Mesmerizing view of the International Fireworks Festival in Da Nang. Photo \/ Supplied
The Golden ‘fire-breathing dragon’ bridge, locally known as C\u1ea7u V\u00e0ng, is a must-visit. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
As well as a good base, it\u2019s a 90-minute drive southwest to the elaborately carved red-brick ruins at My Son<\/a>, once the spiritual capital of the Cham people, a Hinduised kingdom that ruled swathes of Vietnam from the 2nd to the 13th centuries. Once here, I head through deep forests of Indian almond, jackfruit and starfruit trees near \u201cBeautiful Mountain\u201d, to see exquisite petite Unesco-protected towers made from fired brick, weathered with time and moss, and decorated with sandstone bas-reliefs. Most temples honour Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and transformation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Cham decided to build their holy land in the valley as it\u2019s isolated, quiet, calm and difficult to attack,\u201d my tour guide Lang explains.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first brick temples date from the early 7th century but it\u2019s still unknown how the bricks are stuck together. It\u2019s believed it\u2019s some botanical glue.\u201d Even modern technology can\u2019t figure it out.<\/p>\n After a walk among the ruins, I returned to Da Nang to pay homage at a temple of an alternative kind: Nen Da Nang<\/a> \u2013 the first restaurant in Vietnam to earn a green Michelin star, an award that celebrates sustainability, low food miles, and cultural preservation. Ten years ago, Summer Le ran food tours amid the markets and street stalls of this city before signing up to culinary school for a year.<\/p>\n \u201cMy vision was to use Vietnamese ingredients and explore the potential of Vietnamese cuisine,\u201d she tells me. Today, her restaurant continues that vision by starring hyperlocal cuisine. Menu cards detail ingredients, their source and are accompanied by illustrations (something travellers flummoxed by foreign names and flavours when dining abroad will appreciate.) Plus, the waiters are happy to patiently explain the dishes at your table.<\/p>\n I dine on novel delicacies such as banana rhizome fermented in beetroot, the sea-nourished meat of a Giant isopod accompanied by a bisque made from its shell, and scooped out sapodilla fruit filled with coffee and a salt cream. All of it was clever, delicious, fascinating and I would have dined again if I\u2019d had the chance.<\/p>\n After lunch I go for a quick swim in my sky-high partially shaded pool before dressing up for a night on the town and heading out into the city with Secret Experiences<\/a> (https:\/\/secret-experiences.com\/experiences\/secret-cocktail-experience-in-danang) for a taste of Vietnam\u2019s craft spirit revolution.<\/p>\n Down alleyways and behind closed doors, we discover rose tea cocktails in a tea shop that transforms into a candlelit bar on Friday nights. And a bar hidden above a Vietnamese pub that served a very moreish tequila, fish sauce, rice milk and green chili cocktail served in a small bowl. I wanted to stay out in the city on the drinks\u2019 trail with my guide Ms Loan who was great company, but I had an early date the next morning with the under-renovation Museum of Cham Sculpture. It\u2019s the only one of its type in the world. Standing tall are sandstone sculptures, dating from the 10th-12th century, of Hindu mythological creatures Nandi, the sacred bull, Garuda, a bird, and the striking elephant-lion hybrid Gajasimha. All are beautifully carved and preserved.<\/p>\n It sets me up for a move from religious wildlife to the real deal. The Son Tra peninsula is home to one of the world\u2019s rarest primates, the critically endangered, red-shanked douc langur. It\u2019s a handsome monkey with its long, grey-white tail, copper red legs, like leg warmers, and appealing red and white face. <\/p>\nCh\u00f9a Qu\u00e1n Th\u1ebf \u00c2m, a symbol of the connection between people and nature. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Nen Da Nang is the first restaurant in Vietnam to earn a green Michelin star. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Food at Nen Da Nang represents hyperlocal cuisine with a blend of modern creativity. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n