Reminiscing Da Nang
I warned months ago, I still had lots of Vietnam content on the back burner waiting to be written and this one is long overdue. I may be miles away, but a piece of my heart was left in Vietnam, and it’s all still very fresh in my mind. Particularly the beach city of Da Nang, synonymous of course with the city of Hoi An – Visiting the two go hand in hand. Continuing my bullet stop itineraries for the traveller short on time, below are my ideas for a spectacular 48 hours in Da Nang. Getting the most out of the city, from its beachside bike rides to the Ba Na Hills and Linh Ung Pagoda. Action-packed from the offset, but 100% doable.
Where to stay?
This is an easy choice for me. Having stayed in Da Nang countless times by this point, my one-stop ‘go to’ place would be The Memory Da Nang. Designed with the marble mountains in mind, it’s a super chic hostel that offers private rooms with ‘to die for’ circular bathtubs and a sleek cafe come bar for morning Vietnamese coffees. Also, very inexpensive, £7 a night for the hostel and £30 for the private queens’ room.
The only downside is there’s no pool. Usually a big selling point for me, but with the beach a short distance away, it’s an easy trade-off.
Getting there?
There are a few ways to reach Da Nang depending on where you’re coming from. If you’re trailing from the North down to South, then the Hai Van pass is the most adventurous and favoured amongst residents and tourists alike. I’ve completed this route 3 times from Hue by bike and could not recommend the Motorvina company enough. The price varies from 400,000-750,000 vnd (£14-£26) per bike, but they are the most reliable in terms of support and transporting your luggage safely for you. Make the hire in person, a day before and allow 2-3 hours for the bike ride, including breaks for food and scenic pictures, (demonstrated below by yours truly).
Alternatively, Da Nang is a short plane ride away from all major cities and is easily accessible by night bus and train. 12go.asia was always our go-to for buses and trains.
Day 1
Assuming you arrive around midday or have a lazy morning. Start your 48 hours in Da Nang off by filling your stomach on Da Nang’s street food for lunch, such as Banh Mi’s (essentially a spicy sandwich) sold on every street corner or Bánh Xèo (essentially a savoury fried pancake made with rice flour and turmeric).
Hire a scooter from the hostel immediately. This is super easy to do and should be around 150,000-200,000 vnd (£5-£7). If you’ve never ridden a scooter before, Da Nang is a decent place to practise. The streets still seem crazy to newbies but are actually a lot more chill than Ha Noi or Saigon. The only main road you’ll need is the Võ Nguyên Giáp connected to the Trường Sa, which takes you along the beach-front to both Marble mountains and Lady Buddha. (alternatively, the Grab taxi app can take you anywhere cheaply)
Marble mountains
The first attraction of the day should be the marble mountains. A cluster of 5 limestone mountains adorned with Buddhist temples and hidden caves. Located south of Da Nang but not far from the city at all! An easy straight road, as mentioned above with an easy right-hand turning.
A few important tips here are;
- Once turned right, follow the women ushering you to their shops. It seems like a scam (and it partly is) but humour it. These ladies are offering you parking, which you need. They’ll say it’s free and then charge you 20,000 vnd (£1) max once you return, it’s not a big deal and they do keep your bikes and helmets safe.
- Entry to the mountain is 50,000 vnd.
- Expect to spend around 1-2hrs, depending on coconut drink breaks and exploring different cave routes.
Address: 52 Huyền Trân Công Chúa, Hoà Hải, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng 550000, Vietnam
Lady Buddha
Hop back on your scooter and drive back along the road you came towards the other end of Da Nang, to catch the mesmerising sunset at Linh Ung Pagoda – home of the lady Buddha. If you left the Marble mountains a little early then park by the beach, grab a coconut drink and enjoy the sea views.
The Lady Buddha is the tallest statue in Da Nang, 67m in height, equivalent to a 30-story building! Situated at Linh Ung pagoda, which you can see from My Khe beach, stretching along the coast of Da Nang. The pagoda is free to enter unless you wish to make a small donation after. We usually donate 10,000vnd each to be in line with typical parking costs but feel free to donate as generously as you like to the temple!
