Why Da Nang?
10 Reasons Why Da Nang is the most worth-living city in Vietnam
A city that has a lot to offer
Da Nang has been listed as one of the most successful cities in Vietnam, one of the most worth-living cities in the world, and one of the top 10 best places to live abroad!
"Danang is voted to be one of the most worth-living cities in the world”
- Live & Invest Overseas (LIO)
— Name, Title
As Vietnam's third largest city, Da Nang manages to seamlessly blend modernity and innovation with authentic Vietnamese culture and tradition. The port city is a major hub for commerce, tourism, and education and serves as a central jumping off point for exploring three of Vietnam's UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the monuments of Imperial Huế, the Ancient Town of Hoi An, and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary.
What's more, home to six universities, Da Nang boasts a youthful energy and embraces the diversification of ideas, which has made it an attractive destination for both foreign and international investment. The government of Da Nang has recently signed an agreement with leaders of the FPT software company to develop smart solutions in transport, agriculture, English language training, healthcare, and tourism.
City of Bridges
Featuring some of the most outstanding and eccentric bridges in the world, Da Nang has rightfully earned itself the nickname "City of Bridges."
Four famous bridges in Da Nang:
The Sail Bridge is iconic due to it’s elegant pylon that stretches like ropes in such a way that it looks like the wings of a sail boat which lights up at night into different colors. This creates an eye-catching and unique landmark among all the bridges during the evening.
Opened in 2013, the Dragon Bridge is a new and iconic symbol of Danang, located in the heart of the city. The Dragon is a symbol of “Asian prosperity”. The Rong Cao (Dragon Bridge) is an award-winning, US-designed marvel of engineering that has become an attraction for tourists & visitors. At 9pm every weekend, the dragon breathes out flames of fire into the night sky and water.
Built in 2009, Thuan Phuoc Bridge is the longest cable-stayed suspension bridge in Vietnam. Based on the concept of the wind heading to the sea, the 1,850 meter-long, three-span bridge occupies a strategic position where the lower Han River flows into the East Sea. The city hosts a bustling internal market and export system that requires goods to be transported by air, land, and sea. To facilitate this transportation process, multiple bridges criss-cross the Han River, providing a path for goods
Constructed in 1997, the Han River Bridge was the first swing bridge. This makes it a symbol of the creativity of Danang’s people. At 11pm on weekends, you can see the bridge light up as it swings across to make way for ships to pass through.
The Beach
Walking to the beach after your morning cup of coffee is everyone's dream.
Da Nang's My Khe Beach was declared "one of the most attractive beaches in the world" by Forbes magazine, and for good reason! My Khe offers powdery white sand and warm blue water all year round—making it the perfect place to enjoy an early morning swim, late afternoon volleyball game, surfing, paragliding, jet-skiing, or diving into a good book underneath the shade of a palm tree.
Perfect Location
Da Nang is centrally located on the east coast of Vietnam, about 800 km south of Hanoi and 1,000 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. The city features an international airport, which makes it a fantastic jumping-off point for exploring not only Vietnam, but the rest of Southeast Asia—not to mention three of Vietnam's five UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites, all within a few hours drive of the city!
1. Son Tra (Monkey) mountain
Bike Drive: 30 minutes
A breath-taking national park, 693 m above sea level. It’s a 35-minute drive from Da Nang, making it a popular retreat to escape the city life. The mountain is also surrounded by pristine beaches such as Bai Bac, Bai Nam, Bai But, and Tien Sa Beach. With many local restaurants along the way and the famous "Lady Budha" Pagoda overlooking Danang.
Hiking enthusiasts can enjoy the verdant jungle trails and also spot rare species such as rhesus macaques, long-tailed macaques, pygmy slow loris, and red-shanked douc langurs. It takes about four hours of moderate hiking from Bai Bac Beach to the mountain summit.
2. Hoi An Ancient town
Bike Drive: 30 minutes
A UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sight. A lovely & quaint historical city that comes alive at night. From the 15th century, Hoi An was a major trading port in Southeast Asia.
To date, Hoi An remains one of the most popular destinations due to its well-preserved architecture that has been living for centuries. This small city is the most peaceful tourist city in Vietnam, with beautiful rice paddy field, and authentic Vietnamese shops & restaurants.
Source: blog.inspitrip.com
3. Cham Islands
Bike Drive: 30 minutes to Hoi An
Speed Boat: 40 minutes
Popular for day trips, the peaceful Chàm Islands offer water sports like kayaking and swimming, diving and snorkeling amid tropical coral reefs.
