(This is part of my Vietnam story series. For travel itinerary & tips, check my Da Nang Travel Guide.)
The Tale of Visa and Arrival
I usually travel in such a way that I reach the destination early morning of my Day 1. I departed from Chennai at 10.30 PM the previous day and was fast asleep in the flight. I had a layover in Bangkok, and the empty waiting lounge at 3.30 AM was inviting enough for another nap. By the time I woke up, it was full of people looking for seats, so I had to give up the whole bench. I met a traveler from India – we talked for a while and exchanged travel ideas. Before I knew, I was on my next flight to Da Nang and reached at 11.30 AM.
Being a lazy human, I didn’t bother exchanging currency in Bangkok and had 40GBP in my pocket – that too I borrowed from my flatmate. The Visa fee was 25USD – which I didn’t have – nor was there any exchange counter before immigration. They charged me 25GBP instead of 25USD, starting with a small hiccup. Once done, I bought a 30-day travel sim for $8 and called my hostel. I was happy to find Uber operating in Da Nang – and reached my hostel at 1/3rd the price of what airport cabs were charging.
The Tale of Monkey Mountains and Lady Buddha
I checked-in to Danang Backpackers Hostel which was pretty decent and helpful in giving suggestions. Since I was very hungry, I quickly went to a place and asked for a noodle soup. I clearly asked them not to put shrimps as I’m allergic to them – but I guess they understood the other way round. Once I saw the bowl full of shrimp, I ordered buns along with some salad and got done with my lunch. For the rest of my travel duration, I carried a Vietnamese translation of “I don’t eat shrimp” in my pocket.
The famous Golden Hand Bridge was not open yet, when I visited Vietnam, so my itinerary didn’t include the same. I rented an automatic bike from my hostel at 100,000VND and started towards the Monkey Mountain – where the famous lady Buddha statue is located. On my way, I stopped at the My Khe beach, which was full of round boats. The view was so amazing that I spent about 20 minutes before moving on. While I started the ascend, I could see the skyline of Da Nang clearer and clearer. The sun was about to set, and view looked amazing. After spending another 15 minutes there, I rushed to the lady Buddha statue before it became dark.
The entrance to the area is through Linh Ung Padoda, a beautiful modern monastery. Along with a huge courtyard and a garden full of bonsai trees, the monastery looked very serene, albeit crowded. This features contemporary architecture fused with traditional pagoda style and dragon shaped curved roofs. Once I turned around, the huge Lady Buddha statue was right in front of my eyes.
Built a few years back, this 30 storey statue is considered to be the tallest in Central Vietnam. One can go inside the statue and get a better view of Da Nang as well, but I didn’t as it was almost dark. I spent one more hour roaming around the compound full of monkeys before turning back towards the city.
The Tale of the Dragon Bridge and Snake Wine
I took the longer route back into the city, along the My Khe beach. On the other side of the road were the beautiful hotels and seafood places. I drove towards the famous dragon bridge, which was looking enormous the nearer I got. I parked my bike on the bridge and stood for a while, looking at the skyline and beautiful night lights of the city. A big Ferris Wheel could be seen at a distance, which also is a famous landmark and tourist attraction in Da Nang.
I returned to my hostel to be greeted by a lovely receptionist who told me a few interesting stories about Da Nang. I walked up to the rooftop restaurant to grab my free beer and meet other fellow hostellers. After talking and playing games for a while, we headed out for dinner. We sat down at a nearby place and experimented with food, since it was the first day in Vietnam for half of us.
While we were waiting for our food, we saw the restaurant owner coming towards us, with a dead snake inside the bottle. Having heard of snake wine for so long, we immediately said yes to his offer of drink. As we gulped one shot each, a burning sensation went down my throat for a few seconds, probably as strong as Absinthe. However, after a while, the feeling was amazing, especially the residual taste on our tongues. We quickly had dinner and came back for another round of chatting, before deciding to go bar hopping.
The Tale of Bar Hopping and Drunk Talk
At about 10.30-11, we 6-8 people started walking towards the riverside where a lot of bars are present. Led by an Argentinian girl who was a bit familiar with the area, we hopped a couple of them before finding ourselves at a unique one, where a huge young local crowd were partying and inhaling laughing gas. We talked to a couple of them in order to understand the young generation of the city, but a bar with high music definitely is not the right place for that. We moved on to one more bar before deciding to go to a supermarket instead, buy cans of beer, and sit down by the river to get drunk and exchange stories.
By the time we looked at our watch, it was already 1.30 and our heads were buzzing after 4-5 drinks each. While walking back to our hostel, we found ourselves at a roadside stall and ordered chicken and rice noodles, which tasted amazing even while drunk. Half of us were planning to go to Hoi An the next day, so we called it a night before deciding to meet during breakfast.
How Much Did I Spend?
Here’s the rough estimate for the day:
Hostel 150,000 VND
Commute 220,000 VND (Bike+Petrol 150,000; Airport transfer 70,000)
Sightseeing 0 VND (All the entrances were free)
Food & Drinks 230,000 VND (Food 100,000; Drinks 130,000)
Total 600,000 VND/ Rs.1800
(Not surprisingly, all of us woke up late and left for Hoi An at noon. For my memorable visit to My Son and an unforgettable evening at Hoi An, check the next story. For planning your own trip, check my Vietnam Travel Guide.)