Da Nang

Introduction

Da Nang

© satkins

Da Nang is one of the major port cities in Vietnam (in addition to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi) and the biggest city on the South Central Coast of Vietnam; the city is situated on the coast of the South China Sea, at the mouth of the Hàn River. Da Nang is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam, with a well-sheltered, easily accessible port; its location on the path of National Route 1A and the North-South Railway makes it a hub for transportation. It is located within 100 kilometres of several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Imperial City of Hue, the Old Town of Hoi An, and the My Son ruins. The city was previously known as Cửa Hàn during early Dai Viet settlement, and as Tourane (or Turon) during French colonial rule. It is the fourth biggest economic center in Vietnam (after Ho Chi Minh city, Ha Noi, and Hai Phong).

Neighbourhoods

• Hải Châu
• Cẩm Lệ
• Hoàng Sa (Paracel Islands)
• Liên Chiểu
• Sơn Trà
• Hòa Vang
• Ngũ Hành Sơn
• Thanh Khê

Sights and Activities

My Son

My Son is an archaeological site with temple ruins dating back over 1,000 years that used to be the religious centre of the Cham Kingdom. It is located 70 kilometres west of Da Nang in a forested valley. A popular tourist destination, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, travellers should arrive early if they want to avoid the crowds.

Others Sights and Activities

Hai Van Pass

© irenevt

Hai Van Pass - The Hai Van Pass is around 21 kilometres in length.
Historically it once marked the boundary between the Kingdoms of the Dai Viet and the Cham people. The name Hai Van means sea mist. There are excellent viewpoints on this pass. There are also some remnants from the Vietnam War.
Marble Mountains - The Marble Mountains are a group of five hills made of both marble and limestone. They are named after the five elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth. There are many Buddhist temples and shrines to visit here. At the foot of the mountains there are a lot of workshops specialising in making stone sculptures.

• Dien Hai Citadel
• China Beach
• Linh Ung Pagoda - The Linh Ung Pagoda is located on the Son Tra Peninsula. It is famous for its 67m high statue of Guanyin - goddess of mercy. There are many temples and shrines here. This area is home to lots of wild monkeys.

Lion Statue. Marble Mountains

© irenevt

• Son Tra Peninsula
• Non Nuoc Beach
• Cham Museum - The Cham Museum is located inside an attractive building. It houses the largest collection of Cham stone sculptures in the world.
• Ba Na Mountains
• Tuy Loan Communal House
• Da Nang Cathedral - Da Nang Cathedral is a beautiful pink coloured building. Its 70 metre high bell tower has a weathercock on top of it so this cathedral is sometimes called the rooster church. It was built by French priest Louis Vallet in 1923.

Events and Festivals

• Ba Na Tourism Festival in May
• Quan The Am-Ngu Hanh Son Festival

-*The annual traditional festivals of Danang City

• An Hai village festival
• Hoa My village festival.

Tết Festival

The most important and busiest festival in Vietnam, everyone returns home to be with their family. For visitors, it is a colorful time, as streets are decorated with lanterns and lights. The celebratory meal consists of four dishes, giò (Vietnamese sausage), ninh (stew), nem (spring rolls), and mọc (meat balls).

Tết Trung Thu

On the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, many celebrate the harvest by worshipping the Moon genie. It is one of the most impressive festivals in Vietnam and is particularly exiting for children, as they get plenty of toys. Square moon cakes are eaten by all, while children light lanterns and participate in a procession. Lion dancers accompanied by gongs and bells roam the streets.

Tet Doan Ngo

Tet Doan Ngo (Killing insects) or Dragon Boat Festival in Chinese is one of the oldest festival of Vietnam, occurred around June or July in Lunisolar Calendar and May in Lunar calendar. This festival is to celebrate a new section of the year and erase all the illnesses and worms in the body by using glutinous rice wine and lotus seed sweetened porridge in northern Vietnam or sticky rice dumplings in the south. Tet Doan Ngo often occurs from the breakfast to the noon, Vietnamese people eat this festival’s specialties before they take the meal whom believed that it’s the most suitable time to cleanse the body. The origin of this festival was started when people were celebrating for having a good crop and then the pest suddenly destroyed all of what they have been worked on, people couldn’t find a way to overcome this disaster so a man called Doi Truan appeared and guide the farmers to started a simple feast which included lime-water dumplings, fruits and doing exercises. The after day people realized that all the insects have been wiped out, Doi Truan reminded people that the pest was dominating at this month and must do what they’ve been guided to keep the crops away from the pest.

