Motorcycle road travel guide in Da Nang, Vietnam

Da Nang, Vietnam is a city full of tropical beach style and a very famous resort in Vietnam. This is a great tourist destination with many beautiful natural sights and exciting food. Here is a detailed strategy for you.

1. Visa

Vietnam has opened visas on arrival to Chinese tourists in several tourist cities, but they cannot use their passports to enter Vietnam directly and need something similar to an application form. Taobao has many agency services with cheap prices. You can do this with a copy of your passport. You can print it out and take it with you.

When you leave the country, show it to the customs uncle and you will be released. When entering Vietnam, take the application form and your passport and fill out an application form to apply for a visa to Vietnam.

It should be noted that the vast majority of tourists entering Vietnam require visas on arrival, and there are many places where visas are issued. Therefore, printing and filling out the entry application form in advance can save a lot of time in queues.

Visa on arrival requires a 2-inch color photo. Remember to prepare it in advance. You don’t need to apply it yourself, just give it to the staff.

The visa fee is US$25 (single entry), and you must prepare cash (equivalent to Vietnamese Dong). Please note that there is no ATM machine at the airport where you can withdraw money before entering the country.

Finally, there is no pen at the entrance of Da Nang Airport, so you must bring one yourself in case of emergency.

2. Currency

The official currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong, and cash is basically used in Vietnam. Only hotels, large restaurants, and supermarkets can accept credit cards, and most of them do not support UnionPay. So cash is king.

Vietnamese dong cannot be directly exchanged with RMB, so it cannot be exchanged at domestic banks, and you cannot expect to use RMB cards to withdraw Vietnamese dong from ATMs. But you can exchange RMB for Vietnamese Dong everywhere in Vietnam, at airports, hotels, restaurants, and even supermarket vendors. The bank at the airport charges about 3,250 yuan for 1 yuan. The hotel costs about 3200. It’s basically 3,000 at the vendors. So I suggest that 2,300 RMB per day at the hotel is almost enough.

If you have US dollars on hand, it is actually more appropriate to exchange them for US dollars. I exchanged 1 U.S. dollar for 22,000 U.S. dollars at the hotel, which is obviously more appropriate than RMB. I happened to have some US dollars on hand, and I basically exchanged US dollars for Vietnamese dong in Da Nang.

3. Mobile phone SIM card

The network situation in Da Nang is surprisingly good. 4G network speed is extremely fast and the price is not too expensive. You can buy it on Taobao in advance. If it’s too late, they will be sold at the airport.

4. Language problem

Da Nang is a tourist city with a large number of European and American tourists. Most hotels and big hotels have clerks who speak good English and have a strong accent, so communication is no problem. In some supermarkets frequented by Chinese people, there are even Chinese shopping guides. But when you leave hotels and restaurants, it's basically left to you to guess.

Well, in fact, as long as you have money and an Internet connection, you are not afraid of traveling all over the world. Let's go straight to it!

A country on motorcycles

Vietnam can be said to be a country on motorcycles, because basically every household has a motorcycle, and locals basically rely on motorcycles to travel. So driving a motorcycle through a busy city or cruising along Vietnam's coastal roads is a unique experience that's hard to get elsewhere.

During those few days in Da Nang, whether it was eating in the city or going to attractions in the surrounding suburbs, all trips relied on motorcycles. Not only is it convenient, it's also great fun.

Motorcycle rental shops can be found everywhere in Da Nang. Because these shops only serve tourists, simple English communication is possible.

Rental stores must have English signs. I actually rented the car at a motel.

About driver’s license

Vietnam’s motorcycle management is very formal. You will not see unlicensed motorcycles on the street, and you must have a driver's license to drive a motorcycle. The Chinese driver's license is obviously not recognized, and it is unknown whether the so-called international motorcycle driver's license (with this thing) will be recognized.

But in fact, Vietnam seems to be very tolerant of foreign tourists, and no driver’s license is required to rent a car. The police on the road should know this but turn a blind eye. So you can rest assured.

About rent

General rent is 100k-150k VND per day (equivalent to RMB 30-50). After my comparison, there is actually not much difference in price. Cars with better models may be slightly more expensive. It is recommended that when renting a car, you directly point to the car you like and ask for the price. This can avoid embarrassing situations

About the deposit

Generally speaking, the shop owner will ask for a passport. At first, I wasn't worried either. Later, when I saw the stack of colorful passports in the shopkeeper's bag, I felt relieved. If you are really worried, you can choose a car rental point near the hotel, and then tell them to bring your passport to the hotel and let them negotiate with the car rental agency.

