Norm Bour – Travel Younger

Chapter 315: A Recap of Japan

Norm Bour — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 03:45:41 +0000

06.10.26

Kathleen and I recently spent two weeks in Japan, a country we never visited, and combined that with our Vietnam “visa run” to reset for another 90 day stay. Even with all our experience in southeast Asia, Japan was a bit intimidating since we thought it was going to be SO different. And it was. But it was also surprisingly effortless to navigate, so I asked Kathleen to share her thoughts, recorded it, and had Gemini AI pretty it up. And then I added my own two cents, because, well, that’s what guys like to do.

Two Weeks in Japan: The Modern, the Authentic, and the Surprisingly Familiar

Kathleen: We just wrapped up an incredible two-week adventure spanning Osaka and Kyoto, and I’m still processing it all! I loved both cities for completely different reasons, but the trip definitely threw a few curveballs my way.

Osaka: Futuristic & Lively

Osaka is an absolute powerhouse of contemporary, modern energy. The train stations alone are mind-blowing—they are practically massive underground cities packed with endless shopping and dining options. If you love a vibrant, high-tech urban buzz, this is your place.

Norm: I SOOO agree, and what was nice is that even though the metro and malls and underground businesses were frantic at times, the PEOPLE were orderly. You stand in line for the metro or train and everyone is chill. No pushing or shoving, and overall they are extraordinarily polite. Getting a ticket to the train was daunting at first, but once I understaood the different lines and where they go, it was easy. And Google Maps for BUSES?? Amazing! They directed us to the right intersection, which platform, if there were more than one, and it took away a lot of the Fear factor.

Kyoto: Peaceful & Scenic

Kyoto definitely delivered more of that traditional Japanese ambiance. We caught a sumo wrestling match, saw beautiful geisha culture, and took an unforgettable train ride out past gorgeous waterfalls and rivers. Walking through the old town areas felt wonderfully peaceful and authentic.

Norm: Yes, Kyoto was much smaller and actually quite fun to navigate by foot. Mostly flat and MAPS worked great. We also attended a Taiko Drum show, and I visited the most amazing TRAIN museum! BUT finding food from menus that we could understand, was very frustrating, and put us off. But even so, we found a few places that we liked enough to revisit, so that’s always fun.

Oh, one more thing, which I mentioned before: their convenience stores, like 7-11, Lawsons, etc…were SO much more than what most of the world offers. We could find full meals there for a very reasonable price.

The Big Takeaway: A Westernized Surprise

If I’m being completely honest, I came away a bit surprised! Having traveled to many countries, I expected Japan to feel entirely different from anything else. Instead, I found both cities—even Kyoto—to be much more westernized and homogenized than I anticipated. From the standard modern hotel rooms to the Starbucks on the corner, a lot of it felt familiar.

Norm: I concur, and that’s a double-edged sword since it did allow us to feel more comfortable. No doubt if we visited the smaller places outside the big city we would truly find untarnished Japan that we read about.

Would I go back?

Absolutely, 100%! Japan is a wonderful country, and I highly recommend anyone visit. Next time, though, my goal is to escape the major cities. I have my sights set on Okinawa and some smaller islands—I think that’s where the deeply rooted, traditional culture is waiting to be found.

Norm: yea, ditto. Japan was a trip and Okinawa sounds good, along with maybe some islands that are a bit less structured. Osaka was fairly affordable by most expat/ nomad standards, but Kyoto; not so much. Granted, we stayed at BOTH places in the places that everyone wants to be, so you get what you pay for.

Until the next adventure!

Chapter 314: How Many Days do You Need in Hanoi?

Norm Bour — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 03:34:03 +0000

06.05.26

Of course, that is a subjective question since no one really needs any, so it’s a matter of what you want to do and how many days you think it takes to do that. We wanted to visit Hanoi because we had never been there, and it was the best departure airport for our leg/ visa run to Japan. We’d also heard wonderful things about nearby Ninh Binh, and none of them were exaggerated, so we stayed there for 14 days and Hanoi for five.

We had to ask ourselves, “what are the most important things we wanted to do in Hanoi?” so we watched videos, read blogs, and spoke with some friends, and came up with three.