Tet Han Thuc

Tet Han Thuc or Cold Food festival at the end of the spring season, commonly in March 3rd (Lunar Calendar) and April or May (Lunisolar calendar), the festival was originated from China’s classic reference which is about the exile time of Duke Wen of Ji when he was so hungry that his royal advisor Jie Zhitui cut a part of his thigh to cook a soup for the duke, after he found out what Jie did, he was so grateful and promise that he’ll repay the favour. By the time Duke Wen regained his throne, Jie Zhitui had resigned and taken care of his mother at home hill, after many failed attempts to repay him, Duke Wen set fire to the hill and hoped that Jie would come out but he and his mother died in the firestorm. Duke Wen felt regret about what he had done so he created Cold Food Festival and named that mountain as Jie to pay tribute his advisor. The main specialties that Vietnamese people eat in this occasion are: floating cakes and glutinous rice dumplings. Vietnamese marked this day as the change from cold weather to hot so the name Cold Food Festival is to celebrate this season-changing time of the year.

Vu Lan or Ghost Festival

This festival is common in Asia countries: China, Japan, Vietnam, etc. The main purpose of Vu lan is to pay the gratitude to parents and helping the homeless, hungry souls. According to Vu Lan Sutra, a Buddha’s discipline named Maudgalyayana had trained many powerful abilities and he had purposed of meeting his mother one last time, he used his power to search and find out that his mother was in underworld and punished for her karma to be a hungry ghost, he brought rice bowl to his mother but she afraid of her food being taken away so she cover her hand to hide it but the bowl suddenly turned into fire. To seek a way to save his mother Maudgalyayana come to Buddha and the Buddha said that he cannot save his mother unless asking for help from the monks in the fifteenth day of July, after doing what Buddha said Maudgalyayana saved his mother. Vietnamese people often go to pray at the pagodas at this month and prepare a feast at home in the daylight to make offerings for the wandering ghosts. Since Vietnamese considered this is unlucky month, most of the activities from trading, building house, going at night are minimized, so the stores often close earlier than usual.

Weather

Da Nang has a tropical monsoon climate with generally hot and humid conditions year round. Temperatures range from a pleasant 25-26 °C from December to February to 33-34 °C from May to August. Nights are mostly in the 20-25 °C range. Average annual precipitation is around 2,000mm, with around two thirds of that falling from September to early December. October alone has over 600mm of rain!

Getting There

By Plane

The Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is located in the city centre and domestic flights are available with Vietnam Airlines to/from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Pleiku, Hai Phong, Da Lat and Buon Ma Thuot. There are also international connections with Silk Air from Siem Reap and Singapore, and with Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur. Several other airlines serve international connections though, including flights to/from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and charter flights to/from Beijing, Chengdu, Kunming, Guangzhou, Taipei and Tokyo.

By Train

Da Nang is a station of the Unification Train system between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Stops include Hue (2½ to four hours, seven daily), Lang Co (1½ to two hours, four daily), Quang Ngai (2½ to four hours, six daily), Tuy Hoa (seven to 10 hours, five daily) and Nha Trang (8½ to 12½ hours, seven daily).

By Car

• National Highway 1
• National Highway 14B

Hoi An is just 30 minutes away and renting a motorbike or car with driver is usually a good idea if you are with more people.

By Bus

The large Da Nang intercity bus station is 3 kilometres west from the city centre. Buses leave for all major centres, including Dong Hoi (five hours, six daily), Hue (three hours, six daily), Quy Nhon (six hours, 11 daily) and Kon Tum (five hours, three daily). There are three weekly services to Savannakhet in Laos (14 hours), crossing the border at Lao Bao. Regular buses to Hoi An (one hour) depart from a local bus station 200 metres away from the intercity bus station.

Getting Around

By Car

Taxi rates are very reasonable in Da Nang, and scams are less common than in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, but you're better off going with a reputable company to avoid any hassle. Mai Linh (mostly green with white lettering, though sometimes green or silver) ☎ +84 511 356 5656 (or 0511 356 5656 if dialling from a local telephone) and Vinasun (white with green and red lettering) ☎ +84 511 368 6868 have large fleets in the city and are generally honest and reliable, with meters that start automatically after the taxis have moved about 5m. At the airport, Mai Linh taxi wardens wear green shirts with green ties, and Vinasun wardens dark green shirts with maroon ties. These wardens can radio taxis for you. Some travellers have reported that Song Han's yellow taxis are also fairly reliable.

According to traveller reports, USD 10 is the standard rate for going to Hoi An. You can try to negotiate with a taxi driver at the train station, and agree on a fare of USD10 (200,000 dong).

