Overall assessment of Central Vietnam

Central Vietnam had a bit of a different vibe than northern Vietnam. Maybe slightly more developed and a bit more touristy. We loved being right on the coast and enjoyed the beaches. The Imperial City of Hue was so interesting. It would have been cool to stay there for a few days (rather than just see it as a day trip) and Hoi An was one of our favorite towns thus far in Vietnam. We loved the lanterns and old town, and we loved the beach. Other than old town and a few shows and shopping, there isn’t a ton to see in Hoi An, but we enjoyed just hanging out and walking around and eating and drinking! We are really good at that!

Like the rest of Vietnam, we loved the prices and the people and especially how safe it was. The weather in Central Vietnam can be a little hit of miss in early January and we had a few rainy days during our stay in Da Nang (12/29-1/10), but by the time we were in Hoi An (1/10-1/22), the weather was spectacular! Warm and sunny every day!

If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, I would recommend staying in Hoi An (outside of old town) and just doing a day trip to Da Nang to see Marble Mountain, Lady Buddha, and the Dragon Bridge. And do dinner in Da Nang… there were A LOT of excellent restaurants there.