marya_

Ah, the misery of reentry...

We got back last night from a glorious 6 1/2 week trip to Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Boston looked beautiful on final approach at 7 pm, with a harbor and river filed with sailboats, a crowd at Fenway, and the setting sun lighting the entire city to great advantage. Yet, my husband and I would be back in SEA in a heartbeat. Thanks for being here; thanks for understanding this unique form of malaise.

More importantly, thanks for the extraordinary help that we have received from this board since my first trip to Asia in the summer of 2004. Highly skeptical of the value to others of accounts of our blunderings abroad, I have previously restricted my contributions here to answering some narrow-focus questions about places that we have visited. My skepticism remains intact but I'd like to take a stab at providing some information about where we went and what we did in the hopes of triggering fond memories in some of you experienced folks and perhaps alerting first-timers to some of the pitfalls.

We are a middle-aged couple in our early 50s/early 60s. (If that's beyond middle-age, please leave me in the dark about it.) In other words, our backpacking days are long over. We were accompanied by our youngest child, an 18 year old son.

Because my husband is an academic who goes back and forth to China and SEA fairly frequently now, we built this trip around some of his professional obligations in Hanoi and HCMC/Saigon. We were originally interested in going to Burma -- still are, of course -- but the terrible cyclone struck and led us to delay those plans.

We built an itinerary around the work in northern and southern Vietnam, filling in with visits to central coastal Vietnamese cities that my husband and son have enjoyed in the past and that I had wanted to see. We like to travel as slowly as possible so we spent all 30 days of my one month visa in Vietnam. Next, largely influenced by many of you, I have been wanting to go to Luang Prabang for quite awhile so that followed. Finally, my husband's appetite for Bangkok was whetted by the week we spent there three summers ago so that rounded out our itinerary.

Here's the summary: Bangkok (1 night); Hanoi (17 nights); Danang (4 nights); Hue (4 nights); HCMC/Saigon (4 nights); Luang Prabang (6 nights); Bangkok (8 nights).

Our transpacific flights were on United, a decision obviously made to take advantage of my husband's many miles. The route there -- Boston-Chicago-Narita-Bangkok-Hanoi -- was a bit grinding because the last leg necessitated a short stay at the new BKK airport Novotel (about which I posted earlier this summer). The trip home, originating in BKK, was significantly shorter: 26 hours door-to-door. Because we were able to travel in business class, I found the entire experience enjoyable even though United's standards are...well...United's.

While in SEA, we generally flew from site to site with the exception of booking a car and driver to go over the Hai Van Pass from Danang to Hue. That was great advice from you -- thanks! We flew on Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, and Vietnam Airlines. All our flights were in economy class and all were fine. Of the twelve flights that we took this summer, only one (Bangkok-Hanoi) was delayed and, at that, only by about an hour and a half. That now strikes me as remarkable.

Because our daughter was studying in Beijing this summer and unable to accompany us, we were able to manage with one hotel room and thus go more upscale than when we need to pay for two rooms. We also splurged because we had just been through a year of exceptional illness and difficulties. Hanoi and HCMC/Saigon hotels were selected for us by my husband’s work associates while we chose the other accomodations.

Our eight hotels follow.
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport: Novotel – 1 short night in transit
Hanoi:
Hanoi Intercontinental Westlake – 13 nights
Zephyr Hotel – 4 nights
Danang: Furama – 4 nights
Hue: La Residence – 4 nights
HCMC/Saigon: Sofitel Plaza Saigon – 4 nights
Luang Prabang: La Residence Phou Vao – 6 nights
Bangkok: Marriott Resort & Spa – 8 nights


Next up: some brief thoughts about our time in Hanoi...

marya_

HANOI

This was our home base while my husband went in and out to work in some northern provinces. Since I had spent 11 days in Hanoi two years prior, and my son had been there again one year ago, we took it easy and enjoyed ourselves more than we would on a first visit. We enjoyed pool time and I did forward-going travel research as well read two books.

SAIGON, by Anthony Grey, is a potboiler of little literary merit but I am very glad that I read it for the sketch of Vietnamese history that it supplies. It was recommended by an elder Vietnamese associate of my husband. He maintains that it is an excellent read for westerners to begin to understand the Vietnamese. His credentials are impressive, his father was close to Ho Chi Minh and he knew Uncle Ho as a child, etc.... I was persuaded and profited from the read. I also read Edward Gargan's THE RIVER'S TALE: A YEAR ON THE MEKONG, which I highly recommend.

