Visa Runs By Bus: Da Nang to Lao Bao Border Checkpoint

A sign of the times update:

The main visa agency in the greater Đà Nẵng region has reduced their schedule to only two limousine busses per week, plus providing private individual transportation 7 days a week. 

There are probably a number of valid ways to read these tea leaves, realizing that most people only need to do a border run every 90 days now.

But if you talk with restaurant owners, entertainment venues and lodging landlords, they will reluctantly confirm that they haven't seen the increase in tourist traffic hoped for following the recent change in visa laws.

In addition, September has been quickly transitioning into rainy season here, so it's no surprise that demand for all things is down.

The agency has also adjusted morning departure time from Đà Nẵng back to 6:30 AM, since the major construction project on the AH16 Highway has been completed to the point that traffic doesn't usually get halted there anymore (I think the blasting phase has been completed).

There are still a few places where traffic is often slow, but those don't cause the headaches that people were experiencing at the major expansion site.

Based on online chatter, many people have been considering Đà Nẵng for Autumn & Winter vacations, but are instead choosing places further south; Nha Trang, Phan Thiết & Vũng Tàu among their alternate choices.

As for me and my wife, our new home is far from the foreigner-friendly areas of Đà Nẵng, so I doubt any of this will impact us much.

Growing up in 92107, I always enjoyed getting up very early and heading to the beach while the shore and the pier were socked in with the "marine layer" that local newscasters avoid calling "fog".

Turns out there are many long-term expats who actually enjoy life in Đà Nẵng when skies turn gloomy and temps drop...