Mixing old with new in central Vietnam

A view from the pool of beach of the InterContinental's signature kids' club, Planet Trekkers. [Photo by Donna Mah/For China Daily]

One of the first things you will notice on the drive into Danang from the airport is the number of scooters on the road. The second thing you may notice is that the lines drawn on the road are more an indication of where your vehicle should be on the road rather than a rule.

Still, with what seems like organized chaos to a visitor, drivers here seemed unfazed a

Danang is located in south-central Vietnam at the mouth of the Han River along the coast of the South China Sea. Easy to get to by air from Hong Kong, the international airport is the third largest in Vietnam.

It is not necessarily a great destination on its own, but with three UNESCO heritage sites located nearby - the Hue Imperial City, the old town of Hoi An and the Hindu temple ruins of My Son - it is perfectly located for tourists to the area. Visitors can choose to take day trips to the historical sites and stay in Danang city as their main base.

Our destination after arriving at the airport was the InterContinental Sun Peninsula Danang located on a gorgeous stretch of sand about 30 minutes from the airport.

As we got closer to the resort, we noticed fewer and fewer vehicles as we drove along the coast past the Goddess of Mercy statue located near the foot of Monkey Mountain along the Son Tra Peninsula. Greeted by friendly and helpful staff, we were soon relaxing in one of the stunning ocean-view rooms in the resort.

Traveling with two young children, both younger than 5, we were all a bit tired and looking forward to becoming familiar with the room and getting some rest.

The kids were excited to find a giant bathtub that served as their mini-pool during our stay. Large, comfy chairs on the outdoor terrace make it a great place to sit and read while enjoying a cup of java.

The high table and chairs overlooking the sea provide a gorgeous dining location for sampling the resort's in-room dining while taking in the stunning views from the terrace.