Making Each Day Count

Vietnam is one of the Philippines’ neighboring countries that holds a special place in my heart. I have fond memories of our trip to Hanoi and Hue in December 2019, and promised myself to return as often as possible. But time flew by, and before I knew it, five years have passed without another visit. Thankfully, last year, my girlfriends from the University days and I finally aligned our schedules for our first ever overseas travel together. In December 2024 we hopped on a plane for a 4-day guided trip to Da Nang, Vietnam.

Da Nang is one of the popular cities in Vietnam and is located halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. From Manila we flew direct via Cebu Pacific and the flight took only around three hours. We arrived at 2130 and were greeted warmly by our guide, Sally, who welcomed us with a yummy banh mi, Vietnam’s famous sandwich. Afterwards, Sally dropped us off our hotel and reminded us of the meeting place and time for the next days’ adventures.

The next morning, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the hotel in anticipation of a packed day ahead. We were off to a good start as the stunning view of the beach from the hotel restaurant greeted us. As I sipped my coffee, I watched the rolling waves and the reflection of the morning sunlight on the water. I imagine if I was a surfer I would like to surf here.

At 0800 we boarded our tour bus which would be our mode of transportation over the next couple of days. Sally gifted each of us a nón lá, Vietnam’s traditional cone-shaped hat which is made of palm leaves. It was a lovely gesture.

Our first destination was the Tượng Cá Chép Hóa Rồng (Dragon Carp Fountain), a lovely structure that reminded me of Singapore’s Merlion. From there we had a vantage point of the Dragon Bridge, which crosses over the Han River. My friends and I excitedly took photos with our nón lás before walking towards Love’s Pier, a popular pathway where couples hang padlocks along the rails.

A few minutes later Sally herded us back to the tour bus, and we drove off to the next destination: Ba Na Hills. Along the way she gave us Vietnam’s famous cashew nuts (I say famous because whenever someone I know goes to Vietnam these are some of the most usual souvenirs) and avocado coffee, which I have to say was uniquely good!

Ba Na Hills is one of the highlights of our trip. It is a mountain resort and to get up we took a cable car. Sally said the cable car going up the Ba Na Hills is the world’s longest non-stop, single-track cable car. Because Ba Na Hills is located in a higher elevation, the temperature was much cooler. Going up, the fog became thicker, and by the time we hopped off the cable car there was already a light drizzle. December is part of the wet season in Da Nang, so prior to the trip I packed my foldable umbrella. Needless to say, as we explored Ba Na Hills, I put my handy umbrella to use.

When we got to Ba Na Hills, the first place we wanted to check out was the Golden Bridge. This is one of the most photographed locations in Ba Na Hills, – in fact seeing the giant hands that are part of the Golden Bridge was the main reason my girlfriends and I chose to go to Da Nang. We’ve seen lots of blogs/vlogs/posts about it and we were inspired to see it with our own eyes. But have you seen reels where there’s the Instagram post vs reality? We experienced that in Golden Bridge. It was so packed with tourists like us that we were unable to get a decent photo, and on top of it all, the fog covered the view of the mountains. I guess the best time to go here is during summer. But that did not dampen my mood, and me and my friends had a laugh editing out other people from our group photos.

Further along our walk in Ba Na Hills is the French flower garden called Le Jardin d’Amour. We marveled at the colorful flowers and the charming landscaping.

Shortly after we regrouped at the meeting place. Sally led the group to another cable car which would take us to another part of Ba Na Hills, the French Village. It has a theme of a medieval French town, with cobblestone streets and European styled buildings.

By the time we got to the French Village the weather had taken a dramatic turn. Visibility had dropped to zero, and the light drizzle became a heavy downpour. So the remainder of our visit was spent mostly indoors. Despite the weather, we enjoyed a buffet lunch which offered a delightful variety of international dishes. I lined up to sample the Vietnamese cuisine, and I was introduced to a flavorful seafood soup. I regret to catch its name; all I know is that it was a crowd favorite because the queue there was long.

After our visit to Ba Na Hills, we returned to the city center and boarded a ferry for a short leisurely cruise through the Han River. It was nice to see Da Nang’s bright and vibrant nightscape. With a cold LaRue beer on hand, I joined my tour group singing karaoke and dancing. After the cruise, we stopped for late dinner, but I was still quite full, so I only sampled some soup and veggies. Before returning to the hotel, Sally took us to lesser known bridge that she mentioned was known only mostly by locals. From there we watched the Dragon Bridge’s night show, which takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 2100. The show lasted around ten minutes, and we watched from afar as the dragon came alive breathing water.

It was a jam-packed first full day of the tour. As I finally returned to my hotel room, tired but happy, I could not help but feel excited for what the second full day has to offer. I can’t wait to share with you the next chapter of this tour in my upcoming blog. Stay tuned!