Da Nang is often treated as an airport on the way to Hoi An, but it deserves time of its own. The city faces a long, clean sweep of sand, My Khe Beach, with the green Son Tra Peninsula at one end and the Marble Mountains at the other. Mornings start early here, with swimmers in the water before sunrise.
The Marble Mountains are five limestone and marble hills, each named after one of the elements. Steps lead up through caves turned into Buddhist and Hindu sanctuaries, where shafts of light fall through openings in the rock onto statues and incense. At the foot of the hills, stone carvers continue a craft that has been practised in the village for generations.
North of the city, the Hai Van Pass climbs over a spur of the Truong Son mountains that runs right down to the sea. It has long been a natural border between north and south, and the views from the top over the bay are among the finest in the country. We cross it by road, unhurriedly, stopping where the light is best.
Da Nang is also a city for seafood. Restaurants along the beach display the day's catch in tanks, and you choose what you would like cooked. For many of our guests, a quiet day here between Hue and Hoi An is the pause that makes the whole central coast feel unhurried.
