What Surprised Me After Moving to Da Nang

Coming up: soups, shocks, a divisive river, 19 cents of air, midday lulls, early-morning adventures, day trips to Hoi An, some unmissable tours, and the 15 things that surprised me after moving to Da Nang.

• I’ve lived in 4 countries
• I’ve visited more than 50
• I’ve been a travel writer for almost 10 years
• And I previously lived in Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi

👉 … but of ALL the places I’ve ever visited, Da Nang is one of my favorites*

(*and, apart from Newcastle, where I was born, Da Nang is DEFINITELY the best place I’ve ever lived 🤯)

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But: Da Nang is very different from most other places on the planet (even compared to other parts of Vietnam). Unexpected shocks include the super-strong coffee, the very-early-very-busy mornings, and the people the city attracts 😮

So… here are the 15 things that most surprised me after I moved to Da Nang…!

The prices

This is surprising because: you can live on a VERY low budget

🇻🇳 Da Nang is one of the most affordable places I’ve ever been—and it’s even more affordable than Hanoi*.

(*well, the local parts of Da Nang are more affordable than the local parts of Hanoi—if you’re a westerner who only hangs out at western places, you’ll think Da Nang is more ‘expensive.’ But it isn’t—you’re just making expensive choices 😬).

💸 Anyway, some of the most recent price-shocks I’ve had include:

• Getting my bicycle tyres inflated at the bicycle repair store: $0.19USD
• My regular daily coffee: $0.76USD
• Random bowls of street food: $0.76USD
• A 10-minute journey on the back of a scooter taxi: $0.65USD
• 4 kilos of fresh fruit at the local market: $2.85USD

(btw: the Vietnamese currency is VND—but I’ve given you the USD equivalents. I’m nice like that).

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The concentration of white people

This is surprising because: most people have no imagination 🤷

🏖️ Of course, I knew lots of Westerners came to Da Nang.

… but I wasn’t expecting them to all hang around in exactly the same tiny area as each other 🫤

That same tiny area is the An Thuong area of Mỹ An. Made up of a few streets, it’s home to international eats, overpriced Vietnamese food, fancy cafes, massage places, and loads of tourist infrastructure.

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Some parts of An Thuong are great—but if you really want to experience Da Nang, spend as little time as possible in this area.

🍜 I honestly don’t understand why foreigners eat at fancy ‘Vietnamese’ restaurants in this neighborhood, and spend $5 per meal—when they could be getting something much more authentic, interesting and tasty (for 20% of the price!) five streets away.

The central-Vietnamese dialect

This is surprising because: everything sounds different 🔊

This one won’t surprise everyone.

But…

… back when I was living in Hanoi, I learned a small amount of Vietnamese 👄

And like the idiot ignorant foreigner that I am, I assumed that the Vietnamese spoken in Hanoi was the same as the Vietnamese spoken across the rest of the nation.

But no: Vietnam’s central dialect is VERY different from its northern dialect. Some words are pronounced differently, some letters are pronounced differently, and some Hanoian words don’t even exist in Da Nang (and vice-versa).

The more Vietnamese you speak, the more this will surprise you. If you don’t speak any, don’t expect to be surprised at all 🤷

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Vietnamese coffee will blow your head off

This is surprising because: Robusta is… robust 😬

If this is your first time in Vietnam, this’ll blow your mind (almost literally).

You see: Vietnamese coffee is… VERY STRONG COFFEE:

1. Firstly, the coffee here is made from Robusta beans (which are 2x stronger than the beans we drink in most countries)
2. Also, Vietnamese people use A LOT of beans to make their coffees

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… so, if you drink real Vietnamese coffee (from a place where it’s mainly locals and few tourists), expect a HUGE caffeine rush—and possibly a massive post-coffee anxiety attack.

☕ I guess this is my way of saying: don’t have two Vietnamese coffees in a row. You might have a bad time. I make this mistake at least once a week, and I always regret it. My ex-girlfriend was right; I don’t learn my lessons.

The salty coffee

This is surprising because: it’s a salty speciality

As you probably know, northern Vietnam is famous for egg coffee 🍳

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… but central Vietnam is associated with something even better:

Actually originating in the close-to-Da-Nang city of Hue, Vietnamese salt coffee (or, in Vietnamese, ‘ca phe muoi’) is one of the best things I’ve ever put my mouth around.

🧂 It’s made by brewing strong Vietnamese Robusta coffee, then topping it with a tasty layer of whipped milk, cream, and salt. Although it’s very slightly salty, the salt is really there to enhance the creamy sweetness. Basically, it’s like a latte on steroids. I’d recommend a specific place, but all cafes know how to make them, and the difference is marginal.

Everyone is friendly

This is surprising because: life is so laid-back

Da Nang locals are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.

