… how wonderful it would be.”  These words were spoken by Ian’s 85-year-old mum just a few weeks ago.  It was the last night of her holiday with us here in Da Nang, and it had taken us 7 years to persuade her to come.  She had never been to Asia before - in fact she hadn’t travelled much outside of the UK - so it was hardly surprising that she had hesitated for years before making the very long journey to a ‘strange’ country she knew very little about.  We were determined to make sure that she had a wonderful time and when, with tears in her eyes, she said “I don’t want to go home …” we knew the holiday had been a success.

Barbara (centre) with us at a Vietnamese wedding

She had enjoyed many new experiences here - attending a Vietnamese wedding, riding on the back of a motorbike, having her first ever manicure and pedicure, choosing material for tailor-made clothes, tasting fresh Vietnamese food etc, but it was the genuine warmth from the local people, the beauty of the culture, and the stunning and spectacular scenery that totally overwhelmed her.  Da Nang has never failed to impart a little bit of magic into the hearts of those who come here, and all our visitors have gone home loving this city as much as we do.

Admiring the beauty of Marble Mountains

Our very first visitor, my sister Janet, came at Tet 2008 (and in those early days we had no idea what Tet was).  We had only been here for a few weeks and we were excited at the thought of showing her around our new city.  Many phone calls and emails had passed between us during the previous month and she was looking forward to shopping in Han Market and eating at our favourite seafood restaurant.  As her arrival date got closer, ‘things’ started happening in Da Nang.  Thousands of beautiful twinkling lights suddenly seemed to appear above every road, and hanging from every tree. 

The streets were busier, and people seemed to have ‘gone up a gear’.  The leisurely way of life suddenly became more urgent.  Shops and houses were being cleaned, railings along the river bank were being repainted, a whole ocean of trees with delicate yellow flowers or tiny oranges appeared on street corners and pavements, and small markets selling gifts and souvenirs came from out of nowhere.  It was as if all this had happened magically for my sister.  “Wow!”, I thought.  I knew she was special but I didn’t realise she was SO special!!!

At last, the day of her arrival dawned and we went to the airport to meet her.  We had not imagined that Da Nang’s (then) small airport could be so busy, and we were just one of thousands of families who were waiting for their relatives.  Tears, laughter and joy were the order of the day.  After a good night’s sleep we set off to show her our adopted city and to have a meal in our favourite restaurant - only to find that things had changed.  The streets were almost deserted, and the shops, markets and restaurants were closed!  THIS was Tet!

Janet with her first bowl of pho

It didn’t matter that we hadn’t stocked our cupboards with food, because we were inundated by offers of hospitality from our Vietnamese friends.  We were welcomed into their homes as if we were family members, and enjoyed meals of steamed chicken, bamboo shoot soup, banh chung and fresh fruits.  After a few days, Da Nang returned back to normal and my sister had a wonderful holiday.  She has been back every year, and will be here again in a couple of weeks.  Yeah!

We have had many, many, visitors during our 7 years here.  Not just family and friends, but then their friends, and even complete strangers!  It gives us such a proud feeling when we show others around Da Nang and talk about the things we’ve done and seen, and invariably they leave saying that this is the best place they’ve ever visited - and they always want to come back.

I think the most ‘astonishing’ visitors we’ve had are Nicola and Florian from the USA.  About 5 years ago we went on holiday to The Maldives  to celebrate a special birthday, and one day we were chatting to this newly-married young couple in the resort’s swimming pool.  They were fascinated and envious to hear the story of our new life in Da Nang, and after an hour we said goodbye and exchanged email addresses.  A few weeks later we received an email from them.  They said that we had inspired them so much that they had given up their good jobs on Wall Street and were setting off on a 3-month tour of Viet Nam!  While they were travelling they used a website to record the details of their adventures, and this is what they wrote about Da Nang:

“ … Our next stop was Da Nang, which is on the coast of central Viet Nam.  I have to give a little background on Da Nang and how we learned of this spot.  During our honeymoon in The Maldives we met Ian and Carole, 2 of the most interesting, caring, thoughtful, and fun people we have ever met.  After an inspiring poolside chat one afternoon, we exchanged email addresses.  During our conversation in the pool, we learned that Carole and Ian had done what most of us might consider crazy, but tempting - they quit their jobs in England, sold their things, and moved to the coast of Viet Nam. 

They had no tie to Viet Nam other than a recommendation from Carole’s daughter who had travelled there once and said it was the best country she had ever been to.  Florian and I had often dreamed of quitting our jobs and travelling before settling down, and hearing their story made us really think about how we could make our trip happen.

Nicola and Florian (left) with the best seafood meal ever!

So, after having only met Carole and Ian for an hour or so, we found ourselves hopping on a plane to meet them in Da Nang where they had graciously offered to host us.  They picked us up from the airport and we headed to their lovely, waterfront home.  This was the nicest place we had stayed during our trip, and when we walked in we were beside ourselves.  Carole and Ian were truly the ultimate hosts having every last detail prepared and welcoming us like family. 

The first day, they handed Florian the keys (and two helmets) to one of their motorbikes and took us on a tour of their neighbourhood.  It was such a cool experience to immerse ourselves into everyday life with them and one that we never would have gotten without their generosity.  I’m sure that tourists don’t normally see the things that they showed us.

Da Nang has a wonderful, laid back, friendly vibe with lots to do.  Sightseeing includes gigantic Buddha monuments, two beautiful mountains - Marble and Monkey, and a 30-kilometre-long beach on the East Viet Nam Sea.  Our stay in Da Nang was breathtaking, and by far the best place in the whole of our trip.  We will certainly be back.”  We’re not so sure how soon they will be back - one year later, Nicola gave birth to twin boys!

