02/09/2019
Go visit quiet, beautiful gem Quy Nhơn before the expected big waves of tourism roll it over...
Vietnamese Railways Restaurant Car: Another Dining Experience!
• We took the train from Nha Trang to Quy Nhơn (200 km north of Nha Trang, 4.5 hrs) to spend a few days there. (For those who prefer flying there, the recently built Phu Cat Airport is about 30km from Qui Nhơn). Although it was during a national holiday (2nd September) weekend the train wasn’t full, the passengers were mostly Vietnamese families and we couldn’t spot any foreigners on the train. When we felt hungry we went to the restaurant car which was almost empty. Perhaps for this reason we got special attention by the waitress who served us noodle soups with a large portion of beef which was very tender and an extra large portion of vegetables. The serving was as generous as it was delicious. Our holiday started off with a very pleasant surprise.
• Once in Qui Nhơn we realized it’s the perfect getaway for anyone who loves nature, clean beaches, quaint fishing villages, emerald green paddy fields and mountains. Beaches and wide streets (with rather little traffic: we saw less than a handful buses in 3 days) are tidy and litter-free. This part of Central Vietnam also boasts historic sites, amazing seafood, and views of distant mountains.
• It is a quiet respite for travelers but you may have to go there soon as this may change fast, in particular when large tour operators decide to make it the next tourism hot spot. And the noodle soup on the train would then most likely become just another fast food. ;-)
