Moving On to Da Nang

We left Hue in the afternoon. We checked out from the home stay, got a coffee at a cafe outside of the bus booking office, and waited for our bus to arrive. I wasn't quite ready to leave Hue yet, but I was really interested in Da Nang, Vietnam's fourth-largest city and major port.

It's only three hours from Hue to Da Nang, so we settled in for the relatively short bus ride and enjoyed the scenery as we rode along.

We rode along the coast the entire way! From time to time, we could see the ocean off in the distance. At one point, we rode through a super long tunnel cutting through the mountains. And then, we were  at the bay and heading to Da Nang city!
 

Da Nang is on the coast. It has a few really famous beaches. It also has a big river, the Han River, that cuts through the city. Da Nang also has several mountains. It's one of the few cities that I know that has beaches, river, and mountains! Each part of the city feels totally different, though. The beaches are very laid-back and touristy. The river area is more built-up, livable, and more of a business center.

Da Nang feels a lot more livable than Hanoi! The sidewalks are wide and easy to walk, the traffic is so much better, and everyone seems to be much nicer and more relaxed than in the north.

It's a big, modern, and developed city with lots of cinemas, shopping malls, cafes, and restaurants. It feels a lot like one of Thailand's big coastal cities - something like Pattaya or Hua Hin.

We will be staying in Da Nang for about a week before moving on. Honestly, I wouldn't mind staying here a while longer! It might even be a good visa-run destination for me in the future!

Pinky's sister is coming soon, and we will take a break from our work and enjoy a real vacation - staying in real hotels, eating more meals, and doing all of the touristy things that we can! I can't wait! 

We stayed in the city for the first few days, then moved to the northern coast for two days. This isn't the big touristy beach though. It's pretty, but the beach isn't so nice. We got some nice photos, but didn't go in the sea. I think we'll try to get to the nice beaches in the east, or just wait until we move further south to our next destination.