Da Nang -
Getaway Gem of Vietnam
Personal Blog - Vietnam - Southeast Asia - Culture - Beaches - Relaxation
My first venture into Southeast Asia of course had to be my country of origin. Last time I was in Vietnam was back in 2007 to visit family, so this trip was my first leisure trip in the country. We chose the city of Đà Nẵng as our Vietnamese destination because of the beach city vibes to kick back and relax, plus the day trip opportunities to Huế and Hội An.
Itinerary
- Da Nang Food
- NOV Coffee
- Nails
- Sơn Trà Night Market
- Bà Nà Hills SunWorld
- Mỹ Khê Beach
- Massages at Lani Spa
Huế
- Cafés
- Lò bánh
- &.café.studio
- Imperial City
Back to Đà Nẵng
- P Coffee
- Dragon Bridge
- Watch the Fire and Water Performance
- Love Lock Bridge and Vietnam’s Merlion
- I’m Here Coffee Shop
- Dâu Ngọt Cà Phê ‘n’ Souvenir
Day 1 (Đà Nẵng)
It was lunch time by the time we touched down in Đà Nẵng Airport, so after dropping off our luggage at Altara Suites by AHG, we rushed off to explore the city and eat. I brought Mon to a restaurant that specialized in mì quảng, a chicken and shrimp topped noodle dish with strongly flavored, turmeric-infused soup combined with a wide variety of herbs and spices, by a which originated in Central Vietnam. This was the perfect start to the trip, it encapsulated refreshing, savory, and healthy.
The start of our cafe hopping escapades began immediately after, starting at NOV Coffee. The white and stone minimalist vibe was so calming, plus the matcha latte and salted Vietnamese coffee were a great escape from the heat outside. Feeling hungry again, we hopped into another restaurant specializing in Bún Bò Huế, a spicy beef noodle dish originating from the imperial city of Huế. I remember it not being as spicy as I thought it was going to be, but soup was fragrant, noodles were firm, and the dish was overall super delicious.
Nails were another priority. And with this being the country whose top export is nail salons, it was a must. We came across a place with pretty high reviews in a recluse location, and they were actually surprised when I initiated with Vietnamese! Guess we seemed more touristy than I believed. Mon got herself a cute pedicure with butterfly charms, and it was fun watching the nail tech mix colors of such small amounts of nail polish. Overall satisfied with this salon (find).
It was dark by the time we left the salon, just in time to hit the famous Vietnamese night markets, both for delicious street food and to put my bargaining skills to the test. We went to Chợ Đêm Sơn Trà and were immediately blessed with infinite food options. Meat skewers, seafood, noodles, and other Vietnamese specialties were a plenty. I immediately went for a steaming hot bowl of phở and a refreshing cup of sugar cane juice, then a handful meat skewers to munch on while shopping around. Once we had enough of the bustling energy we hopped onto a scooter taxi (3 people on one scooter!) and headed back to the hotel to relax by the beautifully designed pool to end the night.
Day 2 (SunWorld: Ba Na Hills)
We packed our morning enjoying the gym, pool, and delicious breakfast buffet at the hotel. After a great start to the day, we hopped aboard a car transport to SunWorld: Ba Na Hills, a theme park situated atop a high mountain close to the sun. Getting to the peak entrance requires taking a 20-minute long cable car ride of distance 5,801 meters (19,032 feet), showcasing a magnificent view down below as you pass through the clouds.
When we arrived at Sunworld, we immediately went to its most famous attraction, the Golden Bridge. The 150m-long bridge is seemingly held up by two massive stone hands and serves as a memorable entrance into the heart of the park.
The rest of Sunworld has a very obvious French influence, from La Jardin D’Amour Gardens to the architecture of the mini villages, all of which make for beautiful and aesthetic photo spots. As we traversed, we were surprised to find out that there is an entire cable car network that links the different areas of the park together, enhancing that sky high feeling. We spent a very fulfilling half-day wandering around the park before going back to the city to enjoy the beach.
Mỹ Khê Beach in Đà Nẵng is very wide open but still quite crowded in the evenings. We observed some folk doing some group exercises, some swimming, and others just lounging about.
We went for a massage at Lani Spa afterwards. The employees there were really patient with us as we took a while to decide on the massages we wanted. Both of us opted to treat our shoulders and face, and we were treated with a free foot massage as a package deal! Very good value massage here.
We ended the day with some Vietnamese delivery and Netflix back at our hotel, resting to prepare for the day trips ahead.
Day 3 (Hội An)
We set off for Hội An at around 10 o’clock AM with a hired driver, taking about one hour to reach. Our first stop was Bánh Mì Phượng, the bánh mì shop made world-famous by the late Anthony Bourdain, highlighting it as the tastiest and best bánh mì. Short and honest review, it was definitely worth the somewhat chaotic queue. Each sandwich is packed to the brim with meat, pate, coriander, and a mix of pickled daikon and carrot, and you can taste the dedication and quality in every single bite.
