Lan Ha Bay, Da Nang and Hoi An: What I'd Do Again

September 15, 20267 min read

Floating fishing village on Lan Ha Bay, wooden houses and tour boats beneath steep limestone karst islands under a blue sky with clouds

I came off the Ha Giang loop with a bag of dirty clothes, a very tired body and one plan: treat myself like a person again.

It rained in Hanoi. I was fine with that.

The rainy day I spent on myself

Pookie and Fefe had gone ahead to Da Nang, and I had two nights in Hanoi. I booked a fancy hotel room outside the old city centre, for three reasons: to get some proper sleep after Ha Giang, to treat myself, and to see a different part of Hanoi.

Because of the rain, I took a Grab car instead of a scooter and went to the laundry place. I dropped off my clothes, found the closest cafe and watched the street go by. I drank pineapple juice and coffee until my clothes were washed and dried.

Nothing much happened: I slept in, got my clothes ready for the days ahead, watched people go by, and went back to Pizza 4P's for some comfort food. It was a great day.

Unmade white hotel bed by a tall window with dark curtains in Hanoi — Sleeping in, finally

Pineapple juice and iced coffee on a cafe counter overlooking a rainy Hanoi street with parked scooters — Waiting for my laundry

Margherita pizza with burrata and a slice on a plate at Pizza 4P's, chefs by the wood-fired oven — Comfort food at Pizza 4P's

The Italian's tip

The next day was Lan Ha Bay, and I owe it to the Italian guy from our hostel room in Hanoi. He told me about the advice he had been given. Go to Lan Ha Bay, not Ha Long: less crowded, less touristy, and the same views. He also told me how to negotiate for the better boat at the price of a basic one.

I walked into a tourist shop on the street and negotiated, and I got a good price. I can't give you the number, because I don't remember it, and prices have changed anyway. I do remember the boat.

(If you'd rather book ahead than negotiate on the street, you can browse Lan Ha Bay boat tours on GetYourGuide)

Royalty on the water

It was fancy, and the food on board was premium. I spent the day sunbathing on the deck, drinking coconut coffee and looking at the peaks rising out of the sea. It was peaceful. I felt like royalty.

After four days on a motorbike, a sun deck feels like a palace.

Wooden cruise boat deck beside limestone cliffs in Lan Ha Bay — My palace for the day

Striped sunbeds on a wooden boat deck overlooking Lan Ha Bay's limestone islands — Royalty on the water

Andreja relaxing on a red sun lounger on the boat deck — A proper sunny day

We stopped to swim in spots with nice beaches, I went kayaking, and I loved the seafood from the boat restaurant. But no single thing was the highlight. The best part was the whole day: a proper sunny holiday, with true vacation vibes, after the Ha Giang loop and after a rainy day in Hanoi.

Andreja looking across calm green water between limestone cliffs in Lan Ha Bay — Just look at that water

Andreja in a cap and sunglasses beside a green kayak beneath limestone cliffs — A little kayaking break

Floating platforms and small boats surrounded by limestone peaks in Lan Ha Bay — Life out on the bay

Cat Ba, by bike

We also visited Cat Ba island. We got bikes and discovered the island on two wheels, stopping at attractions along the way.

What I noticed most was the damage. Typhoon Yagi had hit northern Vietnam in early September 2024, about a month before we arrived, and you could still see what it had left behind.

Then it was back to Hanoi, and the next morning I flew to Da Nang.

Andreja with a bicycle on Cat Ba island beneath green mountain slopes — Cat Ba on two wheels

Cyclists riding along a rural path through dense green vegetation on Cat Ba — Taking the scenic route

People and parked vehicles at a village stop beneath wooded Cat Ba hills — An island stop along the way

Da Nang: a beach, a dragon and an Argentinian steak

I had booked my own room at Seahorse Hostel & Bar in Da Nang, and I loved it: fancy, with a perfect view of the river, and a spa in the building. That first evening I met Pookie and Fefe at a beach bar, and we went to dinner after.

The next day, Pookie and Fefe were working remotely, so I had the beach to myself. It was sunny, and I wandered along the seafront at my own pace. We met for lunch and again for dinner.

I loved that about the three of us. We were good company, and we were just as good at being apart. None of us was too attached to the others, so each of us could wander where we pleased, and then we came back together. It's a perfect combination.

Da Nang felt like a different chapter after Hanoi: bigger, more touristic, with beach party options to match. Where Hanoi was lanes, scooters and noise, Da Nang had space and a beach.

Bright Da Nang hotel room with white bed, wood floor and broad curtained windows — A room of my own

Sunny Da Nang beach with surf, sand and distant mountains — The beach to myself

Iced drink held at a beach lounge with blue sea and sky beyond — No rush, just sunshine

Our evening had a programme. First a massage, so relaxing, and something I truly needed. Then the Dragon Bridge, which blows fire from its dragon's head at certain hours. A dragon on a timetable, and I'm still charmed.

