The day started bright and way too early with a flight to Da Nang. From the plane, we could already see the flood zones — entire fields looked like mini lakes. The Hoi An area had clearly been hit hard by the rain over the past few days. Apparently, it was the worst flooding since… well, since the last time someone tried to sunbathe here! Our first stop after landing wasn’t the hotel — priorities, people! We detoured to a local Bánh Mì shop that served what can only be described as the Michelin-star version of a sandwich. Hands down, best I’ve ever had. Crispy bread, tangy sauce, heavenly filling — 10/10, would fly back just for that.
Next up: a dress shop. This was not your average boutique. You pick a fabric, point to a dress style, and suddenly a tailor appears with a tape measure, wrapping you like a Christmas present. “Your dress tomorrow!” they announce, and off you go. Some of the men were measured for suits, while us ladies — myself included — picked out dresses. It felt like a fashion montage waiting to happen.
Finally, we reached our hotel — wow. Right by the beach, sparkling clean, and seriously luxurious. Five stars, no question. Bonus: it had its own pickleball courts! We’d booked them for the afternoon and, in a stroke of pure genius, chose the indoor ones — because yes, it was raining again. Two hours of round robin play later, sweaty but happy, we rushed back to our rooms for quick showers before heading out for dinner. But first — laundry! The local “laundromat” was literally a scale on the sidewalk. You plop your bag of dirty clothes on it, pay by the kilo, and poof! someone disappears with your laundry into a nearby house. Like magic, it reappears at the hotel the next day.
Dinner was delicious (as always), and afterward, we gathered back at the hotel in a cozy corner for our own little afterparty — sharing snacks, sipping our own beers, and laughing until way past “we should go to bed” o’clock. Not a bad Monday, if you ask me. Floods, fashion, and forehands — all in one day!
This blog is a contribution of Barbara Arnold. Follow her travel adventures on https://www.polarsteps.com/DBarbaraArnold/21929835-philippines-and-vietnam?s=b1a5f906-fcce-4aef-9241-f234d939d981&referral=true