Danang (Vietnamese: Đà Nẵng ) is the largest city in Central Vietnam and the fifth largest city in the country. It is one of the five independent municipalities in Vietnam (the others being Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Can Tho). Danang has a population of 890,000 as of 2009.
The history of Danang goes back to the 2nd century AD, when the area was settled by Javanese that established the Champa Kingdom. The name Danang is said to originate from the Cham word Da Nak, meaning "the mouth of a big river".
Visiting Danang
The main gateway to Danang is through the Da Nang International Airport (DAD), the smallest of Vietnam's three international airports. In addition to regular flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the airport also receives flights from Singapore and Siem Reap.
As with other places in Vietnam, regretful to say but the taxis in Danang is not the most trustworthy. Rather than using the meter (which is often tampered to run faster than actual), your best bet is to haggle to a reasonable price before boarding.
Getting around in Danang
There are motorcycle taxis around town, but once again, haggle to a reasonable price before agreeing to the ride.