Hòn Lao, the largest island, has quiet Bãi Ong and Bãi Xếp beaches, marine exhibits at Cham Museum, and tiny Buddhist temples.
Traditional fishing villages such as Bãi Hương dot Hòn Lao’s coast, while rustic homestays and seafood eateries cluster around its ferry pier.
Source: hoangyentravel.com
As part of Sun World Amusement Park Group and over 20 km away from Danang downtown, Sun World Ba Na Hills is the most significant resort and recreational complex of Vietnam. At the height of 1,487 m from the sea level, Sun World Ba Na Hills is coined the “heaven on earth” owing to its spectacular climate and otherworldly natural landscape.
Bike Drive: 1,5 hours
4. Ba Na hills
5. Lang co beach
Bike Drive: 1 hour
Lang Co is an attractive island-like stretch of palm-shaded white sand, with a turquoise lagoon on one side and 10km of beachfront on the other. It's more geared to Vietnamese day trippers than Western travelers, but if the weather's nice the ocean is certainly inviting.
6. My Son sanctuary
Bike Drive: 1 hour
UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mỹ Sơn is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples in Vietnam, constructed between the 4th and the 14th century by the kings of Champa.
Source: atypikvietnam.com
7. Hai Van Pass
Bike Drive: 1 hour
The Hai Van Pass is a famous 21 km drive with scenic views on the Hai Van Mountainside. It connects the 2 major destinations of Danang and Hue. Its name refers to the phenomenal mist that rises from the South China Sea that vastly reduces visibility, creating a dangerous challenge for drivers. Since then, the Hai Van Tunnel which is the longest in south east Asia, has created a safer path and the traffic flow has been improved with an reduced amount of accidents. Its also reduced the travel times by over an hour.
Source: hoiantravel.com.vn
8. Hue city (ancient capitol)
Bike Drive: 3 hours
UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hue is one of the main cultural, religious and educational centers of Vietnam. Hue was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802 to 1945. A major attraction is its vast, 19th-century Đại Nội Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines; the Forbidden Purple City (Tử cấm thành), once the emperor’s home; and a replica of the Royal Theater.
Source: www.vietnamrealtour.com
Food
Pay less than $1 USD per meal!
Da Nang is known for having some of the best traditional Vietnamese food in all of central Vietnam—not to mention some of the freshest seafood! Here, you can expect to find a bustling and vibrant local culinary scene, with street food, open-air restaurants, stalls, and vendors setting up shop well before sunrise and staying open for business late into the night. In fact, perhaps the only thing better than the taste of the food in Da Nang is the price. You can almost always find "cơm dĩa"—a traditional rice dish accompanied by a portion of grilled meat, stir-fried vegetables, and a light, broth-based soup—for 25,000 VND (approximately $1 USD) or less!
But not only does Da Nang offer a bounty of Vietnamese restaurants to choose from. Here, you will also find an emerging international food scene, with plenty of American, Mediterranean, Indian, Mexican, Italian, French, Japanese, Thai, and Korean options as well.
Famous Meals in Danang:
Phở or pho is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat – usually beef, sometimes chicken. Pho is a popular street food in Vietnam and served in restaurants around the world.
(Vietnamese Turmeric Noodles) One of the most famous dishes which originated from Central Vietnam. The main ingredients of mì quảng are rice noodles, meat, and herbs, most commonly served with a small amount of broth, which is generally infused with turmeric.
(Crispy pancakes): Bánh xèo seems to be designed to be eaten as a family. The batter, filling ingredients, and veggies aren’t complicated to prepare, but they don’t make sense to be bought or made to be eaten by yourself. These crêpes are yellow and kinda look like omelettes–but! There are actually no eggs in here. It’s just turmeric powder that colors em yellow! Made from flour, eggs & turmeric. Filled with shrimp, pork, onion, bean sprouts, mint & cilantro.
(Vermicelli Noodles With Grilled Pork): made up of vermicelli rice noodles, freshly chopped lettuce, sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, pickled daikon, basil, chopped peanuts, and mint, topped with grilled pork shoulder. Diners can also opt for bun thit nuong cha gio, which comes with crunchy slices of cha gio (deep-fried eggrolls).
Danang is particularly popular for its BBQ, where a wide array of fresh seafood and meat slices are barbecued atop a charcoal grill stove.
Banh Mi is the Vietnamese word for bread. In Vietnamese cuisine, it also refers to a type of baguette which is often split lengthwise and filled with various savory ingredients as a sandwich and served as a meal. It’s a fusion of meats and vegetables from native Vietnamese cuisine such as chả lụa (pork sausage), coriander leaf (cilantro), cucumber, pickled carrots, and pickled daikon combined with condiments from French cuisine such as pâté, along with chili and mayonnaise.
