Danang, a city located in between Hanoi (in the north) and Ho Chi Minh City (in the South) along Vietnam’s central coastline (see map below). In this post, discover the things to do and places of interest in this up-and-coming city. The city epitomises Vietnam’s rapid economic growth with an interesting eclectic mix of old and new entities (buildings, in particular). It would be a favourite destination of ours, if the weather weren’t so freaking hot (we travelled to Da Nang in April, where the heat and humidity were unbearable).
As with any Asian cities undergoing rapid economic growth (a la cities in China), a new and swanky airport greeted us. A few vendors located just after the main baggage area of the airport sold cheap SIM cards – we got one for just a couple of dollars. We used a Southeast Asian-based super app (Grab) to get us a ride from the airport to our hotel (the ride cost us just a few dollars). In fact, ride-hailing via the app is highly recommended as alternative to taxis as many Vietnamese do not speak English. Alternatively, those preferring private airport transfers can get them from Klook. 
We stayed at The Code Hotel & Spa, a relatively new hotel within walking distance to a nice beach. We paid about USD 100 for a deluxe family room with balcony and partial sea view (with a fantastic buffet breakfast).
It is very easy to get around Danang, just use the Grab app as mentioned above. Here are a couple of photos of the city centre:
A recommended activity is to have dinner on the Han River Dragon Cruise with plenty of neon lights on display. We booked this activity via our hotel concierge. 
There is also a no-frills version of Han River cruise (no dinner) which can be booked via Klook. Night view from the river cruise:
After the cruise, be sure to head over to DHC Marina to visit waterfront cafes and the carp-dragon statue (something similar to the Merlion statue in Singapore). Here are some photos of the area:
The lively Son Tra night market is beside the statue:
If trinkets and cheap clothes are really your things, then head over to Cho Han market:
Danang has a very long coastline with sandy beaches:
There is also an interesting pagoda (Linh Ung Pagoda) located north of the city which is a short ride from our hotel. The pagoda features a huge Kuan Yin statue.
Here are some photos of our hotel in Da Nang, which is ideal for tourists wanting to stay close to the beach. The view from top floors of the hotel was simply stunning.
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