Da Nang | June 2015

At the beginning of June, I arrived in Da Nang on a two hour flight from Hanoi. I was in Da Nang once before in 2012, but did not have the opportunity then to stay more than two days. From what I saw of the city then, I knew I would have to return again soon!

Da Nang has a population of a little over one million, and is the third largest city in Vietnam, after Hanoi and Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)). Da Nang is located in central Vietnam, between the ancient cities of Hue and Hoi An.

Despite its size of over one million population, Da Nang still has a small town, easing going feel compared to hectic paces of Hanoi and Saigon. Occasionally, cattle even roam the downtown streets. But, make no mistakes, a city it is, a beautiful and friendly city. For Vietnam, Da Nang is a relatively new city, dating back about 300 years, compared to many Vietnamese towns that date back 4,000 years.

And Da Nang is located in very beautiful surroundings. Take a mental picture of this! Da Nang has three waterfronts, that is, two riverfronts and an ocean front. The beautiful Han River extends through the center of the city providing two riverfronts (with beautiful bridges) all along the length of the city. Da Nang is also a coastal city, and has among the most beautiful ocean beaches in Vietnam, or anywhere for that matter, and the beaches are located right next to downtown. The Da Nang seacoast and beaches are located along the sheltered and C-shaped Da Nang Bay in the South China Sea, providing for mostly calm and tranquil beaches. Not far to the west of Da Nang, and fully visible from the city, are the Ba Na Hills (hills is a misnomer as the Ba Na Hills are part of a steep and mostly impassable mountain range). To the south of Da Nang, and also fully visible from the city, are the beautiful Marble Mountains. The north side of Da Nang Bay is formed by the Son Tra Penninsula, where the 60 meter tall Lady Buddha is located and fully visible from many locations in the city. Simply put, Da Nang is a highly scenic city located in incredibly scenic surroundings with complex topography.

There is a resort located at the top of Ba Na Hills, accessible only by two cable car systems – the longest cable car system in the world! The mountain terrain is too extreme for road construction. The cable car ride is a bit unnerving because it is extremely steep in sections. In various sections, you get the sensation of going almost vertical.

I stayed in the Da Nang area for seven days. My longtime Facebook friend, Thanh (whom I had never met before in-person) is a native of Da Nang, and she was kind enough to take me around Da Nang sightseeing for several days. Her knowledge of Da Nang seemed limitless! We made the following rounds in the Da Nang area.

• Walking along the Han River promenade to view many different aspects of Da Nang. There is a wide and long promenade along the Han River within Da Nang. The promenade is a busy place for socializing and exercise in the mornings and evenings, with a variety of street food vendors that set up in the evening. Strolling along the promenade provides great views of downtown and the four, huge beautiful bridges connecting downtown Da Nang to the ocean side area of Da Nang. Across the riverside street from the promenade are a wonderful array of hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops that extend for several kilometers.

• Visiting Han Market. Han Market is Da Nang’s central market. It is the go-to market for fresh meat, seafood, live poultry, vegetables, and fruits. There are many street food stalls in the market also. The place is busy all day long. Seeing the entire market requires a couple of hours.

• Attending the Dragon Bridge fire and water show. This was an incredible experience – only possible in Da Nang! Every Friday and Saturday night at 9pm, traffic on beautiful Dragon Bridge is halted while the bridge breathes fire and spouts water! Thousands of people turn out for this every weekend. Construction of Dragon Bridge was completed three years ago. The bridge is 900 meters long (about a half mile), and a dragon serpent, from head to tail, extends along its entire length. At night, the dragon changes colors every few minutes.

• Visiting the Museum of Vietnamese Ethnic Minorities, featuring the history, culture, and artifacts of various ethnic groups throughout Vietnam. The country has over 40 separate ethnic groups. The museum is located on a hillside along Da Nang Bay on the Son Tra Peninsula near the location of the Lady Buddha statue.

• Visiting the 63 meter tall Lady Buddha statue. Lady Buddha may not be so impressive in photos, but when you walk up to her, you will be amazed. She is constructed of a single slab of lily white marble!! And there is a stairway inside allowing you to climb to the top, that is, about 17 floors equivalent. Each floor celebrates a different aspect of the life of Buddha.

• Visiting the main downtown beaches. In Da Nang (as in most of southeast asia), the beaches are most crowded in the evenings. During the daytime, the weather is simply too hot and the sun too intense for most people to want to be on the beach. Evening brings out hoards of beachgoers and vendors (mostly 5pm to 10pm).

• Taking the cable car to the summit of the Ba Na Hills. This is the steepest and longest cable car system in the world, and affords stunning views of Da Nang Bay, the city of Da Nang, and the surrounding mountains and seacoast. I can tell you for certain that you haven’t ridden in a cable car until you’ve ridden in this cable car, and I have ridden in many cable cars!

• Lounging during sunset at the rooftop, open air Sky Bar for stunning views of Da Nang before and after dark. Sky Bar is located on the roof of the Novotel Hotel (36 floors high) and is the highest sky bar in Vietnam. Sky bars are very popular in cities throughout Asia.

• Lounging at the pool and bar on the roof of the beachfront A La Carte Hotel. From the rooftop, there are stunning views of the beaches, Da Nang Bay, the coastline, Son Tra Peninsula, and the Ba Na Hills in the distance.

• Taking a daylong trip from Da Nang to the town of Hoi An. Hoi An is a UNESCO Heritage Site located about 40 kilometers from Danang (coming soon is my separate post for Hoi An).

I hope you enjoyed this post! And, remember, clicking on any of the photos in my posts brings about a more enhanced lightbox image of the photo.

Finally, as a reminder, if you scroll to the very end of this post, there is (as in all my posts) an area to leave comments or ask me any questions that you may have. As always, I would love to hear from you.

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