Eat

Although not a culinary capital like the ancient imperial capital Hue, Da Nang still has more than enough variety to keep you well fed throughout your stay. Seafood (hải sản) is big here, so you shouldn't be surprised to see plenty of it - fish (cá), shrimp (tôm), squid (mực), clams (nghêu), snails (ốc), and the list goes on. As long as it looks fresh and well-cooked, give it a try.

Then there are regional specialties like mì Quảng, or Quang Nam-style noodles, featuring chicken, shrimp, quail eggs, peanuts and rice crackers in a turmeric-spiced broth; bún chả cá, or rice vermicelli with fish sausage; and bún mắm, or rice vermicelli served with a high-octane fish sauce that's not for the weak of palate. Central Vietnamese love their food spicy, too, so be warned that the chili peppers (ớt) you may see on your table are the real thing, even if they look tiny and harmless.

Bánh Mì̀ Bà Lan, 62 Trưng Nữ Vương, Bình Hiên, Hải Châu, ☏ +84 93 564 62 86. 16:00-19:00. One of the most famous sandwich carts in the city. Try their bánh mì que which is a string baguette filled with a pork pâté. $1.
Quán Thảo, 135, Dương Trí Trạch, An Hải Bắc, Sơn Trà (Take Phạm Văn Đồng (heading towards the beach), left on Lê Minh Trung, right on Morrison and a quick left on to Trí Trạch. Quán Thảo is on the right.). 06:00-10:00. Traditional street food establishment frequented mostly by locals for breakfast, on a quiet side road. While Ms Thảo serves Mì Quảng or [Province of] Quảng style noodles, she's known for her bún bò or beef noodle soup. Some like to add a baguette for an additional 5,000đ. 20.000d.
Quán Dung Mỳ Quảng, 99 Nguyễn Thị Định, An Hải Bắc, Q. Sơn, ☏ +84 122 727 4421 (mobile). 06:00-21:00. Well known for their mì quảng cá lóc, the best known noodle dish of Đà Nẵng, served with broad rice noodles, fresh greens, a broth seasoned with turmeric, shallots and garlic topped and with peanuts. It is served in a shallow and pungent pool of broth unlike its better known cousin phở, which is milder and fills the bowl. Cá lóc is snakehead fish; when prepared correctly, which this place is known for, has a mild flavour and very light texture. Take some of the fresh greens and stir them into the broth to give them a bit of warmth and flavour making this dish half salad and half soup. Menu with prices are on the wall. As the restaurant faces west, if you go around sunset, you'll have a pleasant view. Plenty of parking. The cleanliness of Quán Dung Mỳ Quảng is to Western restaurant standards. 20.000d.
Bún Mắm Vân is located in what is called "Bún Mắm Alley" where a few bún mắm shops have congregated. You can smell this alley from a block away. Try the bún mắm thịt quay or bún mắm with roasted pork. If you are put off by the smell of strong fish sauce this is not the place for you. If you like bún mắm this place is heaven. $1.
Mi Quang 1A, 1 Hải Phòng, Hải Châu 1, Q. Hải Châu (Take Lê Duẩn heading east, turn left onto Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, first right onto Hải Phòng. On the right.), ☏ +84 236 3827 936. 06:30-21:00. Mi Quang 1A is one of the best known mì quảng restaurants in the area. While still good it has lost a bit of its luster over the years. Prices are higher than most places at 30,000đ to 45,000đ. Make sure you are in Mi Quang 1A as there is a "copycat" place next door. Before going in grab a fresh sugarcane juice from the cart in the front.
Kem Ý Sasa Gelano (Coffee SaSa Gelato), Lô 9 A2 Khu Biệt Thự Đảo Xanh, Quận Hải Châu (Head east on Cầu Trần Thị Lý towards the "sail bridge", take the first right after the roundabout nearest the bridge and then an immediate left. Follow the road for about 350 m turning right at the fork.), ☏ +84 0946 059 339. 0800-2200. A good place to satisfy your sweet tooth. Each scoop of gelato is about 15,000 dong; choose from many local fruit flavours and the regulars, like chocolate. Sa Sa also serves sundaes and other treats to enjoy. Good for families. Take away available. The staff speak basic English. Very close to the Grand Mercure Hotel.
Bao Nam Tran, 27 Nguyen Chi Thanh St (Between Nguyen Du and Ly Thuong Kiet). Private, popular place for coffee, business dealings, meals and light Vietnamese pastries, drinks and desserts. The restaurant/coffee house's ancient Vietnamese architecture incorporates heavy, dark, ornate wooden panels and furniture mixed with modern amenities (escalator) and is a must-see. Wireless Internet connection and a selection of reading material is available. The restaurant has a lovely ambience at night.
Com Nieu Nha Do, 176 Nguyễn Tri Phương (Across from March 29 (29/3) Park), ☏ +84 511 3990086. 10:00-22:00. Cơm niêu is a type of rice that's baked in a clay pot and served with any number of sides — beef, chicken, fish, hot pot — but it's the way it's served that catches your attention. Waiters come out of the kitchen bearing hot clay pots straight out of the oven, pull out hammers, smash them at your table, and fling the crusty, baked rice inside back and forth across the room. Otherwise, the food is what you'd get at a normal restaurant, but it's fun to see the show. Located near the airport, just across from March 29 Park. There are many of these restaurants on Nguyen Tri Phuong St, but this one is a favourite. USD5-12.
