Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [199]
Bamboo Green Central 158 Phan Chu Trinh 0511/382 2996, bamboogreen@dng.vnn.vn. Upmarket hotel popular with tour groups and business people. A good range of facilities, including money exchange, tour desk, restaurant and bar, plus decent – if rather bland – rooms, make this one of the best hotels in town. US$31–50
Bamboo Green Riverside 68 Bach Dang 0511/383 2591, riversidets@dng.vnn.vn. The latest addition to the Bamboo chain makes up for smaller rooms with slightly cheaper prices and river views from most rooms, some with balconies. Facilities include internet access as well as a restaurant, bar, tour desk and ATM outside. US$31–50
Dai A 51 Yen Bai 0511/382 7532, www.daiahotel.com. The rooms are a bit dated, but the central location and friendly welcome make this a reasonable option for those that want their own bathroom, a/c and satellite TV. Front rooms can be noisy. US$21–30
Elegant 22a Bach Dang 0511/389 2893, elegant@dng.vnn.vn. Efficient business hotel on the riverfront which lives up to its name. The decor and standard of furnishings are a cut above the competition at this price range. There’s a restaurant, bar, small business centre and money-exchange facilities. US$21–50
Green Plaza Hotel 238 Bach Dang 0511/322 3399, www.greenplazahotel.vn. It’s hard to miss this new twenty-floor tower on the riverside; service is excellent, and the rooms fresh and immaculate, though you’ll pay extra for a river view. Non-guests are also welcome to use the Skybar on the top floor, which offers free high-speed internet access and wonderful views. US$76–150
Minh Travel Hotel 105 Tran Phu 0511/381 2661, mtraymond@yahoo.ca. The central location and some of the lowest prices in town make this a good option for those on a strict budget. Rooms are basic but adequate with fans, or a/c for a slightly higher price. If you are willing to share a bathroom, the “student room” is only $5. US$10 and under
Phuong Tam 174 Bach Dang 0511/382 4288. This riverside hotel is handy for the Cham Museum, and has well-appointed rooms with a/c and satellite TV. Those at the rear are quieter and slightly cheaper. US$11–20
Saigon Tourane 5 Dong Da 0511/382 1021, www.saigontourane.com.vn. The most upmarket hotel in town boasts a restaurant serving inter-national cuisine, piano-bar, health club, business centre and ATM. The rooms are very comfortable, equipped to three-star standards, albeit slightly soulless. It’s also a little out of the way. US$51–75
Tulip Danang Hotel 58 Tran Phu 0511/384 0778, tulipdananghote@vnn.vn. This new hotel’s rooms are spotless and fully equipped; as it’s on a main road rooms out back are quieter, though those on the higher floors facing the front have good views over the town and river. US$31–50
Y Van Hotel 21 Tran Hung Dao 0511/393 6156, hotelyvan@vnn.vn. Situated on the quieter side of the Han River, this new fifteen-room mini-hotel is a shining beacon among Da Nang’s lacklustre mid-range accommodation options. Rooms are luxuriously furnished with all amenities including full-size baths. The rooftop bar is a great spot to watch the city at night. US$21–50
The central provinces | Da Nang |
The City
The elongated oval of Da Nang occupies a small headland protruding into the southern curve of Da Nang Bay. The city faces east, fronting onto Bach Dang and the Han River, across which the narrow Son Tra Peninsula shelters it from the South China Sea. Its streets follow a rough grid plan, dissected by two main thoroughfares, Le Duan and Le Loi/Phan Chu Trinh. Hung Vuong and streets around form the commercial heart of Da Nang, running between the two central markets: sprawling, oppressive Cho Con in the west and orderly Cho Han by the river. Two blocks south of Han market, past the soft, salmon-mousse coloured cathedral, colonial Da Nang is represented by a few wooden and stucco houses at the eastern end of