DA NANG PRIVATE TOUR WITH XUAN TU-AMAZING WAY TO END MY EPIC VIETNAM TRIP!!!
I LOVE VIETNAM!!! From the very delicious, flavorful food to the the warm & friendly people and the rich culture & history, I fell in love with Vietnam. From the vibrant city of Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi to Halong Bay to Hoi An & Da Nang, I fell in love with Vietnam & would love to come back. I had the privilege & pleasure to do a private Da Nang tour with Xuan Tu from Xuan Tu Tours and it was one of the best, amazing, enlightening, inspiring tour I have done. I was pleasantly surprised how beautiful the city of Da Nang is. Xuan Tu brought me to the magical place of Marble Mountain. It is a beautiful place and to hear the stories/legend of this place, I found myself getting goosebumps. The caves, the intricate designs of the temples, the beautiful sculptures & mosaics & the hidden figures inside the caves, explained beautifully & clearly by Xuan Tu, I found myself being transported to a different realm. 🙂 In all honesty, you can come here & bask in the beauty of the place but it is so much enriching to learn the significance, the meaning, the relevance of the temples provided by a passionate ambassador guiding you. Xuan Tu loves her country & is very passionate about it. She taught me so much about Buddhism and as a non Buddhist person, it is very humbling & enlightening to learn the practices & traditions & how very much alive it is in Vietnam. It’s amazing how much you learn when you are open to other people’s beliefs & practices. The dominating figure of the Lady Buddha, perched above the mountain overlooking the beautiful city & coast of Da Nang, what a sight to behold!!! Beautiful bonsai trees decorating the grounds, lotus leaves & flowers floating on the pond, it’s hard not to feel relaxed & content being in this place. To wrap up my tour, Xuan Tu introduced me to the ancient civilization of the Champa kingdom. I have never heard about it till now and I think deserves the same attention & interests as the other ancient civilizations. If you are in Da Nang, please make sure to visit the Champa Sculpture museum. I love my tour so much and I can go on & on & on……in how much I love it but go ahead & contact Xuan Tu & experience the magic, the inspiration, the beauty of Da Nang. THANK YOU SO MUCH XUAN TU & I HOPE I WAS ABLE TO CONVEY HOW GRATEFUL I AM THAT I GOT TO EXPERIENCE THIS TOUR. — Traveller: fretcheb from TripadvisorÂ
A Complete Guide to Visiting the City of Da Nang, Vietnam
Surrounded by sandy beaches and located near the Buddhist pagodas and caves of the Marble Mountains, the once small town of Da Nang is a growing, bustling port city lying halfway between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the south. As the third largest city in Vietnam, Da Nang is a great place to visit in its own right and not just as a stopping point to nearby attractions such as Hue Imperial City, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Despite its large urban population, Da Nang life runs at a slightly slower tempo than frenetic Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Perhaps it’s the isolated beaches that invite quiet meditation, the friendly people, or the lighter traffic on the streets; whatever it is that makes Da Nang so enjoyable, you should plan a few days to explore the delights this city has to offer. History of Da Nang, Vietnam da nang a travel guide Da Nang lies within the former kingdom of Champa, a culture heavily influenced by Hinduism brought from India. Even today, the Cham culture’s exhibited in the architecture, food, and Chamic languages still spoken throughout the region. In the 10th century, the Dai Viet (cultural Vietnamese) began an inexorable sweep from Northern Vietnam south into the Da Nang area and beyond, eventually conquering the Champa leaders and taking over their territories. While a small village existed on the site beginning in the 14th century, Da Nang wasn’t settled as a seaport until the 17th century, when it began attracting traders from Europe and Asia. Despite its trade and the area’s beauty, it was still a backwater town until Napolean III annexed it for the French Empire in 1862, and in 1889, the French colonial government renamed the seaport Tourane (or Turon). As French influence and power grew in Vietnam, the seaport also expanded and grew until it became one of the five major cities of French Indochina, included among Hanoi, Saigon, Hai Phong, and Hue. French colonial architecture, food, and fashions layered atop the Cham and Dai Viet influences already present in the city and surrounding area. When the French left Vietnam in 1954, the country declared independence as a nation. Da Nang was the scene of many battles Da Nang was the scene of many battles during the Vietnam War (the Vietnamese call this war the American War). It was the first landing site of American troops in March, 1965, and the scene of many bloody conflicts throughout the ten years of the war. Despite the conflicts and setbacks suffered by the city and its people, Da Nang has flourished in the years after the war. Industry and manufacturing play a major part in its growth, and tourism is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the city. Best Time to Visit The weather is ideal from April through September, with the ocean regulating and cooling the city during the hottest summer months. Winter, from the end of September through January, is still mild in temperature, but rain showers are an almost daily occurrence during this monsoon season, along with occasional fierce storms coming off the South China Sea. If