Com tam is Vietnamese for ‘broken rice’, a local dish that’s accompanied with fried egg, diced green onions, and a variety of meats such as suon nuong (barbecued pork chop), bi (shredded pork skin), and cha trung (steamed pork and egg patty).
(Fishcake Noodles Soup): Popular amongst seafood lovers due to its generous chunks of grilled fishcakes, green onions, beansprouts, mint leaves, and fine rice vermicelli noodles. Using a choice of mackerel, barracuda or lizardfish.
(Lemongrass Pork Skewers): This traditional snack originated from Hue. The meat is a mixture of milled pork, pigskin, pig oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and a locally grown spice called thinh. The skewers are then grilled on a coal stove before served with a side of rice paper, fresh herbs and vegetables.
(Vietnamese Fried Rice): Com chien is a simple dish of steamed rice and various ingredients that are stir-fried in a sizzling work. Making it a perfect quick meal for under $1.
Teachers' picks of loved Restaurant:
Western Comfort Food (Bakery, Cafe) When you’re craving western comfort food, donuts, cinnabons, cakes, waffles, muffins, hot chocolate, coffee etc. Modern spacious seating. Orders for designers cakes & treats available. ADDRESS: 190 Nguyễn Công Trứ in Đà Nẵng MENU: https://www.facebook.com/jeremyskitchenvn/?ref=br_rs DELIVERY: 093 515 50 85
Wider variety of Mexican food, vegetarian. When you crave affordable mexican food in a beautifully designed restaurant. They are famous for their assorted & healthy fruit drinks. ADDRESS: K72/17 Nguyễn Văn Thoại, Da Nang. DELIVERY: 093 517 03 23
Best known for English Breakfast with a wide variety of Western breakfast menu. If you crave a big portion of authentic English style breakfast, best place for brunch. ADDRESS: An Thuong 10
Beach bar, pizza, western food. If you crave a drink or meal next to the beach, while you can go for a dip in the ocean. Best atmosphere at sunset. Usually vibey when there is live music. Given the location, it’s one of the more expensive restaurants. ADDRESS: A Few restaurants right of My Khe Beach library
Pizza, breakfast, sushi, salads, desserts Best rated Pizza restaurant in Danang, 4-star seating. If you’re craving good pizza in a lively restaurant, you can sit across the oven and see how they make your food. If you’re in the mood for a different & interesting pizza menu. This restaurant is very popular, advanced booking is required. ADDRESS: 8 Hoang Van Thu, ,Da Nang MENU: http://pizza4ps.com/ DELIVERY: 028 3622 0500
Authentic Italian Pizza, with an Italian chef. If you crave a fancy 4 star restaurant. High quality pizza and wine list. ADDRESS: 187 Trần Phú, Hải Châu, Da Nang MENU: http://www.limoncellovn.com/ DELIVERY: 0236 3561 064
A wide variety of quality food & easy delivery! When you crave cheap & easy western food (bigger portions than most restaurants), famous for their Sunday lamb/ beef/ chicken roast lunch. Quick delivery. Outdoor spacious seating. ADDRESS: 28 Ngô Thì Sĩ, Da Nang.
Sashimi, Sushi, Maki, Gunkan, sarada, okonomi. When you crave a big portion of sushi (cheaper than most sushi places) in a bustling seating atmosphere. Usually very busy. Good service. ADDRESS: 27 Thái Phiên, Da Nang DELIVERY: 0127 326 1368
Best Burgers in town! When you crave a unique homemade burger, beautiful seating layout and atmosphere, usually very busy. Delivery is quick and easy. ADDRESS: 18 An Thuong 4 MENU: https://burgerbros.amebaownd.com/ DELIVERY: Near beach area: 0945576240, near center of city: 0931921231
If you are in the mood for the best priced, quality steak in town. Steak houses are usually expensive. Even though the steak at Red Sky is on the expensive side, it’s recommended for the fact that it’s one of the cheapest options available around town compared to the quality. The best seller & cheapest option on the menu is the Black Angus Beef Tenderloin priced at 350,000vnd. They have other items available for cheaper. ADDRESS: 248 Tran Phu, Danang.
