Buzz
Mrs. Hai Yen and her spouse embarked on a delightful 4-day, 3-night journey with their two children, visiting numerous famous landmarks and indulging in local delicacies.
Da Nang Expedition: A $17 Million Getaway for Hai Phong Family
Mrs. Yen, along with her husband and two children, 8-year-old Vuong Kiet and 6-year-old Van Nhi, embarked on a Da Nang travel in May. As the children are older now, the family opted for an experiential trip.
Mrs. Yen emphasizes that their family trip involves a lot of movement and may not be suitable for families with young children or those who prefer resort-style vacations.
The Yen family spent a full 3 days in Da Nang, exhausting their $17 million budget. Their expenses were moderate, avoiding extravagance. Therefore, Mrs. Yen advises against hastily believing in $3 million per person Da Nang tours, as such a price is unlikely to afford a comfortable travel experience.
Here are some tips from Mrs. Yen:
Preparation:
I planned and booked my flights 10 days in advance. I opted for a budget airline at a nearby travel agency. Round-trip tickets for my family of 4 cost 6.5 million dong.
If you have the time, it's advisable to book flights one or two months beforehand for cheaper fares. I chose a hotel close to the beach, but upon arrival, my family wasn't impressed with the standard rooms, considering the price of 550,000 dong per night. I rented an old scooter for 120,000 dong per day. However, my family wasn't satisfied due to its age and fuel consumption. Hence, if you're planning a trip to Da Nang, it's best to rent a hotel near the city center for convenience in transportation and dining, as being near the beach can get lonely. You should also consider renting a car from the hotel you're staying at for added convenience.
Itinerary:
Day 1: 3D Museum and Hoi An
My family flew from Hai Phong to Da Nang airport at 8:30 AM. Then we took a Grab ride, costing 80,000 dong, to the hotel to drop off our luggage before having breakfast. There's a Quang noodle shop near the hotel, just a sidewalk stall but really delicious, priced at 15,000 dong per bowl.
After eating, we waited for the motorbike delivery, paid upfront, and deposited our ID cards, got the bike, and set off. The couple took their kids to the first 3D museum. We found our way via Google Maps, very convenient without needing to ask locals. Entrance tickets were 140,000 dong for adults, 100,000 dong for children. Inside, it's cool with air conditioning, and every corner is painted with 3D art, great for family photos.
I treated the kids to sweet soup and avocado ice cream at Con market while also buying dried squid with tamarind sauce and pineapple soursop tea as gifts. We spent nearly a million dong on souvenirs. At noon, the couple took their kids to eat pork rice paper rolls at Dai Loc 2 restaurant, the food here is delicious, totaling nearly 100,000 dong for the meal.
Afterward, we returned to the hotel to check-in and have a rest. At 3 PM, the couple took their kids to Bac My An market for sightseeing and snacks. This is a place everyone should visit because the food here is good and cheap. We also had avocado ice cream from Mrs. Van, fruit juice, each priced around 10,000 dong.
After eating, we headed to Hoi An. Upon arrival, you have to park your vehicle and walk into the ancient town. Hoi An ancient town at night is very beautiful and peaceful. Like many tourists, we also lined up to eat Phuong bread. Each mixed filling sandwich costs around 30,000 dong.
We rented bicycles to wander around the ancient town. However, due to a sprained ankle, I returned early and felt regretful for not being able to explore Hoi An longer. Here, you can have Mrs. Buoi's chicken rice, Mrs. Nga's (priced from 35,000 to 50,000 dong), but other snacks are not worth trying as they're expensive and not tasty.
At 8 PM, we arrived in Da Nang. After a quick wash-up and rest, the whole family headed to My Khe Beach for a night swim and sand play.
Day 2: Marble Mountains
At 7 AM, we all got up to have Nam Vang noodles, but probably not suited to our taste buds as we found it mediocre, not as good as people say. The price per bowl was 25,000 dong.
On the second day, we planned to visit Ba Na Hills, but due to foot pain, we switched to Marble Mountains. The mountain is about 30 km from Da Nang city, with wide and easy roads. It took us about an hour to get there as we were navigating while traveling.
At 9 AM, we arrived and bought tickets at the entrance. There are various types of tickets here; we only opted for the basic one, priced at 300,000 dong for adults and 150,000 dong for children (including mineral baths, water park). This was my favorite spot in Da Nang because the scenery on the mountain is beautiful, clean, and airy. The only downside here is the scorching sun, so on the way back, we all ended up tanned. Our two kids loved the water park, while the couple just wanted to soak in the mineral springs all day.
At noon, my family had a buffet at the restaurant there, priced at 200,000 dong for adults and 100,000 dong for children. The food variety was decent but the quality was average, not particularly delicious. If you want to save costs, you can bring your own food.
After eating, my family went to watch a 12D movie and virtual reality experience (at no extra cost), then took an electric car to the mountaintop. There's the shrine of Thanh Tai up there; my family lit incense and then descended the mountain, returning to Da Nang.
Back at the hotel by 3 PM, the whole family took a rest and in the evening went to eat seafood at Nam Danh. The restaurant is tucked away in a small alley but very delicious. Seafood dishes are priced almost uniformly at 60,000 dong per plate. After dinner, the couple took the kids to the Heilo amusement park and walked on the love bridge, admiring the Dragon Bridge.
Day 3: Ba Na Hills
At 7 AM, the whole family went to Bac My An market for breakfast with grilled pork noodles and coconut juice. The road to Ba Na Hills is closer than to Marble Mountains. Entrance tickets are 700,000 dong for adults and 550,000 dong for children. If you go on a tour, it's 900,000 dong per person with a buffet lunch included.
My family brought food to save money. However, we went in May, so they still allowed guests to bring food. Currently, food is not allowed to be brought up to Ba Na Hills anymore.
We arrived at 9 AM and headed straight to the cable car station. The cable car has 2 sections; the first section goes from the bottom to the flower garden and wine cellar. This is a suitable spot for tourists who enjoy taking photos because of the beautiful scenery. Afterward, we took the mountain train up another section of the cable car to the French village and amusement park. The village here is very beautiful, and my family was all amazed by the architecture, resembling ancient European villages.
Afterward, the couple let the kids enjoy some thrilling activities here like taking the underground train, haunted house. We didn't visit the wax museum as it required an additional fee. Ba Na has the Linh Ung Pagoda with a very large Buddha statue atop. What I liked most when reaching here is the feeling of touching the clouds. It's advisable to wear sneakers, flat soles when coming here for ease of walking.
Playing until 2 PM, the whole family took the cable car down and returned to the hotel to rest. In the evening, the couple took the kids out for seafood again. After 3 days of non-stop fun, the family was exhausted, so they didn't go anywhere in the evening but rested in the hotel. I also returned the motorbike in the evening because the next morning, the whole family would be leaving for the airport early.
Day 4: Return to Hai Phong
The 4-day 3-night trip ended in the joy of the two children. According to my husband and me, Da Nang is indeed a livable city and you should visit at least once in your life. The people of Da Nang are very kind, friendly, the streets are clean, airy. Life there is very peaceful, not hectic.
Cost of Mrs. Hai Yen's trip:
Hotel: 1.75 million dong
Flight tickets: 6.5 million dong
Food expenses: 3 million dong
Amusement park tickets: 4 million dong
Transportation: 500,000 dong
Souvenir shopping: 1 million dong
Source: Hai Yen/Vnexpress
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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour
MytourJanuary 4, 2019
