Dragon bridge in Da Nang (Photo: Da Nang Fantastic City)
The Vietnamese city ranks number 15 on the US newspaper’s list, which praises it as a destination for food lovers and beachgoers.
The New York Times says Da Nang is probably best known for being a gateway to the nearby UNESCO heritage town of Hoi An, but it has begun to develop its own reputation as the Miami of Vietnam in the last few years.
A typical day might start with a morning swim on the sandy, crescent-shaped Non Nuoc beach and perhaps a quick stop at the Han market, suggests the paper.
It adds, “then, an afternoon visit to the Marble Mountains, where travelers can explore the temples and pagodas that look out over My Khe Beach and, later, dinner back in the city, perhaps at Nén, a new restaurant from the much-followed food blogger Summer Le.”
Travelers are advised to finish the day with a visit to the highly Instagrammable Dragon Bridge, which is illuminated every night.
In its article, the new York Times urges tourists not to leave without sampling a bowl of mi quang, a famous local noodle soup made with a turmeric-infused broth, chicken, pork, local seafood and shredded cabbage, which is available for roughly USD1 at any number of street-food stalls.
Among the best places to go in 2019, Puerto Rico, which is rebounding after a devastating hurricane, tops the New York Times list, followed by Hampi, an archaeological site in India, and Santa Barbara, a hip food and wine haven./.