Top Things To Do in Danang

by - July 20, 2019




Even though we weren't in Danang for long, it was definitely one of the best quieter cities I've been to. Not that there's a shortage of things to do, but it is not really heavily populated with tourists, which I loved. The city looks modern, is much less polluted than Hanoi, and plus it's less than an hour away from the charming Hoi An.




Golden Bridge and Bà Nà Hills


Bà Nà Hills is nestled up in the Trường Sơn Mountains of Danang and the resort was built in the early 1900s by the French. It's around 1500km above sea level with a cooler climate (I say that, but it was pretty hot when we went) and to get there, you need hop on one of the world's longest cable cars. Bà Nà Hills also has a fantasy park and the famous Golden Bridge.

For the easiest experience that ensures you get to the Golden Bridge before the crowds in the morning, the best hotel to stay at, the night before, is the Mercure French Village Bà Nà Hills as it's part of the resort. You can get a taxi or Grab to the hotel and during check-in, you can purchase your (mandatory) cable car ticket at 400,000VND per adult which is a reduced price for residents. After check-in, you then have to ride the cable car up to the main part of the hotel. We checked in around 6pm when it was already dark, and I would recommend to go whilst it's still light because it's not that reassuring riding a cable car into the abyss when you can't see anything. We didn't even know how long the ride would be and it ended up taking almost half hour. We also saw someone throw up when they got to the top, but unfortunately it's the only way to get up there!

The Mercure hotel is a reasonably cheap, and we kindly received a complimentary upgrade to the... honeymoon suite. No I am not married, but they thought we were and we didn't want their efforts to go to waste so just went along with it. The room was spacious with a pretty canopy bed, a lounge area and hand painted wall decor, plus an interesting, cavernous en-suite. There are lots of restaurants dotted around the resort, as well as a huge indoor pool. We had a breakfast buffet at one of the restaurants because it was really the only option for breakfast, and unfortunately ranks as one of the worst hotel breakfasts I've had, but can't complain too much as we enjoyed the rest of the stay.

The highlight of the resort is definitely the Golden Bridge, where everyone is eager to capture pictures of the huge stone hands that appear to be holding up a walkway. The cable car opens at 7.30am for residents so I recommend going then to avoid the big crowds that will definitely turn up. Luckily for us, it was a sunny day, but if it rains when you go, it may also be the best time for a photoshoot as from what it seems, no one ventures out when it rains. The morning we went, it wasn't overly crowded, but still quite a few people (which really doesn't make for good photos) and the bridge had not one, not two, but THREE couples having their wedding photoshoots. But perfect timing meant that one of the brides held up the crowd whilst we grabbed a quick pic:



Can't really comment on the fantasy park as it caters more towards children and we didn't end up going on any rides because the queues quickly became really long, but there are other attractions within the park including the Shakyamuni Buddha and tranquil gardens.




Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort


The Intercontinental Danang is one of the most beautiful hotels I've been to and is a destination in itself. The resort was designed by the architect Bill Bensley and the exteriors and interiors are so luxurious and exquisite that words don't really do it justice. Being an Intercontinental, the price is on the pretty expensive side, so we opted for the afternoon tea instead in the outdoor seating, which you'll have to book in advance. The outdoor seating in the Citron Restaurant is made up of upside cone hats called 'non la' and the high tea costs 1,599,000++ VND (so roughly £55-60) per person. Whilst I found the food average and nothing special, it is definitely worth it for the experience and scenery. Admire breathtaking views of the surrounding sea whilst sipping on cocktails and indulging on scones and feeling super serene.






Spa


Spas are a must when you go to Asian countries as they're a lot cheaper and so much better too, especially if you're comparing it to England where you pay quadruple the price (for mediocre skills, sorry!). From my experience, Asian therapists put in so much more effort. Plus, you'll probably need a massage to relax after all the walking and exploring. One of the spas we booked on the trip was an 'Intensive Facial Care' treatment at Herbal Spa. Some spas are really popular with tourists so it's best to just email or call them in advance to book as we saw tourists getting turned away from being fully booked. Our facials were so relaxing, and finished off with complimentary seaweed soup. The cost was around £17 per person for an hour's treatment.




Karaoke


We Asians love karaoke, and karaoke places in the East always have amazing acoustics and room designs, and surprisingly very recent English songs. And I cannot believe that we pay like £25 minimum per person for karaoke in central London in dingy rooms with outdated song selections, whereas here in Danang we literally paid £5 an hour for a huge private room that had all the Ariana Grande and rap songs I could ever want. We randomly found Ruby Karaoke Coffee, which is right next to the Han River and has several floors of karaoke rooms. The two of us ended up staying here and singing for 3 hours. Because why not.




Dragon Bridge


The Dragon Bridge over the Han River is the longest bridge in Vietnam and is illuminated with lights in the night time. We discovered upon coming here that the light shows only happen at the weekend and we came on a Thursday. There is a little bustling night market right next to it though where you can get street food and souvenirs.






Linh Ung Pagoda


We weren't in Danang for very long and didn't get the chance to properly explore this area, but saw it in the distance driving past and the Lady Buddha statue is enormous.




Eat


There are plenty of places to eat, but since we weren't in Danang for very long, we visited Ngon Villa as it's rated Danang's top restaurant on TripAdvisor. For Vietnam, I guess it's considered a bit more on the expensive side, but to us, a pretty reasonable price for an all-you-can-eat buffet. There's a decent sized menu and you order the dishes you want and get them freshly cooked and brought to your table. We sat outside where they had pretty lanterns hanging and a violinist.





There are also lots of other attractions in Danang including the Marble Mountains (unfortunately, I'm not much of a hiker), the Mỹ Sơn temples and also the beach, but again, we weren't in Danang long enough to see all the sights! Maybe we will come back one day to see it all and tour the rest of Vietnam...

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