The Hanoi Intercontinental Westlake is not centrally located, as most of you know, but it is a very lovely hotel with excellent service. It just opened in December and the staff's sense of excitement is still palpable. We had a "City View" room which is less pricey but I loved it. I could see early morning exercise classes and other (limited) city sights which charmed me. Our room was gigantic. I'm sorry that I didn't pace it out but it is one of the larger hotel rooms that I have experienced. The two queen- (or king-, I forget) sized beds were dwarfed by the space and there were both a very large walk-in closet and a large bathroom with the requisite 5-star double sinks, luxurious tub, large separate shower, and great supply of high-quality towels. The amenities were excellent.

Our enjoyment was enhanced by having club privileges at the first floor Club Intercontinental. The club's rooms occupy premier waterfront space on the ground level. Breakfast, cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres were all lavish. Service was highly attentive. The reading rooms and computer room were very attractive and comfortable. It made for a cosy home-away-from-home.

A cab into the heart of the city costs about 60,000 dong which is less than $US 4 so, for anyone willing to can in and out, the hotel provides a very gracious retreat from a hectic city. Do consider it if your time in Hanoi is not very limited. (It is considerably cheaper than the admittedly exceptional Sofitel Metropole.) The pool and sunset bar are appealing. The fitness center is first-rate. The pavillion-style construction over water makes for an airy, light, campus-style feel. The Milan/Sagon pair of restaurants are lovely although pricey.

We also stayed briefly at the ZEPHYR which is superbly located a couple of doors down from Hoan Kiem Lake and across the street from Bobby Chinn's Restaurant. It is a small hotel that is profiting from the run-up in hotel costs over the past couple of years. The staff were very gracious and the location is a big attraction but the hotel was undergoing renovations while we were there. The one nice common area on the top floor was completely closed off and was close to gutted (I peeked). There is no pool and the "gym" consisted of a few machines jammed close together in a window-less room. The business center has a couple of very old computers. If you need an affordable hotel to provide a great base for sightseeing, you will be fine here. It will also be much more attractive when renovations are finished. Just know that all the guidebook hype about this "boutique hotel" refers more to size than to level of service. It is much less grand than the nearby Hilton Hanoi Opera where I spent 10 nights a couple of years ago for what then cost what the Zephyr costs now.

Hmm...I somehow just lost everything I wrote about sightseeing and dining so time to take a break...

Craig

Looking forward to your thoughts on Hanoi as we will have 5 full days there next April (plus time in Halong Bay and Sapa). We are close to you - Connecticut and will NOT be flying United (except for one short leg on the return) as we have booked business class on Star Alliance partners (Air Canada, ANA and Thai) but we still do have that overnight at the Novotel at the Bangkok airport prior to continuing on to Hanoi.

Curious why you didn't overrule your husband's work associates on the Intercontinental in Hanoi although it is new and you probably got a deal - was the location ok?

Curious to hear about your favorite restaurants, sites and shops in Hanoi.

Would love to meet you at the Fodors Boston GTG the weekend of October 11.

PS - age is a state of mind - we are early 50's but have no desire to be to be pigeon holed into some middle aged category.

FromDC

marya, so nice to have you back and starting on your report. I know it will be helpful for our 5+ week trip coming up in October, which includes BKK and Hanoi. Will you also give me some packing tips??

Kathie

I'm enjoying this report - so glad you decided to write it!

Femi

Looking forward to reading more.

marya_

Craig:

I would say that if you can spring for the Sofitel Metropole, that that is hands-down your first choice because it is very elegant and centrally located.

If you want to find something else, then I am of two minds. I always prize location but it is restorative in a city like Hanoi to come home to a serene hotel.

Yes, the Intercontinental is indeed cheaper. How much is a function of newness -- and thus temporary -- and how much is a function of remoter location -- and thus likely to last -- I am uncertain. It is very gracious. It may be a minority opinion, but with Hanoi so hectic and cabs so cheap, I might be inclined to go back and forth to the Intercon for the pleasure of having a very elegant base. I need to think more about this.

As far as dining goes, I am incredulous that I lost what I wrote. It must be attributable to some of the cognitive compromise associated with jet lag...

More later but definitely put Wild Lotus on your list. It's heavenly.

By contrast, I was disappointed in the much-ballyhooed La Verticale. There it was all about fussy, contrived, visually appealing food that just did not taste great despite attentive service and all the buzz about chef Didier Corlou.