Karma Waters, 113/10 Nguyen Chi Thanh (Find the intersection of Le Duan St and Nguyen Chi Thanh St. Take a right onto Nguyen Chi Thanh (it's one-way). Stay on right hand side of the street and you will come to an alley with a hat shop on the corner (#113), turn right into the ally and the restaurant will be on your right), ☏ +84 511 3849790. 10:00-21:00. This is the only vegan Western friendly restaurant in Da Nang. It's owned by a Viet/Kiwi couple, and is a family place. If you are looking for a restaurant that avoids white sugar, MSG and gluten this is your best option. The cafe is clean and in the city centre. Menus are in English, and the staff are very friendly and good with English. You don't have to be a vegetarian or vegan to have a good meal here. Has a sister restaurant in Hoi An. USD5-10.
Koi Sushi, Bento and Sake Bar, 53 An Thuong 2, ☏ +84 090 1991165, ✉ [email protected]. Daily 11:00-14:00 & 17:00-0:00. Japanese sushi bar with big bento boxes and the largest Sake list in town. It's one of the few places in town that serves late, 7 days a week. Clean bathrooms and air-con. from US$1-15.
Red Sky Bar and Restaurant, 248 Tran Phu St, ☏ +84 511 3894895, ✉ [email protected]. An expat-run Western restaurant. The food is excellent, always delicious with generous portions. The staff are good and know how to look after customers and make them feel at home. Prices are above average by Vietnamese standards, but not too expensive for the quality of food and service received.
Bread of Life Western Bakery and Eatery, 4 Dong Da (located upstairs one level), ☏ +84 511 3565185. M-Sa 10:00-22:00. Take out delivery for orders over 100,000 dong. Bread of Life is run by an American couple who use the business as means of providing training for young Vietnamese deaf. All baking, cooking and serving is done by the deaf and profits go into school for teaching deaf Vietnamese the Vietnamese sign language and English. They serve breakfasts, lunch, and dinner from a menu that includes pizza, pasta, hamburgers and other Western dishes. Good coffee and fresh baked pastries and cakes every day. The quality is high and you will enjoy interacting with the staff. Orders are accepted in person or by phone for a variety of breads. Order a day ahead, then pick them up in the restaurant.
Merkat, 79 Lê Lợi, Thạch Thang, Q. Hải Châu, ☏ +84 236 3646 388. 11:30-22:00. Merkat serves the food of Northern Spain run by a husband and wife from Spain. The paella is outstanding. A great place to go when looking for a Western-style meal. Top notch food, an outstanding chef, good wait staff and very clean. Very easy to find. Dishes start at 100.000đ. Afterwards travel down the street about 200m to the iconic Long Coffee. 100.000đ.
Apsara, 222 Tran Phu St, ☏ +84 511 3561 409. A reasonably good, somewhat expensive place with a huge, mostly seafood menu and performances of traditional music on some evenings. Food style is Vietnamese with some Chinese influences, and some Western dishes thrown in. Caters to overseas tour groups; tour buses are often seen parked outside. One of their specialties is mantis shrimp, a delicious creature halfway between a shrimp and lobster.
Bambino, 122 Quang Trung. Quiet location, good food wine selection. Australian steak grilled to order. International, French and local foods, run by a French couple. A good place for a quiet meal with friends.
Blue Whale, Hoang Sa Rd. (Just N of Vo Van Kiet roundabout; next to "4U"), ☏ +84 511 3942 777, +84 511 3942 728, ✉ [email protected]. One of a number of seafood restaurants looking out onto My Khe Beach, the Blue Whale is a great place to get acquainted with what the beach really has to offer. Their menu features a wide variety of seafood cooked in many different ways — steamed, grilled or baked or in hot pot or sashimi — along with a number of local specialities. The prices are a little high, but the food and the ambience should more than make up. USD10-25.
Limoncello, 187 Tran Phu St, ✉ [email protected]. 12:00-23:00. Great Italian food with homemade limoncello.
Memory Lounge, 7 Bach Dang St (On the riverfront, just north of Han River Bridge), ☏ +84 8 511 3575899. 7:00-23:30. Quite possibly the most expensive place to go for coffee in Da Nang. Just north of the Han River Bridge, the high-end Memory Lounge overlooks the river — in fact, it was built directly on top, jutting out onto the river and accessible from the promenade. Built by the wife of a former president of South Vietnam, it's quite a fancy affair — with foreign chefs blending Asian and European cuisines and using organic and sustainable ingredients to create an impressive menu. USD8-20 for main dishes.
Waterfront, 150 Bach Dang. Open every day. Open to the street and with a view of the Han River, this restaurant has modern international décor. Its layout consists of the bar on the ground floor; the full restaurant, for lunch and dinner, on 2nd level; and balcony seating. This is a gathering place with comfortable seating, a selection of local and imported beer, and a large selection of wines by the glass or bottle. Owned by expatriates.