Shortly after Nicola and Florian left us, we were at the airport once again to meet another young couple, Katie and Seb, from England.  We had never met either of them before, but they are friends of my daughter, Laura.  Laura has been here many times and, like us, she tells everyone she meets how wonderful Da Nang is. 

The result is that they want to visit, and I usually receive an email saying “Now then mum, you don’t know this couple but they are coming to tour Viet Nam for 2 weeks and want to come to Da Nang …”!  Katie and Seb had planned on staying with us for just one night before heading south, but 8 nights later they were still here!  They were completely mesmerised by all that Da Nang has to offer, and they found it very difficult to leave.  The following year, they asked if 2 of their friends could come and stay with us … and so it goes!

On another of our holidays to The Maldives we met Sheena, a Kuoni representative from Switzerland.  She had been working in the Maldives for a year as a guest relations officer and was coming to the end of her contract.  “I think I’ll find work in Thailand next,” she told us.  “Have you thought about Viet Nam?” we asked.  “No,” she replied, “I don’t know anything about it.”  So we told her, and she was excited, and when we got home we emailed her details of the 5 star hotels here, and she was more excited, and one of them offered her a job - and she was beside herself!  She came to stay with us for 2 weeks until she found her own apartment, and she had one of the best years of her life working in our beautiful city.

During the same holiday in The Maldives we had also had many conversations with the German manager of the resort, Denise.  She, too, was enthralled with our stories of Da Nang and a few months later she brought her sister to stay with us for a week.  As a result, she is also looking for work here!

The thing that frustrates us about visitors to Viet Nam are those who do not spend any time in Da Nang.  We hear of so many people who have done the ‘normal’ tour - Ha Noi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City - but have missed out the best part.  One day a couple of years ago we went to Hoi An for the day.  We were having a coffee and watching the world go by, and started chatting to the young Australian couple at the next table.  They were in Hoi An for 3 days as part of the ‘normal’ tour.  “Are you going to Da Nang?” we asked.  “Oh no,” they replied. 

“People have told us that Da Nang is just the place where you get off the plane, then head for somewhere else.”  We were horrified!  “Would you like to come and stay with us for a couple of days?” we asked.  They did - and after trips to the beach and Monkey Mountain, and the best seafood meal they said they’d ever tasted, they left with a love for Da Nang and a promise to come back one day.  They arrive next week …!

Dave modelling one of his Da Nang-made shirts

Early last year I went back to England to visit my new granddaughter, and by chance I met a friend of my daughter’s, Dave, who is a detective in London.  He said that he had heard so many good things about Da Nang from Laura that he would love to visit one day.  He also told me that he was soon to be promoted and would need to buy some new shirts for his new job.  “My mum could get your shirt copied by her little tailor in Da Nang and bring it for you when she comes again in September.  It’ll be a tenth of the price that it is here …” said Laura. 

So he took his shirt off, gave it to me, asked me to get 7 copies, and went home in the cold wearing nothing underneath his jacket!  In September I took him 7 beautiful tailor-made shirts that, in total, cost less than the price of his original one.  He was absolutely delighted - and is bringing his wife and 7-month-old son to stay with us for 2 weeks in March!  He is planning to take 2 tailor-made suits home with him …

Last year’s visitors included 4 of Ian’s friends from his childhood who came to celebrate his birthday.  It was a particularly nostalgic visit as they had not been together for several years, and it was memorable because they have still not stopped emailing us to say how much they love Da Nang!  I don’t think it will be too long before they are here with us again.  We also had my daughter and her family, 2 of their friends who were on their honeymoon, my sister (of course!) and my niece, a cousin of Ian’s, the wife of a cousin who had stayed with us the previous year, and 2 people we had met in Laos …

What I enjoy about introducing people to our city is the look of wonder on their faces when they experience some of the things that are so totally different from their own country.  The mountains and beaches never fail to impress, but sometimes it’s the seemingly simple things that we now take for granted which have the greatest effect. 

The beautiful garden coffee bars with exotic flowers, trees, and water features, the bustling markets with their array of freshly-picked fruit and vegetables, the pavement barber shops, having a Vietnamese hair wash (heaven!), watching the traffic, buying new glasses and tailor-made clothes at prices far less than at home, and feeling genuine warmth from the local people.

The best of friends!

Ian, on the other hand, takes great pleasure in planning their itinerary!  In his ‘old’ life he was the head of the tourism department at one of the UK’s largest colleges, and he has always loved maps, flight schedules and timetables.  In his ‘new’ life, he reads 4 Vietnamese newspapers every day (in English) and keeps abreast of new flight routes, new places of interest, and anything and everything connected  with tourism. 

A few weeks ago I received an email from my niece.  A colleague of hers is coming on a tour of Viet Nam in March - could we give him any advice or information?  A few days later Ian had prepared a suggested and very detailed 3-week itinerary, starting in Ho Chi Minh and ending in Ha Noi.  He had included flight, bus and rail information and prices, places of interest, likely weather, links to videos and photos of different areas and, of course, an invitation for a personalised tour of Da Nang!  

Da Nang has enriched our lives, and we never tire of sharing the love we feel for our beloved city with others.  It warms our hearts to know that they leave us with such wonderful memories - and that their lives have been touched by the magic that is Da Nang. 

(Written by Carole Kendal)