Instead of going to a special car rental agency, the boss put a few cars in the lobby of the hotel where he stayed. There are not many cars because it is right next to the hotel and the price is pretty good.

Other charges

Under normal circumstances, the store will ask you if you need gasoline, because there is usually not much gas in the car. The fuel prices in car dealers are usually relatively expensive (what I encountered was 350k1.5L). Although there is not much fuel in the car, it is enough for you to drive to the gas station, so from an economic point of view, it is good to refuel by yourself. However, due to the low fuel consumption of motorcycles, even if they are hacked by the owner, the cost will be less than 10 yuan. If you are pressed for time, you can go to a car dealership to refuel.

I have never driven a motorcycle before. Is it safe to rent a motorcycle in Vietnam?

I think the safety of renting a car and driving a motorcycle in Vietnam is what most people are most worried about. The name "meat-wrapped iron" is deeply rooted in people's hearts, and after all, driving motorcycles is prohibited in most big cities in the country (the number of motorcycles that go out to the coastal provinces of Guangdong and return home every year can be ignored). Many people have no experience in driving motorcycles. Even if they drive electric vehicles, the density of vehicles is far less dense than the motorcycle sea in Vietnam.

I had the same worry before going there because I had never touched a motorcycle or even ridden an electric bike. The same goes for LD at home. We didn’t even know how to start the motorcycle.

It’s okay for girls to drive this kind of motorcycle. LD will be fine after a few minutes of getting used to it.

But I didn’t know until I went there. In fact, there is no problem at all. The pedal is easy to drive!

The following is a few words from my heart, for reference only. Please don’t laugh at old motorcycle drivers:

My sister and I were driving motorcycles to eat in Da Nang.

Driving skills

1. Scooters are automatic transmissions. You only need to control the accelerator and brake, and turn the handle to apply oil. Be sure to give it slowly the first time, the slower the better. Just like a car, the car only moves when you turn it to the critical point. Be sure not to unscrew it directly, as it will cause the person and the car to fly out.

2. When parking, squeeze the brake with your hands (it is difficult to turn the accelerator when you squeeze the brake) to avoid turning the accelerator accidentally.

3. When parking, be sure to put the bracket first and then get off the car. Motorcycles are heavy. Once she loses her balance, the man can say that my sister probably can't support the car. When getting off the bus, you must park at the branch first and then get off the bus. If you want to push a car, people walk on the car with their legs.

4. If you find that it cannot be started, first check whether the car's support is in place, because the car will automatically shut down if you put down the support.

In terms of driving difficulty, automatic pedal motorcycles can be said to be almost zero, but the awareness requirements for traffic safety are not low at all. After all, the speed of motorcycles is 40km/h and the density of vehicles is very high, so you must have sufficient safety awareness.

The driving habits of Vietnamese people are pretty good, much higher than domestic electric cars, so everyone will assume that the other person is a person with good driving habits, so you must abide by the traffic rules, otherwise accidents will easily occur ( Vietnam has a high proportion of traffic accident fatalities).

Vietnam’s driving habits are the same as those in China. If you have a good habit of driving a car/electric vehicle or even riding a bicycle in China, driving a motorcycle in Vietnam is basically stress-free.

It is a standard two-lane road, and most people like to drive in the middle of the road. In Vietnam, cars must give way to motorcycles.

: Traffic safety

1. Wear a helmet when getting in the car. There's nothing much to say about this.

2. Change lanes and turn on the lights. There are almost no lights on domestic electric vehicles. When driving a motorcycle in Vietnam, you must remember to turn on the turn signal.

3. Pay attention to the rearview mirror. Motorcycles also have rearview mirrors. After getting the car, adjust the rearview mirror to a suitable position so that you can observe the oncoming car from behind.

4. Avoid walking on snakeskin and change lanes at will.

5. Try to drive on the right. The far right side of the Vietnam lane is the slow lane for motorcycles/bicycles. Locals enjoy walking

7. Pay attention to the speed limit. Most roads in the city have a speed limit of 40, and everyone basically walks within the speed limit. Although I have never seen the police checking the speed limit, and I don’t have to worry about the cameras, for the sake of safety, it is different in the suburbs. All kinds of teenagers can fly like flying. If you are not very skilled, just walk slowly and honestly to the right.