In general, Vietnamese people are very smiley, friendly, and welcoming—but Da Nang locals take it up a notch. I dunno; maybe it’s the ocean air.

Everyone smiles, says good morning, wants to talk to you, wants to be your friend. Da Nang is one of the most life-affirming places on the planet; if you like to be reminded of the warmth and kindness of strangers, you’ll love the place 💑

How close it is to Hoi An

This is surprising because: I can’t read maps properly

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🇻🇳 Hoi An is Vietnam’s most touristy city, by a very long way.

An old trading port town, it serves up lanterns, river rides, ancient houses, little bridges, friendly locals, colorful homes, and a hyper-loveable vibe—and the city’s old town is on the UNESCO list. It’s super-touristy, but it’s also super-charming.

By car (or scooter), Hoi An is only 40-45 minutes from Da Nang. To get there, your options are:

• Bus: this bus runs from Hoi An bus station to Da Nang bus station, the ticket costs 15,000VND, and the journey takes 45 minutes. I’m sure it’s a fun adventure, but I’ve literally never met anyone who’s taken one of these buses to Hoi An.
• Shuttle bus, from accommodations: many accommodations offer comfortable and convenient minibuses from Da Nang to Hoi An, at around $3-$5 for a seat. If your accommodation can’t organize this for you, they’ll know another accommodation who can. Vietnamese people are resourceful like that.
• Drive yourself: If you have a scooter or a bicycle, this is an easy option.
• Take a Grab: this is the best option, and it’s what the VAST majority of people do. You’ll never have to wait more than 3 or 4 minutes for your Grab to arrive, whether you’re in Da Nang or Hoi An. Cars cost around $12 for the one-way journey, and scooters cost around $4. For more, here’s everything you need to know about Grab in Vietnam.

… or, if you’re short on time, THIS EXCELLENT TOUR gives you all the Hoi An highlights (and some juicy extras) on a fun, easy and convenient day trip from Da Nang. Massively recommended! 🎉

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The food isn’t what you’ll expect

This is surprising because: Vietnamese food is VERY regional

When I first came to Vietnam, the only Vietnamese food I’d heard of was pho (the famous beef-noodle soup—which, fun fact, is actually a breakfast dish) 🍜

… and I thought everyone all over Vietnam was endlessly eating pho. And drinking egg coffee. And eating bun cha.

🇻🇳 But here’s the thing: Vietnamese food is VERY regional. And pho and bun cha and egg coffee are very Hanoian things. And as a result of that, you’ll rarely see them in Da Nang.

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Instead, you’ll find Da Nang local specialities. They include:

• My quang: turmeric-yellow noodles topped with pork, shrimp, herbs, and a small amount of sauce (it’s halfway between a curry and a soup). When you find a good one, my quang is GOOD. The best my quang I’ve wrapped my mouth around is at located at 227/14 Nguyễn Văn Thoại, Phước Mỹ, Ngũ Hành Sơn
• Bun cha ca: fishcake noodle soup with a rich, slightly-tangy broth
• Nem lui: grilled pork skewers you wrap in rice paper… with herbs, cucumber, and a thick peanutty dipping sauce

🥄 👉 To get the best of it—and I can’t emphasise this enough!—TAKE A FOOD TOUR. Because Da Nang is very touristy, many of the most-visible restaurants aren’t actually very good(so most tourists never eat good food here). And without the help of a local, it’s hard to find the best food. Of all the possible tours, this is the best of them—it lasts four hours, it’s the city’s most popular food tour, and it features restaurants, shops, and a local living room.

Note: If you’re familiar with Hanoi (or any other part of northern Vietnam), you’ll also be familiar with the region’s ‘bia hoi’ joints—where you get freshly-brewed and freshly-poured beer, on plastic tables and plastic chairs, for around $0.25USD per glass. Although some of these exist in Da Nang, you won’t find too many of them—they’re mainly a northern-Vietnam thing 🍻

It’s like two separate cities

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This is surprising because: the city’s westerners only hang around on the eastern side of the river

🚣 A river runs through the center of Da Nang. And:

• East of the river, you’ll find the beaches. The expats. Most of the tourists. And lots of overpriced western-world-style restaurants and cafes, serving up brunch and avocado, and lots of things Vietnamese people don’t actually eat.
• West of the river, you’ll find the airport. The busier part of the city. The heart of Da Nang. Much more local life, and way fewer foreigners.

🏖️ I live on the beachy side (cos, you know, living by the beach is nice).

… but I love spending time on the western side of the city. Here, you’ll find the best local cafes, the best local street food, and the most authentic Vietnamese vibes (this part of the city reminds me of the residential parts of Hanoi).

