Da Nang

Da Nang sits on the central coast where the mountains come down to the sea. The Han River runs through the middle of the city under a string of bridges – the Dragon Bridge the most famous – and a long sandy beach lines its eastern edge.

The city's icons are all within an hour: the giant Lady Buddha at Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula, the caves and pagodas of the Marble Mountains, and Ba Na Hills, where the Golden Bridge is held up by two giant stone hands. Hoi An and the road to Hue over the Hai Van Pass are close by too.