First: the famous Hanoi water puppet shows, which is an art form that goes back a millennium, and the productions are very Vietnam specific since they enact rural Vietnamese folklore, daily village life (like rice farming and herding water buffalo), and historical legends—often featuring fire-breathing dragons and swimming frogs. They only last about an hour, but between the beautiful music and watching and wondering, “HOW do they do that?” it went quickly. We opted for front row seats, a great value for the price, and we questioned if this might be a typical “tourist trap,” but it’s not. I highly recommend you attend if you are in Hanoi. And yes, it was all in Vietnamese, so we really had no idea what was going on, but they do offer audio guides, which we should have done. It took awhile for me to figure out the mechanics, but the puppet masters are in waist deep water behind a curtain and use very long bamboo rods with strings to manipulate the puppets.

Next: FOOD! While Vietnam overall offers a variety of different foods unique to the country, there are also regional dishes, and this is the mecca of Northern Vietnam. There were a few dishes I like from the central/ Da Nang area, but one of the biggies here is Bún Chả, which is a simple dish of vermicelli noodles and pork balls or patties, and I happened upon one of the best places in the city (or so the food tour lady said when she sat at a table next to me), which was yummy! Along with that they have their own version of pho, which they call Phở Bắc which is more savory than sweet than what we had in the central coast. And of course, this is the birthplace of egg coffee, which is now a Vietnam staple, but one I never got into. I’m sticking with coconut coffee, and they had plenty of that, too!

We stayed in the Old Quarter and had so many places to choose from that were close, so I highly suggest you stay there if you visit. Along with the eateries themselves, there is also a huge variety of street food, and of course, the Food STREETS themselves, which involves taking a narrow road or alley to start, and placing as many tables in front as possible, leaving a narrow walkway. Oh, and they do this on both sides! Add in competing boom box speakers, mix in alcohol, and you have yourselves a party!

Last on the list was the famous Hanoi Train Street. It’s a street. With a train running through it, and it’s a world-famous attraction. Hundreds of bars and cafes are on both sides of the tracks, and when the train comes, you literally have to move yourselves to only one side, where there is (marginally) more clearance. That is a new precaution, probably due to too many near hits.

The train itself goes back to French colonialism and was built back in 1902, and they put it through an already busy Old Quarter neighborhood. For decades that section of people’s houses on the tracks were just extensions of their living quarters, and they made it part of their kitchens, laundries, and back yards, including kids playing on the tracks. Thanks to Instagram and travel bloggers, these homes were converted to pubs and eateries, and the crowds just grew and grew. It lost that local charm and is now a significant draw to the city, which is fine since it’s free and you have to eat anyway, right? They don’t allow “organized tours” and now there are security people at major access points to keep people off the tracks. A prudent measure.

How Many Days do You Need in Hanoi? We were there for five days, which was ideal for our situation. Any less time would be a rush and truly wouldn’t allow you to get a feel for the city. And we were only in the Old Quarter! There are several other areas, each with their own flavor, like Ba Đình District (The Political & Imperial Heart), West Lake (for a calm and cosmopolitan escape), the French Quarter, and Đống Đa District (which is the Intellectual History & Local Street Food)

Chapter 313: How many countries have we visited now?

Norm Bour — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:17:45 +0000

05.28.26

I’m kind of a numbers person who likes to check off the boxes, and we keep track of how many countries we’ve been to since we left the US in 2019, plus our cumulative numbers. Until recently we were stuck at 44 since it had been over 2 years since we visited a new place, which was the Philippines. But our flight to Japan, finally a NEW country, for sure is #45, and included a layover in Hong Kong for about 2 hours. We didn’t leave the airport since there wasn’t time, and Hong Kong is not officially part of China, so the question is, “do I count China as being number 46?” I’m not really sure.

There have been a few countries before where I counted a layover as being part of the count, and there were a few countries that we only visited for a short time, but didn’t stay the night. So I’m curious as to how you all see it

Chapter 312: the Wonderful, Unique Things You Might Only Find in Japan

Norm Bour — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:04:32 +0000

05.12.26

We’ve been in Japan for about a week, and after dealing with the high heat and humidity in Vietnam, it’s been a nice change. Granted, now through probably September IS the prime weather season in Japan, but it does get cold in winter. We KNEW this country would be different than any Southeast Asian countries we have come to know, but experiencing them personally has been quite an adventure. Without further ado, the Wonderful, Unique Things You Might Only Find in Japan.

Whereas Vietnam, and especially Hanoi, was pretty chaotic, Japan is more of a controlled chaos, at least in Osaka. The metro stations can be overwhelming, but traffic is no issue and crossing the street is effortless. Oh, and EVERYONE waits for the walk/ do not walk lights and generally do NOT cross against them. That is tough for a rebel like me!

