Thailand beyond solo backpacking: Danang's Cathedral Church.

Located at 156 Tran Phu Road,Hai Chau District is Danang's Cathedral also known as the Rooster Cathedral which was constructed for the French residents in 1923.

Tran Phu Road was formerly known as Rue du Musée Street.

The locals called the Rooster Church as Con Gai Church because of the weathercock on top of the steeple. The actual name is Nha Tho Chinh Toa.

Today it serves a Catholic community of 4000 – it’s standing room only if you arrive late. The architecture of the cathedral is marvellous with several medieval–stained glass windows of various saints.

Masses are held from Monday to Saturday at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m., and on Sunday at 5:00 a.m., 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m .

The diocese of DaNang had about 57,870 believers (2.7% of the population), 68 priests and 38 parishes.

Sacred Heart Cathedral at 47,Yen Bai Street in Da Nang has been assigned as the Cathedral of the diocese. The Sacred Heart Orphanage was Supervised by the Sisters of Saint Paul de Chartres.

There were many hundreds of children who were adopted from Sacred Heart Orphanage in Danang. The orphanage provides a refuge from the harsh conditions of the street and The Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres in Danang diocese offer the education, compassion, and friendship these children lacked while living on the streets.
Contact Tel: (84.511) 382 47 35 * Fax: (84.511) 389 30 58
E-mail : phaolodn@dng.vnn.vn

Bamboo Green Hotel. (opposite Cathedral) Address: 177 Tran Phu St., Hai Chau Dist.,Da Nang City., Viet Nam

Tel : (84.511) 3822722 - 3823942 - 3830412 / 0903.512.949 - 0913.457.624
Fax : (84.511) 382 4165 Email: bamboogreen2@dng.vnn.vn ; thuriversidets@yahoo.com Room rates:USD45-USD80

Daesco Hotel (opposite Cathedral)
- Add: 155 Tran Phu Str, Da Nang City, Viet Nam
- Tel: (+84-511) 3892807 - 3892808
- Fax: (+84-511) 3892988
- Email: daescohotel@dng.vnn.vn
Room rates:USD35-USD70

Danang has a very slow pace of daily life and you won't find street congestion all over.

Compared to either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, traffic in Da Nang is always relatively light, although huge trucks blare along every now and again and there are brief 'rush hours.'

The hottest months of the year are June, July, and August, when the temperature can get to as high as 40 degrees Celsius, and it is generally very dry.
There are usually tropical storms in October and November.

Mayana Hotel just opposite the intersection of Han Market.
40 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street , Hai Chau District

Yen Bai Road junction short distance from here.
Room rates:USD20-USD30

In Danang it will be difficult to find low budget backpackers hostel and the cheaper hotels were normally full.

The My Khe and Bac My An (China Beach) area have better choice of low cost accomodations.

My Khe was chosen one of the six of the most attractive beaches on the planet by Forbes Magazine, a famous American economic publication.

These areas were rich in military memories.

Hoa’s Guesthouse, China Beach. About US$8..

Phưoc Loc, China Beach –Tel:84 511 3847609. The hotel is located 20km southwest of town, and cost 300K VND by taxi from the city center. US$10-12.

Houng Lan Hotel, 05 Pham Van Nghi, Tel:(0511) 3652269 (fax: 0511.3652694). About US$8

Thien Duc Motel, 187 Dong Da,Tel:(0511) 3825232. About 8 USD per night..

Han Market -The colourful market is located right in central city, at the intersection of Hung Vuong St. and Tran Phu St., all day long busy with sellers and buyers in and out, and goods of all kinds.

A lively and cheerful atmosphere permeates the marketplace from vendors in conical hats sitting on the ground with their small baskets of little fruits and vegetables to salespeople at their big well-stocked stands.
It is a nice place for shopping as well as snap-shooting.

Chua long Thu Temple along Tran Phu Street doesn't looked spectacular compared to the Long An Temple Pagoda located behind the Museum of Cham Sculpture, the Han River, Binh Ward,Hai Chau District, Da Nang. which is also the Temple of the Mahayana sect.

Other sight seeing temples worth visiting:

Marble Mountains also called Ngu Hanh Son or Hon Non Nuoc (which mean mountain and water in Vietnamese), are located approximately 8km southeast of Danang City, close to the sea.

There are a number of caves, grottos and Buddhist temples on the mountains with nice natural entrances and tunnels.

The temples make the area a popular pilgrimage site

Most tourists will go to Thuy Son Mountain(admission:15,000VND), covering 15 ha, consists of three main peaks namely Thuong Thai, Trung Thai and Ha Thai.

Open tour charges 70,000VND,xe om about 20,000 VND

The Song Han Bridge connects The Son Tra Peninsula with roads leading to the long stretches of fine sandy China Beach.

From the Hai Chau Ward,there were bus stops across Danang Museum on Le Duan Road.

Buses at the Museum side will head to the new Danang Bus Terminal.

One can also hail a bus to Hoi An at any of these bus stops-20,000VND non aircond.(only buses going towards the river section)

Crossing the bridge will be Phan Van Dong Road.The road along the beaches is Hoang Sa Road. Golden Sea Hotel is in the mid section of Pham Van Dong Road.

Tan Vinh Hotel(Khách Sạn Tân Vinh) is in Hai Chau Ward .
Very near the riverside,a short distance to the Song Han Bridge. Location: Phan Dinh Phung Road.