Parking and refueling

Let’s talk about refueling first. When renting a car, be sure to ask clearly how to use the vehicle: how to start it, how to turn it off, how to lock it, where the turn signal is, where the horn is, and where the headlights are. In fact, you can find these on your own very quickly. But the oil filler port is a bit troublesome, and each model is different. When I refueled for the first time, I searched for it for a long time with the gas station guy, but I decided to ask the boss.

There are many gas stations in Vietnam, and they are all quite formal. Come on, it’s the same as at home. However, there seems to be no distinguishing label. Maybe all motorcycles have the same price. The price is easy to remember. It is 10K VND for 1 liter of oil (equivalent to more than 3 yuan in RMB, so it is easy to calculate the money, and it seems to be a unified price. Later, when I refueled, I didn’t even know the price. Ask and pay directly.

The fuel gauge of a motorcycle is similar to that of a car. My car should be able to run 100 kilometers with a full tank. If it is a mountainous road, there will be a discount. Don’t worry too much. There’s still a dozen kilometers to go. No problem finding a gas station. Just search for gas on Google Maps. As far as Da Nang is concerned, the density is okay. Many gas stations are not shown on the map.

Parking is also interesting. I still remember when I stored my bike a long time ago, you were given two numbered plates, one on the trailer handle and one for you. Take it. When you leave, the two brands match. The motorcycle parking lots in Vietnam are similar, except that they write the number on the car with chalk, usually on the seat or dashboard. Put it wherever it is empty. Then I will give you a sign with the corresponding number on it. You will check it when you go out.

If you park, the roadside store will be on the sidewalk, and the store will sometimes show it to you. Location. If there is a parking lot in a scenic spot or supermarket, it is basically free, similar to car parking.

A few places will charge for parking (such as the Pink Church Roadside). Go forward and find a small road to park on the side of the road. But remember to adjust the front of the car to about 60 degrees, and then turn the key to the lock to prevent theft.

Here are some precautions about motorcycles. So far. The following is the time list.

Hotel selection

Most people will choose Da Nang or the beach. My suggestion is to go to the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world. Taking a walk. It feels great to count the stars and drink beer while enjoying the sea breeze. If you need to make a living, you can go anywhere by motorcycle, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t live in the city.

The Chu Hotel where I stayed is. It is a small but beautiful hotel. The room is average, but the bar on the first floor is great. There is a band performance in the evening and the drinks and coffee are good. Unfortunately, it is blocked by the new Holiday Inn. It may be for this reason that the price is surprising. It's cheap. Fortunately, I usually go out to surf and don't return to the hotel until 12 o'clock. It doesn't matter what the sea view is.

Meixi Beach is one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world. But the road is not easy to walk, it is fast and there are no traffic lights. Fortunately, the Holiday Inn has built an underground passage, which also makes me feel relaxed.

The beach is very lively in the morning and evening, especially in the morning. , many locals are doing morning exercises.

This road by the seaside is definitely a holy place for driving. The road is wide, there are few cars, and the scenery is good. Riding a motorcycle at night, enjoying the sea breeze, listening to the waves and wind whistling in my ears. Living in the interior, I really like this feeling.

Day 1: Ba Nam Mountain in the rain, the crazy car parade in Da Nang.

Bashan is famous for its cableway and has the longest cableway in the world. The whole journey takes more than 30 minutes. Climbing straight from the ground to the clouds, although the scenery outside is beautiful, it is actually not interesting to sit for a long time. This mountain was a summer resort built by French colonists. This building is very beautiful and these people will really enjoy it. In fact, these things on the top of the mountain are completed in two hours, so the cable car is very intensive. From the cable car, look at the cable car line in the clouds next to it.

Bashan is about 60km away from Da Nang City. There are some mountainous roads. It is best to fill up the tank before setting off to ensure that you do not panic. The scenery along the way is beautiful as we pass through cities, villages, and mountainous areas.

Bashan has a dedicated free parking lot for motorcycles, so you don’t have to worry about parking. The ticket price is not low (in terms of Vietnamese dong), but considering that the ropeway and other expenses are all-inclusive, it is still acceptable. If Dong is short of money (I am), he can pay in US dollars (not RMB, not sure).

The attractions are all on the mountain, but the cable car station at the foot of the mountain is unambiguous at all. This is an antique building with a Chinese style. The cable car station has a nice feel to it and is well built.

