Exploring Central Vietnam - 13 May 2023 – Han River Boat Ride, Da Nang

The Avora Hotel is situated bang on one of the banks of the Han River, the Bach Dang Street, widely considered to be one of the most beautiful streets of Da Nang. Like most riverside roads in Vietnam, this one way boulevard is also named after a victorious battle against the Chinese. In Da Nang this street is popular for its vibrant nightlife. Just a few hundred metres away from the hotel is the iconic Dragon Bridge. The first sights took my breath away.

While the formalities for check-in were being completed the receptionist told me politely that I would have to wait a while to occupy the room reserved for me on the 8th floor. She said that the room would be ready in a couple of hours, by which time I could take a stroll along the Riverwalk and possibly have lunch. The receptionist told me a few options for food within close proximity.

The streets were not that busy with the sun beating down quite relentlessly. The broad Riverwalk is paved from end to end with lovely marble statues placed at intermediate locations. The statues looked so lifelike and the workmanship was exquisite. There were many coffee shops, restaurants, and bars, some overflowing with people as it was so close to the lunch hour and many taking solace in chilled beers and other beverages. The grand French architecture of several of the political buildings dotted along the street have stood since the colonial times and some are now flourishing hotels and restaurants. The Hilton, Novotel and Wink are modern high rise buildings.

I briefly walked into the historic Han Market, located close to the renowned Han River Bridge. The Han Market was first established in the 17th century as a spontaneous trading area. In the 19th century, the French constructed a formal business centre. It was rebuilt in 1990 with two spacious floors of 28,000 square meters with 576 stalls and 36 kiosks to serve the needs of the local citizens and foreign tourists.

The market is a popular tourist attraction in Da Nang and has etched a deep cultural and economic mark. It is a paradise for shopaholics who can find not only Da Nang specialties but is also an ideal place to shop for souvenirs. This is normally part of every tourist’s schedule because of the bargains available for garments, footwear, souvenirs, bamboo works, condiments, spices, Vietnamese specialities, etc. It is also a great place to explore local cuisine. Unfortunately, in the food court I got checkmated by the language; the vendors do not speak English and I cannot speak Vietnamese to save my life.

When the hunger pangs began I started looking into restaurants that featured Vietnamese cuisine. Almost all of them had the menu in the local language and the waiters did not speak English. Thus, it was a long trudge along the Bach Dang Street before I walked into the Tre Viet restaurant, decked up aesthetically in local style and with staff who understood English. They produced a menu which described the dishes in English. While sipping on a chilled Larue beer I ordered grilled pork with broke rice. The passion fruit juice they served with the main meal was superb to taste. The pork was a bit tough, but tasty.

After resting the weary limbs, baked by the hot sun and overnight flights, I booked a river cruise, which is one of the must do things in Da Nang. The Han River flows right through the city centre and empties into the Da Nang Bay. It is about 7 kms in length and is over 1 km at its widest. I booked the cruise at the hotel reception, which also booked a Grab cab for me to get to the Song Han Port from where the boat rides originate.

When I got there by a quarter to 7 pm I realised I could have walked there along the river front. The boats were all brightly decked up and there were quite a few of them. The most popular rides are the dinner cruises that takes visitors close to the Dragon Bridge on weekends when the Dragon breaths fire and water at 9 pm. 

The upper deck is most sought after for the boat rides. The first few rows were already taken by the time I got on. Therefore, the frontal view was restricted. Before the cruise began I was served a plateful of watermelon and mango with a bottle of chilled water. I sipped on a can of chilled Larue when a comely girl gave a couple performances of the Cham dance, which is a special kind of art of the Cham ethnic group of Vietnam. The traditional Cham dance is a part of the cultural and religious life of the people. Through dances, they express reverence to gods, kings or people who have made contributions to the country.

The boat cruise is a wonderful way to appreciate the lit up skyline, high rises and four landmark bridges that span the Han River. The Han River Bridge is a cable-stayed, swing bridge, where traffic is stopped at 11 pm to allow ships to pass when the centre portion of the bridge swings on its axis. The suspension cables of the Tran Thi Ly Bridge, named after a heroic revolutionary, is in the shape of an inverted Y and is intended to look like sails of a ship. The Dragon Bridge, the icon of Da Nang, is in the shape of a Golden Dragon stretching itself across the river from one bank to the other. The Thuan Phuoc Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Vietnam at 1.85 kms, transport men and material from Da Nang to the Son Tra Pensinsula and Hue, the former capital city.

The one hour boat cruise was quite enjoyable and by the time I disembarked the entire port area was filled with tourists for the 8 and 9 pm dinner cruises. I walked leisurely along the beautiful river bank, taking in the sculptures and neat gardens on the way back to the hotel. On the way I had dinner at the Tre Viet consisting of Pho, a beef noodle soup, the national dish of Vietnam. It is extremely nutritious and filling. Near to the diner were many shops selling coconut based sweet dishes. I succumbed to the temptation and had one before seeking the air-conditioned comfort of the hotel room.