The unbelievable plumbing fixtures and heated toilet seats! with sprayers of many varieties, if you know what I mean. I knew about Japanese toilets and how advanced they are, but every toilet so far—including restaurants and such—have that heated seat and spraying mechanism. They also have trippy bath mirrors that get fogged from steam but leave a nice opening in the center to shave after a hot shower. Let’s just say that using the bathroom was never so much fun.

An overwhelming selection of food and drink products everywhere, including the often underappreciated 7-11 stores. We watched videos before coming here and knew the 7-11s HERE were much more comprehensive, but it was still a nice surprise getting quality food there for cheap. On our first night in Kyoto we were both tired, but had a convenient 7-11 directly across the street. An Asian soup bowl, bread and ham took care of us just fine. And they have a smoothie machine where you can make your own from their fruit package!

Want KNIVES? This is the place to find them! If you are a serious cook and need sharp instruments, come to Japan. So many exclusive knife shops of all configurations, but as someone who has seen the Kill Bill trilogy multiple times, I knew that.

We saw no stray cats, no stray dogs, and all the trash was bundled up nicely so nothing could even get into them. The streets were unbelievably clean and in pristine condition, and everything was well manicured. Not only that, but you cannot smoke on city streets but must use a small smoking room on the sidewalk. Talk about a deterrent! And there was not one motorcycle parked on the sidewalk since parking for them as well as bicycles are very controlled.

The electronic stores, including one called Bic camera, was overwhelming, and there’s probably not an electronic device you couldn’t find there. Ditto drugstores where the shelves are JAMMED with unreadable labels all over the place. Truly a sensory overload.

The politeness and courtesy of the Japanese people has been refreshing, and they never crowd you; they move out of your way if you’re coming, or apologize for being in the way, and they just carry a Divine presence about them. Along those lines, they are especially well-dressed in very nice clothes with a huge majority of black, white, or blue colors. We would have stood out with our (normally) fluorescent clothing, so toned down our wardrobe to fit in.

They are regimented from an early age, which we witnessed as an elementary school had an outing with little children paired side by side, in identical hats, all very orderly. And even the adults follow the same pattern much of their lives.

The very intimidating Metro systems between subways and trains can be head spinning. I’ve never felt comfortable using public transportation but truthfully their instructions are really user friendly, even for English users. Their train and bus system is massive, quite a bit larger than most, but better laid out. The passengers are all intentional and focused getting off and on, which you must be to stay on track. But the buses and trains we rode were the cleanest we’ve ever seen, as though they just got detailed.

The use of credit cards with tap features is surprisingly not as available as in less developed countries, like Vietnam and Bali. Some of them want the physical card and they actually insert it into the machine.

We had 4 days in Osaka, and now 8 in Kyoto, which is much calmer and more peaceful. Many people we spoke with beforehand preferred Kyoto over Osaka, and I think we do, too. It has beautiful tree covered mountains and hills around us and several rivers running through town. Very nice.

Chapter 311: Hanoi First (and Last) Impressions: Embrace the Chaos!

Norm Bour — Thu, 21 May 2026 03:33:08 +0000

05.21.26

The first thing that came to mind as Kathleen and I pulled into Hanoi was, “OMG, this reminds me so much of Ho Chi Minh City/ Saigon.” Busy and crowded and chaotic, and as we sought out our room in the Old Town/ French quarter, we kind of questioned our decision to come here in the first place. Accessing the building was a bit crazy, and thank God for hosts who put pictures in with explanations of exactly where to go because if we had to read it verbally, we would have spent so much more time in frustration… The alley zigged and zagged through different buildings and past open kitchens and bedrooms, with people actually preparing their meals outside IN our alley. Weird. And how they could squeeze THAT MUCH density into such a small space is a miracle. And dangerous.

We got to the room, it was quite small, as we expected, especially the bathroom with, of course, a shower that intrudes upon the toilet (which I hate, but endure), but that is status quo for a lot of smaller places. We checked out some coffee shops for Kat to work, found some good places to eat, and when we got back to our room, we acknowledged that MAYBE Hanoi was not as bad as those first impressions. We learned this lesson many times in the past, but it’s easy to fall back on bad habits.

Our first evening walking around was like bedlam, as is typical for every large Vietnamese town, but in the morning it was much more relaxed. Busy, but not crazy, and not as many shops open as I would have expected, and I have found out for ME, particularly, that once I settle into a neighborhood it becomes like putting on comfortable shoes, and I embrace it.

Since this is our fourth visit to Vietnam and I’ve seen quite a bit of it, there are some things that I don’t appreciate as much as others, and someI do.

