BARNEY’S DANANG BACKPACKERS HOSTEL

Danang is fastly becoming the perfect half way spot between the Northern capital Hanoi and the opposite far end Ho Chi Minh. This city has several tourist attractions, both natural and artificial. Barney’s Danang Backpackers Hostel (www.barneyhostel.com) rises on the right bank of Han river, right in the middle of all these points of interest.

Danang International Airport is well linked to the two main Vietnamese cities with everyday flights, and is currently developing its International destinations, that now include direct flights from Hong-Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, and many more.

The railway station is linked to the reunification line that connects Vietnam North to South, and buses travel to and from all main cities.

Barney’s Danang Backpackers Hostel is a brand-new backpacker hostel that opened in December 2015. Despite the young “age” it’s already trusted and well known around Danang and the whole Vietnam. The best proof? Customers, who left more than 230 and counting verified reviews with a superb average score of 9.5/10!!! Check it out on Booking.com

It’s super easy to book your bed at Barney’s Hostel with the top booking websites like Booking, Agoda, Hostelworld, or simply contact the staff through their Facebook page or website.

Barney’s is what you would call a budget hostel, in order to satisfy all the backpackers on a low budget!

Let’s have a look at some features of the backpackers hostel:

There’s a stylish bar where you can get a traditional Vietnamese coffee in the morning, a fresh smoothie in the afternoon, or a fresh Mojito to start your night out!

The lounge area suits all the needs of a youth hostel: sofas to relax, tables to eat and drink or to work with your laptop, Internet Tv to see all your favourite shows and sports, and of course free Wi-Fi everywhere!

There are 4-bed and 6-bed dorms, featuring huge beds, lockers, carpeted floor, lamp+table for every bed, all surrounded by a brilliant themed design.

The bathrooms are cozy as well, with modern showers, always clean and tidy to make you feel at home.

What to say about the rooftop… The photo speaks for itself! Enjoy your breakfast up here, a beer in front of the sunset, a cocktail with the stunning lights late at night.

Of course How I Met Your Mother is the amazing theme of the hostel!

The owners are an Italian-Vietnamese couple, Dany&Loan, who fell in love for each other and for the city of Danang.

Symbol of the city, the Dragon Bridge is an interesting piece of architecture: the yellow Dragon extends head to tail from one side of the Han River to the other, waving up and down the road level. It’s about 1 mile from Barney’s backpackers hostel, very easy to reach by bike, bicycle, and on foot too, just a 15min walk. At night, go for a relaxing walk along the river, from the Hostel to the Dragon Bridge, and enjoy the thousand lights and colours reflecting on the water. And it becomes an even bigger entertainment on Saturdays and Sundays, with the dragon spitting fire and water from his mouth, a short show that recalls hundreds of local people and tourists. If you stay at Barney’s during weekends, you can’t miss it!

Lady Buddha is a 65 meter high statue representing a smiling female buddha. It rises on Son Tra Mountain (also known as Monkey Mountain), just 8 km from the city centre. From Barney’s Da Nang Hostel, it’s a 15min bike ride uphill, where you will be able to appreciate the huge statue and the temples around it. Made of white marble, the statue dominates the promontory, and offers itself an awesome panoramic view of Danang’s skyline. Open till 9pm, try to go here late in the afternoon to avoid big crowds of tourists and enjoy a lovely sunset, with the sun going down and the beautiful lights switching on the night. If you are up for some offroad riding, get a motorbike and climb all the way to the top of the mountain, and you should be able to meet some monkey here and there!

About 10 km south of Danang, again along the beachside, stand these 5 big mountains, each representing a different earth element: Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). They come literally out of nowhere, as the land is flat all around. Same as for Lady Buddha, it takes 15min by bike to get there from Barney’s backpackers hostel. Despite the area being quite vast, it’s not easy to avoid the big crowds, especially at Thuy Son, the main mountain. But if you have time enough to visit the entire site you will be able to find peaceful areas. The caves inside the mountains really are a great scenery!

After a day of walking and hiking, your clothes might need a wash: Barney’s laundry service is the answer to all your needs!

4. MY KHE BEACH

Danang has more than 20 km of beaches, mostly large and spacious. In front of the hotels and resorts you will find a lot of people both local and tourists, but going a little bit further it’s easy to find the right spot. One of the best is My Khe Beach, about 3km southbound from the city, famous for its straw umbrellas.

The beach is a couple of km far from Barney’s Hostel, so 5min by bike or bicycle, or a 20min walk.

5. CON MARKET

To have a complete tour of Danang you have to experience one of the many local markets. Con Market is the biggest one, with hundreds of small shops and stands. You can truly get lost in the meandering alleys of this market, so wide and extended. All of your senses will be tested, from smell to sight and touch of many diverse fruits and vegetables.

The best way to appreciate daily routine in Danang, is walking around the city, so from Barney’s backpacker hostel just cross the Han Bridge and you’ll find yourselves in the heart of the busy city life.

