Nang was filled with Koreans and it seemed more like a Korean town to me. Still, Da Nang was worth it and it was nice to hop from one city to another.
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