Da Nang

Da Nang: Central Vietnam’s Most Practical Base

Da Nang sits at the midpoint of Vietnam’s coast, 800km south of Hanoi and 960km north of Ho Chi Minh City. It has an international airport with direct connections to Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, and several Chinese cities, plus domestic flights to most Vietnamese airports. The beaches are 5km from the centre. Hoi An is 30km south by road. The Marble Mountains are 8km south. It is, by a reasonable margin, the most logistically convenient base in central Vietnam.

My Khe Beach and the beach strip

The 30km of beach north of the Marble Mountains - My Khe, Non Nuoc, My An - is where most hotels are concentrated. My Khe is the closest to the city centre. The beach is wide and largely uncluttered compared to Nha Trang or Mui Ne. Waves are rideable for beginner surfing in October and November; calmer in the dry season (February-August). Jellyfish can be abundant in March and April.

The five-star resort stretch runs south from My An into the Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains) area. The InterContinental Sun Peninsula Resort, built into the Son Tra Peninsula hillside north of the city, is the most architecturally interesting luxury property in Da Nang - the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte designed it to follow the cliff contour. Peak season rates run USD 400-600 per night. Mid-range beachfront hotels on My Khe beach cost USD 60-120.

The Marble Mountains

Five marble and limestone outcrops rising from the coastal plain, 8km south of the city. The Thuy Son mountain (accessible by stairway or elevator, entry VND 40,000) has interconnected cave pagodas inside the rock, some used as field hospitals by North Vietnamese forces during the war. The cave interiors vary from cavernous to intimate. A hole in the ceiling of Huyen Khong cave lets in a shaft of light that illuminates the altar below at certain times of day. Market stalls at the base sell marble carvings made in the workshops behind them.

Hoi An

Hoi An’s Ancient Town is UNESCO-listed and consists of preserved 15th-19th century trading port buildings along the Thu Bon river. The combination ticket (VND 120,000) covers entry to a set of heritage houses, assembly halls, and museums. The town centre is pedestrianised in the evenings and very crowded in the July-August peak. Come in the morning for the market and the streets before tour groups arrive.

The Da Nang to Hoi An route by taxi costs around VND 250,000-350,000 (USD 10-14). Grab motorcycle is available for approximately half that.

Eating in Da Nang

Mi Quang - yellow turmeric noodles with pork or shrimp, a small amount of broth, fresh herbs, and crushed peanuts and sesame rice crackers on top - is the regional speciality that you won’t find this well made anywhere else in Vietnam. Quan Mi Quang Ba Mua on Truong Thi Street costs VND 30,000-50,000 per bowl.

Banh xeo (sizzling rice pancake with shrimp and pork, wrapped in mustard leaf and dipped in fish sauce) is made to order at small restaurants in the Le Duan street area. A full serve for two costs around VND 80,000.

The Ba Na Hills resort complex, 30km west of the city, has a Golden Bridge (a pedestrian walkway held by giant sculpted stone hands) that has been widely photographed since 2018. The cable car and entrance are expensive (VND 750,000+ for adults) and the resort itself is a French-themed amusement park. It is worth knowing about and skipping unless the photograph is specifically what you came to see.