Da Nang has been asleep for 15 years, according to a local who works in the tourism industry. If that's true then it is about to wake up in a big way. When Vietnam reluctantly opened its doors to tourism in the 1990's, the beach-town of Nha Trang to the south exploded with development, while Da Nang remained relatively untouched. Ironic, because the beach and the scenery here are arguably better than Nha Trang, the seafood is probably the best in the country, and there are a number of good attractions in the surrounding area.

On our last visit in August 2007, the China Beach beachfront, stretching from the Son Tra Peninsula to the north, down to Cua Dai Beach outside Hoi An to the south, was being prepped for a massive transformation. Thousands of acres of beachfront property have been appropriated by the government for use by international hotel conglomerates to build four and five-star luxury resorts. This has resulted in a large number of Vietnamese being uprooted and relocated -- vast tracks of land currently contain nothing but half-demolished buildings. Even the long-time backpacker mecca, Hoa's Place, and its associated businesses, are on the chopping block, though no one knows the precise month or year when the axe will finally fall. For the meantime, business continues as usual. However unfortunate this situation may be, there seems to be no stopping it.

The name 'Da Nang' has a familiar ring to anyone acquainted with America's military action in Vietnam, and that's not just because it's easy to pronounce. During the war, it was home to one fifth of all US servicepeople, and a transit or R&R spot for most of the rest, making it one of the most occupied -- and heavily-defended -- cities in South Vietnam. Eventually however it fell to the North Vietnamese in 1975 with hardly a bullet fired.

During the French colonial period, Da Nang was called, Tourane -- a name still used by some of the hotels in the city. The French also used it as a landing point during their war in Vietnam. When the French established a garrison on the nearby Son Tra Peninsula (dubbed 'Monkey Mountain by the American troops) more soldiers died from disease building it than during the associated fighting and today a small cemetery, near Tien Sa Beach, by the port to the north of Da Nang, stands in their memory.

But, there's more to Da Nang than just the beach. A good two kilometres away, on the west bank of the Han River, is the city of Da Nang proper. It's a busy, frenetic, industrious metropolis -- the fourth largest in Vietnam. The population has tripled from half a million to 1.5 million since the end of the American war, and it’s easy to see it's getting overcrowded when plying the streets among a swarm of motorbikes.

Currently, the main thoroughfare of Tran Phu Street is being widened by a metre on each side, making it a hassle to visit any of the businesses along it. Construction should wind up some time in 2008. Elsewhere in the city, many hotels are either being extensively renovated or torn-down and rebuilt, making the place feel like one long, continuous construction site.

Years before, Da Nang was notable for it's pretty, tree-lined streets -- a great place to go for a wander. This is still the case in sections of the city, and much of the original character is likely to return as construction is completed. Da Nang still boasts the excellent Cham Museum, which is a great primer for a visit to My Son further to the south, and also a large Cao Dai temple and a pleasant riverfront boulevard. There are some good options for eating, drinking, and getting down in the evenings, which are likely to expand as the city does. The immediate area includes attractions like Marble Mountain, Monkey Mountain (the Son Tra Peninsula) and the Ba Na Hill Station, all of which are well worth a visit.

Many travellers who show up in Da Nang find the city dull and end up heading elsewhere. Perhaps this is because Da Nang is a more difficult city to visit than other spots in Vietnam -- you can't experience the best of it just by walking around and seeing what you find, as you can in Nha Trang or Hoi An. It's one spot where you really have to seek out the hidden corners, and some advanced preparation can truly enrich your experience. With a bit of effort, you may discover that Da Nang has a lot more going on than meets the eye.

Da Nang Orientation
The Han River flows north-south through Da Nang city, about a kilometre and a half west of the ocean. The west bank is crowded with buildings, while the east bank is sort of a no-man's land with not much of interest to tourists, though there are several hotels along the river that offer good views and a quieter setting. Wherever you're staying in Da Nang it's at least 2km to My Khe beach -- it takes more than half an hour to walk there, and it's not all that pleasant, so think in terms of transport. It's ten kilometres to either China Beach (Non Nuoc) to the south, or the tip of the Son Tra Peninsula to the north.

The road along the west bank of the Han River is Bach Dang street -- one-way going north. Along it are a half a dozen places to stay which are desirable for their river views. Running parallel to Bach Dang is Tran Phu, to the west, which is a one-way road going south. Cheaper accommodation can be found here, if you can sacrifice the river views, as well as elsewhere throughout town.

As Tran Phu heads south it meets up with Bach Dang and then turns into Duong 2/9, "September 2nd Street" which commemorates the day in 1945 when Ho Chi Minh signed the Vietnamese version of the 'Declaration of Independence' -- even though it was 30 years until actual independence, and even then, half the country wasn't so thrilled about the outcome. It's also the day Ho Chi Minh died in 1969. Duong 2/9 leads past the waterpark and eventually winds its way towards Hoi An.

Da Nang and My Khe beach are connected via three bridges over the Han River. The southernmost, the Tuyen Son, leads from the Da Nang waterpark, east to the beach, letting out near the Furama Resort. Some locals call it 'the Furama Bridge'.

