U.S. magazine Condé Nast Traveler has named the coastal city of Danang in central Vietnam among 11 best places to visit in 2024, based on readers’ votes.
“A modern beach city located amid dozens of UNESCO-recognized sites in the country’s heartland including the ancient port city of Hoi An and the former imperial capital city of Hue, Danang is one of Asia’s big post-Covid success stories, with 2023 international arrivals exceeding pre-pandemic figures,” the magazine said.
Thanks to convenient air connectivity, Danang has become a popular destination for global travelers, with a series of carriers racing to open direct routes connecting to the beach city.
Vietnam Airlines has reopened its Tokyo-Danang route, Taiwan’s China Airlines has started direct flights from Taipei to Danang and several Southeast Asian budget airlines have launched flights to the city.
The magazine also hailed Son Tra Peninsula, located just 20 minutes from the city center, as another tourist draw. The peninsula is home to a 17-story, 220-foot statue of Lady Buddha, as well as endangered red-shanked douc langurs that live in the peninsula’s nature reserve.
“Hotel and resort developers are taking note of Da Nang’s newfound popularity. On Son Tra Peninsula, the Bill Bensley-designed InterContinental Sun Peninsula Resort recently completed an extensive 10th-anniversary renovation that includes a new club lounge, villas, and spa concept. IHG Hotel Group’s voco Ma Belle Danang opened in the city in 2023, and 2024 will herald the arrival of Danang’s first Mandarin Oriental property and an outpost of the wellness-driven Southeast Asian Fusion Hotel group,”
The magazine’s list included Bangkok ChinaTown in Thailand, Kobe in Japan, Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, Kochi in India and Mongolia.
Danang has received over 1.6 million foreign arrivals so far this year, up 5.8 times year-on-year.
The central beach city Danang recently topped a list of 10 trending destinations for Indian travelers, with the largest recent year-on-year increase in searches on Skyscanner, one of the world's largest flight travel search platforms.