Da Nang, Vietnam, 2026

We arrived in Da Nang on a rainy afternoon. Our first afternoon was spent getting acclimated, getting some necessities from a near-to-our-hotel store, of which there are plenty, and finding something to eat.

We spent the morning of our first day visiting the Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn). It was such a hot & humid day we were glad to have left early in the morning. After a couple hours exploring the Marble Mountains we took a Grab to a mall, shopped at a grocery store to get bottled water / coffee / gifts, and got lunch. Later in the afternoon we took a Grab to visit the Lady Buddah statue.

We spent the next day in Hoi An, which is a 45-minute Grab ride from the Da Nang beach area. We explored the old town for most of the day; seeing several spots on the history tour and eating dinner at mẹt – where we had to get the traditional noodle dish, Cao lầu of Hoi An and Bánh bao bánh vạc (White Rose dumplings). The Cao lầu noodles are made with Bá Lễ well water.

We spent the third day taking another day trip to visit Hue. We visited the imperial city, Citadel, Khai Dinh tomb, Minh Mang tomb, Thien Mu Pagoda, and took a dragon boat on the perfume river.

Finding Red-Shanked Langurs (Red-shanked douc)

On our fourth and final day we spent the morning on the back of motorbikes finding red-shanked langurs in the hills. It was such an incredible three hours; coasting down hills on the lookout for red-shanked langurs, perched in trees along the road, eating leaves/buds. It was especially meaningful to see them because they are so critically-endangered; with only 3,000 reportedly alive today (~1,500 in Da Nang, ~1,500 in Laos and Cambodia).

Conclusion

Da Nang was our second favorite city that we visited. It served as an excellent home base to make day trips to Hoi An and Hue. Riding on the back of a motorbike searching for red-shanked langurs was an unforgettable experience.