Any earnest and dedicated beach goer knows there are two types of great beaches in the world. The nightlife rich and bustling urban beach and the quiet secluded beach. If you want to find one of the worlds best urban beaches you will find Vietnam’s best Beach. While names like Miami Beach and Rio are probably top of mind for images of long strands of soft sand flanked by warm water and tall gleaming buildings let’s not overlook the city of Da Nang. Da Nang is Vietnam’s third largest city and is pretty much in the center of the country.

The beach at Da Nang is is a long gentle arc. The beach is relatively wide and the sand is soft. The warm waters of the South China Sea are rather calm and overall it is a top notch beach. For your average westerners, commonly know as mad dogs and Englishmen, the beaches are fairly deserted during the day. and for such a beautiful urban beach that was surprising. We, however saw a dramatic and wonderful blossoming of the beach at sundown.As the sun set, families, couples on dates, groups of young kids, all meandered out onto the sand. Bands played, picnics popped up, pick up games of football and volley ball appeared as the darkness fell and the tropical heat faded. The entire long strand of beach took on a laid back, relaxed party atmosphere. Not bad for your average Tuesday night.

One of the advantages of an urban beach is the proximity to lots of fun things to do. Da Nang has that covered in spades. As with most coastal cities, they have a thriving seafood industry and some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. Getting around anywhere in Vietnam is fairly easy for anyone with a cell phone. Simply show a cab driver a screen shot of where you want to go or an address on google maps and with a three or four dollar drive you are there. Craft beer, Korean BBQ, local dive bars and of course the previously mentioned sushi establishments were all well above expectations.

While the food and night life was exceptional we had plenty to keep our interest during the day. Da Nang is not nearly as congested as Hanoi or Saigon/ Ho Chi Minh City, so we screwed up our courage and rented some scooters. I promise you, it is the only way to get around a city. A 15 minute scooter ride up the coast takes you up the mountain to the Beautiful Lady Buddha statue with it’s impressive view of the city. Turning around and going south for about 30 minutes brings to to Hoi An, The town of Hoi An is an old trading town that goes back centuries and it looks it. Block after block of shops that look right out of a vintage Hollywood movie. It is easy to get carried away with a credit card as the array of fine crafted items is almost as amazing as the low prices. The Marble mountains on the outskirts of Da Nang are unbelievable and give an impressive panorama of the city. In Short you really need to devote at least three or four days to explore Da Nang. because as great as the beach is, you will have so much else to keep you busy.