By Kathleen Peddicord, Yahoo! Finance
Danang, Vietnam, is emerging as an excellent place to retire comfortably on a small budget. Clean and modern, Danang is both cosmopolitan and seaside. This city of nearly a million people manages to retain a small town feel. New skyscrapers give the downtown a decidedly developed look, but you won’t find the hustle and bustle here that you find in other Vietnamese cities.
Danang, Vietnam. Photo from Vietnam Travel Blog.
Danag is quite different from many other parts of Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Danang has an active recycling program, and the city is virtually litter free. Few cities in the developing world are as clean as this one.
Danang is also home to a visible and upwardly mobile middle class. This is partially due to a relative lack of corruption. Unlike many cities in Vietnam, good jobs in Danang are filled by qualified applicants, rather than being sold to those who can afford to buy them.
Wide roads make driving safe, and wide sidewalks make the city pedestrian friendly. The Han River runs through downtown, and the heart of the riverfront is flanked by two new bridges so stunning they have won architectural awards. Other than along this riverfront, you’ll encounter few vendors or beggars. The city as a whole has the look and feel of a comfortable, safe and economically viable place to live.
Then there’s the beach, one of the cleanest, safest and most attractive in all Southeast Asia. The beachside promenade spans the length of the city along the coast of the South China Sea, with parks and playgrounds along its wide, well-maintained walkway. The popular stretches of soft sand are supported by lifeguards and litter barrels. Yet, Danang is not a “beach town.” The beaches receive surprisingly little use, and no matter the time of year, it’s generally easy to find a deserted stretch of sand.
Read the full article by Kathleen Peddicord from Yahoo! Finance.