From what I hear, Bobby Chinn's is probably past prime although we had a sensational night there two years ago when Bobby and a group of musicians serenaded the house for hours. We had such fun. My son was invited to come up and drum with them awhile -- that sort of thing -- so it pains me to hear anyone say anything critical about the place. The Discovery Channel crew was wrapping up filming Bobby the night we were there -- he is quite the celebrity chef. We did not return this year because we could never improve on our past experience.

Vine, out near the Intercon, is quite good and the ambiance is charming. Their wine list is reportedly about the best in the country.

We liked Emperor in the past. Still haven't gotten to the Green Tangerine. KOTO is good for lunch. This time, we indulged my 18 year old's requests for Indian and Italian food so I know more about those options than I would have known if I was maximizing my own preferences.

I also enjoyed cafe meals -- lots of fresh spring rolls and bananaflower salads with fresh lime juice but I got some kind of nasty stomach bag somewhere despite being careful. My son also had a bout of acute, dramatic food poisoning in Danang. Sigh.

thursdaysd

Thanks for posting! Looking forward to hearing about Danang. And I figure you're as old as you feel, lol

marya_

From DC,

Yes, I am very opinionated about packing issues so will be happy to discuss at some length. Any particular packing questions or issues have your attention?

Kathie,
Our longtail boat stopped for refuleing just across from the BKK ROS the other day so I silently sent your regards up to the hotel!

Our eldest just called to say that he is in town and headed over so I have to wrench myself away from SEA reverie. It's difficult. Will get back to this as soon as possible.

Craig

Mary, have already reserved a room at the Sofitel Metropole. Will put Wild Lotus on the list for dinner. Looking for off-the-beaten-track experiences though - we've been to SE Asia almost every year since 2000 so we are more open to new experiences and don't have to do every "must do" for first time tourists. In 11 days and in your previous time in Hanoi I would hope that you did something along those lines that you can share.

Kathie

Thanks, marya!

rhkkmk

great start and look forward to more....

marya_

Craig:

That is great news to hear that you are booked into the Metropole. My husband has stayed there on business but I have not stayed there – I have only seen enough of the common areas to be completely charmed by the hotel. (We chose the Opera Hilton -- same neighborhood as the Metropole but less grand –- when we needed two rooms to accommodate our family two years ago.) I took my children to the Metropole’s afternoon chocolate bar and we spent a very pleasant couple of hours reading newspapers and feasting on chocolate. Another time we went for drink in the bar out by the pool. My daughter and I meant to do a cooking class there but a conflict came up and we changed our plans to be with others instead so I cannot comment on those classes but no matter -- others on Fodor’s have already done so.

I stopped into the Metropole again last month when we were spending a few nights at the nearby Zephyr Hotel because two guidebooks stated that day-passes to the Metropole’s fitness center were available for purchase. To my son’s dismay, that information was out-of-date -- daypasses are no longer sold to non-guests – but I again had the chance to have a look around. A major construction/renovation was underway but will presumably be completed well before peak season. Just staying at the Metropole and dining at Wild Lotus should make for sublime experiences!

Given your and Jeanne’s experience and sophistication about traveling in the region, I’m afraid that I am going to let you down when it comes to suggesting clever off-the-beaten path options. Much of what I did in Hanoi on my first visit involved the usual and predictable, including an overnight on Halong Bay, a sidetrip to Tam Coc/Hoa Lo, visits to most of the museums and monuments, some private tours with Exotissimo, taking a cyclo ride, attending the water puppets, and so forth.

We did attend a performance by the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra in the Opera which is otherwise not usually open to the public. They played a Dvorak program; it was nothing like attending a performance by a major western symphony, of course, but it had a very sweet charm.

On this second visit, as I mentioned earlier, I took time to relax, to read, to swim, and to take exploratory long walks as permitted by the heat. We had a suit and sportjacket made for my son and two jackets for me, all involving four fittings because I have been trained by Fodor’s! (Still, we managed the process imperfectly; I’ll probably write about that separately because it might help newer travelers to hear of our missteps.)

The most distinctive one-off experiences that I have had in Hanoi are not replicable because they have involved meeting people through my husband’s work. All of these people had lived/studied/worked in various Asian countries for years, way back before doi moi…even before the end of China’s Cultural Revolution, in some cases. It has fascinating to sit over drinks or a meal and hear their stories, but none of that advantage carries forward into recommendations.