Dinner time
Tam’s pub and surf shop
For anyone interested in Vietnamese war history and burgers, Tam’s surf shack is the place to go. An interesting juxtaposition in Vietnam is the North-South divide, that still exists in stigmas even today. Every Vietnamese person over a certain age still has fresh memories of war, and attitudes cannot be generalised to one side. Tam’s story is an extremely interesting one, having been adopted by American soldiers during the height of the war. This is an incredible experience for tourists to learn and hear about what it was like to grow up during war-time, and all the obstacles Vietnamese civilians faced from both sides. Tam’s bar is adorned in photos spanning over decades and she shares her story with all customers willing to listen.
Address: An Thượng 5, Bắc Mỹ An, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng 550000, Vietnam
Day 2
Today’s another busy day, so make sure to grab a quick Pho and Vietnamese coffee breakfast, either at the hotel or close by.
Ba Na Hills
The Ba Na hills is an all-day excursion. Starting early and ending mid-afternoon. The most cost-efficient way to see them is by booking through your hotel or hostel. We paid 1million vnd (£30) each, which includes travel/ tickets and a Vietnamese buffet lunch. The only downside to booking with a tour is the inconvenient gift shop drop off on the way, where you’re supposed to spend 45 minutes browsing stone sculptures and overpriced silk scarves to buy. (don’t waste your money, when Hoi An is one city away)
The Ba Na hills are a replicate of the French colonial town that resided in the hills during the early 1900s, (1911 to be exact). Amusement parks aren’t really my thing, but I enjoyed it so much for the European architecture, gardens and surreal mountain views. It made a nice change from the smog and messiness of Hanoi.
Once arriving at the Ba Na hill station, the more spectacular part of the excursion is riding the extensive cable cars that have won 7 Guinness World Records – including the widest gap between stations and for the greatest change in elevation.
The town is more like a holiday resort boasting expensive Vietnamese restaurants, coffee houses, amusement rides, and even a wax museum. It is possible to stay a few nights in the Ba Na hills Mercure hotel if you fancy the novelty? Much of the town is built with hard plastic made to look like stone. To our amusement we discovered this when knocking on the pillars of the Cathedral, realising they were hollow…
This is also where the infamous Golden hand’s bridge is. You know, the one that’s plastered all over Instagram and Pinterest. We happened to visit in November, the rainy season, so our pictures were extremely misty! The best time to visit to avoid the rain and heavy crowds are March/April and September. Although still expect big crowds after 10 am.
Dinner
Not Vietnamese, just simply an amazing restaurant. Merkat Tapas restaurant is a casual dining experience serving amazing Spanish cuisine from Valencia. Our favourites were the paella and the churros! We’ve been twice, and both times were perfect. They also cater for Gluten-free and vegan needs. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, it’s more ideal to eat as much Vietnamese food as you can while you’re here, but good restaurants are good restaurants no matter the cuisine.
Other restaurants I can recommend are;
- Table 88 (Vietnamese £££)
- Citron (Vietnamese £££)
- Taco Gnon (Mexican £)
- 4 P’s Pizza (Japanese fusion ££)
- Veda’s Kitchen (Indian ££)
Last night! – The Dragon bridge
Hopefully, you’ve timed this trip for the weekend! On weekends and festivals, the infamous 6 lane Dragon bridge in Da Nang comes alive by breathing fire and putting on a show for everyone to see. Catch it just after 9 pm unless stated otherwise by locals. If you do happen to miss the dazzling show, then never mind! The bridge is still illuminated with colourful lights that you can see a mile off.
Around the bridge, there are also a ton of bars and clubs to keep you entertained and dancing all night. I wish I could give you some specific club recommendations but I honestly can’t remember and for that, we can blame the copious amounts of rice wine! I will say though, shop around if you don’t want to be stung. The late-night bars and clubs tend to offer happy hours and group deals.
On to the next one!
Two busy days make for 48 hours in Da Nang complete! If you have any extra time the morning after, be sure to visit My Khe Beach for a quick sunbathe and sea dip before making haste for your next travel stop. I didn’t put any focus on beach time since the beautiful beaches of Hoi An are only a 40-minute taxi journey away. My guide to spending 48 hours in Hoi An you can find here.
I hope this has been useful and inspired you to add Da Nang to your Vietnamese itinerary! Be sure to check out my other bullet stop itinerary guides to Phu Quoc Island, Hanoi and Ninh Binh.