Drink

Bamboo Bar 2 (Corner of Bach Dang and Thai Phien). Popular haunt for expats. Bamboo 2's owner speaks excellent English, there are always foreigners there. edit
Festival Disco (On the second corner going up river from Cau Song Han on Tran Hung Dao). The newest disco and the only one on the My Khe Beach side of the river. It's part of a complex with a restaurant and karaoke rooms. If you buy the staff a drink here (a normal thing to do in this kind of disco-night club) they can be very aggressive about drinking it fast and running up a big bill for you.
Golden Pine. This is a popular bar opposite Memory Lounge on the river side. Open till 04:00 or last customer, they play music on request from customers. Lots of regulars here and a casual vibe.
Green Town Bar, 50 Bach Dang St. One of relatively few bars open past the witching hour and most expats drop in there for either an early evening or late night drink. The view is excellent with an outdoor terrace and 2 big pool tables inside. The prices are very reasonable. Food is available until 22:00.
New Phuong Dong Disco, 20 Dong Da (Near the mouth of the Han River). New Phuong Dong has a resident Ghanaian DJ and many visiting singers from Saigon and Hanoi.
Red Hot Bar, 179 Nguyen Van Linh (On Nguyen Van Linh St). A real late night place. ("Late night" is more flexible in Da Nang than in Hanoi. Most of the time discos and places like Red Hot, an approximations of a Thai girlie-bar, close at 01:00 or 01:30, but if the police decide to crack down, they may unexpectedly close at midnight or 00:30).
17 saloon (Directly on opposite side of river to Novotel). Wild West-themed bar with live cover rock band from the Philippines every night except Mondays. Music starts around 21:15. Expensive drinks but happy hour until 21:00, 2 for 1 Tiger draft beer only, 99,000 dong. You can order as many as you like before 21:00 to drink throughout the night. So buy 2 draft beers and have 4 beers to drink that night.

Coffee

Coffee is a large part of the Vietnamese culture and it's enjoyed differently from place to place. Coffee served in Da Nang and throughout Central Vietnam tends to be stronger than coffee served in the south. One of the most popular variations of coffee in the south is "cà phê sữa đá Sài Gòn" which is coffee prepared in a "phin" filter and served with sweetened condensed milk in a tall glass filled with small cubes of ice. When in doubt what type of coffee to get this is the one to order. In Da Nang and throughout central Vietnam they tend to drink a style of coffee called "cà phê phin sữa đá Đà Nẵng" which is similar to "cà phê sữa đá Sài Gòn" but is instead served in a short glass with one large block of ice, which melts as slowly as the coffee drips down from its metal filter—leaving them time to chat with friends, colleagues, or whoever might be sitting nearby. A common variation is "cà phê sữa đá Đà Nẵng" which is similar except the coffee is brewed before serving as some places brew their coffee in batches. Try both the Saigon and Danang versions. On cold days many will drink "cà phê sữa nóng" which is a hot and very strong coffee with sweetened condensed milk served in a 100 ml glass. Expect to pay 15.000đ to 30.000d.

There are several kinds of coffee shop in Da Nang, from street-side cà phê cóc, through mid-class shops to more luxurious ones. Most offer Wi-Fi nowadays, in case you want a place to relax and get online.

Walk down any street in Da Nang and you'll no doubt come across a group of Vietnamese men squatting on tiny plastic chairs, sipping cups of coffee—often sold out of a cooler or a drink cart—as they chat with friends or playing Chinese chess. This is cà phê cóc (literally, "frog coffee", from the way patrons squat to drink), a humble, yet popular way to drink coffee in Da Nang and, in fact, most of Vietnam.

