Danang was definitely different from Chiang Mai. In Vietnam, they drive on the right side of the road, the opposite of Thailand, and Vietnamese drivers use their horns non stop. We get 26,000 + Dong for each dollar, so I pull literally millions from the ATM each week. Our 2 bedroom apartment in the Muong Tranh building is on the 18th floor, with a marvelous north facing view of the My An and My Khe beaches. Our neighborhood is outstanding, walkable with amazing coffee shops, rooftop bars, live music, happy hours, beach boardwalk, and incredible food, such as Vietnamese as well as Greek, Mexican, Chinese, Korean BBQ and more.
Our view from the 18th
View from the 40th floor
Our visit to Vietnam was in time for Tet, the Lunar New Year. The city was brilliantly decorated in red and yellow flowers, as well as varied horse replicas for the Year of the Horse. For the eve of Tet, Feb 16th, we ended up at the Han River to watch fireworks and stumbled into a musical stage show.
Gorgeous evening view from our unit
Coffee at our favorite Bread and Butter Bakery
Bahn Mi for me
Dragon Bridge over the Han River
Tet stage performances before the fireworks show
Lady Buddha and the Son Tra Peninsula
We took a tour in a vintage 1969 military Jeep around the SonTra Peninsula, stopping at some previous US military installations, ending at the Lady Buddha.
Ba Na Hills Sunworld and the Marble Mountains
The Ba Na Hills is an amusement park that you need to take an aerial tram to access. Our guide called it Vietnam’s Disneyland, though there are only a few rides, such as an alpine bobsled on rails, some 4D experiences, an arcade, cafes, gardens and entertainment. The Ba Na Hills cable car system holds several Guinness World Records, including the world’s longest non-stop single-track cable car line, stretching approximately 5,801 meters (19,032 ft). We are not into the rides, but the gardens, the architecture, the entertainment and the ride up were all awesome.
The Lava or Pink Castle
The Marble Mountains are a cluster are of 5 limestone and marble hills representing the elements. The Water Mountain is the only one open to tourists. Many shops nearby carve the marble into Buddhas and other statues as well as furniture.
All in all, we really enjoyed Danang, although we would probably avoid Tet if we return. The food in Danang was awesome. We enjoyed our location across from the beach. We would even consider spending a few nights at the Ba Na Hills Resort next time.
Randy and Robin's Roving Retirement 