Da Nang, Hoi An or Hue: which one to choose if you only have three days (and who will be angry at you)

These three places lie along a 100 km stretch of road. Everyone will tell you that you should visit all three. Everyone is wrong — unless you actually enjoy sitting in a car.

If you love the BEACH and FOOD → Da Nang.

The beach is right in the city — you can walk there. Food is the cheapest and most varied of the three places. There's an international airport, so you save one leg of travel. Drawback: it's a new city, few historic sites, and things to do run out fairly early at night.

If you love WALKING, TAKING PHOTOS, and ANCIENT SPACES → Hoi An.

The old town is compact — you can walk through the whole thing in one outing, and the lanterns at night are truly beautiful, not just pretty in photos. Getting clothes tailored is quick to pick up. Downsides: it's very crowded, prices are higher than in Da Nang, and after two days you'll have already seen everything.

If you like HISTORY and don't mind going slow → Huế.

Citadel, royal tombs, pagodas, and royal court cuisine. Drawbacks: it's the farthest away, the weather is the most unpleasant (lots of rain, hot and humid), and the pace of life is so slow that people used to big cities will find it dull.

The most practical three-day plan:

• Day 1: Da Nang — morning at the beach, Son Tra, evening at Dragon Bridge • Day 2: Hoi An — go in the afternoon and stay until evening to see the lanterns, either stay overnight or come back • Day 3: Choose one: Ba Na (if you like scenery) OR My Son (if you like historical ruins) OR Hue (if you're okay spending the whole day on the road)

Who else will be upset with you? People from Hue, if you skip Hue. People from Quang Nam, if you go to Hoi An but skip My Son. People from Da Nang won't mind — they're pretty easygoing, and besides, you'll be flying home from their airport anyway.