Western, Breakfast, Vietnamese, Vegetarian. When you crave quality western food or coffee in a quiet and western style restaurant, they have seating available. Good for breakfast, meetings & working online. One of the only places that makes a great cheese sandwich. ADDRESS: 9 Ly Tu Trong Street, Danang, Vietnam MENU: https://www.facebook.com/happyheartdanang/ DELIVERY: 0511 3888 384
Burgers, Western food When you crave a big portion burger and want to have a homey historical experience, you can take a look at Tam’s pictures and have a good chat with her. ADDRESS: 28 An Thuong 5, Da Nang. DELIVERY: 090 540 69 05
Western favorites, breakfast, coffee shop. If you crave your favorite western comfort food in a western style restaurant. ADDRESS: 04 Dong Da , Da Nang. DELIVERY: 0511 356 5185
Indian, Pakistani, Vegetarian When you crave authentic Indian food. A small seating area, best for delivery. ADDRESS: 12 An Thượng 5 MENU: https://www.facebook.com/tandoorinights.danang/ DELIVERY: 098 895 25 50
My Quang 24/7 - the local noodle & coffee Vietnamese, Asian. If you crave the real taste of Danang in a relaxed atmosphere with affordable prices. ADDRESS: 169 Ho Nghinh Street, Phuoc Ward, Son Tra, Danang. MENU: https://www.facebook.com/myquang247.com.vn/
“The Lantern Place” Bò Né Nam Trang Vietnamese, seafood, vegetarian If you’re in the mood for affordable seafood. ADDRESS: 7 Hoang Ke Viem (In An Thuong area right next to Namunamu restaurant)
Central Asian, Vietnamese, vegetarian. If you’re looking for a hidden gem. Homey, retro, well decorated, cozy and vibrant atmosphere for a healthy Vietnamese lunch or dinner. ADDRESS: 47 Le Hong Phong, Danang. MENU: https://www.facebook.com/bep.henvn/
Vietnamese, semi-western, vegetarian If you want to grab cheap Vietnamese food close to the beach, in the tourist area. ADDRESS: 10 Hoàng Kế Viên, Đà Nẵng (In An Thuong are, right accross the road from the Lantern Place) MENU: https://www.facebook.com/Tucana-345935872196798/
Food delivery made easy
Vietnammm.com App is one of the most convenient applications to order food for delivery. You can choose from hundreds of restaurants near your location, select specific dishes from their online menu and they will deliver the food within 25 - 45 minutes right on your doorstep!
*Most restaurants mentioned in the list above can be found online.
6. Traffic and Transport
Being a smaller city than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, the flow of traffic and the amount of vehicles on the road doesn’t even compare. It’s easy and quick to travel with little traffic and a lot of space on the roads, meaning that you’ll never get stuck in traffic and that’s it’s easy to get from point A to point B.
There are a lot of taxi’s available everywhere, meaning that you won’t have to wait long for transport. Taxi’s are the most expensive means of transport but also quite affordable, going at $0.5 for 1 km. DaNang being small, if you travel within the city, you’ll travel 7km at the most.
Although the bus is the cheapest travel option, it will take a bit longer and consume more effort (getting there and waiting for the bus) compared to other options. Bus services start at 5:30 in the morning and stop operating at 4 PM, with high frequency. Therefore, this option is not possible when teaching evening classes during the week. For your convenience, you can use Google Maps and its schedule explorer to pinpoint the nearest bus stop near your stay and the arrival time of the bus.
Da Nang Railway Station is one of Central Vietnam’s main train stations along the historic North-South “Reunification Line.” It sees affordable and daily arrivals and departures from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hue, and other national hubs. Check out this link for a complete guide of Da Nang Train Station. https://hiddenhoian.com/travel/guide-da-nang-train-station/
Grab has become the most popular taxi service in Vietnam, because the prices are fixed, it’s easy to book on your phone and the longest you’ll wait for pick-up would be 5 minutes. Usually a Grab car would pick you up within 2 minutes. GrabBike is the most affordable taxi option as it’s usually 1/3 of the price for a Grab car.
It’s just as easy and affordable to buy a second hand bike in Da Nang. Keep an eye out on the Da Nang Facebook pages and groups for expats or check out https://xe.chotot.com/
It’s easy and affordable to rent a bike either for a day ($6-$8) or for a month ($65-$90). There are many bikes for rent at hostels, bike rental shops and hotels near the beach or in the city.
This Hop-On, Hop-Off bus is perfect if you want to spend the day exploring over 25 attractions at your own convenience. Running from 7:00 until 22:00 with 30-45 minute intervals. http://cococitytour.vn/en/
Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is located in the central city just 20 minutes away from the main beach It is the third international airport in the Vietnam. The airport has two separate terminals for international and domestic passengers with total passenger capacity of 11 million per year. The Hanoi-Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang routes have respectively 319 and 250 weekly flights.