One unusual sidetrip that I had hoped to take, but did not, was to the Cuc Phuong National Park, especially to visit the primate center. It is apparently best visited at leisure through an overnight visit and not during the heat of the day as happens when you take a daytrip to the Park.

I’ll keep thinking in case I have forgotten anything even mildly useful. My husband may have some ideas as well.

marya_

On my first visit to Hanoi in 2006, I saw many of the required sights and took an engaging two-day sidetrip to Halong Bay. This year, I took it easy and enjoyed the city so my comments are idiosyncratic and not useful to first-time visitors. I had no need to see Ho Chi Minh’s tomb again, nor to attend the water puppet show, for example, although I could easily have returned to the Temple of Literature, the Ethnography Museum, the house museums in the old quarter, and other sights that merit a revisit.

We took advantage of our extended stay of 17 nights to have a suit and sportjacket made for my son at a Han Gai tailor that he had first patronized in 2007 when he had a casual sportjacket made. I had two jackets made at Ha Dong silk. I think that I’ll post a separate thread on tailoring travails because it might be useful to readers who are interested in tailoring but won’t want to wade through this leisurely-paced report.


Some highlights of my second visit:

1.Daytrip scheduled through Buffalo Tours that combined leisurely cruising on the Red River with some limited (4 k or so) cycling to the ceramics village of Bat Trang, and a bus visit to lovely, remote Bat Thap Pagoda. The bicycles provided were of good quality. The luncheon served on board was quite delightful – I am always amazed at the beautiful multi-course luncheons that are produced on board simple boats with tiny kitchens. Because the rest of the passengers were German, they had their own guide and a luncheon set up on the lower deck. My son and I, the only English speakers, had our own guide (who retired gracefully after the first course) and the upper deck of the boat all to ourselves. We floated down the Red River while feasting on course after course and admiring the view.

2. Early morning walk around Hoan Kiem to see the various exercise groups with their astounding array of props – fans, flags and even swords. My favorite way to start a Hanoi morning is to watch an armed group of middle-aged women deftly executing an exercise routine while brandishing (seemingly real) swords. More bracing than caffeine!

3. Walking for hours on end, particularly around the old guild street section where I managed to get happily lost, then falling into a café for a bottle of water and an iced coffee Vietnamese style.

4. Touring the modest National Museum of Fine Arts for the first time then shopping at Craftlink (opposite the Temple of Literature) to support artisans, and having a late lunch at KOTO to support kids in training programs.


What didn’t I do that would have appealed?

1. Take a cooking class at Hidden Hanoi or at the Metropole

2. Take an overnight trip to visit the Primate Recovery and Research Center at Cuc Phuong National Park

3. Learn more about silk and laquerware so that I could make confident purchases

4. Go to the Women’s Museum because it is CLOSED until 2009

5. Attend a film screening at the Hanoi Cinemateque. We did have drinks in the charming little courtyard but didn’t get to a film. Tried to get a printed copy of the film schedule on site on two different occasions but neither time was that possible. Perhaps another time…

What has changed in Hanoi in the two short years between my visits?

1. The helmet law! Motorbike riders over the age of 12 are obligated to wear helmets…and they do. The compliance rate is fantastically high. Don’t ask me why children are exempt; perhaps it is considered an economic hardship to provide helmets for growing children?

2. The cost of hotel rooms, and some other goods and services of interest to tourists, has risen dramatically. Wow.

3. The location of the best English-language bookstore, Bookworm. Double-check the address before you make a trip. In 2008, it is 4b Yen The.

4. Membership in the WTO as of 2007. No separate cash departure fees at the airport...

What has not changed?
The taxi scammers. Use a metered taxi such as Hanoi TouristTaxi to avoid this experience. Many scammers have meters that run at a frantic rate so that the posted fare looks legit to a newbie but isn’t. Yes, yes, I know that private taxis have different fare structures that make them more expensive but there are also blatant scammers who’ll charge you three times the going rate if you are new to town or haven’t got your wits about you. Most of us get literally taken for a ride once, twice, or thrice, but do figure it out and defend yourself once you understand what is reasonable. Market-rate metered taxis are a great bargain in Hanoi.

What do you need to know if you are going to Hanoi for the first time?

Just because you know how to cross the street in your native land, do not assume that your skills are transferable to a major city in Vietnam. They are not. Be humble and attach yourself to a local until you get the hang of it. You will get the hang of it if you stay long enough, but it is a different process with different rules. Essentially, you must keep moving at a steady pace so that the stream of oncoming traffic can judge your progress and react to your cutting across traffic.

