Da Nang

We flew from Hanoi to Da Nang, arriving very late on November 29, 2025. Tired, we hopped in a cab, headed to our budget friendly (10 CHF per night!) Sea Near Me Hotel and went straight to bed because the next day was a very special one. The next morning, we were happy to reunite with Marina’s sister, her dad, and his girlfriend, who had flown all the way from Switzerland to spend a week with us in Vietnam. How nice, isn’t it?!! It was an emotional moment for Marina.
For the rest of the week, we all stayed at the Mercy Emerald Hotel. Clean, comfortable, affordable and very central. We can definitely recommend it. And it also served as the perfect base for our planned activities such as relaxing at the nearby beach, eating at various restaurants in the city, and visiting sights in the city and its broader region.

One evening, we strolled across the romantic Heart Bridge, lined with glowing red heart-shaped lanterns where couples hang love locks and people take a lot of pictures. Just around the corner is Da Nang’s most iconic sight: the Dragon Bridge (Cầu Rồng). It features an impressive steel dragon stretching all across the river, which lights up in vibrant colors at night. On weekends, the dragon even breathes fire and water.
We also visited the Lady Buddha in Chùa Linh Ứng, which is a short ride north of Da Nang. It is 67 meters tall and overlooks the sea and city below. A truly impressive construction!
When we weren’t sightseeing, we took time to relax spa-style. Massages, Vietnamese hair washing (which is an experience in itself), manicures, pedicures... all super affordable and absolutely worth it. And of course, we went to some of the many restaurants in the city for lunch and dinner every day. We also had fun playing billiards where Matthias' team always won or singing karaoke where everyone was shouting their souls out.
We furthermore spent two full days outside of the city, one at the Ba Na Hills and one at the Marble Mountains and in Hoi An. These places were quite special and nice and hence deserved their own footprints, which you can find after this one.

Almost every day, we made a visit to Bread & Butter, a nearby bakery, for dessert, which became our little ritual. But not everything was sugar and sunshine: Da Nang is also home to a lot of rats. More than we saw anywhere else in Vietnam. We spotted them regularly in the streets, near restaurants, and even running across the beach.
One small but noticeable thing during our time in Vietnam, which started to become evident in Da Nang, was that in shops and restaurants, staff occasionally struggled returning the correct amount change. Sometimes it felt like simple calculations caused real problems. It remains unclear if this was due to a lack of training or a generally lower level of education than we are used to.

After an activity-packed week, we first had to say goodbye to our visitors and, after spending one more night, also to Da Nang before taking a Grab taxi to our next destination.

Some good café, food and drink options in Da Nang:
- Caribou (Beach stall with yummy fries and the best smoothies ever. The tropical fruit smoothie is the one to try.)
- Cafe Phuong (They have a pond with kois in the middle of the café surrounded by tables and chairs. Also, a fog machine which makes the atmosphere very mysterious. Try the salted milk chocolate - it is truly amazing!)
- B & B Bakery (best pastry in town)
- Bottega5 - Fusion Italian Restaurant (great pasta and pizza)
- Roots Plant-Based Cafe - Healthy vegan restaurant (delicious bowls)
- Thai Market Restaurant (Curries, pad thai or tum yum soup are delicious.)
- Bikini Bottom Express (fancy name & burgers)
- Golden Meat House (Korean place where you can grill the meat at a grill in the middle of the table. Great experience!)
- Bep Cuon Da Nang (Best Vietnamese food in Da Nang. Try Banh Xeo!)
- L’italiano Riverside Terrace Restaurant (Lovely Italian restaurant with authentic Italian owners, food and even live music. Try the gnocchi, pizza and the tiramisu (best ever)! They have a second restaurant called L’italiano Restaurant in Da Nang. )
- All Seasons Buffet Da Nang (This is an all-you-can-eat Seafood buffet. It is a bit pricey compared to the other Vietnamese prices but we really recommend it.)
- Section 30 (good place for drinks and live music)Read more