you plan on visiting Da Nang in winter, be sure to pack an umbrella. About Da Nang Da Nang is situated at the mouth of the Han River that exits from the East Vietnam Sea. On the north, Da Nang hugs the Da Nang Bay, while the long waterfronts of the east and south border the Han River and the Song Cam Le River. In Da Nang, you’ll find gorgeous white sand beaches, superb vistas, a wide range of restaurants and eateries, plenty of shopping, and tons of culture and special sites to visit. Within the city and the surrounding area, you’ll recognize the Cham, Da Viet, French Colonial, and modern Vietnamese and global influences that have helped shape this seaport into a city that is friendly towards visitors while successfully preserving its own heritage. City authorities have launched a multi-year campaign designed to make Da Nang the most modern city in Vietnam by the year 2030. It’s an exciting time to visit! From the iconic Dragon Bridge to the wild beauty of Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang will make you glad you came. Attractions near Da Nang Marble Mountains Each of the five craggy peaks that make up the Marble Mountains, located nine kilometers (5.5 miles) south of Da Nang and near the China Beach coastal road, is named after the element it is said to most closely resemble: water (Thuy Son), wood (Moc Son), fire, (Hoa Son), metal or gold (Kim Son), and earth (Tho Son). Though each peak is topped with a pagoda, only the largest mountain, Thuy Son is open to visitors. Within Thuy Son lies a series of caves, tunnels, and sanctuaries originally dedicated to Hindu gods and later turned into Buddhist temples and sanctuaries. Visitors can enter the cave system and traverse a series of tunnels, stairs, and paths as they wind through the various caverns up to the summit of the mountain. The caverns and grottoes are filled with religious carvings on the marble walls as well as numerous statues of Buddha. At the base of the mountains lie villages whose residents specialize in marble carvings and statues. Until recently, the marble they used actually came from the Marble Mountains, but marble is now shipped in from nearby provinces in order to preserve the integrity of the mountains. You can get to the Marble Mountains by bus or taxi from Da Nang for a very reasonable price. The entry fee to the caves is around 18,000 Vietnamese dong (VND), or less than one U.S. dollar. An elevator is available for those who have difficulty walking up hills or climbing stairs, but be prepared for a workout if you want to get to the summit. Son Tra Mountain (Monkey Mountain) Escape the
Best Hoi An half day trip with Lam!
Sonya and I had the most amazing time in Danang with our tour guide Lam. We will never forget Danang, he was incredibly knowledgeable, extremely fun and took so many photos for us. Our day started with the local pho breakfast, followed by a rendezvous to the local coffee parlour (cafe long)- where Saigon coffee become my new must drink beverage. My favourite was after climbing Marble Mountain going to the best Banh Xeo restaurant in town (new favourite food- Vietnamese pancakes) where we left with our shirts tighter. Lam have each location his own spin and added his own stories to each location so we felt like locals instead of tourists. He took care of us every step of the way and was patient when we took millions of photos. We will never forget our experience, he was the best tour guide and we have recommended him to all our friends who want to travel to Danang. Thanks for the memories! — Traveller: Joy D from TripadvisorÂ
Wonderful tour of Hue
We were picked up in a mini-bus outside of the port. We drove to Hue and visited the mausoleum of the 12th king, incredibly ornate and in a beautiful setting. We also visited Thien Mu pagoda which has a beautiful garden with bonsai, and is also the home of the car that the monk Quang Duc traveled to Saigon before his self-emolation. We visited a local market and also the Imperial City. We had lunch at a restaurant that was originally an old house that has a beautiful garden. If we had not been traveling with some picky eaters, we would have opted for eating at the small road side restaurant or in the market. I’m not saying that the food was bad, just “made for tourists” with all of the tables filled with tour groups. This is no reflection at all on the tour guide who was very knowledgeable and friendly. Given a choice though, I would suggest either of the other two options for lunch. When we are in the area again, we will definitely use this company to tour Hoi An as well! — Traveller: tatugrl from TripadvisorÂ
Private tour from cruise port
We organised this tour as a result of a recommendation from our tour operator in Ho Chi Minh City and found it to be cost effective and a comprehensive day out. Our allocated guide was Tommy (Hai) who had great English and a full knowledge of Da Nang and Hoi An. We started our day with traditional tea andcoffee. Tommy showed us significant religious sites in Da Nang ang gave us a brief history of Budism and the life of Buddha . We then drove on to Hoi An where Tommy guided us on a walking tour of the od city and included visits into ancient shop houses and the famous Japanese Bridge. Our day ended back in DaNang at the very impressive Lady Buddha Statue overlooking the city and then a short trip back to the harbour to rebooted our ship. It is a long walk from the ship to the gates of the harbour but there is a shuttle available if you look for it. A great day. Thanks to Tommy and his driver for a safe and memory filled fun day. — Traveller: RussellB719 from TripadvisorÂ