To welcome the 12 months of The Dragon and have a good time Artwork’s birthday this 12 months, we took a week-long journey to Vietnam, touring from Manila to Hanoi and departing from Da Nang again to Manila. In case you didn’t know, Cebu Pacific flies nonstop to Da Nang from Manila, making this vacation spot extra accessible for Filipino vacationers. The airline launched direct flights right here beginning December 2023.
The biggest metropolis in Central Vietnam lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam on the mouth of the Han River. With its vast seaside proper within the metropolis, scenic river, wonderful café tradition, and handy location close to vacationer hubs, Da Nang affords an ideal all-year journey vacation spot in Vietnam.
Whereas we’ve beforehand been to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and thought we knew what to anticipate, we have been pleasantly stunned by Da Nang’s mixture of historic and fashionable points of interest. Our go to was proper earlier than Lunar New 12 months, so preparations have been in full swing, with a lot of flowers and ornamental lanterns put up in websites we visited.
In comparison with Hanoi and Saigon, it was much less crowded in Da Nang and town felt extra laidback, compact, and straightforward to navigate with its vast streets and pedestrian-friendly riverside areas. It was a handy and inexpensive place to base for day journeys to different prime points of interest like Bana Hills, Hue and Hoi An.
In case you’re interested by visiting Da Nang quickly, listed here are some journey ideas I can share together with issues to do, the place to remain, the place to eat, and doable itineraries in Da Nang based mostly on our journey final February 2024.
Dragon Bridge
One among Danang’s most iconic landmarks within the metropolis is the Dragon Bridge, a contemporary bridge designed and constructed within the form of a dragon rising from the ocean.
This bridge spanning the Han River is claimed to be the longest one on Vietnam. Apart for offering a handy hyperlink for automobiles to the seaside space and japanese a part of town, pedestrians and cyclists may also cross this bridge by bike and by foot.
This Dragon Bridge truly breathes fireplace and water each Friday, Saturday and Sunday night time at 9 pm, which you’ll be able to look ahead to FREE. In the event you occur to go to on a weekend, you may catch the show from the riverbanks close to the dragon’s head. One of the best locations to benefit from the fireplace and water present are proper alongside the Dragon Bridge itself, on Bach Dang Road, and on Tran Hung Dao Road.
There’s a vibrant night time market with al fresco eating, riverfront pubs, cafes, and eating places close to the bridge on the Dragon’s head aspect.
Han River
Take a leisurely cruise alongside the Han River passing 4 totally different bridges: the Han River Bridge, the Tran Thi Ly Bridge, the Dragon Bridge, and the quiet Thuan Phuoc Bridge, which opens to the ocean.
The 45-minute to 1-hour lengthy cruise features a brief efficiency by a Champa dancer and complimentary fruits and water on board. Some boats additionally provide dinner buffets for a further price. One of the best time to e book that is at 8:00 pm on Saturday or Sunday night time, because the boats will cease for the dragon fireplace and water spitting present.
COST: 150,000 VND per ticket or 6 USD per grownup
My Khe Seashore
My Khe Seashore is a scenic white sand public seaside with a 10-kilometer stretch of shoreline, the place you may take pleasure in sightseeing, sunbathing, swimming, and parasailing. This seaside, only a 10 minute drive from town heart, is a superb place to bike, jog, or dine alongside the beachfront eating places. From the seaside, you will get a view of the Marble Mountains and Buddha statue, which you’ll be able to rise up near on day excursions.
Since our lodge provided free bikes for friends, we determined to experience across the riverside areas, try part of the seaside, crossing the Dragon Bridge on the best way again. Not like Hanoi, which appeared a bit scary to bike round due to the amount of motorbikes, it felt safer to bike right here due to the vast streets and designated bike lanes. You may truly bike all the best way to Hoi An from town heart (in case your bikes are in good situation).
From the seaside, we acquired a view of Linh Ung Pagoda, the tallest statue of Buddha in Vietnam standing on a hill. Da Nang day excursions often embrace visits right here, together with the Marble Mountains and stops at outlets promoting stone sculptures.
Hue
From Da Nang, you may go on a day journey to go to the former capital metropolis of Hue and go to a number of necessary historic websites.
The town excursions often cowl three most important stops: Khai Dinh Tomb, Pagoda and the Hue Citadel, acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Web site in 1993 as a part of the Advanced of Hue Monuments.
