Making Each Day Count

On our second day in Da Nang, Vietnam, D woke up before sunrise again and headed out for a walk along the beachfront while I slept in. He caught the early morning light and appreciated the surroundings come to life as fishermen came out and sorted their nets and a few locals started doing their morning activities.

He was back at BlueSun Hotel by 8 AM, just in time for breakfast. We enjoyed the generous spread of fruits, breads, and both Vietnamese and familiar dishes before heading out for the day.

After breakfast, we booked a Grab car to drive us to the Da Nang Cathedral for mass. The cathedral’s soft pink exterior makes it easy to spot among the surrounding buildings. It was built during the French colonial period featuring Gothic-style arches and a tall spire that give it a distinctly European look.

After mass, D and I walked around the neighborhood and realized that Han Market was just a few blocks away. Inside was a lively mix of stalls selling dried fruits, snacks and souvenirs. We mostly window shopped, moving through the narrow aisles and taking in the busy but friendly atmosphere.

From there, we took a break from the day’s heat and headed up to Joy Cafe. D had coffee, I ordered a matcha latte, and we shared a few small pastries. We sat on the fifth floor, which gave us a clear view of the street below and the Han River.

We continued walking around, which eventually led to some shopping. I picked up a dainty yellow linen dress from Anna Jhee Boutique and a couple of linen trousers from NÓN LÁ Linen & More. I realized how comfortable linen is, especially in a climate like ours in the Philippines, and wondered why I had not been wearing it more often.

By early afternoon, we returned to the hotel to prepare for what would become one of the most memorable parts of our trip. We had booked an experience through Airbnb that would take us to Son Tra Nature Reserve in search of the rare red-shanked douc langurs.

At 1 PM, our guides Cillian and Alan arrived at the lobby with their motorbikes. I was excited, while D was clearly nervous since it would be our first motorbike ride in Vietnam. When we visited Hanoi in 2019, we did not even consider it, and D was already overwhelmed just crossing the street because of the heavy traffic. This time in Da Nang, the roads felt less busy compared to Hanoi, so I felt more at ease about trying it.

We rode up to Son Tra Nature Reserve along a coastal road with clear views of the sea. The area is green and hilly. Even before our first stop, we saw a few monkeys on the roadside, and they did not seem bothered by people passing by.

At a viewpoint, our guides gave us baked coconut crackers and explained the plan. The area is protected and has limited access. They told us to stay quiet and not point at the langurs, as the animals might see it as a threat. It was a good reminder that this visit was about respecting the animals, not just taking photos. Soon we were riding again, engines switched off when going downhill to keep the forest quiet. And then we saw them.

The red-shanked douc langurs were striking, with gray and white fur and reddish-brown legs. Their faces had soft orange tones, and they looked gentle and curious. They are native to central Vietnam and parts of Laos, and the Son Tra Peninsula is one of the few places they still live in the wild. They are critically endangered and survive here thanks to conservation efforts and strict protection. We watched them move easily between the branches, with mothers close to their young, and juveniles playing above the forest floor. After a couple of hours, at our last stop, while we and our guides compared photos we have taken, a male langur put on a finale for us:

On the way back to the city, I felt grateful for a lot of things: for the langurs, for the people protecting them, and for the chance D and I took to do this experience.