What is on the horizon?
Hanoi is preparing a 1,000 birthday celebration in 2010. There is an official countdown screen near the eastern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake. Perhaps another Fodorite has more information on this.

marya_

HANOI: a few more notes on dining

I addressed some comments on Hanoi restaurants to Craig (above) but here are a few more remarks.

For gracious dining, we love Wild Lotus, Emperor, Vine, & Indochine.

Wild Rice was also quite pleasant. (But don't confuse it with Wild Lotus.)

Our verdict on La Verticale:
a little fussy and overrated. Sorry. I hope someone proves us wrong.

Our concierge claimed that Bleu de Thuy wasn't answering their phone so we never got there. Never made it to the Green Tangerine either.

Milan/Saigon, two restaurants at the new Intercontinental Westlake, are slick and elegant. I liked the Vietnamese food and the beautiful decor at Saigon better, but our Italian meal at Milan was rushed so this isn't a scientific sample.

Ba Mien (Opera Hilton's showcae restaurant) had a fabulous prix fixe menu when it opened in 2006 but I hear rumors that the restaurant has not lived up to its promise.

We loved Bobby Chinn's in 2006 so decided not to return in 2008. Sometimes you cannot go back again...
I'd be curious to hear of others' experiences. Bobby is a fascinating man with a great heart and enormous curiosity about life.

Club Opera was quite fine two years ago but we didn't make it back this year.

Do go to Hoa Sua and KOTO, the two so-called training restaurants. Support the kids and enjoy a very
delightful dining experience.

My 18-year old son loves Indian and Italian food so we ate Indian and Italian more than I care to admit. And you thought club sandwiches in SEA were a travesty... Anyway, we have been to Mediterraneo, Pane e Vino, Tandoor, Khazuanna, some multiple times. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa. I don't really approve but I have overindulged my youngest child. Just an addled mother at times, I suppose. I intend to make better dining choices when all the chicks have flown the nest. My two step-children are beautifully established as adults and my daughter is admirably launched to the extent of doing intensive advanced Mandarin in Beijing this summer. consequently and I unwisely overindulge the youngest... We all draw the line at Tex-Mex though so we did not try Al Fresco.

Cafes can be wonderful.

1. We have been many times to the little outdoor Au Lac Cafe across the street from the Sofitel Metropole. It is just a typical, pleasant, inexpensive cafe where you can sip and snack and catch up on your guidebook reading. Or just watch the world stroll by.

2. There is a delightful little cafe in the old quarter, next to Cha Ca La Vong,improbably called the Golden Land Restaurant. It was peaceful, serene, and the service was very refined for a cafe. I went several times. It is more elegant in tone than many of the old quarter cafes.

3. We got scammed at Cafe Moca in 2006 so we haven't been back although Church Street is charming and we enjoy Medierraneo there.

For ice cream, the well-regarded Fanny's on the western shore of Lake Hoan Kiem is worth a visit both here in Hanoi and also in HCMC/Saigon. I loved the cinnamon, ginger, mango, green tea and coconut flavors. The first time I ordered three different scoops in one serving, the young woman server laughed in nervous disbelief at such gluttony. We Bostonians take our ice cream seriously though and you can be sure that there wasn't a bit left in the bottom of my bowl. Cinnamon, ginger and coconut melt beautifully into one another, by the way. For an amusing change of pace, try durian ice cream. (Well, ok, if only for the bragging rights...)

Vietnamese breakfast is a glorious thing. We are diehard pgo fans and I am presently looking for a good reliable pho recipe so that I can make it here at home. If you can help me, please advise.

I have another question. Have any of you found really good coffee in Vietnamese restaurants/cafes? It sounds silly, I know, since VN is a major coffee exporter, but much of the coffee served in hotels and restaurants is poor compared with the average upscale standard in America. When gorgeous, 5-star hotels repeatedly served lame or burnt coffee, I switchd over to tea drinking. I love good coffee though and would ppreciate some guidance on this topic.

marya_

On to DANANG:

After one night at the BKK airport hotel, and 17 nights in Hanoi, an easy 1 hour and 15 minute flight on Vietnam Airlines on an Airbus A321 whisked us from Hanoi to Danang.