Hanoi has lots of “beer craft shops” within any given block, but truly I am not a beer drinker and certainly not a connoisseur. And of course Vietnam overall is well known for their many varieties of coffee, ie, egg, salt, avocado, but the only one I truly, truly love is my coconut coffee, which is a Vietnam staple, and of course my traditional cappuccino.

And take hamburgers, which many places spiff up and create concoctions you can’t even bite into, but as for me, give me a simple Old Burger, pure and unfettered, with ketchup, onion, and relish. Don’t need the mushrooms, nor bacon, but cheese is always appreciated!

The point is you don’t need to embrace EVERY feature that every country offers—but we WILL embrace the massages in Bali!—and you don’t need to visit every attraction within the area. As Travelers and not Tourists, we live a basic, simple, day-to-day life in different locations. But that’s perfectly fine with us.

By the time we left Hanoi after five days we pretty much (?) had a handle on things, but concluded that there may not be enough to entice us back again. Kathleen had a particularly difficult time with the cars, bikes, and merchants crowding the small streets, plus the constant noise, and the dinginess and foul odors of some areas, which was worse than many places we lived.

(Photos courtesy of Kathleen Plumley}

Chapter 310: (Part II) Why does it take a medical emergency to get our attention?

Norm Bour — Sun, 17 May 2026 03:06:34 +0000

05.17.26

The IMPORTANCE of Hydration

First off, THANK YOU all who sent good wishes both through here, my last FB post, or more personally. I was touched by your concern, and since I’m not writing this from the grave, my hard lesson DOES have a positive and happy outcome. Thanks for sticking through this second part, and I have to balance it between being too “dramatic,” since there’s way too much drama online, but also wanted to share how serious this hydration thing really is.

It can truly kill you, or leave you seriously damaged, so take heed.

It’s NOT just about drinking “enough” water, as many people have said.

Had I listened to this warning from my wife I MAY have seen the signs and avoided the whole mess, but we men can be pretty stubborn and think we’re Supermen and invulnerable.

Getting dizzy in the bathroom and passing out the day after a hot, taxing hike was a scary and fragile moment for both of us. I was out of it, but Kathleen, being a former nurse, could tell that I was more than just physically gone; I was mentally gone, too. She ran downstairs to get help, but unfortunately we were on the second floor. Paramedics? Not an option, only cab service to a faraway hospital. I was flat on my back and coming back around and, like most macho males, I said, “no I’m fine,” but honestly I did not know if I was fine at that time or not. We carry a blood pressure cuff with us, but my BP was too low to even get a reading. After a few attempts we did and it was insanely low, and we recognized that I was seriously dehydrated. By this time I was able to track and follow her fingers, answer questions correctly, and feel like myself. Our hosts brought a fresh coconut and orange juice, and Kat and they got me to bed, elevated my feet, and we all just waited.

Fortunately, the story continues on a happier note than it began, but after digging into AI and doing some research, we discovered that because of the hike the day before and because I had already been dehydrated for several days, my body was deficient in potassium and magnesium and possibly sodium. Sodium (salt) is easy to find, it’s everywhere, but since I have had high blood pressure I try to avoid it, and rarely put salt on anything. Eventually we were able to go downstairs for breakfast, had some nourishing pho chicken soup, and over the next several hours I recovered while we monitored my blood pressure the entire day. We got electrolytes and magnesium supplements, and I spent the next few hours lying down with my feet up. And over the next few days life more or less returned to normal.

Or did it?

Kathleen says that I was gone, which of course I denied at the time, and has said that I was different since this episode; I agree. My speech was slurred, I was non-responsive and lost body function, and there was a possibility of a seizure. For me, inside my head, I realized my potential mortality, not sure exactly what happened, but some way, somehow, I did come out of it different. And a week later I still am..

I check my BP several times a day, religiously eat a Vietnamese banana every morning, which is healthier than a typical Columbian banana, and higher in potassium, and take a magnesium pill every night. I’ve been to the gym, started slowly to feel things out, but this event truly did open my eyes. When we’re young we feel we’re invincible; invulnerable, and nothing can stop us. Until we get a serious injury, or sickness, or have some type of event that causes us to reflect on our humanness. Living as we do on the road we are blessed to find good to excellent medical facilities at the places we want to stay the longest. That gives us some peace of mind, so along with healthy eating, being present and mindful of our surroundings, and living in Gratitude, I’m not sure what else we can do.

Chapter 309: (Part I) Why does it take a medical emergency to get our attention?

