Da Nang is Vietnam’s third-largest city. It a major port city on the South Central Coast of Vietnam, midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It does not have the busy road traffic you will find in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. Instead, it has a peaceful and laid-back atmosphere in this city with some of Vietnam’s most beautiful isolated beaches.

Da Nang is also located within 100km of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Imperial City of Hue, the Ancient Town of Hoi An and the My Son ruins.

Da Nang is like the Bali of Vietnam. It’s your choice of travel destination when you are looking for a rest & relax trip. And you do not want to exhaust yourself from too much travelling. You just want to enjoy your spa treatment, sun bathe by the beach and visit historical sites. Instead of shopping, you can also visit Hoi An to make a few pieces of tailor-made clothing at a very good price.

In contrast to the small and underdeveloped cityscape, you will find many big resort establishments with their own private beaches located along the coast of Da Nang. So if you intend to pamper yourself on a luxury incentive trip, you can choose to stay in a hotel with spa facilities and five star customer service like the newly open Hyatt Regency Da Nang Resort and Spa from US$200++ a night or a beautiful villa stay in the all luxury The Nam Hai from US$750++ a night.

These accommodations may be price. But they are definitely worth every penny you spend. So in order to cut costs to save for these hotel rooms, you can fly with low-cost carrier like AirAsia. Save a few hundred bucks from flying with other full-service airlines.

AirAsia flies between Kuala Lumpur and Da Nang. If you are travelling from Singapore, you will have to purchase an additional flight from Singapore to KL which cost as low as S$76* including taxes.

*Flight cost from SIN to KL is estimated.

Attractions Around Da Nang

Linh Ung -Bai But Pagoda

One of Da Nang’s iconic landmarks will have to be the Linh Ung – Bai But Pagoda. The statue of the Bodhisattva of Mercy faces the South China Sea from Son Tra Peninsula. It stands at 67 meters tall and somewhat reminds me of the statue of Jesus in Rio de Janerio. The visibility of this statue can be seen along the coast of Da Nang’s famous “China Beach” on a clear day.

Marble Mountains

Marble Mountain is a cluster of marble limestone hills located in South of Da Nang, the five mountain peaks are named after five elements; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). You can choose from climbing up the mountains through the stairs or taking a lift up. The area around Marble Mountains is also famous for stone sculpture making and stone-cutting crafts. Do note that most of the marble used to make crafts in the stores are largely imported from China and not from the Marble Mountains.

The Ancient Town of Hoi An, (UNESCO Heritage Site)

The Ancient Town of Hoi An is just 30 minutes drive from Da Nang. Hoi An has a history of being a port and trading centre of the local people along the Thu Bon river since the 2nd century BC. The town has preserved the historic example of South-East Asia’s trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. The houses reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique ancient town.

Hoi An is a destination where you will be able to spend a full day wandering around taking pictures, as hawkers are used to tourists taking pictures of them and when it comes to night time, the shops along the streets of Hoi An will light up with beautiful silk lanterns of different shape and sizes.

Other than the usual restaurants and handy craft shops found at a tourist spot, in Hoi An tailoring is a competitive trade too. Many tourists who visit Hoi An will make one or a few pieces of tailor-made suits or dress to complete their trip to Hoi An.

Like every other tourist, I went on a made-to-measure shopping spree and got myself two sets of suits (at US$70 & US$100) and a tuxedo shirt (at US$20). The price of the clothing depends greatly on the fabric you choose with no additional cost for tailoring, so if you have a low budget like me, just tell the shop assistant to show those fabrics within your budget to save time.

After scouting through a few stores, I was recommended by my travel guide to visit Yaly Couture which I find they have more professionally trained sales assistants and a shop that is 4 times bigger than any other tailor shop in Hoi An. Because it’s my last day in Da Nang, I chose Yaly Couture because they promise to deliver to my hotel for my first fitting, the complete and deliver my order to my hotel that very evening.

My choice was right, Yaly Couture managed to give me a perfect fit during my first fitting and it only took them less than 8 hours… AMAZING! You can see a picture of me in the suit and tuxedo shirt below. Apologies for the low resolution as it’s taken with my mobile phone.

The Imperial City of Hue, (UNESCO Heritage Site)

About 3 hours drive from Da Nang, you will arrive at the historical site, Hue which the Nguyen Dynasty once ruled from 1802 to 1945. With the Perfume River winding its way through the Capital City, the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Inner City, giving this once a political and religious capital a blend of great natural beauty.

My Son Ruins, (UNESCO Heritage Site)

About an hour’s drive from Da Nang, located in Central Vietnam lies a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu Temples. They have been constructed with red bricks between the 4th and the 13th century AD by Champa Kingdom. The construction techniques used by the Champa Kingdom to build these Hindu temples are still not completely understood till today.

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