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Lantern towns, royal relics, sky-high bridges
VIETNAM is divided into three different regions: North, South and Central have their own distinct characteristics and appeal. However, despite being the narrowest among its siblings, Central Vietnam is arguably the biggest draw for tourists.
Essentially one long stretch of coast, tourists will find that Central Vietnam packs a lot, where within a few hours, they can move from the lantern-lit lanes in Hoi An to the ancient citadels in Hue, to a gravity-defying bridge in Da Nang.
Hoi An: Lanterns, rivers, living craft
It is fair to say that tourists should start in Hoi An, where trade once shaped the skyline. The heart of it is Hoi An Ancient Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site preserved grid of mustard-yellow shophouses influenced by the Japanese, Chinese and French.
During the day, the Ancient Town lays mostly inert but breathes to life at night as silk lanterns glow above the lanes, reflecting further off Thu Bon River.
The river too bustles with activity at night particularly during the Lunar New Year or Tet holiday, as tourists step up for a Hoai River boat ride. The boats are small and low, rowed by hand, as vendors along the river sell paper lanterns to float downstream.
Roughly an hour away, the brick towers of My Son Sanctuary rise from a green valley. A former Champa religious centre that dates back to the fourth to 13th centuries, the temples, dedicated to Hindu deities, show intricate carvings and red brickwork that has outlasted wars and weather.
There are also regularly held traditional Champa dance performances. Everything can be seen in a couple of hours.
Back near the coast, tourists can paddle through the nipa palms of Bay Mau Water Coconut Forest. Round bamboo basket boats spin and glide along narrow channels.
Guides show how locals fish with nets and traps. There are individual boats with speakers playing music from other countries.
Hue: Power, faith, river that holds it together
Drive north from Hoi An – and east of Da Nang City – to Hue, the former imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty. The centrepiece is the Hue Imperial City, a vast walled complex of gates, palaces and courtyards.
Tourists enter through the Noon Gate and cross bridges over lotus ponds. Slot the Imperial City for a half day visit, and bring water and shades.
On a hill above the river stands Thien Mu Pagoda. Its seven-storey octagonal tower is one of Vietnam’s recognisable religious structures. Incense faintly drifts through shaded courtyards, as monks shift silently between halls and if you are lucky, you may spot Vietnam’s only cat sunbathing in the area.
Further out lies the Khai Dinh Tomb. Unlike earlier royal tombs that blend into the landscape, this one rises in tiers of dark stone. Inside, opulent glass and porcelain mosaics cover the walls and ceiling. The mix of Vietnamese and European design signals a late-colonial era and a ruler caught between worlds.
The Huong River ties the city together. A cruise at sunset passes pagodas, gardens and low-slung houses. Some boats offer traditional Hue music performances.
Da Nang: High views, engineered spectacle
Three hours back south, Da Nang City brings a different tempo as essentially the tourism heart of Central Vietnam. Wide boulevards, beach resorts, bars and modern cafes line the coast, with most major hotels being located right across the sea.
The headline draw to Da Nang is Ba Na Hills, a hilltop complex reached by one of the longest cable car systems in the region. At the summit, the Golden Bridge curves above the forest, held aloft by giant stone hands.
It looks engineered for social media and it is, so go early to avoid the massive queues, possibly the largest foot traffic in the entirety of Da Nang.
Beyond the bridge, a faux-French village spreads out with plazas and arcades. It can feel artificial compared to the rest of Da Nang, but the views over the mountains are the payoff. Highly recommended to visit during the dry season from February to August.
Central Vietnam, administratively under Da Nang City, does not hide its tourist appeal. Though large chunks of the locations lean into spectacle and function as tourist traps, others offer quiet corners. Visitors get history that predates modern borders, craft that still feeds families and landscapes that frame social media feeds.
Kuala Lumpur to Da Nang, in class
theSun’s visit to Vietnam began and concluded on flights in Vietjet Air’s SkyBoss class, which made what would have been a cumbersome return flight experience a breeze.
At the cost of just several hundred ringgit extra – varies through Vietnam’s four different tourist and regional seasons – the Vietjet Air flight experience provided ample benefits that more than made up the upgrade cost from standard ticketing:
Priority check-in counters: SkyBoss travellers get to skip the long queue of standard Vietjet fliers, with up to 10kg carry-on baggage and 30kg checked baggage.
Exclusive shuttle service: SkyBoss travellers are able to board a shuttle service between the departure or arrival gate and the aircraft.
Exclusive access to the luxury lounges: While awaiting the flight, be it in either a Malaysian or Vietnamese airport, SkyBoss travellers are welcome to kick back in private lounges to eat and drink, work or catch a short nap.
Comfy in-flight service: The benefits follow SkyBoss travellers as they take to the sky. They are seated before everyone else and in the front of plane. Vietjet Air further accords its SkyBoss passengers with exclusive treatment by the cabin crew, which includes priority service, especially for complimentary food and beverage orders. It is also worth noting that for certain travel routes, such as India, SkyBoss travellers have different menu options that cater to their dietary and cultural preferences.
Additional benefits include earning SkyJOY points, and in specific situations, credit shells for unused tickets or cases of passenger no-show, valid up to two years.
Vietjet Air currently operates one round-trip flight each day from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Terminal 1) to Da Nang International Airport, along with two other round-trip routes from KL to Hanoi and KL to Ho Chi Minh City for a total of 21 round-trip flights per week.
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