Da Nang

Touted as one of the twenty cleanest cities in the world and the most livable city in Vietnam, Da Nang is a destination that you simply cannot afford to miss. Dovetailed with romantic Han River, featured with the seductive My Khe Beach, and backed by Ba Na Mountain, Da Nang is blessed to be the tourist capital of South Central Vietnam. Attractions such as Hai Van Mountain Range, tropical rain forest on Son Tra Peninsula, Ngu Hanh Son Mountain and Fantasy Park are all must-go places in Da Nang. Every year, this beautiful city hosts an international fireworks competition, luring artists and visitors from all over the world to lighten up the sky in one night.

Here are some must visit places in Danang you should not miss!
 

 
Son Tra Peninsula is 10km from the center of Da Nang City to the North-east and is 693m high above sea level. Son Tra Mountain can be seen from every places of the city. Son Tra looks like a mushroom of which cap is Son Tra Mountain and stalk is a beautiful sandy beach that affords an ideal area for bathing, playing sports, fishing and swimming.
 
With its sea-oriented appearance, Son Tra acts as a giant screen protecting Da Nang from storms and cyclones coming from the sea. Son Tra is put under the national protected forest regulation since it is a natural preservation area. The Peninsula is famous for its plentiful plants and fauna as well as the attractive scenery. It is said that fairies used to come here for singing, dancing and playing chess so Son Tra is also called Tien Sa (Fairies’ landing place). On this mountain, there still remain more than 30km² of natural forests, nearly 300 types of plants and several hundred kinds of fauna, including rare animal. From the top of the mountain, you can see the overall view of Da Nang City, Marble Mountains, Ba Na – Mount Chua, so interesting!


 

 

Photo: The Internet

 

Suoi Da (Stone Stream) lies by the side of the foot of the mountain, fine sandy surfaces run round the peninsula, several breaks of waves are running steadily up and down and washing up on the stones heaped up around the seaside. All are attractive spots for tourists. It is so majestic and it is so romantic, it is so wide and it is really beautiful. In one-day stay at Son Tra, visitors can enjoy living in the resplendent flow of dawn and the quietness of twilight on this fascinating landscape. And that is a time for them to realize the value of each and every moment and the true calling of the hearts. You can also swim in the cool sea and enjoy the fine view of the sandy banks run round the peninsula. The quiet Bai But offers you relaxing times sitting in small nice houses to hear the sound of waves and look swallows fly to the mount cliffs. The colorful coral reefs at the foot of the mountain are an ideal condition for the development of diving tourism.
 
This place is a special gift of the god to Danang. It can be seen from every places of the city. And from the top of the mountain, the vista is so enjoyable and peaceful…
 
 

5 km to the southwest of Da Nang at an altitude of 1,487m, Ba Na Hills are considered as “One temperate place in the tropical forest” because the climate is cool all the year round and you can enjoy four seasons within a single day.

 

Photo: news.zing.vn


 

In addition, Ba Na cable cars hold two Guinness World Records: the world’s longest single cable car system (5,042.62 m long) and the world highest gap between its departure and arrival station (1,291.81 m high). A series of four star hotel with 137 rooms and standard restaurants which can serve every demand of tourists. Bana is still being invested and expanded to offer tourists with more attractive options. Old French villas have been restored with high-class standards. Sport leisure centers, food and cultural exhibition are being designed. Eco-tourism destinations, nature exploitation and other new-fangled ideas about a hidden mountain and forest area are continuously taken shape. All of these features promise a changeable, unheard-of and unique space, beckoning near and far tourists to come and to fly up with Ba Na.
 
 

Situated at the intersection of Trung Nu Vuong Street and Bach Dang Street in Da Nang, the heart of the ancient Cham Pa Kingdom, the museum houses the last collection of Cham Pa arts in the world. It was started in 1915 under the support of the French’s Oriental Research Institution in Vietnam.In 1936, the museum was expanded before being officially opened to the public in 1939.

Photo: chammuseum.danang.vn

 

Cham Pa Museum was constructed in the ancient Cham Pa architecture style with many blocks of white building decorated with simple and elegant patterns.After decades, the past influence of the Cham Pa dynasty on Vietnam central regions is still prominent. From Da Nang, Quang Nam to Khanh Hoa, etc. we can very often encounter the famous historical sites of Cham Pa. However, the Cham Pa Museum in Da Nang City makes it a lot easier for us to learn about this mysterious yet interesting ancient culture without having to visit several locations thorough the regions.
 
 

Driving 9km south of Danang city center on the famous beachfront boulevard Truong Sa, travelers can find one of the most popular attractions of the region, the Marble mountains. It is a group of five marble and limestone mountains, named after the five elements of the ancient oriental philosophy: metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

Photo: vietnamtypicaltours.com
 

Tourists may also want to visit the Non Nuoc Village at the foot of Marble Mountains. The village is famous for stone sculptures and handicrafts. Here you can buy many things made of marble stone, from small one like earrings, necklaces, vases to the huge sculptures of Buddha. In the past, rock was extracted directly from the Marble Mountains to make sculptures but now the direct extraction was made illegal. Materials for sculpturing work are now transported from nearby provinces like Quang Nam and Thanh Hoa.
 
 

Hai Van Pass is one of the most scenic hillside roads in Vietnam. When braving the steep winding roads of a paved mountain pass, you will have a chance to discover peace,quiet and history along the way…

 

 

Photo: centralcoastvietnam.com
 

Whenever one goes through Hai Van Pass, two feelings are experienced: amazement at passing through the clouds and fear when seeing the dangerous bends of the road. Hai Van Pass will satisfy your desire to conquer high peaks and remind you of the glorious past of the Viet people. Moreover, from the pass, on nice days, visitors can enjoy the whole vista of Danang, the Tien Sa seaport, Son Tra Peninsula, Cu Lao Cham Island and long sandy beaches.
 

