Moonlight express

we have landed at Da Nang International Airport. The temperature outside is 32 degrees Celsius, the local time is 8.55am, and tonight the moon is full. If you have no plans tonight, I suggest you check out the full moon celebration in Hoi An."

I have never heard a pilot recommend anything in his landing address before, so I decide to heed his advice.

But not before I've had a swim. Da Nang airport is less than 12 minutes from the beach at My Khe. Most of the beachfront restaurants conveniently have a swimming pool and changing rooms, so I go straight from the plane into the surf.

Formerly known as "China Beach", an R&R base for American soldiers during the Vietnam war, My Khe is a spectacular 30-kilometre stretch of white sand. It's too big to be crowded.

Hoi An is an old town a half-hour from Da Nang. At sunset it is a scenic ride along the beachfront for 25 kilometres and then inland through villages and markets and across green rice paddies. In the 16th century, Hoi An was already ancient and the largest port in Asia. Now it's a Unesco World Heritage site and one of Vietnam's most beautiful towns.

Last year 2.7 million tourists visited Vietnam's central coast - an increase of 130 per cent from 2007. And this was achieved with minimal marketing. "The Vietnam Tourism board's yearly budget is only about US$3 million, compared with Bali's US$229 million or Thailand's US$933 million for 2011," says John Blanco, chairman of promotional group Central Coast Vietnam. "Yet the region is perfect for tourism, and there is more to it than Hoi An: the beach, two more Unesco World Heritage sites, golf courses and some stunning resorts."

The coast is certainly more accessible since the new airport opened in December and direct flights from around the region - including Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Siem Reap and, most recently, Hong Kong - now go there.