Dinner was next door, at La Cabana, House of BBQ, an Argentinian restaurant, which was only fair with Fefe at the table. He turned dinner into a short history class: Argentinian history, and why meat is so loved there. Then the steak arrived and made his case for him. It was amazing, and so was the wine.

Da Nang's Dragon Bridge breathing fire at night above colourful reflections on the river — A dragon on a timetable

Full moon over Da Nang's tower blocks and a palm-lined restaurant terrace lit up at night — Full moon over Da Nang

Andreja and Fefe smiling at La Cabana in Da Nang with red wine, fries, corn and steak on a tabletop grill — Steak, wine and a history lesson

Hoi An: the one I'd go back to

In Hoi An we stayed at the Hoianese Tranquil Heritage Hotel for three nights. Breakfast was included, and it was amazing. The staff were great, and they offered free walking tours. At the end, they even gave us a gift.

The city itself was my favourite in Vietnam. It comes alive in the evenings, full of colour and lanterns, with nice restaurants and cafes, and history everywhere. And if you love taking photos, bring an empty memory card — Hoi An is a paradise for photographers, and good photographs are pretty much guaranteed. Pookie and I did the free walking tour from our hotel, and it was so much fun. Hoi An is full of interesting places, and our guide, a girl, was amazing. It's one thing to look at a building, and another to hear what it actually means and what it was built for. It was also so hot that Pookie and I bought hand fans, and I still have mine and use it every summer.

One evening we took a boat ride on the river and brought beer for the road.

Hoi An is touristy, and it still has a soul.

White bed and pendant lamps in the Hoi An hotel room — Three nights in Hoi An

Walking tour guide in a sun hat in a historic Hoi An courtyard — The stories behind the buildings

Hand-painted Hoi An fan held up in front of the ornate Fujian Assembly Hall gate under a blue sky — My fan, still in use

I loved Hanoi too, no doubt. But Hoi An was just cute. It's the one I'd return to.

Andreja and friends on a Hoi An river boat surrounded by glowing lanterns — Beer for the road, boat edition

Lantern boats glowing on the river in Hoi An at night — Lanterns on the river

Hoi An cafe entrance with hanging lanterns, plants and a parked bicycle — Cute corners everywhere

The shoes

Hoi An is famous for custom work, and I got two pairs of shoes made.

It works like this. You see the shoes in the shop, then you choose the materials and the colours. They measure your feet, so the shoes are made for them. There are tons of materials and colours, and you can go full designer mode, but the staff help, because it's easy to get lost in the choices. If you order more, you can bargain, but they are tough negotiators.

You pay, then come back the next day for a fitting, in case the shoes need adjusting. You pick them up the day after, so the glue can dry.

Two years later, I still wear them.

It's the same for clothes. Hoi An's tailors are known for quality, and I noticed all the local women were very nicely dressed. You can get a suit, a dress, a coat or trousers made, choose the fabric, and it's sewn properly.

Get there. Get creative. You won't regret it.

Wall of colourful leather bags and shelves of boots and sandals in a Hoi An leather shoe shop — Full designer mode

Close-up of leather sandals in different colours and styles on shop shelves — So many choices

Andreja's feet in gold buckle sandals with red painted toenails, seen from above on a stone floor — Made for my feet

The Tiger bar night

Hoi An was also where we partied. Pookie, Fefe, two Argentinian friends of Fefe's (a couple, travelling Vietnam at the same time) and me. We tried cocktails and danced all night at the Tiger bar. Every holiday should have one night like it.

Pookie and I walked home singing karaoke-style, reliving Ha Giang.

If you're travelling solo, I wouldn't go alone. Go with people you meet at your hostel.

Andreja and friends taking a smiling group selfie at Tiger bar in Hoi An — The Tiger bar crew

Friends raising shot glasses under the neon Tiger bar sign reading Don't be a pussy, be a tiger in Hoi An — Don't be a pussy, be a tiger

Andreja and friends with balloons in a packed, neon-lit Tiger bar in Hoi An — Balloons and dancing all night

Back to Da Nang, and goodbye

After three nights in Hoi An, we went back to Da Nang, because of the airport. It rained, which suited the mood.

That's where our group split again. Fefe was flying to Hong Kong. Pookie would stay a while longer before flying to Ho Chi Minh City, and I was headed to the airport, flying there straight from Da Nang. We had a coffee together before we went our separate ways.

It wasn't an easy goodbye. I already missed them before I left. But that's how it goes: we had been through a lot together, and we'd had so much fun.