Golf Mecca in Vietnam

Q: We are planning to visit Hua Hin, Thailand in September and would like to visit Vietnam for a week as well. Can you suggest the best, least expensive and most pleasurable way to get there? As we are golfers, we would prefer a place with a golf course nearby. - Cathy Kamstra A: You can travel to Vietnam by plane or bus. The journey from Thailand to Vietnam by bus is long and tiring and you have to deal with the border crossings, so air travel is the only real option. There are no direct flights from Hua Hin to Vietnam, so you would have to travel by road to Bangkok (around 200kms) and then by air to Vietnam. Transport from your hotel in Hua Hin to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok is not a problem. You can either go by bus, shuttle van, taxi or limousine. You can book that when you are in Hua Hin, where the prices are very competitive. There are a number of choices for a beach and golf holiday, but I recommend the Danang area. To get there, you would have to fly to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and then take a one-hour flight to Danang. The area is home to a number of coastal resorts including the famous China Beach, the picturesque old town of Hoi An, the historical city of Hue and two excellent golf courses. Montgomerie Links on My Khe beach was designed by Colin Montgomerie. It was voted the best course in Vietnam in 2010 and 2011. Another award-winning course is the Dunes Course at the Danang Golf Club. Designed by Greg Norman, it was voted one of the 15 best new golf courses in the world in 2010 by Golf Magazine USA. Affordable hotels in Danang include the two-star Mango Hotel (R166 for a double room with breakfast), the three-star Song Thu Hotel (R247) and the luxury four-star Mercure Danang (R726). All prices from www.booking.com.