VIETNAM - CENTRAL - Danang / Hoi An - 27th Feb to 3rd March 2026

 Da Nang and Hoi Ann DAY 11 to 15

DAY 12 - 27th Feb Da Nang
Arrived to a definitely different climate, tropical, although it was raining during the taxi ride to the hotel...which was not only right on the beachfront but I had a 10th floor sea view. I went for a wander along the front ( went out in long trousers and fleece, for 30 seconds....went back for shorts and T shirt!) taking in the high rises along the coast and the large buffet restaurants, and decided this was Blackpool or Benidorm on the South China Sea...I decided to cut into the backstreets, and soon found a Vietnamese restaurant just for me, initially...after, I did more back streets and quickly discovered a much more authentic side to Da Nang! Always tell, no Westerners in eating places and those little chairs are a sign of Vietnamese authentic places....

The following morning I awoke at 6am, and I'd read that the locals were early risers for beach activity....so within 15 mins I was on the beach, watching a glorious sunrise...but yes a very active beach....footy, volleyball, swimming, yoga etc and fishermen bringing their nets in....amazing.

 

 

The plan was to have a quick look, but I ended up paddling quite a distance along the coast....and then went on a motorbike search....I got a Grab bike and eventually after 3 failed attempts I got a scooter...I gave the driver probably too much as an extra tip (as his fare was only to the first place) 100th dongs...about £2.80 but mega for him, as a Grab bike ride is barely anymore than 15th...he did look shocked!

Anyway, freedom! Eventually went around the Son Tra peninsula, with steep coastal roads and great views, and nice beaches...locally called monkey mountain! And I did see one...also passed the 67 metre lady Buddha (which I could see from my hotel room)....met a retired airline pilot from Canada, Milan...we drove back towards the coast road, and agreed to meet up later...but it never happened!

 On my hitlist was the Hai Van Pass over to Hué, 500m at top and took an hour on the lawnmower...and was nothing special at all....the only saving grace was the historical context of defending it from the French back in the day! Oh! And the banana leaf  baked pancakes, amusing the staff, showing me how to eat!

On return I checked out the hotel roof top pool, and got chatting (and eventually swimming) with 4 Poles...who were enthusing about the Ha Giang loop, it got me thinking I need to do it....and this was repeated by a guy I later met in Hoi An...

Planned to go to a steakhouse for some trad food that I'd passed on my morning walk...but it was over £50 per meal....in Vietnam 😳....adjacent restaurants were similar....I did find an ale house and had some nice food, although not enough! Clearly a tourist trap on the seafront.

 

I was keeping my eye on the time, as from Friday to Sunday at 9pm, the Dragon comes to life on Dragon Bridge....so off I set...crossing the  lower bridge into the city of Darang....all lit up, it looked really impressive, a completely different place to the seafront, quite classy in places...eventually a 20 min ride, with mega mental motorbike and car traffic I crossed Dragon Bridge, dumped the bike (did a What3Words for location) and joined the thousands! Got chatting to a Rumanian couple, who were concerned about getting home, due to the US, Israel war against Iran (I had no idea!)....the Dragon spouted it's flames bang on nine, on all the phones were out, mine included....really impressive, and sooo touristy...LOL!

 

I didn't rush to retrieve my scooter, as the traffic was nuts....even after waiting I rode it for barely 300m and dumped it again, to check out the market below the bridge....Great vibe, if not my thing!

Eventually drove back along the prom, and passed a stage banging out dance music, so had a beer, watched that....then headed back to base!

DAY 13 Saturday 1st March
Weather again was nice, high 20s I guess...out on the motorbike, headed straight for Marble Mountain (not!)....expected throngs of people, especially as there was an elevator I'd seen online but but...that was only to the pagoda....to get to the two peaks was by foot, and slightly gnarly. In fact the lower peak was through a cave system, then a narrow squeeze out of it! As a consequence at the highest peak, there was only me and an Aussie (Mikey?) from Sydney....a travelling Business Analyst...his boss let's him travel and work from a laptop...only 30, but been all over....anyhow, suffice to say we spent several hours together....first found a coffee shop (more lovely coconut coffee) and then some eats. We eventually split after about 5 hours, and stupidly we did not swap contact details....as we were both heading in the same directions.

 

 Marble  Mountain had some semi decent views along the coast, but nothing special....more impressive were all the Marble constructs / statues in all the side shops -but were they all really marble, or mass produced casts? 

I was half way already to Hoi An, an hour on the scooters is quite draining especially with all the traffic....so 30 mins later I'm on this stunning secret beach just 5 mins from Hoi An, with wooden cafes that my man tipped me off about....after a slow mango juice and more reading, the sun was starting to set....the exact time to visit Hoi An. Originally a trading / fishing port, with international influences in the architecture as a consequence, from the Japanese, Chinese temples, European style architecture too....no longer a port due to silting, but the historic centre remains, and is an UNESCO Heritage Site....and super touristy, with lantern lit street, and boats at dusk....really lovely albeit packed....and on this evening it was backdropped by a perfect pink sunset throwback....see photos!

Then an hour back to my digs....made it in one piece via scooter lady to keep the machine for one extra day....charged me 150th D, 400th for 2 days before!

DAY 14 Danang
Sadly went searching for nicorette, and fell across another different area, with more of a western demographic...think this was not really backpacker area but certainly a series of boutique type hotels....in fact in one I had two amazing coconut coffees....then went for a wander....cool cafes...had an Egg Benedict (no noodles!) In another cool one, defo with travellers mainly Granola Bun Boys and Girls (Reddit tribes LOL)...
I went back around the peninsula properly to visit the pagoda and the 80m Buddha woman that I could see from my hotel window....

On return there were loads of scummy monkeys on a corner....tried to do some clever trawler photography (never seen so many) then went for a chillax.
Decided in the evening to return to this morning's place, but not so cool this time....this clearly is the western bar area...but bars banging out western rock stuff, and groups of older types, couples and groups, incongruous in Vietnam...when they'd look more at home on the Med...."Cruise and Coach Click Tribes" ....anyway, hypocritically I joined them, and had a burger as a girl belted out some Amy Winehouse tunes - with the Cruise Grannies clicking away on their phones!  I didn't feel my normal self, so dropped the scooter off, and decided to walk the 2 km or more back to my gaff, along the shoreline....my final walk in Danang!