Long Coffee, 123 Le Loi (Corner of Le Loi and Quang Trung St). Crazy popular cà phê cóc-style coffee shop in Da Nang that serves and sells its own brand of coffee—not the best, according to some, but very popular with locals. It's always busy, noisy and smoky, but that's part of the atmosphere. Go there with a local friend to shoot the breeze and enjoy a quintessential Vietnamese experience.
Ca Fe 49, 49 Loseby, Phước Mỹ, Sơn Trà (Take Phạm Văn Đồng east until the end, turn left onto Võ Nguyên Giáp, take second left onto loseby.), ☏ +84 236 3932 995. 06:00-15:00. Ca Fe 49 is a simple, family-run, outdoor cafe serving excellent coffee at a good price. Enjoy a "cà phê sữa đá Đà Nẵng" while enjoying a quiet view. The husband and wife owners are friendly. Recommend if you're out in Sơn Trà. $1.

Mid-class shops are found everywhere; the drinks are quite cheap and they are a place to relax or meet friends. A step up from cà phê cóc, these shops are usually quite comfortable and serve a variety of non-alcoholic drinks besides coffee, such as tea, smoothies and fruit juices.

An's Café, 5 Hoàng Kế Viêm (Corner of Le Loi and Quang Trung St).
Café Vi Lan, 79 Le Hong Phong St, ☏ +84 511 3565 346. Comfortable, typical coffee shop that plays soft music and plays HBO movies on mute. Upper floor is air-conditioned.
CheRo, 79 Le Dinh Ly St.
Hai Quynh Café, 468 Hoang Dieu St. Known as the "Rock Coffee Shop", where you can enjoy coffee and listen to rock music at the same time. You can request songs. Usually, they play ballads and soft rock in the daytime and hard rock and metal in the evening (very loudly).
Scorpions, 140 Yen Bai St.
Tuy Anh Chinese Chess Coffee Shop, 79 Le Dinh Ly St (On the corner of Do Quang and Le Dinh Ly). Hangout for coffee-drinking Chinese chess enthusiasts.

Luxurious coffee shops can be found on many streets of the city, they are quite nice and elaborately decorated—with higher prices to match. Many can be found along Phan Chau Trinh St. Some incorporate open-air gardens, with air-conditioned areas indoors, and some even feature live music in the evenings.

Trúc Lâm Viên, 8 Trần Quý Cáp (Near Da Nang Port), ☏ +84 511 3582 428. 06:30-22:30. Pleasant garden-style café. Food is a little expensive; worth it mainly for the décor. Tends to be busy.

Sleep

There are many small hotels along the east side of the river (Tran Hung Dao St), which generally start at 300,000 dong for a single room and have Wi-Fi, hot water, and air-con. Pham Phu Thu is a good street with many budget hotels in the centre on the west side of the river.

