Train from Quy Nhon to Da Nang costs 8 million VND, how luxurious is the service?

At the end of March, Qin Xie, a travel writer for the Telegraph (UK), shared his experience traveling by train from Quy Nhon to Da Nang .

It was a luxury train with a specially designed carriage, picking up passengers on the Thong Nhat train. With a ticket price of up to 250 pounds (nearly 8 million VND) one way for a journey of about 6.5 hours, the Chinese tourist was very excited for this experience.

This is a carriage on the Thong Nhat train, which looks no different from the rest from the outside (Photo: Qin Xie).

The train picks up passengers at Da Nang station at 8:15, while the northbound trip from Quy Nhon starts at 12:53. The train has only 12 seats and is designed to provide privacy and comfort for each passenger. Throughout the journey, visitors can enjoy the beautiful natural scenery along the south central coastal route.

Qin Xie learned that this luxury train was designed to take guests to resorts in Hoi An, a city rich in history and culture, about 30km south of Da Nang, and to the coastal city of Quy Nhon.

During the 6.5-hour journey, the Chinese passenger was served a three-course meal, enjoyed a massage and free drinks. All of these services were included in the ticket price.

Passenger seats on the train (Photo: Qin Xie).

Minutes before the train departed, the Chinese girl was escorted to her seat by a conductor. From the outside, the carriage looked identical to the rest of the train, a pale concrete gray with streaks of blue, red, and white. But once inside, the luxurious interior was like another world .

It is a modern take on Indochinese aesthetics, with warm wood and rattan materials. At the end of the carriage is a semicircular bar, serving cocktails on request. There is also a treatment room for complimentary massages and a bathroom like in a 5-star hotel.

As the train started to move, the carriage began to sway rhythmically, winding around Da Nang city. The Chinese passenger looked out the window to see the scenery on both sides of the road. At this time, the waiter began to bring cakes and a drink list. Another person appeared with a bottle of sparkling wine, imported from Australia.

Qin Xie leisurely sipped some wine as the cityscape slowly disappeared. Instead, there were rows of green banana trees, white storks perched on rice fields, and farmers wearing conical hats working diligently.

The meal is beautifully designed like a restaurant (Photo: Qin Xie).

Sometimes the scenery changes to lotus ponds, lonely water buffalo grazing. In the distance are mountains covered in mist.

After breakfast, a waiter came to pick Qin Xie up for a 15-minute massage. She was relaxed by the soothing sound of music, which drowned out the rattling of the train tracks.

After the massage, the guest returned to her seat to enjoy lunch. She chose a menu of both European and Vietnamese dishes. The dishes were prepared by the resort chef in Hoi An and served on the boat. The main dish was roast duck with some local ingredients such as green tea and Dalat strawberries. The way the dishes were presented delighted Qin Xie. She thought of the taste of a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Bar on board (Photo: Qin Xie).

As the train neared the Quy Nhon station, the Chinese tourist moved up to the bar, where the cocktail bartender was chatting with the group about their next plans for the coastal city. She also ordered a drink with a bittersweet taste mixed with the smoky scent of cinnamon.

Before the train enters the station, each guest will write in a guestbook, recording their feelings and experiences about their recent journey.

"I wish this journey could last longer," Qin Xie said.

The Chinese tourist revealed that he booked a custom-designed tour package from a travel company for £3,995 per person (VND125 million) for a 10-day trip in Vietnam.

With this tour package, guests will experience the luxury train mentioned above, plane travel to destinations, 2 nights in Hanoi, 1 night in Hue, 2 nights in Hoi An, 2 nights in Quy Nhon and 2 nights in Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/di-tau-hoa-quy-nhon-den-da-nang-het-8-trieu-dong-dich-vu-xa-hoa-toi-dau-20240412102721160.htm