Information for your Danang tour

While most tourists neglect Vietnam’s fourth-largest city in favour of nearby Hue and Hoi An, Da Nang has considerable charm in its own right. The economic powerhouse of central Vietnam, it combines the buzz of a bigger city with beautiful beaches and great restaurants, hotel, resort . A lot of money has recently been poured into tree-lined boulevards, bridges and beachside resorts.

Back in the heady days of the American War, Da Nang was referred to as the ‘Sai Gon of the North’. This held a note of both praise and condemnation: like its big southern sister, Danang was notable for its booming economy, fine restaurants, busy traffic and glittering shops. Entertaining the soldiers from the nearby American base was a profitable business – bars and prostitution were major industries, and that sleazy legacy lingers. Men travelling together or alone may find themselves (or more accurately, their wallets) subjected to unwanted attention in even the ritziest of bars.
Danang marks the northern limits of Viet­nam’s tropical zone and boasts a pleasant climate all year round.

Lies in the central path of Vietnam. Da Nang was the landing point of both the French and the Americans during their stints in Vietnam. When the French established a garrison in Da Nang (then called Tourane), more soldiers died from disease than the associated fighting in establishing the garrison.

There is now a small cemetery dedicated to them.During the Vietnam War,Da Nang was the home to one fifth of all US servicemen based in Vietnam. This made Da Nang on of the heaviest defended cities in South Vietnam, yet it eventually fell to the North Vietnamese in 1975 with hardly a bullet fired.

Da Nang marks the halfway point between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and was the first place to organize its own local communist party committee. The city is fairly featureless, and if you are coming from the tranquil setting of Lang Co, Hoi An, or anywhere for that matter, Da Nang is an extreme disappointment. It is a busy, dusty, colorless city, the fourth largest in Vietnam, and one of the largest business centers. Unless you are in Da Nang for business, chances are you will pass straight through. Da Nang does have a fascinating Cham Museum that contains an excellent collection of Cham art. However, the main reason for staying in Da Nang is in the surrounding region. China Beach, the Marble Mountains,Hoi An and My Son are all within striking distance of Da mange, though it is more pleasant to stay in Hoi An and visit these sights.

Lang co beach: If you were not planning on staying in Lang Co, a drive through may change your mind. The main street is lined with palm trees enticing you to go for a swim in the crystal clear waters that lap onto fine white sandy beaches. Lang Co is on a sand spit peninsula with a sparkling lagoon on one side, and a long beach lining the South China Sea on the other. This is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam, and is yet to be developed extensively for tourists, which is probably a good thing.

Hai Van Pass: Travelling by road between Lang Co and Da Nang. you will have to get over the Hai Van Pass. This pass is created by a spur from the Truong Son Mountain Range that extends to the coast. This extremely mountainous road, with its sensational views, is the cause of many local vehicles breaking down. So if you are on one, allow yourself plenty of time. The view from the top of the pass is extraordinarily beautiful and well worth a stop to take it all in

Vietnam in my heart

 Vietnam's war-torn history -- both the French and Americans have left their own unique and not often positive stamps on the nation -- as well as its stunning and varied geography, delicious cuisine, hedonistic beaches and amazing shopping are all reasons to Travel to the fast-paced Communist nation.

Welcoming foreign tourists and their dollars for well over a decade, enterprising Vietnam has rapidly developed a well-trodden trail of tourist attractions. Many travellers kick off their vacation in the former capital of Hanoi in the north, where smokey French-style cafes rub shoulders with traditional stores hawking most anything and internet cafes frequented by well-groomed teenagers who otherwise hang out on the streets on their sharply polished motorbikes.

From the vertiginous rice valleys of Sapa in Vietnam's north stretching to the fascinating bustle of the Mekong Delta in the south, Vietnam is home to a wealth of attractions that will seduce both budget and top-range travellers.



From here, popular side trips for travellers include Ha Long Bay, where soaring limestone karsts boggle the mind, and the former French hill station of Sapa , where hilltribes in colourful dress who work the terraced rice paddies -- and now the masses of tourists -- combine with cool weather to make a must-see destination.

Travel by train, or bus, to take in the remainder of Vietnam. Remnants of the American War in Vietnam provide sobering viewing around the central region's demilitarised zone (DMZ), an essential stop for the many war veterans returning to this now-vibrant nation.

The nearby imperial capital of Hue offers a glimpse into yesteryear, while incredibly popular Hoi An offers an opportunity to get an entire new wardrobe -- shoes included -- stitched up for a song, as well as some great cafes and cuisine to while away a few days enjoying.

Adventurous travellers will want to head further south again and inland to the little-touristed Central Highlands region, where ethnic minorities scratch out livings for themselves -- not always in harmony with the central government.

A trip to Vietnam would not be complete without a stop at one of the beach strips for some surf, sun and sand, and perhaps a sipped cocktail or two. Nha Trang and Mui Ne are popular vacation spots, offering backpacker accommodation as well as some remarkable luxury resorts these days.


