Vietnam flood alert as tourists evacuated

Thinking of heading to Central Vietnam over the next few weeks?

Maybe do some research first as the weather could play havoc with your plans during storm season.

Travellers visiting the region, including Danang, Hue and Hoi An, have been advised by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to be wary of possible disruptions due to major flooding and power outages, following heavy rainfall in the region.

Some tourists were evacuated by boat from Hoi An this week and re-located to other hotels after the Hoai River rose by two metres.

The heavy rain has turned Hoi An’s ancient streets into rivers. 

Reuters reported the floods had killed at least nine people and left five missing. 

As locals rushed to save their belongings in Hoi An, they started relying on boats instead of motorbikes, since parts of the historic town remain buried beneath two metres of water.

As water from the Thu Bon and Vu Gia rivers spilled over their banks, entire communes near Danang were cut off, local media reported.

Weather forecasts suggest heavy rains and floods will continue in the coming days.

Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, reported intense downpours across Hue, Danang, and neighbouring central provinces.

Khiem said the extreme weather resulted from a combination of a low-level cold air mass, an intensifying intertropical convergence zone moving northward, and strong easterly winds at altitudes of 1,500 to 5,000 meters - a typical pattern behind prolonged downpours in central Vietnam.

Khiem warned that central Vietnam may experience multiple rainstorms through mid-December, particularly from Ha Tinh to Danang, Khanh Hoa, and eastern parts of Quang Ngai to Dak Lak.

Image: Vietnamnet.vn 

Resort hotel delivers a delightfully beachy vibe

Just sitting enjoying a welcome drink and taking in the sea view, you know you have landed somewhere pretty special.

Overlooking water features, the resort swimming pool and the white sands of Bac My An Beach, Pullman Danang Beach Resort is a top spot for chilling out for a few days.

After you’ve done Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Danang offers a whole lot of contrasts; wide boulevards and an array of resorts aimed firmly at leisure travellers looking for cocktails, seafood and beachy pleasures.

The Pullman seems to have mastered the art of relaxation with a touch of luxury.

The Accor-operated resort offers a blend of stylish seaside serenity and urban excitement.

Think cocktails on the sands; a short stroll along the beach to food trucks and plenty of bar and massage options within a short stroll.

Danang, sometimes spelt as Da Nang, is one of Vietnam's most vibrant and modern cities and lies on the coast of the South China Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Han River.

It is an important port, a seafood centre, and increasingly popular as a tourism destination.

The city's major landmarks include the striking Dragon Bridge, and a giant female Buddha (above), which locals will tell you has reduced the number of serious weather events in the region since being constructed.

It is within 100km of several UNESCO World Heritage sites, incuding the former capital of Hue and major tourism hub Hoi An, making it an excellent choice as a base for exploring.

The Lady Buddha, 67 metres tall and completed in 2010, is believed to bring good luck and calm the weather for fishermen in the area.



Pullman Danang Beach Resort has a range of food and beverage outlets, including the Azure Beach Lounge, which offers a Vietnamese menu featuring dishes like seafood and mango salad and braised fish served in a clay pot. 

There is a more international vibe at Epice, where guests can enjoy spectacular buffet breakfasts. I enjoyed a cocktail or two at the beach bar watching spectacular evening storms roll in.

The hotel location is ideal. Right on the beach with direct access to the sand, it is a 15-minute drive from Danang International Airport and just 10 minutes from the main railway station, which links to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

There are 186 well appointed rooms and cottages, all of which have private balconies that overlook either the beach, infinity pool, or tropical gardens. 

My very spacious and well appointed junior suite has had a great view of the Lady Buddha in the distance. 

The on-site The Nắng Spa offers a range of treatments and the Fit Lounge is a fully-equipped gym. 

 
For anyone planning a meeting, there is space for up to 900 delegates and the hotel complex is delightfully decorated with local artworks, including multiple dragonfly sculptures in striking colours.

For all these facilities, however, the staff are the stars of the show; uniformly helpful and smiling and on hand whenever you need them. 

For more details and direct bookings check out https://www.pullman-danang.com/

The writer was a guest of the hotel and Vietjet Airways, which flies from Ho Chi Minh City to major Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, and also connects Hanoi to Sydney and Melbourne. Economy fares start at around $250, while business class fares begin at $1,100, with frequent seat sales on offer.

New air links help boost Central Vietnam as a golf destination

Vietnam is staking a major claim in the golf tourism space as visitors return to Asia at great pace.

Vietnam Golf Coast (VGC) is a freshly rebooted destination marketing organisation that links the best signature golf layouts in Central Vietnam.

The region includes courses like Sir Nick Faldo signature design at Laguna Golf Lang Co (below), Europe Ryder Cup star Luke Donald’s layout at Ba Na Hills Golf Club (above) and other layouts designed by the likes of Robert Trent Jones Jr, Colin Montgomerie, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman.

Blue-chip tournaments and events are cornerstones of the plan to see Central Vietnam cement its status as one of Asia’s "must-visit" golf destinations in 2023.

“Asia’s top golf destination is not just recovering following the pandemic: it’s getting even better,” said Gary Dixon, general manager at Ba Na Hills Golf Club, one of the driving forces in the VGC.




This resurgence is reflected via several major golf events slated for 2023.

These include the Asia Grand Final of the Faldo Series - the only global amateur series for boys and girls - which will be contested at Laguna Golf Lang Co in April.

Central Vietnam will also roll out the welcome mat for the global golf industry as Danang, its largest city, hosts the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) and Asian Development Tour (ADT) over the course of the year.

“Many golfers won’t have been in Central Vietnam since 2019,” said Adam Calver, director of golf and destination marketing at Laguna Lang Co.

“We already had five great championship courses here at that time. Now, with the addition of two additional courses (laid out by Trent Jones Jr. and Nicklaus) we have seven.”

The drawcard is high-quality golf combined with beautiful beaches and luxury resorts like Banyan Tree Lang Co and Angsana Lang Co.

The courses reflect local history with the Golden Bridge at Sun World Ba Na Hills a 150-metre-long pedestrian bridge (below) that is one of Asia’s most photographed landmarks.

Danang International Airport is currently Vietnam’s third busiest aviation hub.

In late March, national carrier Vietnam Airlines resumed its popular route between Danang and Tokyo, Japan’s capital. 

The coming months, meanwhile, will witness a ramping up of services between Danang and tier-one Chinese cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.

Other new routes launched so far in 2023 include services linking Danang with Taipei in Taiwan and Macau. There is also a link between Danang and Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

“Demand is surging once again,” said Dixon. “Before, I would have said that anyone serious about golf travel should be coming to Vietnam at least once in their life.

"With world-class courses opening all the time, I would revise that to say that you’d need to return every few years to do the place justice.”