COST: 1,000,000 VND or 45 USD per grownup for small group excursions (inclusive of switch by good-conditioned coach, good english talking information, lunch, entrance charges for sightseeing , mineral water). Youngsters beneath 1m are freed from cost (shared lunch).
Hoi An
If there’s one place you must go to from Da Nang, it’s Hoi An. This metropolis on Vietnam’s central coast is understood for its well-preserved Historic City, minimize by way of with canals.
This wonderful strolling city displays the previous port metropolis’s melting-pot historical past by way of its structure, a mixture of eras and types from wood Chinese language shophouses and temples together with pleasant French colonial buildings and cafes.
Whereas Hoi An is fairly through the day, it comes alive at night time with all of the lanterns totally on lit up alongside the streams. Discover a cafe the place you may sit down with a glass of iced espresso or cozy craft beer bar hidden within the alleyways, and store for memento lanterns and low as you stroll round this magical-looking historic city.
COST: Guided excursions are provided from Da Nang, however since Hoi An could be very walkable, it’s higher to only e book transport to and from there and go round by yourself. One of the best time to go is round 2:00 pm to three:00 pm and you may keep till round 9:00 or 10:00 pm. Tickets to enter value 120,000 VND, inclusive of entrance ot 5 sightseeing locations (museums, folks artwork efficiency, and so on.).
Golden Bridge
Danang’s poster picture typically exhibits a Golden Bridge being held up by the “Arms of God.” This 150-meter lengthy pedestrian bridge, which opened in June 2018, has change into one of many city’s prime vacationer points of interest. The bridge offers a scenic overlooking spot above the clouds.
The Golden Bridge is situated in situated inside Ba Na Hills Resort or Solar World Ba Na Hills, a hill station and resort situated within the mountains close to Da Nang. The hill station was initially based in 1919 by French colonists as a leisure vacation spot for French vacationers. For the reason that website is situated 1,500 meters above sea degree, the world offers a view of the East Sea and surrounding mountains. Because of the larger elevation, the temperature right here is mostly cooler than the world close to the coast.
Ba Na Hills cable automobile
Attending to the Golden Bridge entails driving one of many world’s most excessive cable automobile programs, which is a worthy expertise in itself. The Ba Na Hills Cable automobile is 5.8 kilometer lengthy cable automobile system which affords wonderful views over the Ba Na Hills.
This cable automobile system holds 4 Guinness information, together with being the longest one-wire cable automobile on the planet and having the very best distinction between the arrival and departure stations (reaching 1,368.93m). Using will take about quarter-hour at a velocity of 6 m/s. You actually float by way of the clouds whereas going up by cable automobile.
Solar World Ba Na Hills
The Golden Bridge is only a small half of a bigger Ba Na Hills resort advanced up within the mountains, which additionally incorporates a Fairy Story-styled French village, Le sprawling gardens, and historic monuments.
Factors of curiosity embrace the Linh Ung Pagoda, a 27 meter excessive Buddha statue, the L’Jardin Zone with its French structure, gardens, french steady, a wine cellar the place you may go wine tasting, 100 12 months previous pomelo timber, and previous villas.
From the Golden Bridge, you may take a second cable automobile system as much as Nui Cha Peak, the rooftop of Da Nang Metropolis, the place you will discover a large amusement park advanced, together with a big buffet restaurant the place you may take pleasure in a filling meal.
Solar World, with its castle-like buildings, funicular experience, and single curler coaster, is without doubt one of the most fashionable indoor recreation facilities in Asia. Although some areas nonetheless gave the impression to be nonetheless beneath building throughout our go to, there’s quite a bit to soak up right here. To be sincere, I wasn’t anticipating a theme park of this huge scale in Vietnam replicating Notre Dame Church, and different buildings.
In the event you’re touring with children, you’ll wish to embrace this in your itinerary.
COST: Journey companies provide day excursions that embrace transport to and from Ba Na Hills by chartered coach, the cable automobile experience, entrance charges to most important points of interest, and buffet lunch for 1,530,000 VND or 60 USD per pax. The value for the cable automobile experience for adults is 900,000 VND or 36 USD. There are different non-buffet eating choices accessible within the theme park.
Museums and different landmarks
In the event you’re into historical past and nonetheless have time to spare, there are a variety of museums and different landmarks/spots you may go to round Danang together with the Pink Cathedral, the Cham Museum of Sculpture, the Da Nang Museum of Nice Artwork, and the Han Market within the metropolis heart for memento procuring.