Danang Backpackers Hostel, 106 Nguyen Chi Thanh, ☏ +84915571505, ✉ [email protected]. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Cheap, clean and spacious hostel. Breakfast included, free playing billiards, free beer every night, fast Wi-Fi. Comfy beds, A/C, hot shower. English speaking staff 24/7. USD6.
Dang Viet Hotel, 11-12 Ho Nghinh (One minute to the beach), ☏ +84 5 1139 41445, ✉ [email protected]. Air-con, comfortable beds, fast Wi-Fi, hot showers, refrigerator and international cable TV. Staff speak English. From 300,000 dong.
Funtastic Hostel, 115 Hai Phong (500 m east of train station), ✉ [email protected]. Modern hostel with comfy beds, big lockers, good Wi-Fi and friendly English speaking staff. Breakfast on the rooftop, with some nice views, is included and the hostel offers a free daily shuttle to Hoi An and airport dropoff. Dorm: 150,000-180,000 dong, Double: 430,000 dong.
Funtastic Beach Hostel, 5 Hà Bổng, Phước Mỹ, Sơn Trà (East on Phạm Văn Đồng until end, right onto Võ Nguyên Giáp, first right at Đình Nghệ, first left at Hà Bổng and first right into the alley. Funtastic is the yellow building on the left.), ☏ +84 02363 928 789. Sister hostel to the Funtastic [City] Hostel on Hai Phong and very similar except it's a three minute walk to the beach. Excellent staff most of which speak English. Ask them about their local restaurant suggestions and their food tour. 160.000đ.
Hải Hòa Guest House (Hoa's Place), Unnamed street, Bãi tắm non nước, Trường Sa, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng (Adjacent to the north side of the Meliá Danang Resort. Located on the right when heading towards the beach.), ☏ +84 236 3 969 216, ✉ [email protected]. Hoa's Place is a well known and long serving homestay run by Hoa and his wife which has a very friendly atmosphere and has become a local gathering place.. Hoa speaks excellent English and happily greets you with a smile. A few years ago due to expansion from the Meliá Danang Resort Hoa had to rebuild in an adjacent lot. For many years Hoa's Place has been a gathering spot for backpackers in the evenings, as Hoa hosts "family dinners." For about $1.50USD you get treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet, courtesy of Hoa's wife. As a child Hoa worked for the US Marines and his place has also become a respite for some returning war veterans. Picnic tables are full of travellers inside this tiny cafe, starting around 19:00. Closed during Tet. Email for reservations. Hoa can also recommend English speaking motorbike mechanics.
Nhà Nghỉ Cát Tường (Nha Nghi 278), 278 Lê Đại Hành, Hòa Thọ Đông, Cẩm Lệ (From the airport head south on Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, turn right onto Lê Đại Hành.), ☏ +84 5 1138 44877. Cheap, but nice guesthouse with Wi-Fi, hot water, air-con. Possibly closed. Call first. 200,000 dong for a single room.
Thien Duc Motel, 187 Dong Da, ☏ +84 511 382 5232. An OK option, although services are far from superior. USD8.
Danang Carpe Diem Hostel, Dinh Thi Hoa Street, An Hai Bac Ward, Son Tra District, ☏ +84969347968, ✉ [email protected]. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. Complimentary breakfast consisting of specialities, sausage, bacon, ham, fresh fruits, eggs any style, bread and homemade jam every morning. High security standard of key card access, free wifi in all area, big lockers, free luggage storage on check out day and quick laundry service.Front desk is always available, US$10.
Sea Wonder Hotel, 57 Nguyen Cong Sau, Phước Mỹ, Sơn Trà (Take Phạm Văn Đồng east, left at Hồ Nghinh and take the forth left onto Nguyen Cong Sau.), ☏ +84 5 1135 06143, +84 9 8323 8256. The Sea Wonder is similar to other basic hotels in the area. The great advantage is that it's located on a beatiful and quiet street very near the beach, cafes, taxis and street food. The rooms are clean and the staff friendly. A taxi into the city can be found one street over and costs less than $2. $10.
Conical Hats Homestay, 1, Nguyễn Công Sáu, Phước Mỹ, Sơn Trà, ☏ +84 163 714 9914, ✉ [email protected]. Conical Hats Homestay is a family-run, budget, long-term homestay also available for weekly rentals. Located in a new building it's situated in a quiet neighborhood and only a five minute walk to the beach. While lacking some amenities it offers a pleasant change to staying in a hotel or hostel offering a kitchen on the first floor. Lots of great street food and coffee right out the door. The staff is helpful, friendly and speak some English. Email them for details.
Rom Casa Da Nang, Lot 26 An Thuong 4, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang (300m from My Khe Beach), ☏ +84 901969373, ✉ [email protected]. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 12PM noon. Unique hostel offering private rooms and dorms in... shipping containers! Pool as well is made out of a container. Rooftop terrace. Common room with board games and table football. Library. Free WiFi accessible from the whole property. All rooms feature AC, lockers, reading lamps, power sockets. On site bar. Working space. Very clean, modern & eco-friendly hostel. Very friendly staff members who speak excellent English. $12 for dorm beds, $30 for private rooms (double beds).
Daia Hotel, 51, Yen Bai St, Hai Chau District, ☏ +84 5 1182 7532. A friendly old hotel. The owner is involved with charity. You can visit "the Northwind Broom Workshop" and "Bo Mung Orphanage". USD17-30.
My Khe Beach Hotel 1 and 2, Truong Sa St (Just S of the beach plaza & roundabout at Vo Van Kiet Rd), ☏ +84 511 6260 214. These hotels, both under the same management, are comfortable and very reasonably priced especially given that they are just the other side of the beach road from My Khe Beach, but still only a five minute or less moto ride from downtown. My Khe 1 is older, has smaller rooms, but the electricity does not go off in the room when you leave; My Khe 2 has very large rooms, caters more to groups of Saigon tourists (My Khe gets lots of Vietnamese business and government travellers, plus some tourists and some Lao visitors, business or government). Staff at both places are friendly and pleasant, with adequate English. The only downside is no in-room Internet access. From USD18, breakfast included, air-con room with refrigerator and private bath (My Khe 1) or shower (My Khe 2).
Night Sky Hotel. Opened early 2015. Large Samsung TV with lots of good reception cable TV channels. Free breakfast included. Nice quiet location but a little out of town. Their free bicycles more than makes up for that.
Red Beach Resort and Spa, Nguyen Tat Thanh St, Hoa Hiep Nam Ward, Lien Chieu District, ☏ +84 5 1138 42767. All rooms are equipped with LCD TV with cable channels, balcony/lanai/terrace, Air conditioning, complimentary breakfast, private toilet, and bath. Restaurant, spa, swimming pool, Pearl Island tour and water sports facilities. From USD72.
Sanouva Danang Hotel, 68 Phan Chau Trinh, ☏ +84 511 382 3468, ✉ [email protected]. The Sanouva Danang Hotel is a city hotel at the center of Danang. USD40.
Sao Minh Business Hotel, 137 Nguyen Du St, ☏ +84 5 1135 30555. Spacious and cosy rooms, all equipped with air conditioning, TV with cable channels, and mini-bar. Facilities include business centre, restaurant, and bar.
Trendy Hotel, B2-B3 Tran Hung Dao (Near the Han River Bridge), ☏ +84 5 1139 43888. Nice view of the Han River Bridge, with a river view available in the deluxe rooms. Offers motorbike rental for 30,000 dong/hr or 150,000 dong/day. USD30-50.
Furama Resort, Truong Sa St (15 min from Da Nang International Airport), ☏ +84 5 1138 47333. One of the first resorts built in Da Nang, and probably still the only one with a five-star rating. 198 rooms and suites. The resort has its own dive centre, spa, and health centre. Club Tourane opens daily from 20:00-02:00 with a Filipino Band. Hai Van Lounge serves cocktails and light snacks. Many restaurants. From USD175.
One Opera Da Nang, 01 Nguyen Van Linh St (Corner of Nguyen Van Linh & Hoang Dieu), ☏ +84 5 1122 23344. 206 air conditioned rooms, all of which have cable TV, Internet, minibar, and shower with bathtub. Has spa and swimming pool, fitness room/gym, and restaurant, bar and café. From USD96.
Hyatt Regency Da Nang, Truong Sa St, Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, toll-free: +1 800 233-1234. 200 comfortable rooms and 27 ocean-view villas. From USD200.
Pullman Danang Beach Resort (formerly Lifestyle Resort), Truong Sa St, Ngu Hanh Son District (Bac My An Beach), ☏ +84 5 1139 58888. From USD400. edit
Grand Tourane Hotel, 252 Vo Nguyen Giap, Son Tra District (My Khe Beach). The hotel includes 189 rooms with 22 floors. It offers 2 conference rooms, restaurant with Asia and Western food. Its facilities include spa and swimming pool, fitness room/gym, bar, and café From USD100.
Pulchra, Lo 22, Duong Trung Sa, Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District (Marble Mountain), ☏ +84 511 392 0823, ✉ [email protected]. The resort is an all-villa with 31 villas only in a 10-ha beach front property. The first resort in Danang to offer a "Cham" experience in terms of architecture and cuisine. From USD500.
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Thọ Quang, Sơn Trà (Take Phạm Văn Đồng east until the end, turn left onto Võ Nguyên Giáp which turns into Hoàng Sa. Follow Hoàng Sa up the mountain. Look for the large sign on the left.), ☏ +84 236 3938 888. This might be the finest hotel in the city. It's where President Trump and President Putin along with other world officials stayed during the 2017 APEC conference. Located in a very secluded area and has a private beach. $500+.

