In central Vietnam, a one hour flight from Saigon, you will find the city of Da Nang. A city with the most beautiful coastline, incredible hiking and a Dragon Bridge that actually breathes fire AND sprays water!!! A short 20 minute ride from Da Nang, past rice fields and forests is the Unesco World Heritage historic town of Hoi An. Traditional Vietnamese houses line the main streets which are closed to cars, but not crazy mopeds. At night the town glows by the light of lanterns hanging outside of all shops and houses. These two magical places are definetly worth the short trip from either Saigon or Hanoi….I mean, who doesn’t love dragons?

Getting There

A flight from Saigon to Da Nang takes about an hour and cost us about $150. USD R/T on VietnamAir. There were cheaper options as well.

Things to Do

Enjoy the beaches!!! – There were tons of high end resorts to choose from in Da Nang. Many right on the beautiful beaches in the city. The ocean was pretty rough while we were there, but the beach was fabulous to hang out on. Travel tip; bring sun screen! We were determined to get a good tan in February and we got a little more than we bargained for…red is such a lovely color on me.

Climb Marble Mountain– There are actually 5 mountains that make up the Marble Mountains, but only one is open to the public. The climb to the top includes a lot of steps ….and then more steps with some steps in between and some really cool Buddhist temples carved into rock along the way. There are also pagodas, fat little Buddha statues and thrilling views. We spent about an hour and a half hiking the trails, exploring caves and enjoying the many sculptures and temples. There’s actually an elevator you can take up, but why miss the steep and uneven stone steps?

It cost 40,000 Dong (a few USD) to enter. Cash only.

Fun Facts; The five Marble Mountains are named after the 5 elements; Fire , water , earth , wood and metal. I feel like wine should be in there somewhere.

Explore Hoi-An– So this was one of my favorite places in Vietnam. The entire town is a World Unesco -site with original Vietnamese wooden houses and temples to visit. When you first enter the town, there is a booth where you pay the equivelent of a few American dollars to get a ticket that allows access to 5 different sites of your choice on the map they give you, as well as the most amazing variety of shops. Shops that sell silk pillow cases, jewelry, silk scarfs, local art, clothing and so much more…We spent an entire day here. We spent a lot of dongs here too….We visited the Museum of Trade Ceramics, the Tan Ky House ( a traditional Vietnamese House), the Quang Trieu Assembly Hall and the temple attached to the Japanese Bridge. The Japanese Bridge was amazingly cool…. built in the late 1500s to unite different communities that developed in Hoi an to trade at the time.

Visit Dragon Bridge– This is definetly worth the trip. On weekends Dragon Bridge breathes fire and spits out water at scheduled times. I don’t know what his issue is….But like most dragons, he seems ornery. I think he needs a dragon girlfriend. I only wish my superpower was breathing fire. I would abuse it. There’d be a lot of people with singed hair. We were there on a weekday which was still amazing. We stood and watched him change from yellow to green to purple to red. Almost as red as I was from my sunburn….

Shop at the Son Tra Night Market– The market is located a few blocks from the Dragon Bridge and seems to be the happening place on any given night. They sell everything from knock of designer sunglasses to every fried food there is. There’s Vietnamese coffee, clothing, toys and some things we couldn’t even identify. We spent about an hour navigating crowds and becoming a part of the frenetic energy.

Where to Stay

Hyatt- Da Nang. This was above and beyond what I expected. The hotel is right on the beach with fabulous views, great restaurants, and amazing pools including a lazy river!!! The hotel is about 20 minutes from Hoi An and 5 minutes from Marble Mountain. They have different events each night including live music, outdoor movies and a seafood market where you can pick your own fresh catch of the day and they will cook it for you.

Things I wished I Had Time to Do

Biking around Hoi An and surrounding areas– Hoi An Cycling offers bike trips that include riding through rice fields with water buffalo, exploring small villages and noodle making .

Having leather sandles made in Hoi An– There were shops in Hoi An where you can get measured for hand made shoes or sandals that can be made within a day for around 30. USD. I really wish I did this !

Take a boat ride in a traditional wooden Vietnamese boat or sampan – At night they decorate the boats with lanterns and you can take a ride around the canals in Hoi An.

So if you are planning on visiting Vietnam, add Danang and Hoi An to your itinerary… Pick up some silk pillowcases while you are there. Bring sunscreen for your beach day. Opt for the steep stair climb at Marble Mountain instead of the elevator….and say hello to the fire-breathing, water spitting Dragon Bridge.