Da Nang

General information about Da Nang

Da Nang is one of Vietnam’s largest cities and it’s fastest growing and is the centre of the country’s high tech industry. Placed almost mid way between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh it is rapidly becoming a top tourist destination for Asian visitors due to the miles of unspoilt beach. Large resort hotels are shooting up down the coats just south of the city towards Hoi An.

There is not a huge amount to see in the city but it has a great setting on the Han Rover and there are several spectacular bridges including the Dragon Bridge which spouts flames on Saturday & Sunday nights. There is a lot to see near Da Nang such as the Ba Na Hills park and the towns of Hoi An and Hue.

Hotels in Da Nang

Check out the usual booking sites such as www.booking.com or www.hotels.com we stayed at the Danang Boutique Hotel, www.danangboutiquehotel.com in the city, the hotel has a great setting, a spectacular roof top pool and bar and lovely service including a free cocktail every evening. Given the heat of the city we used taxis, very cheap, to the beach and to restaurants near the river.

Restaurants, Bars & Cafes

Restaurants

Fat Fish, 439 Đường Trần Hưng Đạo, on the banks of the river near the dragon bridge, we loved the food and the service, really top notch as you would expect from the owners Vietnamese, English and with links to the chef/owner of Mango Mango and other top places in Hoi An.

Bep Hen, 47 Lê Hồng Phong, was close to our hotel and I had read excellent reports, it is small and quirky very much a locals places in the main but welcoming, excellent food and incredible value.

Tamarind Tree, Mỹ Khê 4, is in a small street about five minutes walk from Da Nang city beach. We were so pleased that we made the effort to find it as the service and food was excellent, and had we been staying longer in the city we would have returned. Great value for food and drink and the level of service.

N’om Bistro,Lot 01-A4 Zone of the Villas of Green Island, is situated on an island in the river beside the Mercure Hotel, the building is designed like a Vietnamese fishing pot and we had heard good reports. The starter was excellent but our choices of mains disappointed but it is worth a visit.

Bars

Bamboo Bar 2, 216 Bạch Đằng, Phước Ninh, is one of many bars along this stretch of the river bank, it is the best of a bunch in a street known as pub street, it has tables outside, cheap drinks and is well run, you can also see the Dragon Bridge from the outside tables. There are also some roof top bars nearby with spectacular views.

7 Bridges Brewing Company, 493 Đường Trần Hưng Đạo, this bar is part of a micro brewery and has many craft beers. It has a roof terrace for good views of the river, and friendly service.

Drink

There is a real mix of places which you would expect in a thriving city and they attract locals, expats and visitors. There are loud “Pub” bars, craft beer bars, roof top classy bars and loads of beach side bars. Beer is the most popular drink both local traditional beers and new craft beers with cocktails a firm favourite.

For wine drinkers depending on price there is either local wine or imported wines mainly from Australia, Chile and France but wine is not always available in bars.

Coffee is a major drink as you would expect from the second largest coffee producing country and there are always cafes to relax in with an iced coffee, very popular, or a regular coffee.

Culture

We only spent a couple of days in Da Nang and mainly chilled out at the city’s beach area but there are many popular day trips from the city to Hoi An, Hue and the Ba Na Hills park, there are also spectacular drives over the mountain pass nearby.