Chapter 40 - Vietnam - Part 2 of 4 - Da Nang - Beaches, Buddhas & Fire Breathing Bridges

We finally made it to the Golden Hand Bridge in Ba Na Hills. Very cool!

November 14 — Off to Da Nang

Stepping into Da Nang, Vietnam felt like arriving in a cleaner, calmer sibling of Hanoi and Saigon—modern, coastal, easygoing. My Khe Beach won us over with its long stretch of soft white sand and big rolling waves.

Restaurants, bars, and massage chairs line the beach.

We checked into Chic Land Hotel for three nights.

I mention the hotel because the lobby looked like a fashion boutique—actual clothes for sale on racks.

November 15 — Beach, Fishermen & Very Hot Stones

On our morning beach walk, we came across a group of fishermen hauling in their nets—people pulling, sorting, and shouting.

They took the nets out in these simple round boats.

At first glance, we didn't think they caught much, but their baskets and pails were full when the nets were cleaned so maybe it was a good catch.

A lot of people were pulling in the fishing net.

Later, we had 60-minute massages right around the corner from the hotel. They were hot stone massages, and the stones were really hot. Once we got past the initial surprise, they were fantastic. So fantastic that we both agreed we’d go back. This was the first of many massages in Vietnam. They are so affordable you couldn't pass them up. $25 USD for both of us for 60 minutes.

This spot welcomed us with fresh watermelon before the massage. Other places offered pineapple, tea, or crackers—it was always a little treat and part of the fun to see what each spot served.

That evening we braved the rain to see the Dragon Bridge Fire & Water Show from a neighboring rooftop bar. It was worth seeing, but underwhelming overall. It was over in less than 3 minutes.

The lit dragon was the full length of the bridge.

The Dragon Bridge is in the background. We were at the closest rooftop bar to see it.

Dragon Bridge breathing fire.

Dragon Bridge spitting water.

November 16 — Market Madness

After another long beach walk and large breakfast buffet at the hotel, we were off to the Han Market for souvenirs. It was the usual market chaos—narrow aisles, people everywhere, and stalls overflowing with everything imaginable. We picked up Vietnamese coffee, a lantern, and a hilarious bouncing baby-head Buddha. We should have waited to buy souvenirs until the end of the trip because we realized we would have to carry them around with us for the next 4 weeks.

That afternoon, Corp decided to go for a quick dip in the rooftop pool with gale force winds and pouring rain.

November 17 — New Hotel, Lost Sunglasses, Beef Soup

We moved to a different hotel, and while we were checking out the rooftop bar on the 16th floor, Corp’s sunglasses were blown off by the wind.

He watched them fall 16 stories and land on the rooftop of the building next door. Construction workers helped retrieve them. They were incredibly kind and helpful and returned the sunglasses to us with a smile. We had a hard time convincing them to accept a tip.

We learned that tipping isn’t common in Vietnam, which made their appreciation even more touching.

We tried a few Vietnamese culinary favorites in Da Nang.

We tried Bun Bo Hue (a spicy beef noodle soup with lemongrass broth). It was good...very similar to the beef ramen noodles at home.

We also tried Banh Xeo (a Vietnamese pancake with shrimp and pork and wrapped in a lettuce leaf with herbs). You cut off a piece of the pancake and roll it in a lettuce leaf with a spring of mint or cilantro.

November 18 — The Great Power Cord Hunt

We were on the hunt for longer iPhone power cords. It took seven stores plus the Han Market, but we finally found two —longer than we needed, but at that point it felt like victory. Corp insisted that “they’re made here, they should be everywhere,” which only made the hunt funnier.

November 19–22 — Rain. So Much Rain.

A whole lot of rain.

Days of rain. Sheets of rain. Buckets of rain.

November 23 — Lady Buddha, Marble Mountain & Lantern Wishes

Cabin fever finally forced us out to book a full day tour.

First stop: Lady Buddha, a 67-meter-tall statue looking over Da Nang.

The monkeys wandering around were entertaining.

This monkey was sitting at the very top off the temple roof.

Second stop; Marble Village, which was basically marble-store overload—every shape, size, and item you could imagine carved from stone.

It was annoying that the workers constantly asked if you needed help and followed us around the store.

Third stop; Marble Mountain, which was disappointing for a number of reasons.

It was raining the whole time we were there so the stone paths and steps were really slippery and we couldn’t explore much.

