When I went to Viet Nam, my plan was to check out the up and coming digital nomad scene in Da Nang. Apparently, it’s a nice beach city with friendly locals and cheap prices.
This area was definitely “up and coming”, but it was better suited for specific types of individuals.
Finding an apartment in Da Nang
To find an apartment, I went with AirBnb again. I needed something that was close to the beach, and basic amenities. I ended up renting a place for $350 USD, which gave me 26 nights, and discounts on scooter rentals.
The apartment turned out to be a five floor apartment building with a ton of tenants renting also renting through Air Bnb. Included in the apartment is a kitchenette and a fridge. I also had access to a water filter machine, so I didn’t have to keep buying bottles of water. A communal kitchen was also available for people to cook if they don’t have a kitchenette in their room.
To be honest, I wish I had just paid for the room, because I never used the kitchen in my room!
Working in Da Nang
The owner gave me a table to work on, so I managed to stay productive during my stay. I was able to crank out several blog posts, plus worked on my digital product.
My room had big white walls with good lighting, making it the perfect spot to make videos. The AirBnb owner also rented out tripods for 20,000 VND per day.
The only downside to this otherwise perfect living arrangement was the internet. Internet speed was highly erratic, which was frustrating as it disrupted my workflow.
Fitness in Da Nang
There are gyms in Da Nang but they were far from my apartment. I needed to ride a scooter to reach the gym and I wasn’t a confident rider.
Gyms were available in Da Nang, but they were too far from my apartment. I could ride a scooter to get there, but I wasn’t too confident in my scootering skills! Luckily, the Air Bnb host would occasionally invite me to play badminton with him. That became my main source of exercise while I was in Da Nang.
Food in Da Nang
One thing I didn’t enjoy about Da Nang was the food! Quite honestly, Vietnamese food in Vietnam is not very good. If you want delicious Vietnamese food, you actually have to visit Canada for that.
On the flip side, Vietnamese food is really healthy. I’ve never eaten so much vegetables on my year long trip until I lived in Da Nang. It left me feeling healthy and energized. I think I may even have lost weight which made me really happy! I just wish Vietnamese dishes were better balanced. It was heavy on the vegetables but not enough protein!
Transportation in Da Nang
Another thing I didn’t enjoy about Da Nang was the transportation. Either you had to take a taxi, or learn how to drive a scooter. Occasionally you could take the bus to Hoi An, but that was it.
I tried learning how to drive a scooter, but sadly I didn’t get very far. It’s quite intimidating to scooter through Da Nang due to the insane amount of them on the road. It also doesn’t help that the Vietnamese are crazy drivers, but that shouldn’t be surprising since they have been riding scooters since 14 years old!
Being unable to drive, and not wanting to pay for taxi rides left me feeling constrained and unable to fully enjoy the area.
Entertainment in Da Nang
Besides a few sight seeing sights and the beach, Da Nang is pretty boring. At times, I was wasting away from boredom and I really wanted to leave the city. There was a mall in Da Nang but again, it was quite far from where I was staying.
I don’t really like drinking so that’s out of the picture. This leaves me with absolutely nothing to do.
Besides a few sightseeing spots, and the beach, Da Nang is pretty boring. At times, I would be wasting away from boredom, making me wanting to leave the city right away. The mall is available but it’s too far away. I didn’t enjoy drinking so bar hopping is out of the picture. That left me with nothing to do.
My 26 days in Da Nang has to be the most boring.
What my typical day looked like while I was doing the whole “digital nomad lifestyle” in Da Nang, Vietnam
On a typical day, I would wake up between 12-2PM and grab a bite to eat before I start working on my blog posts or digital product. My meals were typically from two restaurants I frequent daily, cycling between the two for lunch and dinner depending on which one I haven’t been to yet.
After dinner I would again, work briefly then spend the rest of my evening watching Netflix.
After waking up, I would immediately get lunch in one of the two restaurants I always frequented.
After eating, I would get to work right away trying to complete a blog post or working on a digital product.
In the evening, I would go to one of the two restaurants I frequented (whichever one I didn’t visit earlier in the day) and ate my dinner there.
After dinner, I would work briefly then spend the rest of the night watching Netflix.
Overall, Da Nang is a very boring place and I can only recommend the place to individuals who like absolute peace and quiet for long periods of time. It is also a bit more expensive and not as accessible like Chiang Mai, Thailand, and with better options available out there, I just can’t recommend Da Nang as your go to place to setup a location independent business.
What I really liked about Da Nang though, is the people. They were warm, friendly and genuine. Before I left, two restaurant workers took a picture with me, because they were sad to see me go. They asked me if I will visit them again, and while I told them I would, I honestly don’t see myself going back again.
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author
KENDRICK (Living the Dream)
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