Vietnam in Brief – A Quick Guide to Danang
A Quick Guide to Da Nang
Flanked by mountains, rivers and beaches, Da Nang is a modern city with a lot of soul. The main town is nestled next to the river, where neat and clean landscaping give it a ‘small town’ feel. It has the fastest growing economy of any city in Vietnam and its expanding skyline is sleek and modern. The city loves a bridge and boasts some of the most well constructed and artistic bridges in Vietnam. Life is great for the locals in Da Nang, with some outstanding sporting arenas and playing grounds.
What to do and see in Da Nang
Check out Life in the City
Da Nang’s city centre is small but full of character. Bach Dang street, spanning the riverfront, is home to expat bars, cafes serving fresh coconuts and some incredibly new high rise buildings. Take a step back on Tran Phu and you can explore the central markets, delicious street food stalls, local cafes and gold shops. Wander around the back streets for clothes stalls and the best people watching spots in town.
Explore the mountains
To the south of Da Nang you’ll find Son Tran, AKA Monkey Mountain. It’s a huge forest clad mountain rich in wildlife (including, you guessed it, monkeys) and home to a few army bases, one of the world’s best resorts and a huge Buddhist temple. The adventurous can explore on motorbike, or we can organise a sidecar tour to the top. Keep an eye out for the monkeys.
Indulge in a World Class Beach Resort
Da Nang is home to several world class beach resorts. Indulge yourself by spending a night or two in luxury surroundings, dining on world class cuisine and being pampered with massages. We recommend the Intercontinental, Fusion Maia and the Pullman.
Find hidden beaches
Da Nang’s infamous beaches stretch all the way from Hoi An in the South to Monkey Mountain in the North. What most people don’t know is it’s also home to several hidden beaches. All around Monkey Mountain are tiny little beach hideaways, some only 10metres long. If you want to get away from the crowds, jump on a bike and try and find one yourself.
Go see lantern lit Hoi An
World Heritage Town Hoi An is just a 30-45 minute drive from downtown Da Nang. It’s well worth a visit if you are staying for a few days. Check out our Hoi An in Brief for more info.
How’s the food?
Diverse and out of this world. You can feast on freshly caught seafood by the beach, enjoy the rich flavours of Banh Canh, Banh Beo and Banh Xeo in the city, relax with a pizza and pint of IPA at one of the many expat hangouts or indulge in some fine dining at one of the dozens of 5 star beach resorts.
Quick Tips
Get away from the beach if you can. Da Nang’s beach resorts are stunning but you’ll miss the charm of the city if you stay there all day. Go take a wander down Bach Dang Street, eat some Banh Xeo or Octopus Teeth (yes they are a real thing) and have a coffee with the locals at Long Café.
The best time to go to Da Nang
Da Nang is a year round destination but you may want to give it a miss during rainy season when there is a chance of incredibly heavy rainfall and tropical storms. Rainy season runs from October-November. January-February can be a cool 18-25c, the rest of the year varies between 28-40c.
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