The caves were super tiny compared to the cave we saw in Bai Chay. There were a few small temples in the caves.

Corp rubbing the Buddha's belly...you were supposed to say happy, happy buddha three times for good luck!

We were told to take a kissing photo in front of this marriage buddha for good luck.

Our last stop of the day was Hoi An Ancient Town, where we boarded a boat, lit lanterns, and floated them down the river at dusk.

When I released my lantern, I wished for a fun, adventurous life full of health and happiness with my hubby.

Just one of many boats on the river that night.

A video of us releasing our lanterns.

The town was cute, with so many shops illuminated by lanterns. We had an authentic Hoi An meal at a little restaurant and ended up sharing a table with a couple from Singapore and a young woman from India.

The Singapore couple shared that they had an arranged marriage and didn’t even meet until she walked down the aisle—it was interesting hearing about this.

Hoi An Ancient City was such a beautiful place at night with all the lights and lanterns.

More lights, lanterns, and rain.

November 26 — Sun World Ba Na Hills: Another Planet

We escaped Da Nang’s gray skies and headed up to Sun World Ba Na Hills, about an hour away. The cable-car and funicular ride was long—around 25 minutes.

Here is a video of us going up the mountain. The waterfalls were stunning.

Just when you thought you were at the top, you crested another mountain peak and kept going.

Going through the clouds to get to the top was a new experience for us.

Ba Na Hills feels like stepping into an alternate universe: misty mountaintops, giant stone hands holding the famous Golden Hand Bridge, whimsical European streets in the French Village, pagodas, gardens, cafés, and even an indoor amusement park. We were surprised that all of this was built right on top of a mountain. It was completely over the top, and we couldn’t stop taking photos.

We walked around the corner and saw this red rose dress. I loved it and couldn't pass up a photo with it!

It was made of tons of artificial red roses.

Since it was really chilly on the mountain top and I didn't bring a jacket, I "had" to buy a cute furry white sweater to stay warm. It only cost $14 USD.

Corp's last minute birthday/Christmas gift idea.

After we returned, we met up with Aaron from Brisbane, whom Corp met at Shamrock’s a few nights earlier.

We enjoyed drinks and lots of laughs with him. He was a free spirit and wasn't staying in Da Nang long. We wished him the best of luck in his travels.

November 27 — Thanksgiving, Vietnam Style

Happy Thanksgiving! We made it an “American Day”—McDonald’s for lunch and hot stone massages in the afternoon.

All of this food, plus two desserts was $7 USD. So inexpensive!

November 28 — Beach Day, Kinda

A little sun in the morning, then clouds once we committed to beach chairs for the rest of the day.

Beach time with fresh coconut water.

The waitress gave me a spoon to scoop out the inside of the coconut—called coconut meat. It’s delicious, but definitely gives you an upset stomach if you eat too much.

Even with the rain we ended up having fun watching the Red Bull Soapbox Derby while sipping beers at the bar across from our hotel. some unexpected entertainment.

November 29 — The Farewell Pork Belly

Our final day in Da Nang. I had to have heo quay lu -crispy pork belly roasted in a clay pan over charcoal - one more time.

The skin was blistered, crackling perfection, served with kimchi. My favorite street food in Vietnam, hands down. We only found it in Da Nang.

The pork hung on the sides and cooked in these large clay pots.

Corp wrapped up his Da Nang experience with a 40-cent ice cream cone from Mixue, his favorite ice cream store in Vietnam.

I tried an iced coconut coffee that was delicious!

Miscellaneous random cute/funny/interesting/weird pics/videos below…

Da Nang is a large modern city.

The lighted outlines of the skyscrapers was new to us.

Lots of vendors just sell stuff from their scooters.

The Chicland Hotel's signature drink. A red colored drink in a dragon glass.
We were one and done with that one!

Playing Jenga with Thahn at the Cheers Bar.

With all the rain, we understood why a person would have a roof over their scooter.

We stopped at a nightclub built into the side of a massive rock. The Koto Club itself was pretty underwhelming, but I did get a fun video with a giant stuffed kitty mascot.

Vietnamese grocery stores were very clean and orderly.

A pretty Christmas tree we came across in a hotel lobby. It was made of green lanterns.

One night we got foot massages on the beach. Corp's ended with a very unique upper back massage.

A video of a scooter that was selling steamed buns. We didn't like the taste of it, but seeing a fired stove on the side of a scooter was something to see.