The scenery on the road is very good, but the visibility is not high. Later, I went to the cloud and couldn't see anything at all, so I could only swipe through my phone.

The waterfall we encountered on the way to the cable car had a lot of water because it rained that day. Unfortunately, there are no open hiking routes in Ba Na Hills, so there is no way to enjoy the waterfalls up close.

There are many restaurants on the mountain and the prices are not expensive. Most people choose the largest Asian buffet, which has quite a variety of dishes and seems to only cost about 60 RMB.

Unfortunately, it rained on the mountain, but the fog added some mystery. The French built a church on the mountain. Vietnam does not believe in Christianity, so it is now simply a tourist attraction.

The jumping machine on the mountain playground is not high, but the layout is very interesting.

In addition to the cable car, there is also a mountain train.

The meat growing on the mountain is really beautiful. I think my own plants have died several times.

The playground is not small, with several floors, and the game consoles are relatively new, but many people will not leave unless they are occupied and can only play Pac-Man. There are plenty of silly boys out there.

The scenic spots in Bashan are very well constructed and the services are quite user-friendly. When it rains, there are staff everywhere providing free disposable raincoats, and there are also charging piles in the rest area. No problem even if you don’t bring a charging cable, it’s very sweet.

After playing for a day, it was already dark when I came back at night. At first I was worried that walking at night would be difficult. As a result, Ba Na Mountain is a specially built tourist road leading to the city. For the cattle on the rural roadside on the way back, the road conditions and lighting are very good. At that time, the speed was about 30, and the tail lights of the locals could hardly be seen.

Interestingly, Vietnam happened to be the runner-up of the Asian Cup U23 that day, and the whole Da Nang went crazy. There is a motorcycle parade in the evening, and the scene and atmosphere are really exciting. Groups of motorcycles roared past, waving Vietnamese flags and shouting, and passers-by shouted back. In the moment of their fellowship, infected by this joyful atmosphere, they would shout along.

Although the traffic is so dense, it is not dangerous at all. Basically no one will change lanes, which is even more peaceful than driving in Beijing.

The next day: Haiyunling winding mountain road, Wuxing Mountain full of surprises.

The goal for the second day is the holy land of cycling, Haiyunling. Hailing is located between Da Nang and Hue. Its altitude is not high, less than 500 meters. The reason why it is called Haiyunling is that it is often surrounded by white clouds, which are as turbid as the blue sky and the sea. Hailing is along the coastline, overlooking the famous Guling Bay.

Start from Da Nang, follow the seaside road all the way to Camellia Peninsula, stop in front of the Guanyin Statue, and continue north along the seaside.

After 20 kilometers, we enter the mountainous area and experience the thrill of racing on mountain roads. When we reach the top of the mountain and dive into the clouds, we feel like we are in a fairyland (but the visibility is low, please pay attention to safety).

The whole way from Meixi Beach is basically along the seaside. The driving experience and scenery are great. LD said it is comparable to the self-driving experience on U.S. Highway 1.

The Haiyunguan Pass on the top of the mountain is a relic of a historical building from the Ming Dynasty. For us in China, it is just a small breakthrough that is not too old. It's not worth watching. As we passed through Marine Pass and started to descend, we could see Guring Bay. As we descend to Ku Linh Bay we will enter the border of Hue. If you want to go to the ancient city of Hue, you can keep walking. I will turn around here because I want to go back to Da Nang.

There is a tunnel in the middle of Hailing, which can be passed directly without having to walk through the winding mountain road. I planned to climb the mountain when I went there, but I walked through the tunnel when I came back. As a result, I learned that the tunnel was only accessible by car, so I had to go through the Maritime Customs instead. But with the experience of climbing mountains before, the average speed this time has been greatly improved, maintaining a speed of 40 all the way, which is very exciting.

The Guanyin Statue on the Camellia Peninsula feels like you can go there or not. The pile of bonsai in front of me is not bad.

An experience comparable to Highway 1, with Da Nang City in the distance.

The advantage of riding a motorcycle on the winding mountain road in Hailing is that you can stop at any time when you encounter the scenery. There are many tourists riding horses in the mountains.

Unknown small bay on the road

As the altitude increases, it gradually enters the clouds, and there is a feeling of Silent Hill among the trees.

After passing the maritime customs, we started going down the mountain. You can see the beautiful Gurling Bay from the fog. The scenery is amazing. If you go to Da Nang, you must not miss it.

