Danang

Marble Mountain just outside Da Nang needs to be visited before it is turned into statues. At the top of the mountain, there is a holy place from which there is a good view of the surrounding area.

Marble Mountains, or what is left off them after centuries of quarrying is a cluster of 5 rocky marble and limestone mountains, called after the five elements metal, water, wood, fire, earth or Kim, Thuy, Moc, Hoa, Tho. The mountains have a warren of caves and tunnels and were used during the VNW.

You can't go far without passing the stone/marble sculptors who seem to have converted half the mountain into statues of elephants, tigers, Buddha and bare-breasted women, though excavation of the mountains has now been stopped or curtailed.

Note some of the carved stones on sale may be from further afield.

The River Han reaches the South China sea at Danang after its short journey through Quang Nam Province and the Son Tra Mountains.

Today, Danang is an important commercial port.

The river flows through the centre of Danang splitting the city in two.

Tour operators run boat tours from the pier below the highway bridge, up river and down along the coast.

Lang Co Beach lies over the Hai Van Pass from Danang, the view of Lang Co on descending the pass is terrific.

Lang Co is a long isthmus with kilometres of sandy beach shaded by lines of palm trees on the east side running along the South China Sea and a tranquil 10km long lagoon.

And set against a cloud top mountain back drop on the west side of the town strip. Like much of the area, during the period August to November, it gets a soaking from monsoons and even typhoons, sweeping in from the China Sea.

The best time to visit is April to July, as December to March can be on the chilly side though relatively dry.

China Beach became synonymous with the Vietnam war and through the TV series of the same name.

The area was a recreational area for US GIs giving them respite throughout the war. Later in the 1980s, the area was recreated through the TV drama.

While internationally known as China Beach, locally it's called My Khe.

The beach close to the city of Danang and other places of tourist interest is being developed with large beach front 4 and 5-star hotels.

The road from Hoi An via Da Nang takes you past the beaches, over the mountains and through Hai Van Pass, with some spectacular views below.