With over 1.3 million inhabitants, Danang (Đà Nẵng in Vietnamese) is the third largest city in Vietnam. It is located in the centre of Vietnam along the mouth of the Han river, 600km south of Hanoi and 600 km north of Ho-Chi-Minh city.
Danang dates back to the Champa kingdom period (2nd century AD), but only experienced significant growth after the 19th century when it became the main port in central Vietnam. Danang was part of French Indochina between the 1880s and the end of World War II.
Due to the destruction of the Vietnam war there are almost no historical buildings in Danang. The strip of land between the Han river to the west and the South China sea is an area with many hotels and skyscrapers. An endless white sand beach extends from the Nui Son Tra peninsula until the next river estuary at Hoi An.
Danang is a good base from which to explore the UNESCO world heritage sites in the region. To the south along the coast there is historical city of Hoi An, while 40km to the southwest in the interior there are the ruins of My Son. To the north there is the former imperial capital Hue.
Danang is a major tourist centre and attracts a large number of tourists every year, mainly Asian from South Korea and China. The beach is nice but the sea water is not very clean. In the city centre around the Han river there are very few cafes and restaurants.
How to get to Danang
Danang has an international airport with direct connections (even low cost ones) to many Asian cities and capitals and Vietnamese cities. In fact, Danang is the major access point to Central Vietnam. There is also a train station with trains to the north (Hanoi) and the south and bus connections to other Vietnamese cities.
Accommodation
There are countless hotels in Danang, especially in the land strip between the Han river and the beach. Competition helps to drive room rates to reasonable levels.
