TRAVEL GUIDE TO DA NANG

 

              Over the last almost two decades Da Nang has spiralled upwards and outwards as Vietnam’s third city and a distinct feeling that much more is to come hangs in the air. If you love traveling, you want to travel somewhere in VN, i bet DA NANG city is the best choice for you. I going to show you how to get around Da Nang City, places to visit, to shop and enjoy good food.

INTRODUCTION

Da Nang was named as a municipal province in 1996 when it was spun off from Quang Nam, and today the city boasts an impressive skyline while resorts and hotels line up along the coast.

Danang’s neighbours, Hoi An, 30kms to the south and Hue, 80kms to the north, rightly claim the lion’s share of traveller time in central Vietnam.

For most of the past two decades, Danang’s airport and its neglected Cham Museum have been the two reasons most travellers have stopped in the city. And they’ve tended to be very brief stops.

Danang’s fighting back and playing to its strength – a vast swathe of picturesque coastline. During the past five years, the beach stretch between Danang and Hoi An has been the scene of a resort and tourism development binge unprecedented in Vietnam.

From My Khe beach where the first US ground forces landed in 1965 down to an area previously described as China Beach, Danang has thrown out the welcome mat to local and international tourism developers – the bigger the better.  Just don’t call it China Beach. Vietnam’s ongoing stoush with China over offshore islands means that China Beach and the South China Sea do not exist on any local maps and have been eradicated from the local lexicon. The South China Sea is known as the East Sea.

SOME PLACES TO VISIT

• CHAM MUSEUM
  
  

Built in 1915 with the help of the French School of the Far East, this museum houses themost complete collection of Cham sculptures in the world, with over 300 original works in sandstone and terracotta tracing the development of Champa art from the 7C-15C. Occupying a charming building inspired by the architecture of Cham temples and built by the architects Delaval and Auclair based on plans by Henri Parmentier, the museum opens into a courtyard and garden planted with frangipani trees.

• HUYEN KHONG CAVE

If you’ve only got time to visit one sanctuary among the many caves and pagodas scattered over the slopes of the Mountains of the Five Elements, your best bet is to head to the Huyen Khong Cave on Thuy Son mountain (Mountain of Water). With its mystical and uplifting atmosphere, this is the most impressive of the sanctuaries. A path leads to the different sanctuaries, before arriving at the summit from where there is a magnificent view of the whole complex.

• MARBLE MOUNTAIN

Five limestone hills shaped by erosion have each been given the name of one of the five elements – water, earth, fire, metal and wood. Together these are known as the Marble Mountains or Mountains of the Five Elements. According to popular legend, these were formed from fragments of egg shell from which a dragon emerged. Dotted with caves and pagodas, the site is popular with visitors who come here to worship the statues of Buddha or other gods from the Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist religions.

• BA NA HILL STATION

45 minutes drive from Danang or around 40 km (25 mi) west of Danang, Ba Na is located 1,487 meters above sea level in the Truong Son mountain range. Ba Na was formerly a 1920’s French resort and once boasted 200 villas, restaurants, and clubs. It is well known as the second Da Lat or Sa Pa in central Vietnam. Its temperate climate, unspoiled forest, and spectacular views over the South China Sea and the Lao mountain range made Ba Na a popular retreat for both the French and the wealthy Vietnamese. Today the area still attracts locals and tourists alike thanks to a new cable system that was officially opened on 25th March 2009 and set two Guinness World Records for its height and length.

ABOUT THE GOOD FOODS

There are many places in which you can have a good meal in Danang city. Because of its position, in the middle of Vietnam, you can find many sorts of food come from the other parts of the country. Besides the local food, there are also international cuisines such as the first Michelin star restaurant in Asia; La Maison 1988 by Michel Roux.

If you prefer the fresh air and fresh seafood, it’s a great idea to have a walk along the street named Pham Van Dong. There are lots of seafood restaurants and seafood bars there. Get into a named restaurant, not the ones on the street side, to have safe and good quality seafood.

There are several seafood restaurants along the My Khe beach, the other side of Cau Song Han — the big lit-up suspension swing bridge. It is a couple of kilometers straight from the bridge to the My Khe beach, then if you turn right there are seven upscale restaurants on the beach side of the road, and many local restaurants on the land side, with beach side seating a bit further along from the upscale ones.

If you prefer a cheap meal with safe and quite good quality food, the small bars are the best choice. There are many kinds of small bar in Danang, but they seem to be the same in the food they sell, quite good but not the best. Best if you go with a local person who can order for you.

There are also many specialty restaurants, such as the goat restaurant on Tran Hung Dao [across the Han River from downtown], or the smaller Czech brewery restaurant near the airport that specializes in turtle [although many other places serve turtle; don"t worry, they are farmed, mostly for export to China. Farmed crocodile is also available many places.]

 

Many travellers who show up in Da Nang find the city dull and end up heading elsewhere fast. It’s true that Da Nang is a more difficult city to visit than other spots in Vietnam and you can’t experience the best of it just by walking around and seeing what you find, as you can in NHA TRANG or Hoi An. You really have to seek out the hidden corners and some advanced preparation can really enrich your experience.

TRAVEL GUIDE TO DA NANG