Just 1.2 kilometres to the north, there's a set of two bridges. The southern-most bridge, Nguyen Van Troi, was built by the US, and allows motorbikes only. The bridge alongside it, Tan Thi Ly, was built by the French and allows heavy trucks to cross. They connect Duong 2/9, in the area of Bia Tulip and the Ho Chi Minh Museum, with My Khe Beach, letting out near Van Xuan restaurant and the My Khe 2 Hotel.

Another 1.2 kilometres further north is the main bridge, the Song Han. Le Duan, which cuts east-west through the centre of Da Nang, leads to the bridge and it's two kilometres to the centre of My Khe Beach. There is a white, modernist sculpture on the beachfront here that makes for a good reference point. This is currently the northern-most bridge, and the one to take when heading to Tien Sa and the Son Tra Peninsula from Da Nang. To get to Tien Sa beach, take a left as you cross the Song Ha bridge from Da Nang. For Son Tra, drive all the way to the beach and take a left.

If you turn right (to the south) at the beach after crossing the Song Han Bridge, My An beach 3.5 km south, Non Nuoc 8 km, Ha My beach is 18km, An Bang beach is 21km, and Cua Dai beach, outside Hoi An, is 24km.

A fourth bridge, the Thuan Phuoc, is currently under construction, and will eventually connect Da Nang with Nam O beach and the bay of Da Nang. The project went over budget, and, after six years of effort, work has ceased while they refinance -- optimistic estimates forecast the completion of the bridge some time in 2009.

A word is in order about the names of beaches along the coast. Some reckon that everything from the Son Tra Peninsula to the north, to Cua Dai beach to the south, is China Beach. But a convention has arisen of calling Non Nuoc, where the Sandy Beach and Hoa's place are located, China Beach. If you say, China Beach to a xe-om, that's where they'll take you. This doesn't stop the Furama Resort from claiming they are also on China Beach, even though they are on My An Beach, 4.5 kilometres to the north. We'll follow the convention and call Non Nuoc 'China Beach' and refer to everything else by its local name.

Da Nang's train station is located on Hai Phong street in the centre of town. The new bus station is on Dien Bien Phu, 2.5km north past the junction with highway 1A at the railroad crossing. Most maps still mark the old bus station, so don't make the mistake of heading there.

While most banks in town will handle foreign currency exchange, to cash traveller's cheques at no commission, head to the main branch of the Vietcom Bank on Le Loi. ATMs are widely available throughout Da Nang, but not all of them work for foreigners -- here are some that do:
BIDV Bank: 40-42 Hung Vuong, corner of Tran Phu and 90 Nguyen Chi Thanh.
Incombank: 122 Hai Phong.
Techcom Bank: 124 Hai Phong.
Vietcombank: 68 Bach Dang, 140 Le Loi, 251 Ngo Quyen, 178 Tran Phu, 4B Tran Hung Dao.

The post office located on Bach Dang street right next to the Song Han Bridge

There's a Vietnam Airlines and a Pacific Airlines office, on Tran Phu, just north of Le Duan.

The Da Nang International Airport is located 2 km west of town, at the end of Nguyen Van Linh.

Medical services are available at the Family Medical Practice on Nguyen Van Linh -- they have a western doctor on call and a multi-lingual staff. They work closely with most major insurers to prevent you having to go out of pocket for a visit, but if you don't have insurance, this is an expensive way to go. Try Hospital C or the new Danang Hospital, right next door to each other, on Hai Phong.

Internet is widely available in Da Nang, usually for less than 4,000 VND per hour. We found a good connection, computers with useful software, and good USB hook-ups for 3,000 VND per hour at Internet (that’s the name!) on Phan Chu Trinh, a block and a half south of Le Duan.

Danang Hospital: 124 Hai Phong, Da Nang. T: (0511) 821 118.
Family Medical Practice: 50-02 Nguyen Van Linh, Da Nang. T: (0511) 582 699 (available 24-hours), F: (0511) 583 049. http://www.vietnammedicalpractice.com
Hospital C: 122 Hai Phong, Da Nang. T: (0511) 821 483, 480
Internet: 02 Phan Chau Thrinh, Da Nang. T: (0511) 832 896. Hours: 08:00 to 22:00.
Main Post Office: 64 Bach Dang, just south of the Song Han Bridge, Da Nang. T: (0511) 837 407, F: (0511) 821 278.
Pacific Airlines: 169 Tran Phu, Da Nang. T: (0511) 817 374, F: (0511) 843 024.
Vietcom Bank: 140-142 Le Loi, Da Nang. T: (0511) 812 564, F: (0511) 826 062. Hours: 07:30 - 11:00 and 13:00 - 16:30.
Vietnam Airlines: 35 Tran Phu, Da Nang. T: (0511) 811 111, F: (0511) 832 759. Hours: Mon-Fri 07:00 - 11:00 and 13:30 - 17:00, Sat-Sun, holiday: 07:00 - 11:00 and 13:30 - 15:30.