Life in Da nang
Danang
Danang is a bustling city on the coast of South Central Vietnam. It’s one of Vietnam’s biggest cities but is much smaller and quieter than Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and has much fewer ex-pats. Danang is the city at the start of China Beach, over 30 km of white, sandy beaches where US forces spent their rest and relaxation (R and R) time during the war.
Danang is developing quickly and has some modern shopping centres and cinemas have been built and more western restaurants, bars and nightclubs are being developed. The city has a reputation for having superb seafood restaurants on the sea front with stunning views out to sea. Danang is at the top end of the tropical zone in Vietnam and has a pleasant climate all year round.
|  |  | One of the best things about Danang is its close proximity to many of Vietnam’s most interesting tourist sites. The Museum Of Cham Culture is in Danang and contains relics of the civilization taken from the My Son site.
Hoi An, UNESCO world heritage site, is just over half an hour away from Danang by motorbike. Hoi An is a photogenic riverside town which retains a real sense of history. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, the Vietnamese Government have been working hard to keep the town’s atmosphere and protect it against development and have succeeded. The centre of the town is pedestrianised and you can buy tickets to visit several traditional houses and pagodas. Hoi An is a relaxing place to spend time, chill out and just enjoy. Hoi An is the best place to get a brand-new tailor-made wardrobe at reasonable prices and there are hundreds of tailors to choose from, the vast majority of which speak English. There are fantastic restaurants, cafes and bars and has some of the best nightlife in Vietnam. If you’re feeling more active, you can go diving and snorkeling off the coast; there are a number of dive schools in the area.
|  |  | My Son
My Son is one of Vietnam’s most prestigious religious vestiges and one of the most important relics of the ancient civilization of Champa. My Son was the site of the premier intellectual and religious centres of the Cham civilization which originated in India from the 4th to 13th Century and is a counterpart of other Indian-influenced civilizations such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Ayathaya in Thailand.
|  |  | This area was bombed extensively during the Vietnam/American conflict and the ruins have been damaged beyond repair. However, there are still some fine examples of Sanskrit stone carvings and the area retains an atmosphere of a lost city amongst the lush green trees which was built in the crater of a volcano.
If you are able to visit in the morning before the hordes of tourists arrive, the experience is even more tangible.
Hue
Hue is a couple of hours away from Danang and was the ancient capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasties. The main attractions are fine examples of the Nguyen Emperor’s tombs, pagodas and the Citadel. Tours of the tombs are usually combined with a boat trip along the Perfume River, a relaxing and enjoyable way to mix historic culture with scenery and gain some insight into the history of Vietnam.
DMZ
The Demilitarised Zone, or DMZ, is where some of the most damaging of the fighting of the Vietnam/American War took place. It was the line of demarcation between North and South Vietnam. Some of the old military bases can be visited during day visits from Hue, as can Vinh Moc Tunnels. There are 2.8 km of tunnels which can be visited and have been unchanged for Western sized tourists (unlike the tunnels at Cu Chi in the south of Vietnam)
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is one of Vietnam’s premier beach resorts and is a fantastic place to go to spend some time. You can spend all your time sunning yourself and working on your tan and catching up on your reading (there are heaps of second hand bookstores here). However, if you fancy being marginally more active, there are a huge variety of activities to choose from. You can go diving and snorkeling off the coast close to the islands; there are several dive schools to choose from. If you fancy having fun, detoxifying and making yourself more beautiful, there are the famous natural mud baths. Just outside of Nha Trang, along a coconut palm fringed road in the countryside, there is a resort where you can get yourself muddy and massaged all for a tiny amount of money (for 4 people to share a mud bath, it costs roughly $4 per person) There are some great examples of Cham Towers (see My Son information) in and around Nha Trang, museums, pagodas, and waterfalls. If you rent a motorbike and travel outside of Nha Trang a little, you’ll see the salt fields being farmed with the little mounds of salt reflecting the sunlight.
Tourism is a huge part of the town and therefore there are some fantastic restaurants and bars catering for every taste.
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