The country's southern capital of Ho Chi Minh city, or Sai Gon, is a throbbing metropolis where some might be as enthralled with the mesmerising traffic as they are with the sights.

Below Sai Gon the Mekong Delta offers particular delights to the independent and intrepid Traveller -- think freshly caught crispy fish, eaten while sitting on a barge cruising the waterways. Be sure to palm off the organised tour s and do this part of the country on your own.

Sublime Phu Quoc Island is another excellent retreat, lapped by turquoise waters and a wealth of sea life.

Backpackers could easily spend a few months taking in Vietnam at a leisurely pace, though Vietnam Airlines and burgeoning regional budget airlines with their cheap flights now make spending say a long weekend in Hanoi or a quick break in Nha Trang a viable prospect for short-term, luxury tour ists -- or those who just want a taste of a fast-developing country that was off limits for so long.

Vietnam in my heart

From the vertiginous rice valleys of Sapa in Vietnam's north stretching to the fascinating bustle of the Mekong Delta in the south, Vietnam is home to a wealth of attractions that will seduce both budget and top-range travellers.

Vietnam's war-torn history -- both the French and Americans have left their own unique and not often positive stamps on the nation -- as well as its stunning and varied geography, delicious cuisine, hedonistic beaches and amazing shopping are all reasons to Travel to the fast-paced Communist nation.

Welcoming foreign tourists and their dollars for well over a decade, enterprising Vietnam has rapidly developed a well-trodden trail of tourist attractions. Many travellers kick off their vacation in the former capital of Hanoi in the north, where smokey French-style cafes rub shoulders with traditional stores hawking most anything and internet cafes frequented by well-groomed teenagers who otherwise hang out on the streets on their sharply polished motorbikes.

From here, popular side trips for travellers include Ha Long Bay, where soaring limestone karsts boggle the mind, and the former French hill station of Sapa , where hilltribes in colourful dress who work the terraced rice paddies -- and now the masses of tourists -- combine with cool weather to make a must-see destination.

Travel by train, or bus, to take in the remainder of Vietnam. Remnants of the American War in Vietnam provide sobering viewing around the central region's demilitarised zone (DMZ), an essential stop for the many war veterans returning to this now-vibrant nation.

The nearby imperial capital of Hue offers a glimpse into yesteryear, while incredibly popular Hoi An offers an opportunity to get an entire new wardrobe -- shoes included -- stitched up for a song, as well as some great cafes and cuisine to while away a few days enjoying.

Adventurous travellers will want to head further south again and inland to the little-touristed Central Highlands region, where ethnic minorities scratch out livings for themselves -- not always in harmony with the central government.

A trip to Vietnam would not be complete without a stop at one of the beach strips for some surf, sun and sand, and perhaps a sipped cocktail or two. Nha Trang and Mui Ne are popular vacation spots, offering backpacker accommodation as well as some remarkable luxury resorts these days.


The country's southern capital of Ho Chi Minh city, or Sai Gon, is a throbbing metropolis where some might be as enthralled with the mesmerising traffic as they are with the sights.

Below Sai Gon the Mekong Delta offers particular delights to the independent and intrepid Traveller -- think freshly caught crispy fish, eaten while sitting on a barge cruising the waterways. Be sure to palm off the organised tour s and do this part of the country on your own.

Sublime Phu Quoc Island is another excellent retreat, lapped by turquoise waters and a wealth of sea life.

Backpackers could easily spend a few months taking in Vietnam at a leisurely pace, though Vietnam Airlines and burgeoning regional budget airlines with their cheap flights now make spending say a long weekend in Hanoi or a quick break in Nha Trang a viable prospect for short-term, luxury tour ists -- or those who just want a taste of a fast-developing country that was off limits for so long.

XIN CHAO Vietnam…

Vietnam is a country most people have heard of but until recently few have had the opportunity to visit. It was not until the early 1990s that the first intrepid travelers started arriving. Things have come a long way in the past decade and tourists from all over the world are now discovering what a hidden gem of a country Vietnam is. Brilliant green rice fields, exotic temples and pagodas, grand colonial buildings, bustling city streets, thatched bamboo huts, grand colonial buildings, exotic temples and pagodas, deserted sandy beaches, breathtaking mountain scenery, conical straw hats, colorful ethnic minorities, graceful women in ao dai tunics, delicious cuisine, great out door activities luxurious hotels, stunning resorts and more, much more, it’s all here in Vietnam.

The two great metropolises of the country are the elegant capital city Ha Noi and the dynamic, economic powerhouse Ho Chi Minh City. Since 1993 UNESCO has declared five World Heritage Sites in Vietnam, four in central Vietnam and one in the north. The four sites in central Vietnam are the former imperial capital
Hue , the historic trading port of Hoi An, the centre of the former Cham Kingdom, My Son, and Phong Nha Caves. The fifth World Heritage Site is the spectacular natural wonder that is Halong Bay in northern Vietnam, breathtakingly featured in James Bond and other films.