05.45, Romanian time. Arina and I, affected by a strong jet lag, slept only a few hours. We are reminiscing while I struggle with a bowl full of boeuf salad, and she with Sibiu salami. I look out the window and see Constanța frozen, I take out my laptop and try to recall my experiences in warm countries. Or rather, the warm country of Vietnam , the one that hosted us for more than three weeks.
Da Nang is not the kind of city that impresses you instantly.
Da Nang is not the kind of city that impresses you instantly. It doesn't have the visual shock of Hong Kong , nor the assumed artificiality of Macau, nor the promise of the perfect vacation of Phu Quoc. Instead, it has something much rarer: balance. A big city, but breathable. Wide beaches, but without hysteria. Chaotic traffic, but somehow functional. And, above all, a rhythm that works surprisingly well for a family with a child. For Arina, Da Nang was the place where she learned that mornings can start on the beach, not in a hurry. That the sand is not only for playing, but also for simply lying down, with eyes closed, listening to the waves. For us, it was the city where we didn't feel the need to "do" things. We let them happen.
The beaches in Da Nang are the exact opposite of what the tourist brochures sell. They are not perfect, they are not forcedly Instagrammable, they are not arranged to the point of absurdity. They are large, airy and, above all, friendly. In the morning you see locals running, sunbathing, playing sports or simply hanging out. We happened to be there at the end of the Vietnamese spring, and the temperatures were bearable until noon. On the beach you have the opportunity to share your experiences in Vietnam with dozens of European tourists, many of whom moved here during the entire European winter. “ With the money you spend here for five months, you can live in Paris for a week ,” a former French athlete we befriended on the beach told me.
And it all seems to make more sense with a glass of cold coffee, taken from an anonymous kiosk. While we were walking to the beach, cold coffee became a ritual.
Useful tips:
- Mornings (08:00–01:00) are golden. In the afternoon, wind and clouds can completely change the atmosphere. Also, from 11:30 the UV index was easily over 9.
- You don't need a private beach. The public space is more than decent.
- Da Nang also offers you beaches with sun loungers, DJs, a party feeling Mamaia or Ibiza. We chose to spend our evenings in places like these
- Local cold brew coffee is cheap and surprisingly good. If you don't like the taste, there's also "specialty coffee"
- For fresh fruit lovers, the pineapple one is awesome.
Night City: The Hordes of “Ratatouille”
After dark, the rats appear. Many. Hundreds. On the beach, on the sidewalks, near the restaurant areas, near the green spaces. They run, disappear, reappear. They are part of the city's nocturnal landscape, no matter how touristy the area is.
We experienced mixed feelings: Arina happily shouting on the beach "Look at Ratatouille", and us with the fear that she might be bitten.
Paradoxically, the Vietnamese don't seem scared at all. They walk past them without blinking. For the locals, their presence is normal, almost ignored. In contrast, the tourists react immediately: they stop, retreat, change their route, instinctively lift their feet. It's the kind of detail that doesn't appear in guidebooks or promotional videos. But it's there. And it matters.
Useful tips if you have a phobia of rats:
- Try to avoid beach clubs in the evening
- The Vietnamese say that their rats are used to people and don't attack (I don't really believe it)
- Look for crowded pedestrian areas and don't venture into the nooks and crannies.
Dragon Bridge and the life that ignites
Dragon Bridge is not just a fire-breathing bridge for tourists. It is a perfectly synchronized mechanism: the city lights, the reflections in the river, the crowd below and the dragon that, for 15 minutes, dominates the entire landscape. When the show begins, the flames seem bigger than they really are, because the night amplifies them. The water that follows the fire is no longer just a special effect, but a kind of reset.
We chose to see the show from a rooftop terrace. Drawn by a local and fearing a possible impalement, we climbed five floors. At the end of the dozens of stairs, we saw the bridge in all its splendor.
There is no charge at the rooftop, but consumption is mandatory. Prices are slightly higher than at other terraces.
Dragon Bridge Tips:
- If you want to stay under the bridge, you can, but you'll smell like smoke and leave with wet clothes.
- For video and perspective, the rooftop wins hands down.
- After the show, don't rush to leave: the night markets are at their peak then.
- Embrace the chaos. It's part of it. the experience.
Lady Buddha and the lesson of silence
One of the most powerful experiences in Da Nang is not about the city, but about the silence above it. The Lady Buddha statue is not just big. It's calm. And its calmness is contagious.
I let Arina watch. Let her ask. Let her be silent. In a world where children are constantly bombarded with stimuli, this moment was, paradoxically, the most valuable.
In the garden with dozens of bonsai trees cut with Asian precision, you also have the chance to meet the famous monkeys.
Da Nang, imperfections you need to know
Da Nang is not without its drawbacks. I also had some "stings". I had expectations that were not confirmed. A marina that promised more than it delivered. Nothing serious, but enough to remind you that it is a real city, not a setting.
Why does Da Nang stay with you?
Not for goals. Not for lists. But for that rare state where you feel like you don't have to prove anything. That you can sit. That you can observe. That a child can fall asleep on a lounger, and that's perhaps the best possible review.
Da Nang is not just a destination to check off. It's a place to live. Even for a few days.
