Da Nang: A "small metropolis"

During my three years as a seminar leader for development studies 1-students in Hoi An, I often visited Da Nang.

My friends and I often went into Da Nang in the evening to combine dinner with either shopping or a pub crawl. Or during the day, to visit cool coffee shops where you can work or hang out for hours. The café culture in Da Nang is important to the residents!

Here are my top five Da Nang favorites.

In the Hai Chau area, VNUK's campus is located, so this is most likely a part of the city you will become very familiar with as a business economics student.

The neighborhood offers a combination of more traditional lifestyles and cutting-edge places. I recommend taking a stroll around this area, where you can also visit the famous Han Market.

There has been a tremendous urban development in Da Nang over the past decades, which is clearly visible along the river with the many impressive bridges that stretch across it, such as the pineapple bridge and the dragon bridge.

Start around sunset and settle down on a plastic chair with a fresh coconut, sugarcane juice, or a snack. As the sun goes down, the buildings light up in various colors, and at 10:00 PM you can see the fire spouting from the dragon bridge!

While I was living in Hoi An, I used to go to Da Nang at least once a month to eat sushi, and in Hai Chau there are lots of good Japanese restaurants with both sushi and ramen.

The pizza restaurant 4Ps has almost become an institution in the city. Especially in the expat area My An, there's a plethora of international restaurants.

The street food in Da Nang is amazing and you will find food from all corners of the world in the many stalls, but I also recommend visiting established Vietnamese restaurants. The Michelin Guide provides an overview of both affordable and luxurious places.

The trend of speakeasy bars has caught on in Da Nang, and you can find bars hidden within Banh Mi stands, above chain cafes, and behind unassuming doors. Most speakeasies are located in the areas of Hai Chau or My An, and the drinks here are of very high quality!

If you miss being out in nature, I recommend a trip to Son Tra Peninsula, which is a protected natural area with plenty of opportunities to enjoy both the beach and the mountains. If you go at sunset, you'll see many newly in-love couples hiding from their parents.

I was lucky enough to see the pop idol Thinh Suy at On the Radio Bar, and I recommend everyone to catch a concert in Da Nang to see how the cool youth in Da Nang live!

The atmosphere could be mistaken for concerts in Norway, but instead of guzzling alcohol, the young people prefer to drink juice and eat fruit from large fruit platters on small bar tables.

• Study with VNUK in Da Nang