One of the most frequently asked questions we encounter from guests travelling to central Vietnam is, "Where should we stay - Hoi An or Danang?" There's no simple answer but here are some thoughts on this thorny issue...

When you’re on the road, you’ll often encounter some pretty strident opinions about things. The best place to stay, the worst restaurant in town, the biggest rip-off in the country, the most and least friendliest nationalities, etc. Everyone has his or her opinion, and that dichotomy is part of what makes travel great.

One of the more common ones we hear when we’re in Vietnam is where to base yourself when you’re exploring the country’s middle stretch, and it usually comes down to two places – Hoi An or Danang. Despite being less than 30km apart, the two cities are very different places.

Danang is a proper city, with over a million inhabitants, tall buildings, and a big airport. The traffic buzzes, the lights flash, and the beaches are crowded on sunny weekends. It’s a really nice town – if not an exciting one – with some great international flavor, plenty to eat and drink, and accommodation options to fit any budget and style of travel, but you might have to work a bit to find these. Many travelers arrive, look around a bit, shrug, and head off to greener pastures, but Danang is a city that rewards patience and exploration. A nice museum, some lovely colonial-era architecture, and an awesome street food scene add to the reasons a bit of research will reward and, unlike other big Vietnamese cities, there is evidence that some town planning has taken place – it’s by far the country’s most livable metropolis. 

Hoi An, on the other hand, is like someone took Danang and squeezed until only the picture-perfect tourist ideal remained – and not much else. That’s not to say Hoi An isn’t enjoyable – in fact, it’s one of our favorite destinations – but it exists solely to cater to what tourists want, and not the things that make a big city thrive, like a downtown core or an airport. But what Hoi An lacks in big city utilities it makes up for with atmosphere. This place has charm on top of charm. Gorgeous, decaying old buildings line every street, spicy food and sweet, strong Vietnamese coffee is available everywhere you look. When the sun goes down the entire city – especially along the Thu Bồn River – is illuminated by colorful, ethereal lanterns.

The two towns are so close that no matter which one you stay in, you’re only a short trip away from the other one, so it’s really a matter of what you want to focus on during your trip. Hoi An’s beaches are probably nicer, although Danang’s beaches have their champions too. Both have excellent seafood. The photo ops in Hoi An are so plentiful that it’s almost impossible to take a bad picture. Danang’s photo ops are a bit harder to find, but some say that makes them all the more treasured.

You see? Even we can’t make a definitive suggestion. The bottom line is that both places are great to base yourself during your central Vietnam excursions, although it’s likely that neither one will tick all the boxes on your ‘Best City Ever’ checklist. The best thing to do is figure out exactly why you’ll be spending a bit of time in this region and make the decision based on this. And hey, if things don’t work out to your liking, a change of scenery to the other city (or one of the many options in the surrounding area) is easy as pie.

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This day trip is a way to experience the city like a local – no better way to achieve this, than to get on a scooter. Don’t worry – you don’t have to drive, relax from the pillion position while our expert chauffeurs take you through this cool town.

Our first stop is to get a special noodle dish from Quang Nam Da Nang Province, where Da Nang is located in central Vietnam. This regional delicacy is normally served with Pork and Shrimp (together). It’s eaten with a crispy rice pancake called bánh tráng, key ingredients include lots of fresh vegetables, and peanuts which gives it a unique taste to some other noodle dishes.

Bánh mì is a speciality known for its origin in Saigon, however you’ll find you’ll be enjoying this popular dish all over Vietnam, it’s similar to a french baguette sandwich, the special Vietnamese twist is that it’s made with some rice flour. A Vietnamese street food tour couldn’t be complete without this, no matter where you are, it’s delicious so we include it in every city in Vietnam so people can try many variations. Our suggestion is to be adventurous and try the banh mi dac biet, which is the “cart special”.

Beautiful to look at, and tasty to eat, Banh Vac is filled with ground shrimp, garlic, spring onion, lemongrass and spices while Banh Bao has minced pork and mushrooms as the main fillings. The dish is served with a dipping sauce made from shrimp broth, and they are quite similar to trying a dumpling. Their name comes from Vietnam’s Indochina history, the name means “White Rose” and they do have a little bit of a mystery about them – one family has a secret recipe for them, and supplies all the nearby restaurants in town with them.

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Vietnam is an amazing country to visit any time of year because it has so many things to offer. Due to its shape – long and narrow, covering 1,650km – there are a vast range of climates and landscapes available, from sandy beaches to misty mountains to steamy, crowded cities. So when is the best time to go?

Well, that really depends on what you want. The good news is that since the country is so long and narrow, there’s something for everyone, which is even further enhanced by its extreme elevations – from 0ft above sea level in the South China Sea to 10,312 feet above sea level at Ngoc Linh, a mountain sitting in the northern end of the southern half of the country, if that makes any sense.

Roughly speaking there are five regions in Vietnam – the mountainous northern region, with the trekking hub of Sapa; the Red River Delta, which includes Hanoi and Halong Bay; the central region, which follows the long curving coastline south past Hue, Hoi An and Nha Trang; the highland region, which stretches back towards Cambodia and is known for its hill tribes, forests and national parks; and the southern region, which encompasses Ho Chi Minh City and the mighty Mekong Delta.

If you’re a fan of long walks, steep hills and amazing scenery, then the northern region is where you want to go. There are superb trekking, waterfalls and nature trails around every corner, but you have to be prepared. The dry season lasts from October to April and is the best time to head for trekking and such, although December and January can be bitterly cold and damp. April to September is the rainy season, and while the trees and grass and rice will be at their most verdant, the daily downpours and abundance of mud limit the amount of fun you can have.

If you’re okay with a bit of chill in the air, November to April is a good time to visit the Red River Delta, although December to March-ish can get very nippy. May to October is the rainy season, but if you’re in Hanoi or any of the bigger towns it’s easy to duck into one of the many cafes and wait it out. July to September is often the wettest, and this is when the weather can get stormy and downright mean.

If you’re more attracted to the coast, then a trip down the central region will reward you with beaches, UNESCO World Heritage sites and many charming little villages. January to August bring the hottest weather in this region, which is obviously the best time to hit the beach, although the temperature in the middle of the hot season might be a bit much to have fun in. Much like the Red River Delta, the rainy season brings daily downpours but can get hit hard during October and November when the odd typhoon rolls through to say hi.

The highland region is unique in that it hasn’t been blitzed (yet) by tourists, although this is changing. The most popular destination here, Dalat, is known as a place to escape the hotter weather on the plains, especially during the cool season from November to January. February to April is the hot season, while May to October brings some of rainiest weather in the country. Again, avoid the mud and rain during the wet season and try to show up at the beginning of the cool season for the best scenery.

Finally, a visit to the southern region is high on everyone’s list, and rightly so – Ho Chi Minh city is a fantastic place to visit and soak up the culture, people and food.  The climate here is very easy to plan around – it’s either hot and wet or hot and dry. From November to April is the dry season, which slowly heats up as it approaches May, and then from May to November it’s generally the rainy season.

No matter when you want to travel to Vietnam there is good weather somewhere! Ask Smiling Albino to help you make the most of the weather on your vacation, no matter what time of year!

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