Being able to get through the Class 95 hotline and be a qualifier was the best thing, and having been the lucky one to be picked for this trip was the most exciting experience in my life.

Excitement built up and I really couldn't help but share the good news around!

On day 1, I was like a kid going on a school excursion and was almost jumping with joy. When I was told that I have been upgraded to fly business class, the smile on my face couldn't be wiped off. Looked around for other travel companions, I couldn't believe it so much so that I actually hid myself while waiting to board the plane to Danang. Once onboard the plane however,  I  proudly went up to her and say “Yaz , I am the one!”  When we reached Danang, what first greeted me was really the heat of the place and the beautiful mountain range surrounding the airport!   I shared with Yaz excitedly about how beautiful it was to be the ONE on the way to the resort.  One excitement really leads to another because I was told I was upgraded to a Bungalow with a sea view!  Looking at it, I really can't help but sing “The sun, the sand and the sea plus the cute me in my red polka dot bikini!”

Our resort, Sandy Beach Resort, was huge. It had 2 pools, 1 of them being an infinity pool overlooking the beautiful sea!  I spent the afternoon with my auntie visiting the Hoi An Ancient Town, a historical UNESCO site with Chinese-inspired architecture.

On the second day of our trip, we visited more historical  places in Hue City.  I was really glad to have Tommy as our English speaking tour guide, giving us the introduction and sharing with us the cultures and many interesting sights in Danang. The view on Hai Van pass (which means ocean clouds) was stunning, with the beautiful sea and the mountains around, one will really understand how the name was derived. Our first stop was to the Thien Mu Pagoda - where it was said to have many beautiful legends. After touring the pagoda, the temple and the garden behind it, we moved on to Hue City, another UNESCO site.  The royal Citadel of Hue complex has the characteristics of many strongholds and fortresses.

Surrounded by a wide zigzag moat, the first layer of the royal Citadel is the defensive wall fort that is 10 kilometers long, 7 meters high and 21 meters thick! The fort itself has 10 gates for pedestrians and 2 gates for water routes. Within, it also encompasses two other monarchal areas. The Imperial Enclosure, or Dai Noi, is encircled within a wall that is 2.5 km long and 6 m wide. The Forbidden Purple City, within a perimeter of 1.3 km, was the reserved place for the private life of the kings and the royal members only.  I was sadden upon hearing that much of this historical site was very much destroyed during the Tet Offensive. However, restoration works are slowly trying to put the former glory back into the royal city.

Lunch was at a very nice restaurant where we savoured many local Vietnam delights. Our first shocked was “what there are almost 10 dishes on the menu!” and even told our guide to reduce the number of dishes. We were then told that in Vietnam the serving portions are small, now that explains why Vietnamese ladies are so slim.

Our last stop for the day tour was to another UNESCO site, Tu Duc Tomb. Born in 1829, Emperor Tu Duc had the longest reign of all in the Nguyen Dynasty. The King died in 1883 after 35 years on the throne. Built between 1864-1867, his tomb includes 50 monuments surrounded by a 1500m wall.

Emperor Tu Duc was an expert in eastern philosophy, history, and literature. He left 4,000 verses and 600 proses, yet during his reign as the king, he failed to gain the respect of the citizens. It was during the construction of his tomb that the soldiers and artisans rebeled and joined Ung Dao (a distant cousin of the king) in the attempt to overthrow the king. Architectural features of Tu Duc Tomb include poetry elements in free form and we were surprised to see some written in Chinese.  It was designed to blend in with the natural setting of the landscape. Man-made elements were built and placed in strategic areas to achieve perfect harmony.

Yaz and I  decided that we wanted to see more of the culture in Danang and thus, booked a personal trip to visit another UNESCO site, My Son (pronounced as me sen) , on the 3^rd day of our trip. My Son is the major site in Vietnam from the ancient Champa Kingdom which flourished between the 2nd and 15th centuries. Descendants of the Champa civilisation still live along the coast of Vietnam though they are now fully integrated in Vietnamese society. The Kingdom at My Son dates back to the 4th century and remained fully occupied through until the 13th century which makes it the longest occupied of all the major monuments of SE Asia. It served as a religious and intellectual centre where Champa kings were crowned and buried. In 1999 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site is often compared with some of the other great Indian influenced archaeological sites of SE Asia including Borobodur in Indonesia, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Ayuthaya in Thailand and Pagan in Burma. Unfortunately, events during the American War destroyed many of the site's temples. It was also a pity that we couldn’t get any guides to explain the vast history of the place, as they were all fully booked when we reached.

My 4 Days trip to Danang was really an experience. The many visits to UNESCO sites, immersing in the culture, dancing to the simple way of life in Danang, coming to know that motor bikes in Danang is like bicycles to China and many many more. I brought back lots of memories and made two new friends in Vietnam.

Thank you Class 95 and SilkAir for the trip and the beautiful memories. Here a short prose to all of you.

S o tell me again and again
I am the chosen one
L eaving for a holiday to the sun, sand and sea
K nowing for sure a wonderful trip it will be

A nd with my holidays taken
I am truly thankful for all
R emembering always, it was Class95 and SilkAir who made it true, made it real!