For a proper visit with tour guide and local advice, book at Barney’s the Danang city tour, and you will be taken around town for an authentic visit!

For real Vietnamese cuisine experience, try any typical dish in the food court!

These are the closest attractions to Barney’s Hostel, which you can easily visit in a few hours during the day before getting back to Barney’s.

Of course there’s breakfast in the morning, too.

-laundry, to get your clothes washed after backpacking around Vietnam;

-motorbike rent, ask at reception;

-bicycle rent, right at the hostel;

-tour booking, as you can see in the picture;

Unesco World Heritage, the city of Hoi An is definitely the number 1 must see place. Some come to central Vietnam only to visit this port city that in the last decades has been given a lot of surnames, some reliable some other questionable (Asian Venice). But what is out of doubt is the fascinating beauty of the city, especially at night, when lights and lanterns get lit up and laid on the river, creating a unique sight. Barney’s Hostel is just 29km from Hoi An, which makes it the perfect destination for a day-trip.

A Million Travels’ typical day in Hoi An, which we suggest you, is: wake up and breakfast at Barney’s, sunbathing and a few swims at Hoi An beach, until lunch time. Go into the old city in the afternoon, enjoy the walking area, still quiet and half empty. After getting some souvenirs (if you are looking for a tailored suit, silk clothes, or pure leather handmade shoes, this is the place to look for them), and taking a few pictures of the memorable Japanese Bridge, have a lovely dinner by candlelight along the lantern-decorated river. Come back to rest at Barney’s after a long day of walking under the sun.

If you want to see Marble Mountain in the morning and Hoi An in the afternoon, at Barney’s there’s a perfect tour for you!

Or another option is My Son temples first, and Hoi An City after, ask at reception for details!

This mountain pass features a particular weather condition that makes it unique. Climbing up the road, suddenly you will find yourselves in front of a wall of foggy white clouds. You could leave Danang with 30° and arrive at the top of the pass 45 minutes later with 15°. It takes about an hour to get to the top from Barney’s.

If you have half day you can go to the top and come back to the Hostel in 2-3 hours. If you have a full day you can leave in the morning, go over the pass and enjoy a few hours at the beach at Lang Co, and come back in the evening, The setting is very scenic, there are some bunkers dating back to the war. The road going up from both sides offers amazing views of the bay, with unspoiled beaches and the railway track appearing between a tunnel and another.

Not feeling sure to ride by yourself up in the clouds? No worries, Barney’s Hostel can arrange a ride to take you there safely!

My Son is a complex of temples and ruins about 65 km Southwest of Da Nang, constructed during the Champa dinasty between the 4th and 14th century. The Unesco World Heritage site is 2km large, has been and currently is under maintenance. It takes a couple of hours to reach it from Da Nang, we suggest to dedicate a whole day, leaving in the morning, visiting the site for 2-3 hours, and coming back in the afternoon. The entry fee is 100.000 vnd. You can get transfer from and to Barney’s Hostel included in the tour, or split your day between My Son and Hoi An with another guided tour from Barney’s. The area is very welcoming, there’s a free shuttle from the ticket office to the first shrines, and shaded paths guide you along the ruins. The style of the Hindu temples is very similar to Angkor Wat, so come here if you haven’t seen the majestic Cambodian temples yet.

Ba Na Hills is a resort located in the Trường Sơn Mountains 42 km West of the city of Da Nang. (The resort, advertised as “the Da Lat of Danang province” by local tourism authorities, was founded in 1919 by French colonists.) It is a sort of recreation of a French medieval village, with some carousels, attractions, shops and restaurants. Views from the mountain resort are great, one of the highlights is the cable-car that carries tourists to and from the resort. It takes about an hour to reach the cable car station from Da Nang. Book your day at Bana Hills at Barney’s Hostel!

Come here if you need to take a break from Vietnamese rural life style, or if you have never been to France and Europe!

Huế is one of the most famous cities in central Vietnam: it has been national capital from 1802-1945. The top attraction is the Citadel surrounded by a moat, with the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City within the walls.

Hué is 100 km from Danang, and it takes between 2-3 hours to go by motorbike or taxi. Again, depending on your schedule, you can rush it a little bit, and do the 100km all in one go, to fully enjoy your day in Hué. But take this option only if you haven’t seen Hai Van Pass yet, because we strongly recommend to enjoy the road.

At Barney’s, you can get a full day tour, with pick up from the Hostel, guided visit of Hue, and back.

If you have more time, the best suggestion is travelling by train. Absolutely stunning views: the 3h train ride is very enjoyable, you can have a typical Vietnamese style journey with locals, watching great landscapes from the windows and step off at the station in the heart of Hué.

What are you waiting for? Go and secure your stay at Barney’s Danang Backpackers Hostel on Booking, Agoda, Hostelworld, or simply contact the staff through their Facebook page or website.