7. Medical and Health Care
Da Nang has a growing number of modern international health care services which is highly affordable. Medicine is also extremely affordable, more so than in most western countries. So you can feel at ease living in Da Nang.
We recommend
We usually refer our teachers to Family Hospital as they offer a wide variety of excellent services in English. Family Hospital is also covered by the Health Insurance plan that we recommend for our teachers. Doctors of International and Premium Vietnamese clinic are Daniel Mitchell, MD – American Family Medicine specialist and other Vietnamese qualified doctors. Equipped with 4D ultrasound, CT scanner, MRI machine etc.
Offering excellent medical facilities, which are comparable to leading hospitals in the USA, UK, Germany, Japan, and Singapore, optimizing diagnostics and treatment. With strength in Oncology, Cardiology, Organ Transplantation and Hospital Management, Vinmec strengthens collaboration with leading partners from the U.S., France, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc. to improve staff performance, as well as to adapt with the state of-the-art applied science and technology.
Hoan My Medical Corporation is Vietnam’s leading and largest private healthcare network. The group’s integrated healthcare network includes more than 2,513 operating beds, and a capacity of over 3,407 beds across fourteen hospitals and six clinics. Over its 20-years history, Hoan My has built a strong and well-recognised brand with a consistent reputation for delivering affordable, quality healthcare. Our network employees 879 doctors and 5283 staff.
The East Meets West Dental Center has a team of dedicated, experienced, internationally trained dentists. They deliver a wide range of high-quality dental services, from preventive and general dentistry, to cosmetic and high-tech dentistry. Using the latest technology and equipment, and only the best materials and products.
There are a lot of excellent & trusted doctors especially for expat women in Danang. To know where to go, or if you have any questions about where to find specific care like gynecology, dermatology etc, the best place to find trustworthy recommendations would be in the “Women of Danang” Private Facebook Group; https://www.facebook.com/groups/999387900098848/
Health Insurance
At Fisher’s SuperKids we recommend BaoViet Health Insurance to all our teachers. They offer excellent and affordable Health Insurance plans for $190 per year.
Their website is in Vietnamese, however, you can send an email to bvvn@baoviet.com.vn to receive more information about the available plans for expats in English.
We highly recommend getting Health Insurance if you’re planning on staying in Da Nang.
*If you sign a contract with us we can apply for your health insurance on your behalf. This will be discussed and arranged during the orientation week, so no need to arrange this on your own.
8. Shopping Malls and Supermarkets
Da Nang has everything you need for your convenience. Boasting with world class shopping and entertainment centers with all the latest and famous brands of fashion, electronics, home appliances, books, jewelry and many products. Malls are equipped with supermarkets, cinema's, arcades, ten pin bowling, ice-skating and hundreds of internationally known shops.
The 4 biggest shopping centers:
Supermarket, home appliance, furniture, book and stationary, electronics, food court, ice rink, entertainment center for kids and CGV Cinema.
Lotte Mart is one of the biggest shopping centers in Danang . They have over 20,000 kinds of products from Korea, Japand, China and Vietnam with reasonable prices. Restaurants, electronics, jewelry, clothes & shoes (famous brands), Supermarket, entertainment center with arcade games, skating, bowling & a cinema.
A big supermarket inside a shopping center across from a local Vietnamese Market called the Cho Con Market. This shopping centre is also next to Parkson Vinh Trung Plaza (also a shopping center) so one can visit all 3 places in one go - Con Market, Big C and Parkson. Big C has home appliances, furniture, books and stationary, electronics, a food court, entertainment center for kids and a CGV Cinema.
Parkson is a member of The Lion Group, an international conglomerate which was established in the 1930s in Malaysia. Parkson is currently operating a network of 123 department stores across Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar. Parkson offers a wide range of entertainment services (bowling & arcade) and food & beverage service.
9. Entertainment
There is a lot of entertainment options in Da Nang catering to everyone's unique experience and desire to fully enjoy the coastal city. Da Nang also hosts a wide range of international and local annual events like the International Firework Festival, the international Air Balloon Festival, music festivals, Iron Man, ManuLife Marathon etc.
For the Adrenaline Seekers...
For the Socialites...
For the Artistic...
For the Active...
For the Peaceful...
10. Cost of Living
One of the most attractive things about working and staying in Da Nang is the living costs. It’s extremely cheap and affordable to live in Da Nang. Our teachers working a part-time job earn more than enough to live comfortable and save up money for the future.
Monthly Expenses:
*Note: these costs serve as an estimation and might vary due to many factors involved. These estimations excludes flights, paperwork, visa runs and visa costs, which are usually the most expensive part when starting a new job at a company.