Ho Chi Minh Museum is located No 1 Duy Tan Street, Da Nang City. Uncle Ho’s stilt house, gardens and an aquarium: The South was completely liberated in 1975.

 

There are four showrooms of Ho Chi Minh’s life, a national hero, a worldwide famous cultural man. There are numerous valuable and rare articles that reveal deep love of local people, cadres, and soldiers in the Fifth Division to dear Uncle Ho and in reverse. Kiem, a woman living in Ky Xuan Ward, Tam Ky District, Quang Nam Province, hided a photograph of Uncle Ho in a bamboo cylinder since 1965. Until 1975 she brought it to the ward committee to introduce to the public.
 
 

Da Nang’s stunning coastline is over 90km in total length, and stretches from the foot of the Hai Van Pass to the Marble Mountains.


 

 

Me Khe Beach - Photo: goterest.com

The city boasts numerous pristine beautiful beaches with bleached-white sand and crystal-clear blue water.  They include My Khe, Nam O, Xuan Thieu, Thanh Binh, Tien Sa, Son Tra, Bac My An and Non Nuoc beaches.

 

 
Non Nuoc Beach - Photo: lendang.vn
 

Local beaches are good for swimming all year round, but especially from May to August when the waves are gentle.  On some of these beaches, lifeguard teams work from 5am to 8pm daily to ensure the safety of swimmers.


 

Golden Sand Tourist Site is located at Son Tra Peninsula with an area of 10,000 meter square. It has a long sandy coast with crystal clear beach and a diversity of plants and animals. Tourists coming here will have chance to experience the feeling of under the fresh water of the streams, playing on the beautiful beach or enjoying the beauty of the wild nature in different moments.
 
In Golden Sand, tourists can have chance to be local fishermen by joining in scuba diving, fish hunting or catching sea snails or abalones. Moreover, there are also activities such as Banana buoy competition, coracle racing, monkey bridges challenge, duck catching or try to be a fisherman in throwing fishing net.
 
 

About 26 kilometers away to the West from Danang center, Dong Xanh Dong Nghe is an ideal destination for outdoor picnic for families and friends.
 
The first impression when coming to Dong Xanh Dong Nghe is the dams covered in green grass and large lake with an area 2.4 kilometer square, making the human beings become small to the giant nature. The spectacular natural landscapes, unique scenery and fresh environment make Dong Nghe Lake attractive.


 

 

Photo: danagon.com

About 20 minutes on the boat, tourists will reach the upper stream of the lake. Here, you will have chance to visit the farms, cattle and forests. This is an ideal place for camping with peaceful environment, singing birds or flowing streams which you will never find in the city area. A lot of teenagers came here for the weekends with a camping night. Camping fire, singing, chatting, enjoying the beautiful nature and the moon night.
 

Ngam Doi eco-tourism site is a great place if you love nature, and it is also a popular venue for those who enjoy the outdoors.  Just 30km southwest of Da Nang, Ngam Doi is nestled in Phu Tuc Village, Hoa Phu Commune, Hoa Vang District.
 
This site is at the point where two streams merge together to become the source of the Lo Dong River.  It boasts pristine natural beauty and enchanting scenery.  In addition, it is a true sanctuary in perfect harmony with its natural surroundings.
 
On arrival, you will be deeply impressed by the beautiful, breathtaking scenery and the fresh air.  There are impressive streams surrounded by endless forests and mountains, with a rich and colourful habitat full of wild flowers and plant species.  In addition, you will also be fascinated by the numerous large rocks of different shapes which are lying along the stream.  Visitors can find a large flat rock that makes a good bench to sit or lie down on whilst they are exploring this amazing spot.


 

Photo: The Internet

 

Furthermore, Ngam Doi is an ideal place for those who love swimming because of its gentle streams with their cool, clear waters, especially in the summer.  It is fantastic to watch the fish swimming in the clear waters of the streams.
 
Here, visitors of all ages will enjoy themselves and leave with unforgettable memories to treasure.  They will also have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of delicious food and drinks, focusing on local specialities which are served at reasonable prices.  These include rice, fish caught from the streams, vegetables, snails, mountain chickens, and other popular dishes.
 
Coming here, visitors will find the beauty of wild nature, charming and imposing created by a harmonious natural population with beautiful and dreamy waterfalls such as: Trinh Nu (Virgin), Thuy Tien, Bach Lan or joining in trekking to the mountain for adventurous tourists to explore primerval forest and conquer the top of Ngam Doi. Ngam Doi provides a fun and unforgettable experience which will make you want to come back again and again.

The islands in Tan Diep Commune in Hoi An have been recognised by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve. They boast several relics from diverse and ancient cultures, such as Sa Huynh, Cham Pa and Dai Viet.

 

Photo: dtdtqnam.gov.vn
 

 
This is a fishing town, with fresh fish to be found in the area markets, and the first impressions of visitors may be the warm smiles and hospitality of the locals. An express boat from Cua Dai to Cu Lao Cham Island takes about 40 minutes. Local residents of the island mainly live in Bai Lang, and earn a living by fishing.
 
 

 

Photo: news.zing.vn
 

Han River Bridge is the first bridge that Vietnamese architects and workers designed. Han River Bridge was built by the people of Danang and holds a special place in their pride for their city. The bridge is the unique swing bridge to be built in Vietnam and it is also an important part of Danang’s cityscape. The Han River Bridge is the symbol for new vitality and the developing desire of the city-was built with the contribution of the entire city’s people. It is not also facilitates transport and potential for tourism but also a cultural spot of Danang people today left behind for the future generations.