Vietnam: February 3 - 10, 2026

7 in 14: Part 4 - Vietnam (round 2!)

"I came here and it stole my heart, you know." – Anthony Bourdain

My "7 in 14" series continues, and somewhat repeats itself. Maz and I are in Malaysia on Tourist Visas, which allows us to live in the country for 90-days at a time. For our first official "visa run" in February, we decided to return to the place where it all began - Vietnam. On our first trip, we flew into Da Nang but didn't stay in the city, instead spending our time in Hoi An 30-minutes south. We booked a hotel a few blocks off the beach for the week, and found the nearest Banh Mi restaurant that we could. The memories of Vietnam's astounding French bread lived up to our past experience - crusty, fluffy, and a flavor that we have not found outside of the country since.

Typically we trend towards going on our own adventures, but we decided that a guided tour was the best option to hit some of the major landmarks in Da Nang. First stop was to Ba Na Hills to see the Golden Hands Bridge. Ba Na Hills was named by the French after misunderstanding the locals saying "banana hills" (typical foreigner ignorance). A cable car took us up the mountain, passing through low-hanging clouds, to the summit where the Golden Hands Bridge overlooked a stunning view of Quang Nam. Around the other side of the mountain was Le Jardin D'Amour, the Flower Garden of Love, dragon and Buddha statues, and archways with a view that feels like you're floating above the world. Another cable car took us up to SunWorld with a Disney-esque castle, amusement park, and a French-inspired plaza. Our tour guide was amazing and kept our group of 10 well-ahead of the other tourist group crowds, which was greatly appreciated.

Next day we headed back to Hoi An, famous for their silk and custom tailoring shops. Our mission - shop till we drop! Our taxi driver recommended us a shop and the seamstress was so patient with my indecision and Pinterest-inspo. I put in my requests (2 dresses, a skirt/blouse combo, a shorts/tank top outfit, and flowy pants), got measured, and sent on my way with a receipt and a fitting appointment in a couple days. Maz had found a shirt shop last time we visited so we went back and he picked out 10 patterns. Shopping accomplished for the day, we went to the Thanh Ha Terracotta Park. Astounding miniature replicas of infamous buildings weaved through the gardens - Roman Coliseum, Taj Mahal, St. Peter's Cathedral, Angkor Wat and Statue of Liberty to name a few. The museum showcased terracotta sculptures, techniques and history. Our day in Hoi An was capped with a rooftop beverage overlooking the Thu Bon river. This town stole our hearts a year ago, and nothing has changed.

The following day, we went to Marble Mountain, with a stop by a marble carving factory suggested by our helpful taxi driver. We perused a large warehouse full of vases and sculptures of jade, marble and stone and picked out a white marble set of Nghe figurines to take home - a mythical lion-dog-hybrid male & female who often stand guard on either side of entrances. Proceeding to the actual Marble Mountain, we climbed the many stairs leading to the cave entrance. The 5 mountains are named after the 5 elements - Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). Many Buddhist sanctuaries and pagodas are in the caves and around the grounds. The main cave showcases a giant Buddhist grotto of Huyen Khong. A narrow and precarious staircase led up through the rocks and out to a view of Da Nang. We even saw a pigeon nest with a baby bird hanging out! (Being part of the "Birds Aren't Real" fan-club, it was a humorous discovery that baby pigeons do actually exist!)

As an American, it feels necessary and important to visit the American War museums in each city. It's an ugly part of our country's history, and showing our respect and educating ourselves about the Vietnamese perspective. Da Nang was hit especially hard, being a coastal city and primary entry point for US troops. Unfortunately, (yet understandably) when asked where we are from, stating that we are American was met with odd looks and cold shoulders. I'll admit, a little white-lie claiming we were Canadian tourists made interactions with locals more pleasant.

In my humble opinion, the food in Vietnam is some of the best cuisine. During our 7-days in Da Nang, we ate 11 Banh Mi sandwiches, probably 6 Pho or Bun Bo Hue noodle soups, and enough Vietnamese iced coffee to caffeinate a small army - we needed it with our busy excursion schedule! One of Maz's favorite dishes is a whole fried fish. At the night market, we indulged in our classic fish, plus 2 large lobsters, and a frog! Frog is delicious, by the way.

Once again, a memorable and immensely enjoyable time spent among the Vietnamese people! I agree with Bourdain - we came here, and it stole our hearts. ❤️

^ View from the cable car in Ba Na Hills