Bernie and Graham's big adventure: Da Nang

(Usual waiver applies to grammar, typos, spelling as I'm posting via a small phone screen on the hoof 🤭, click on the pics to zoom in)

9 April 2026
Good flight from Hanoi to Da Nang. We could actually see blue sky as we flew in to land.

We are staying in Son Tra which more of a beach-side area than a city vibe. We can walk to My Khe beach in six minutes, although you have to time your run.....it's still mega hot, 34°C even with the sea breeze.

We have an apartment for a week so we can relax and not be rushing from A to B daily. Plus we have colds/sore throats we need to shake so staying put helps recovery me thinks. As does having a washer/dryer...luxury!

Quick facts: Da Nang is the fourth largest municipality in Vietnam by population and the largest by geographical area. Although It has the fastest growing economy it still has that relaxed beachy feel. There is no doubt about this area changing and being developed, the skyline is scattered with new high rise towers under construction.

Da Nang’s beaches stretch for miles,all the way from Hoi An in the south and we head there in a few days.

The beach front is lined with cafes, seafood restaurants, brewpubs and beach clubs.

This coast is famous for its fresh seafood so we got to taste a few options 😁

We took a drive out to the Lady Buddha statue that sits majestically at Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra peninsula about 30 mins northeast of downtown Da Nang. Perched over 200 meters above sea level it's a beauty.

The statue stands with her back to the mountain, facing the East Sea. Her gentle eyes look down while one hand forms a sacred mudra and the other holds a vase of blessed water. On top of her crown sits a smaller Buddha statue, about 2 meters tall.

Locals believe the Lady Buddha protects Da Nang from storms and blesses fishermen with safety and good fortune at sea

Ling Ung pagoda is glorious. The gardens are spectacular and you could wander here for hours.

There are numerous Buddha sculptures and pagoda.

In contrast to the Lady Buddha is the Pink Cathedral. This is the only church built in Danang in the French colonial period, in 1923 for Danang’s French colonial population.

Vietnam has the fifth-largest Catholic population in Asia, with approximately 7 million Catholics, which is approx 7% of the total population. As we travelled south it was interesting to see very traditional French style churches and cathedrals dotted in amongst the villages, some simple and some very grand.

Given the expanse of coast it's no surprise there is a big fishing fleet here. There are commercial boats that work off shore and small round boats that seem to work the inner shorelines.

The commercial fleet is slowly upgrading to international standards.

With the present fuel costs, our driver told us many fishermen can't afford to put out to see at the moment.

If shopping is ya thang.... there's numerous markets here where you can get just about anything. We checked out Han Market but with many more weeks of travelling we don't need any extra baggage. Interesting to wander around and see the huge variety of food, spices, clothes and goods for sale.