Bac My An Beach Vietnam

It is no secret that I love travelling and have been blessed with many opportunities to do so. There is nothing about travel I don’t like. For me, it starts months before I arrive at a destination. I am the type of personality that must have all my ducks in a row. I love to be fully prepared and organize my time and the details of the plans I wish to achieve. I love doing research and spend many hours, usually in the middle of the night, looking at maps, tours, activities, and any information I can find about the place I am about to visit, especially if it’s the first time there. I even go as far as a Google Earth walk-through of the area, so I know where the local convenience store is when I arrive. Once there, I go about doing all the activities I had planned and enjoy the places I visit. I usually get it right, especially with accommodation, but I have messed up a few times and had to accept that I made a mistake. These mistakes usually cost me either dollars or time, which you can never get back either.

But there does come a time when I feel I need to stop and take a breath. After constantly travelling around Vietnam for several months, which has been amazing, it is time for me to have some time out to reflect and immerse myself in being in Vietnam. But where? I still have commitments in both Hanoi and Australia, so decided Central Vietnam is the place for me.

I have already spoken about Da Nang, My Khe Beach, Hoi An, and An Bang; however, I stumbled on an area called Bac My An, which is 7km outside the city of Da Nang, known as the Western Quarter or An Thuong walking streets.

I write this journal post from my hotel, The Queen Palace – Dubai Hotel, which was one of over 44 hotels in the area, ranging from luxury to budget. My room is a large, ocean-facing one, so I am very distracted by the view and keep glancing out to see the gently rolling waves and beautiful golden surf beach. A gentle sea breeze is coming through the windows. No need for the air con to be turned on. There is a paved beach sidewalk that goes for kilometres and is lined with vans selling coffee, food, or ice cream. This area is truly beautiful, and you can see why the soldiers during the war used this beach for their rest and recreation and named it China Beach. Early morning, the beach is a hive of activity from the locals pulling their fishing nets to joining a Taichi or Zumba class.

This area has much to offer whether you are a tourist, an expat, or someone like me just having a moment. This whole area is a council incentive which only commenced in July 2023.

An Thuong tourist street, with roads paved with natural basalt stone both on the sidewalk and on the road surface, creates a large and airy space at night when the traffic is restricted over 5 blocks (you do still get the occasional motorbike), but it is not a thoroughfare for all. At night, the end of the mall is the place for the Night market, with over 40 stalls selling food, drinks, and souvenirs to locals and tourists. The streets are lined with a huge selection and different nationalities of restaurants.

At night, the local beach nightclub with its very loud karaoke bar is pumping, or you can choose to have a quiet drink at Chevy Bar and just people-watch.

Yet, for me, the essence of this place transcends its attractions. It’s much more. I have been here a few weeks now, and I can tell you that Rosi café makes the best Coconut coffee, Santori makes a good grilled cheese sandwich, and the best foot massage is the second one down the mall.

It is watching the people go about their days, the lady who sells freshly cut-up fruit, the one who carries a very heavy board with sunglasses to sell, always smiling when I say a polite no, thank you, and the nuns who tend to their garden each day. It’s talking to the people and listening to their lives. It’s the local laundry guy, Minh, which means bright and intelligent, who not only washes and dries your clothes but lovingly folds each piece as he balances his beautiful 4-month-old daughter on his hip, and the two sisters, 6 and 8 years old, fighting over who will reset the table in their parents’ restaurant where they serve the patrons.

This for me is the true pleasure of slow travel: to be immersed in the culture and the everyday lives of its people. I have stopped, taken a breath, and smelled the flowers. Love, MyLifestyle