Norm Bour — Fri, 15 May 2026 02:54:51 +0000

05.15.26

The Hidden Danger of Hydration

It isn’t just about watching your A, B, and C’s; sometimes, it’s about your sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Even at 72, after seven years of full-time travel, I am still learning—often the hard way.

In warm regions like Southeast Asia, we all know the importance of staying hydrated. However, I recently rediscovered a dangerous truth: you can drink water the wrong way and it is entirely possible to flush out the very minerals that keep you safe.

While staying in Tam Coc/ Ninh Binh, Vietnam, we visited Mua Cave, which features a grueling 500-step climb to a “dragon statue” at the summit. We previewed videos of the narrow, unroped peak and felt concerned—not so much about the exertion, but because my balance isn’t what it used to be. I later recognized that for several days I was already depleted and after spending three hours on a sampan boat earlier that day, and being exposed to the elements, I was at risk. Without prepping or hydrating I started my climb. Kathleen wisely chose to stay below.

At the first landing where the path split a fellow hiker suggested the “Pagoda” peak was the easier route, though still strenuous due to the uneven steps. Fifteen minutes later, I reached that summit and enjoyed a spectacular view of the lotus fields below, and across the chasm I saw the surprisingly accessible dragon statue, so decided to do that, too. After returning back to the landing, I bought a water which was sorely needed, and began the second climb toward the Dragon. Two-thirds of the way up, I took a pause to survey my condition and what lay before me, and ego be damned, I decided to turn back. Not because I was winded, but more due to worry about my legs. For several days, I’d been experiencing night cramps along with a few bouts of lightheadedness—telltale signs of potassium deficiency.

Note to self: Cramps and dizziness are your body’s early warning system.

Back at the bottom I drank some coconut juice and felt fine, and since it was an overcast day, I really didn’t think I had perspired much. That was lesson number two: Clouds do not prevent overheating or fluid loss.

That night was restless and I woke frequently, my legs cramping a few times. When I got up and stood before the toilet along comes vertigo and dizziness and down I went. I was “gone,” and it scared Kathleen (and me) to death. Was it a heart attack? A TIA mini-stroke? Or something much more than that?

To be continued

Chapter 308: Ninh Binh was Such an Unexpected Pleasure!

Norm Bour — Tue, 12 May 2026 02:47:09 +0000

05.12.26

The small sampan rides here in town didn’t wow us very much when we got here, since we thought they just went around a very small lake. That lake, the focal point of Tam coc (near Ninh binh), is not that big, and people and buses and cars keep going back and forth all around it. We noticed the boats taking people all over the lake and thought, “that doesn’t look very exciting…” But we were missing the boat…so to speak. They were being rowed by drivers (mostly women) pulling the paddles with their feet. Yes, their feet! They were able to hold the oars on the pushing and pulling ends and made it look effortless!

But that was just the first surprise.

The other half was learning that the ride took 90 minutes went through rice fields and lotus paddies and also included three more caves. OK, we’re in! And what a pleasant surprise. Our ride started about 4:00 pm, just before dusk, when the heat of the day was behind us, and we were able to enjoy the scenery under misty, beautiful shrouds of fog, with the sun peeking through; it was heavenly. It was so calm and serene you couldn’t help but appreciate the natural splendor in this country.

Our driver spoke little English, but I used Translate to ask her how often she rowed, since doing it just ONCE seemed challenging, and she said they have 1400 boats and they row every four days. Wow, on both of those, and I have no idea where they store that many boats!

Just the day before we had toured Trang An, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and that is one of the strong draws for people who visit here. If they miss the Tam Coc Bich Dong, the official name of the ride, they might be missing a great time, too.

(photos all courtesy of Kathleen Plumley

Chapter 307: Is it REALLY all about the Journey?

Norm Bour — Mon, 04 May 2026 04:43:31 +0000

05.04.26

They say we should “enjoy the journey” and not focus on the destination, but after spending 17 hours on a Vietnam train, our focus really WAS the destination, and it was worth focusing on. Ninh Binh has captured our hearts after barely a day, and instead of staying here for 4 days then moving on to Hanoi, we tacked on another week and shortened our Hanoi trip. But first, the train.

