My Visit to Vietnam: Da Nang, Hoi An, and a Country That Surprised Me
Vietnam had been on my radar for quite a while, not only as a place I wanted to visit but also as a country I was curious about for longer-term living. After traveling through Thailand and Malaysia, I finally had the chance to experience Vietnam for myself.
And as I've learned again and again during this journey, there's a huge difference between researching a place online and actually being there.
Arriving in Da Nang
My first stop was Da Nang, a coastal city in central Vietnam.
One of the first things that struck me was the energy. Motorbikes seemed to be everywhere, traffic moved according to rules I didn't completely understand, and crossing the street occasionally felt like an adventure of its own.
But once I settled in, I started seeing another side of Da Nang.
It's a surprisingly modern city with shopping malls, cafés, restaurants, spas, inexpensive services, and a long stretch of coastline. There is a lot happening, but it doesn't have the overwhelming feel of some of Asia's much larger cities.
Because I was still working remotely during this part of my trip, my days were a combination of exploring and everyday life. I wasn't simply sightseeing from morning until night. I was buying groceries, getting my nails done, going shopping, finding places to eat, dealing with money and ATMs, and then heading back to work in the evenings.
In some ways, that gave me a much better idea of what actually living in Vietnam might feel like.
The Food Wasn't Necessarily My Favorite Part
Here's something travel blogs don't always admit:
You don't have to love everything about every country you visit.
Vietnamese food is famous around the world, but I discovered that a lot of the Vietnamese dishes I tried simply weren't my personal favorites.
And that's okay.
Fortunately, Da Nang and Hoi An have plenty of international and Western food options, so I wasn't exactly going hungry! Finding familiar food occasionally became part of the adventure.
Travel has taught me that experiencing another culture doesn't require pretending that you love every single part of it.
Discovering Hoi An
Then I moved on to Hoi An, and the atmosphere changed completely.
If Da Nang feels like a modern coastal city, Hoi An feels like someone turned down the speed.
The historic Ancient Town is filled with yellow buildings, narrow streets, shops, cafés, temples and lanterns. As evening approaches and the lanterns begin glowing, the entire area takes on a completely different personality.
This was the Vietnam I had pictured in my head before arriving.
Walking through the historic district was one of my favorite ways to experience it. Rather than rushing from attraction to attraction, I could wander, stop when something caught my attention, shop a little, sit down for something to eat, and continue exploring.
That's increasingly become my preferred way to travel.
I still want to see the important sights, but I don't need every minute scheduled.
Hoi An at Night
Hoi An really comes alive after dark.
The lanterns, boats on the river, restaurants, shops, markets and crowds create an atmosphere that's difficult to capture in photographs.
Of course, it's touristy.
Very touristy.
But sometimes a place is popular for a reason.
There's something pretty special about walking along the river with hundreds of colorful lanterns glowing around you.
I also got to experience some of Hoi An's nightlife and quickly discovered that not every place was necessarily my scene. Some spots definitely attracted a younger crowd, which sent me searching for alternatives with good music and a more relaxed atmosphere.
That's another advantage of traveling slowly enough to explore—you can keep looking until you find the places that fit you.
Learning the Everyday Side of Vietnam
Some of the most memorable parts of long-term travel aren't landmarks at all.
They're things like figuring out which ATM will actually let you withdraw the amount of money you want.
Discovering that exchanging Malaysian currency isn't as easy as expected.
Trying to decide whether a currency exchange booth is giving you a fair rate.
Finding a grocery store only to discover it's closed.
Searching for a nail salon.
Figuring out transportation.
Working across time zones.
And constantly doing the mental math of converting Vietnamese dong into U.S. dollars.
None of those things will make a "Top 10 Things to Do in Vietnam" list, but they're the experiences that tell you what being in another country is really like.
Vietnam as a Possible Place to Live
Part of this extended trip through Asia has been about more than sightseeing.
I've also been paying attention to places where I could potentially spend longer periods of time in the future.
Vietnam—particularly the Da Nang/Hoi An area—was one of the places I wanted to investigate.
There are definitely advantages.
The cost of living can be attractive compared with the United States. Services are affordable. Da Nang offers beaches, modern conveniences and plenty of restaurants and cafés. Hoi An offers history, charm and a slower pace of life.
But visiting also reminded me why it's so important to actually spend time somewhere before deciding you want to live there.
A place can look perfect on YouTube, Facebook or a retirement website and feel completely different once your feet are on the ground.
That's exactly why I'm taking this trip.
I'm not just asking, "Is this a beautiful place to visit?"
I'm also asking:
"Could I actually live here?"
Those are two very different questions.
What Vietnam Taught Me
Vietnam wasn't exactly what I expected—and I think that's one of the reasons I'm glad I came.
Some things I loved.
Some things I wasn't crazy about.
Some things surprised me.
And some things simply made me laugh because international travel has a way of turning the most ordinary task into a minor adventure.
But that's the point.
Travel isn't supposed to confirm everything you already believe about the world. It's supposed to challenge some of it.
My time in Da Nang and Hoi An gave me another piece of the puzzle as I continue exploring Asia and thinking about what I want the next chapter of my life to look like.
I left Vietnam with beautiful memories of Hoi An's lantern-filled streets, a better understanding of everyday life in central Vietnam, and a much clearer sense of what I personally want—and don't want—in a place where I might someday live.
And now it's on to the next adventure.
Next stop: Chiang Mai, Thailand.