So: hire a scooter or a bicycle, get lost down all the little alleys, stop for food and drinks, and have one of the best days of your life. Yep, this part of the city doesn’t have the beach—but it’s much more charming than the ocean side 🎉

The mornings

This is surprising because: 5am is party time

🌅 I’m a morning person.

… and because I’m a morning person, Da Nang is perfect for me.

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You see: Vietnamese locals are most likely to socialize in the morning.

And in Da Nang, you’ll see that best 🏖️

Head to the beach between 5am and 6am, and you’ll see people:

• Swimming
• Sunbathing
• Drinking coffee
• Running and walking
• Dancing and doing aerobics
• Playing a weird football game where they don’t let the ball touch the floor
• Burying themselves in the sand (yes, really—I still haven’t worked out why people do this)

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You genuinely haven’t seen Da Nang until you’ve seen it in the early morning—it’s impossible to get these vibes any other time of day. And, honestly, the fun starts wrapping up at 6am. So get there before then for the full show.

If you like mornings, you’ll fall in love with Da Nang ♥️

The weather

This is surprising because: Da Nang isn’t always sunny

📅 If you come to Da Nang between September and December, the weather might catch you off guard.

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(I’m currently writing this in Da Nang in October, and today served up some of the heaviest rain I’ve ever seen) 😬

You see: September through to December is Da Nang’s rainy season (and August and January can also sometimes be a little wet). Although it’s not rainy ALL the time, it can get very disruptive. Sometimes, the rain might last an hour—but other times, it might last three days.

🌧️ From this rainy season, you can also expect typhoons, tropical storms, occasional flooding, and some infrastructure disruptions. Yep: you can still live your life during this season, and it’s not all bad—but if you only have a few days or so to visit Da Nang, I recommend doing it outside of the rainy season.

The Dragon Bridge ACTUALLY breathes fire

This is surprising because: most people think it’s just a nickname… until they actually see it happen

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There are 6 different bridges running over the central part of Da Nang’s river.

One of them is the famous Dragon Bridge.

🔥 Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night at 9pm (and on most holidays), the Dragon Bridge literally spits fire and water from its mouth. Traffic stops, crowds gather, the show lasts around 5 minutes, and everyone takes photos. It’s ridiculous but fun, in a very Vietnamese way.

Pro Tip: The dragon’s head is on the eastern side of the bridge. So that’s where you want to be!

The beach empties at midday

This is surprising because: it gets HOT!… and Vietnamese people love a nap 🥱

⏱️ At 11:30am, every day, you’ll swear an apocalypse has hit Da Nang (and it seems like that apocalypse lasts until around 4pm).

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Between these hours, locals disappear into the shade, some restaurants close, and the most local cafes go eerily quiet.

🇻🇳 Vietnamese people:

• Don’t like tanning
• Don’t like midday sun
• And do like having big long midday naps*

Fun Fact: Even office workers and teachers in Vietnam often have a designated nap time at work 😴 Living the dream!

(btw: because we live in a globalised world, Da Nang is still very much alive in the afternoons—and loads of places are still open to eat and drink and shop. So: you can still live your life during these hours—but there is a noticeable shift of energy)

You’ll meet lots of retired white people

This is surprising because: Da Nang attracts many entrepreneurs and ‘I’ve-sold-my-business’ people

When I say ‘retired people,’ I don’t mean older retired people 🧓

(… although, you will also find some older retired people in Da Nang)

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💲 Instead, for whatever reason, Da Nang seems to attract Americans and Eastern Europeans in their 30s and 40s who’ve made money in business or crypto or trading or whatever, and now don’t need to work.

Yes, I’m jealous. And, yes, they’re living their best lives. But, yes, it’s still surprising.

The scooters

This is surprising because: you’ve never seen so many scooters* before

Again, if you’ve been to any other part of Vietnam, this won’t surprise you.

… but if you haven’t, it will 🛵

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(*and when I say ‘scooters,’ what I reaalllllly mean is the types of low-powered motorbikes that are popular throughout ALL of Southeast Asia)

💻 Anyway, according to a Google search I just did, Vietnam is home to 77 million registered scooters… and only 6.8 million registered cars.

… so, for every car, the nation is home to 11 scooters 🤯

Even if you’ve been to other parts of Southeast Asia, you’ll be surprised by how many scooters you’ll see in Vietnam. The traffic is chaotic, the scooters are everywhere, and the horn-tooting is omnipresent.

Final Thoughts

So, now you know: they’re the 15 things that most surprised me after moving to Da Nang!

… and from this, my 3 main takeaways for you are:

1. Hit the beach in the mornings (before 6am)
2. Make sure you explore the western side of the city
3. Expect to be shocked by both the coffee and the prices (and the prices of the coffee!)

For more on Da Nang, head over to our guides on:

Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and we’ll see you again soon. Enjoy Da Nang—and bye for now! 🇻🇳