Posted August 29
Da Nang
Situated on the shores of the South China Sea about halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang is a large city that has a split personality. Part of it is a tourist centered beach town, with all the trappings of a destination vacation spot. However, it’s a metropolitan area of over a million residents, so there is a large no-nonsense business portion of the city as well.
The area around Da Nang has been permanently settled since the late 2nd century CE. Its central location within the region, inland access via the Han River, and large natural port made it into a transportation hub starting in ancient times, and that tradition continues today.
Da Nang seen from the Ba Na Hills Cable Car
The tourist side of Da Nang is well developed and even though my time here has been in the off-season for tourism, it’s clear that the services that line the beach and the steady flow of day-tour buses that leave town in the morning and return in the evening that unlike Nha Trang, this town has been seeing tourists for a while.
The oceanfront promenade has a much more “developed” feel to it than in Nha Trang, with restaurants and bars aplenty. The purveyors of beach chairs and umbrellas also stock beer and snacks, and there are the typical beach tourist activities like jet skis and parasailing available at a price.
Actually the prices of things at the beach are remarkably low, even by Viet standards. A beach chair and umbrella, which would have been 100-200 thousand Dong ($4-8) per day in Nha Trang is only 20-40k Dong ($0.80-1.60) in Da Nang. And while nothing beats the 10,000 Dong beer I was able to obtain from a vendor along the beach in Nha Trang, the beers served by the beach chair vendors here are 20,000 Dong, or about 80 cents.
Beach Chairs on the Da Nang beachfront. It’s almost deserted in the off-season
There are other signs of Da Nang being prepared for tourists. There are many, many, many spots designed to showcase Da Nang in social media selfies. Nearly every bar, restaurant, and public space has some sort of kitschy hook designed to get pictures taken and likes on whatever social media platform is de jour. There is the ubiquitous angel wings (oddly placed much higher than the typical stature of a Vietnamese local) but also mounted jet skis, motorcycles, heart statues, and all manner of statues related to sea creatures.
Yet another Selfie Spot along the beach
Sunrise over the South China Sea. Selfie Spot front and center.
I love Da Nang at sunset.
When the 95 degree heat becomes unbearable, it’s a short drive to get to Sun World Ba Na Hills, a theme park in the hills to the west of Da Nang. Because of the elevation change and the clouds, there can be a 20-30 degree difference between the beach and the theme park.
The park is only accessible by cable car, and once up in the hills overlooking Da Nang, the theme portion of theme park is, well, interesting if a little discombobulated. The main idea (I think) is a recreation of a French village of unknown time. However, English and German elements are also on display, like an Octerbfest Beer Hall complete with steins and staff wearing lederhosen and dirndls and a castle with British royalty coats of arms.
And then there’s the Golden Bridge, a cantilevered semicircular walkway that extends over the cliffside and is held by large, somewhat creepy hands. It is unclear what the thematic tie-in is with France.
The Golden Bridge at Sun World Ba Na Hills
The French village at Sun World Ba Na Hills
Octoberfest(ish) beer hall facing a Roman(esque) fountain
Of course there’s all the typical other things you’d anticipate in a French Village theme park. There are Rigged carnival games, rides, overpriced Asian food, and a brewery.
The number one feature has to be the weather. The 30 degree difference between the beach and the theme park actually made me exclaim “I’m a bit chilly” for the first time in months. It was a glorious feeling, actually.
Da Nang has proven to be a good stop. My best analogy is that it’s sort of like a cheap version of Las Vegas without the gambling or Brits, and with more beach and Koreans. Depending on your thoughts on that, Da Nang may be a good add to your “must visit” or “must avoid” list.
French Village Dining options include Starbucks, Rosa’s Fried Chicken, and Rosa’s Sushi.