I used to love train travel, and in Europe, especially on relatively short journeys, they are still awesome. Anything over 8 hours gets tedious on any train, and even though Vietnam trains are not the worst, they have room for improvement. They do run reasonably on time and generally offer several different options on how you ride: cheap seats in a crowded car, premium seats with a bit more room and wider aisles, and sleeper cars. Of those three I highly recommend the sleeper car, and if you CAN, get a car for two—if you are traveling with a partner—rather than a 4 or 6 bunk. It’s a bit pricier, but worth it in my view. I had the upper bunk on a 4-bed cabin last month (for 10 hours), and it wasn’t horrible, but I’d bet a SIX bed model would be quite uncomfortable. Kat and I reserved a private car, and it made a tough situation much easier since we had no bunkmates and lots of room. There were nice murals on the walls, and you could stretch out however you wish. Even so, it made about a dozen stops, some of them for 20 minutes or more, and made for a very long day. AI quoted 12 hours for the ride, but I think that would be best case, and few stops. Our train was called the Reunification Express (ironic name!), which IS slower than the overnight trains, and we left at 0906 on Friday and arrived at 0204 Saturday morning, so got to see the amazing scenery a night train would not offer. Another note about Vietnamese trains: their restaurant car is a joke, with minimal offerings, and seemed to be more of a hangout for the crew. But throughout the day porters came through offering a host of eating and drinking options, so as long as you’re open to vendor food, you won’t starve.

Ninh Binh, and neighboring Tam Coc (where we are staying), is known as Halong Bay on Land since it has similar limestone mountains, called karsts, like Halong Bay, all around. They are amazing to see; primitive, ancient, full of mysteries, and Vietnam has several regions of them. The first time we came to Vietnam, in early 2020, we stayed in Halong Bay, so had a great introduction to karsts. There are several lakes and rivers in the area which we plan to tour with a guide, and they take us through tunnels beneath the rocks, as well as miles of beautiful scenery. That’s tomorrow

Chapter 306: The Many Faces of Hoi An

Norm Bour — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:07:22 +0000

04.24.26

Old Town: We’ve been in Hoi An proper about 5 weeks, and we’re now at our second location for this portion of our stay. The first four weeks were spent on the small island of An Hoi, which is just across the bridge from Hoi An Old Town, which is where 90% of the action is. Now we’re 15 minutes away at the beach, An Bang, and find it totally different, so I thought I’d offer an overview of the many different places/ faces of Hoi An.

It is the only OFFICIAL Ancient Town rated by UNESCO, but there are several other “old towns” in the country that have a similar nickname. It was the hub of trading and shipping from the 15th century, and many of those old buildings still stand. It truly is a beautiful little town, with hundreds of restaurants and coffee shops that you could not cover if you stayed for a year! It is also well known for tailoring, and you can get suits, dresses, and shirts made from custom fabric of your choice.

It is also very crowded.

Like, crazy crowded, especially crossing the walking bridge which connected our island paradise to the city itself. Walking along the Thu Bon River is a treat and every evening lanterns are placed in the water as prayer offerings and scores of people jump into sampans for a short ride up and down the river. The bottom line: Old Town is busy, busy, so if you like the hustle & bustle and want close access to coffee or food, then it’s worth considering.

Meanwhile, the two very proximate islands, An Hoi, where we were , and Cam Nan, are a bit more peaceful and away from the chaos. Our little sanctuary was very nice, and we could get almost everywhere we wanted to go in about 15 minutes. Neighboring Cam Nan is not so developed and even more quiet. We didn’t stay there, but we almost did. When we were looking to book a room in Hoi An we could not remember the name of the island where we wanted to stay, so mistakenly booked on Cam Nan. Since we weren’t familiar with it and there did not seem to be as much there, we cancelled and rebooked for An Hoi.

Conclusion: either of these two islands may offer you the best of both worlds: proximity to the action, but the ability to retreat.

A bit outside of town is a small area near the beach called Cam Thanh, which is where we stayed for a month in 2024. It was about 15 minutes from town on a very quiet road, and unfortunately not close to anything. We had a scooter which made it more practical, and the prices are probably the cheapest in the area. My thoughts: if you want quiet and peace and don’t mind being further out, then Cam Thanh is a consideration.

Last is An Bang beach, which is where we are now, and I think, it’s the best of all. It is on the water, much smaller than any “town,” in the area, and has plenty of homestays and eateries for anyone’s’ tastes. If you want to go INTO Old Town it’s a 15-minute Grab ride, costing about $3. It’s kind of a small enclave of expats and locals but also has lots of tourists. It is also a bit closer to Da Nang city itself, so if you have a need to go there, you can avoid some of the Hoi An traffic. If you are a beach bum or bunny and want access to the water, this is the only option of all of these.

Those are my thoughts and my thoughts alone in case yours may differ.