A large van from Furama was waiting for us with cool towels proffered by a sweet young woman who was gracious but didn't speak English so no conversation was posible. We nevertheless enjoyed the quick and quiet ride to the resort.

Danang is Vietnam's 4th largest city? Can you rank order the top four cities of Vietnam? I could not, so I now share them with you. They are (1) HCM/Saigon, (2) Hanoi, (3) Haiphong, and (4) Danang. Furama is billed as VN's first luxury resort.

My husband had previously stayed at Furama on business and he wanted me to see it. I booked a garden view room in order to save a little money over the cost of an ocean view room.
The resort was luxurious and I was indeed delighted with the resort even though our view of back fields and roads was lame. There are three levels of rooms: ocean view, pool view, and garden view. The rooms have similar features and include large balconies. Just think carefully about your view requirements.

The beach, an extension of the famed China Beach, is a deep sandy beach with perfect, clear water and a view of distant hills. On the first day, there were jellyfish but they disappeared after that and the water was most agreeable. It compares favorably with beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and on the Cape Cod National Seashore, for example.Furama also has two wonderful large swimming pools and a spa.

This is a "best of times/worst of times" story. Furama was glorious but I developed an advanced case of the stomach bug that had been bothering me for days. I had contracted something nasty in Hanoi, not Danang. I went to the hotel doctor (or NP?) who prescribed a French-made antibiotic that sounded ok when I Googled it so I took a two-day course of 4 pills. I don't know if it helped but her brief kindness did. I was miserable though.

The afternoon of our third day there, my son became extremely ill on the spot, reduced to lying weakly on the (luckily clean marble) floor of our bathroom where we brought the hotel doctor to him. She was concerned but ultimately didn't think it was anything that required medivac so we toughed it out. She came back in the morning -- her idea to stay in touch with us, I might add.

My son had not ventured off the grounds of Furama for any meals so we reluctantly conclude that he got food poisoning there. He thinks it was a dicey pizza with lots of cheese that he had for lunch that day. Certainly, he was completely fine and then all of a sudden on the floor and too wretched to even stand up. The doctor gave him various meds for anti vomiting, etc., each of which we checked out on the internet before allowing administration but it was all surreal and I never knew if we were making the right decisions. Plus, I too had been sick with GI issues and had seen the doctor the day before my son fell ill. What a comedy we were. On the other hand, I read a serious piece in the VN national newspaper that protested that food borne illness was running at too high a rate due to poor hygiene. All I can say is, read, think, and protect yourself as best you can.

I missed the trip to My Son due to illness but would love to return to Danang because the beach was glorious. Of course, I do wonder how that area will change in the years ahead. Several major hotel companies are involved in major construcion, including a huge Chinese-owned enterprise next door. I hope that development is managed wisely because the beach is a real treasure. I worry about that.

Speaking of treasures, we also went to the Cham Museum. It is billed as having the largest Cham collection in the world. The sculptures are indeed very exciting -- just don't set your sights as high as the guidebooks suggest that you set them.

Gpanda

MaryA=I see you're up early. The jet lag for a Boston return always does the same to us.

Super report. It's interesting to read the adventures of a veteran SEA traveler. Best of all, it's timely and no penalty. You're back just in time for the Red Sox run to victory.

marya_

Thank you! I am quite happy to escape the penalty clause. Whew.

I am even happier to know that someone else is up in this neck of the woods.

My misery is less a function of jet lag and more a sense of frustration that I have been brought home sooner than I would desire though, no? Know what I mean? What a curious predicament. Thankfully Fodorites understand.

marya_

On to HUE

Altough my son and I were quite sick at Furama, I retain a great fondness for the place and hope to go back. The beach is exceptional and the hotel is lovely. I don't know why or where such sickness comes from...it is important to report it though so that first-timers, in particular, know what can happen.

After four days in Danang, we booked a car and driver to go to Hue via the Hai Van Pass ( not the new tunnel that drivers will press on the unsuspecting.) Thank you to Fodorites for this excellent advice to proceed that way -- the scenery is indeed beautiful and we enjoyed the drive. I know that certain Californians may not be duly impressed, but most of the rest of us from this world are. We saw beautiful mountain scenery and a lovely fishing village. We were delighted.

There was one mountain stop at a hard-sell area but the rest of the trip was less fraught with dilemmas.

marya_

Wow. I posted a balanced account of pretty wretched but temporary GI illness and it was all edited out. I do not understand: I take a balanced approach to difficult issues and the material disappears. What Happened?