Although the mountain road is very steep, the road is really well built. When encountering such hairpin turns, there is plenty of room to turn, making high-speed turns possible.

Curved feeling, the first letter D is made of wood.

At the foot of the mountain is Guling Bay. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to go through the tunnel, so we had to go back the way we came. This time, we stopped looking at the scenery and focused on racing! Put on some action camera grips for action footage. Although it is a small pedal and not a high-power motorcycle, it is still very enjoyable on winding mountain roads. Especially in the fog.

There are not many cars on the road, but be careful, for example.

It’s still early to come down from the mountain. I walked around the city first and went to the famous Pink Church. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit before mass. Just outside the church is the Han Market, where there are many novelties for sale and it’s worth a visit.

The urban area is still very prosperous.

Korean Market

I don’t know what many of the products on the market are and I don’t understand the language. Fortunately, the price is not expensive, and the taste and other aspects will be prizes.

I happened to meet a Vietnamese traffic policeman who put a sticker on the roadside, but it was only for cars and motorcycles. Vietnamese police usually wear yellow clothes and look depressed, but this policeman in black looks cool.

Then we went directly to the last scenic spot of the day, Five Elements Mountain. The English translation is called Marble Mountain. In fact, the English translation is more accurate. Five Star Mountain is a large mass of granite that suddenly appears on the beach flats.

There are not many travel notes on the Five Elements Mountains in China, but Owl’s score is very high. After I went there, I really rarely saw domestic tourists. Even in Da Nang, there are very few Koreans everywhere. They are basically European and American tourists. However, the Five Elements are unique! yes! value! come on! one! Have fun! What a surprise!

There are many natural and magical terrains, the most famous of which are several natural caves, which are really eye-opening. There are two interesting holes in it!

The inside of this hole is round and quite regular, as if it was dug manually.

The cave is very dark, and there is a Buddha statue, but if you look closely, there are some very inconspicuous steps behind the Buddha statue (really inconspicuous, there is no sign, it looks very bright in the photo, but in fact there is nothing cannot be seen). Climb the steps and there's another hole.

This cave is even more magical. It is a cylindrical cave with a skylight at the top that lets in sunlight.

The top of the skylight and the surrounding cave walls are also very smooth.

When I thought it was all over, I didn't expect that there was an exit at the end of the hole. The exit is so narrow that one person can barely pass through. I can barely crawl out of this place, so maybe Fatty can't. It turns out to be the top of the mountain, overlooking Meixi Beach.

Another interesting cave without this twist. This is a huge cave. Basically, the interior of a mountain is hollowed out by nature, and there are various niches inside, which is very shocking.

Wuxing Mountain is big enough for a day trip, but it was already dark, so I had to hurriedly climb to the highest peak to enjoy the night view of Da Nang before leaving.

Although the mountains are not high and Da Nang is not as brightly lit as big cities, the feeling of being endless as far as the eye can see is still great because there are almost no obstacles. Moreover, there are basically no people in the scenic area at this time, and the probability of you being alone at the top of the mountain is very high, so you

The city will continue to wave after that, because you are about to go home, and there will be another wave of supermarket shopping. Bigc and Lotte in Da Nang are relatively famous supermarkets. When I arrived at Lotte, I was shocked by this kind of parking lot.

On the way back, I passed this bridge. The two bridges in Da Nang are very unique and beautiful. In particular, the bridge pile in the middle is designed in the shape of a dragon, as if it were a dragon in the sea. A dragon's tail was captured in the photo.

What to eat in Vietnam

Because I spend most of my time outside and don’t have much time to find food, I basically follow Dianping and Owl to choose the best one. way.

A Vietnamese rice noodle shop on the beach. This store has great reviews. Follow the navigation and it really lives up to its reputation. Really delicious.

An Indian restaurant, Owl is very popular, the staff speaks English very well, and there is a Chinese menu. I have never been to India. Don't know if it's authentic, but it's really delicious.

It is also a Korean seafood barbecue by the sea. The same Hooters high-scoring restaurant is more popular, and most of them are Koreans. The decoration is exquisite and there is a Chinese menu, so the price is not expensive. Interestingly, this store is hidden in a small alley and cannot be seen from the outside. This kind of barbecue is very Korean, and each table has a smoking machine, but there are no local barbecue stalls in Vietnam.

Of course, my favorite thing is to sit or lie on the beach with her, have a drink, blow the sea breeze, count the stars, and enjoy the vacation.