Meals-tripping is without doubt one of the greatest issues to do anyplace in Vietnam, and Da Nang has a lot of nice cafes the place you may pattern conventional and fashionable Vietnamese delicacies. Pattern road eats, benefit from the espresso tradition, or take your decide from the numerous roadside cafes and bars. Apart from the breakfast buffet at our lodge, and meals in different areas throughout excursions, listed here are just some eating places and and standout dishes we acquired to attempt.
Thien Kim: A family-style restaurant alongside the primary street dealing with the Danang River. I cherished their Com Ga Hoi An (Vietnamese Hen Rice), a flavorful rice dish topped with Vietnamese coriander and mint.
We additionally acquired to attempt Mi Quang, a dish that consists of flat rice noodles to be combined with broth with a alternative of protein. Every part is tossed along with Vietnamese herb and topped with roasted peanuts, rice crackers and chili..
In Nha Bep Cho Han, I attempted the Bánh xèo (Vietnamese Pancakes), a savory Vietnamese crepe full of both pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, spring onions and mung beans. This was served with Nem lui or pork skewers, produced from minced pork, salt, pepper, pork pores and skin, wrapped round a stick of lemongrass. We additionally tried Larue Beer, a localized model of Tiger Beer.
An Thoi was a homey restaurant that served good seafood dishes together with conventional Vietnamese aptitude. Da Nang is understood for its seafood, and we enhjoyed crispy shrimp, grilled scallops, and baked oysters right here. The oysters and scallops are usually grilled with scallions, crispy fried shallots and topped with crushed roasted peanuts.
We additionally had espresso at Pleasure Cafe, a contemporary cafe close to the Ho Chan market that serves coconut espresso, salt espresso and pastries.
Beer for P’s is a craft beer bar overlooking the Han River that focuses on pizza, cheese, and sustainably produced beer, with attention-grabbing brews reminiscent of a Dalat Whey Stout and Burrata Wheat Bitter Ale Bitter.
Solar River Lodge
For this journey, we stayed in Solar River Lodge, a lodge overlooking the scenic Han River and the Dragon Bridge. Situated in central Da Nang, the lodge is a couple of 10 minute taxi experience from the Da Nang Worldwide Airport and one other 10-minute drive from Danang Seashore.
24-hour room service and free Wi-Fi can be found. The snug rooms are adorned in a contemporary model and have nice views of the river, metropolis or mountains. The Deluxe Riverfront rooms are snug sufficient, however if you would like more room, go for their luxurious nook rooms for one of the best view.
The lodge affords early free examine in (so long as rooms can be found), a large buffet breakfast, and has a spa on the highest ground with an incredible view at night time. They provide bicycles freed from cost so friends can discover town at their leisure. The Lodge Solar River restaurant serves Asian and Western dishes with views of Da Nang and the Han River.
Cocktails and different refreshments will be loved at Bar and Espresso on the highest ground. There’s additionally a pleasant spa on the prime ground the place you will get a view of the river whereas getting foot massages.
Take a look at room charges and e book stays at Solar River Lodge in Da Nang right here.
In the event you solely have 3-4 days to spare, the brand new flights from Manila to Danang through Cebu Pacific make it a worthy vacation spot by itself. Direct flights from Manila to Danang depart 3 instances every week solely on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and take 3 hours (with a one hour time distinction). Flights depart from Manila at 7:30 pm and arrive at 9:30 pm, whereas return flights depart of 10:30 pm and arrive at 2:20 am the following day.
In case you have extra time, you can even mix journeys right here with different main hubs in Vietnam or different close by Asian international locations. Land and rail journey from Danang to different main hubs is feasible. For this journey, we flew first to Hanoi, then took a VietJet flight from Hanoi to Danang, then flew out of Danang. For the reason that return flight departs late, you truly nonetheless have a full day to go round. We opted for late try on the lodge, or stash baggage first whereas maximizing the day.
As soon as we have been in Da Nang, we largely simply walked to get round. It’s straightforward sufficient to hail taxis and even rickshaws to go to most important hubs. You may also make use of the app-based bikes alongside the riverside. For day journeys to Hue and Ba Na Hills, we booked excursions that embrace chartered vans or buses. For Hoi An, we employed a non-public van to drop us off and decide us up at designated instances. We requested assist from the lodge for a lot of the transport preparations together with arranging a taxi to the airport for return flight.
I’ll attempt to write extra in-depth guides concerning the particular locations like Hue, Hoi An, and Ba Na Hills in future articles, however hopefully these basic journey ideas will give readers an concept of what to anticipate.