We strolled around Old Town after getting ahold of our banh mi sandwiches. Shops here sold a wide variety of goods and crafts largely centered around either Vietnamese culture or catering to the foreign tourists, and they were also a great way to escape the blazing July heat.
We had enough of the sweaty heat after this and decided to chill at a cafe. We took a cab to a cafe called fefe coffee, an out-of-the-way escape with lush oasis vibes. We relaxed for about an hour with a hazelnut cold brew and iced coconut latte before our next activity.
The coconut basket boat tour by Hacoconut was a very fun and unique experience. Our tour guide took us down a narrow river path into the Bay Mau Coconut Forest, where we eventually reached a lively area of the river bustling with live music, fishermen, and dozens (possibly hundreds!) of other coconut boats enjoying the jivey tunes. There are people here who offer to take you for a spin within their coconut boats as part of their performances, paddling with such rotational force that it took a lot to not slide or fly off. Our guide taught us how to catch crabs along the bank with a makeshift fishing pole and practice tossing fishing nets with the fishermen. The beautiful scenery and pleasant ride itself, however, are definitely the main attraction here.
Feeling the need to relax again, we went back to Old Town and popped into a massage parlor for a full body treatment. We then snacked on a bowl of cao lầu, a regional noodle dish from Hội An which consists of thick chewy rice noodles topped with simmered pork, crispy fried dough squares, and a fresh bed of greens and herbs. At the same spot we also tried the Vietnamese version of chicken rice, though it contained more bone than we’d like.
Our last area to hit was the cultural central neighborhood of An Hội. This is where the main night market is located, offering delicious food and shopping as always, as well as a wide selection of resorts and restaurants to enjoy. The beauty of this place is the candle-lit lanterns among the dozens of boats in the river, bringing the town to life in the later hours of the day.
We walked out after a few rounds of the night market and made our way home to once again rest for another day trip ahead.
Day 4 (Huế)
The ride to Huế from Đà Nẵng is about twice as long as the one to Hội An.
First stop was a bakery cafe called Lò bánh, about one block west from the walls of the Imperial City itself. The surrounding stone walls made it feel like the cafe had been carved out of the wall. The pastries and buns are all laid out on the long main counter, and they give you a tray to pick and choose what you like. People in the back were preparing more tasty pastries as well.
We then hopped over to &.cafe.studio, which the owner had opened up right next to his home. The back lounge area of this cafe has cute benches, mirrors, and decor laid out very aesthetically, but we spent most of our time inside its mini coffee and tea gallery due to the blazing heat.
We crossed the Perfume River to enter the Imperial City (put cost) in the early afternoon. The historic architecture and gardens have been well preserved, making me feel like I was really back in that era.
Fun Fact: Huế was actually the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen dynasty, from 1802 to 1945, making it a kingdom of my own.
If it wasn’t so hot, we would have definitely bought into the imperial costumes experience, a photoshoot where you dress as an emperor or any other member of the court in traditional dress. Instead, we spent most of our time admiring the architecture while hiding in the shady areas.
After about two hours, we were running out of water and the heat became quite unbearable, so we rode back to our hotel. We spent the start of the evening at another cafe called P Coffee, showcasing a metallic color scheme with unique concave wooden seats, and enjoyed three tasty drinks.
From the cafe, we shopped around a bit before crossing the Dragon Bridge to prepare for the dragon breathe show, which occurs at 9 o’clock every Saturday and Sunday night. We started from the tail and walked the most of the entire length of the bridge until we ran into the massive crowd waiting for the show. Cycles of three fire breathes would burst out of the dragon’s mouth, followed by an enormous spout of water that honestly looked even more impressive. The constantly changing RGB lighting across the dragon’s body added to the allure, as well as the many super-lit ships scattered around the river.
The last thing we witnessed before returning to the hotel was that Vietnam had its own answer to Singapore’s Merlion right here in Đà Nẵng! This Merlion sits at the waterfront near the Love Lock Bridge, where we took took another lovely walk to finish off the evening.
Day 5
As our flight was in the afternoon, we took the chance in the morning to seek out a few more cafes. Our first was I’m Here Coffee Shop, showcasing a calming natural environment and the very bold 3D letters of the shop sign. Many people were sitting inside and studying, so early in the morning at 9 o’clock AM! (what we tried)
The final cafe of our trip was Dâu Ngọt Cà Phê ‘n’ Souvenir. This store had two stories of wooden furniture, plants, and many art pieces like sculptures, paintings, and crockery. You are also able to make your own art as well as buy the souvenirs from the shop as a token of your trip here. (what we tried).
That ends our short but sweet Vietnam trip of summer 2022. We will definitely return to the country in the future as we had a blast but possibly in a different region and city. Stay tuned!
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