Work

There are a number of schools (ILA, Apollo, Academy English Center, and the University of Da Nang) where qualified teachers can teach English. The salaries are many times above the average national wage.

Learn

• Duy Tan University
• University of Da Nang

Keep Connected

Internet

Most hotels and coffee shops have free wi-fi.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Vietnam's international dialing code is +84. To call to other countries from Vietnam, start with 00, followed by the international number, usually without the first 0. International and domestic phone calls are available in almost every hotel or internet café. International phone charges are high in Vietnam and hotels often add a mark up fee so it is smart to always check the rates before dialling. Public phones require phone cards, which are available at post offices.

Some common and useful phone codes are:

• 00 - International call prefix
• 110 - Operator
• 113 - Police
• 114 - Fire Department
• 115 - Medical Aid/Ambulance
• 116 - Directory Assistance
• 1080 - Information

Post

Vietnam Post is the government owned national postal service of Vietnam. Services are generally fairly reliable, cheap but not overly fast, except express services. Express Mail Service (EMS) ensures that letters and small parcels are delivered within 24-48 hours domestically. International EMS is associated with over 50 countries worldwide, with a delivery time ranging from 2 to 10 days. Regular services are cheaper but much slower. Most post offices keep much longer hours than most other official businesses, usually starting from 6:30am until 9:30pm and also open on Saturday and even Sunday. You can buy stamps here and they also offer other services like money transfers. You can also try other companies to send parcels, for example with DHL, TNT and UPS.

External Links

• Da Nang Official Governmental Website