That week
in Da Nang.

The Ngoc Linh Ginseng and International Herbal Festival runs on the Han River from Saturday August 1 to Monday August 3. The main space is APEC Park, just west of the Dragon Bridge in Hai Chau, and it spreads onto the Bach Dang walking street next to it. It is free to walk in and look.

There is plenty to do without buying a thing. Display spaces show the ginseng forest and rare herbs from Vietnam and other countries, a food area on Bach Dang serves mountain dishes cooked with ginseng and herbs, and there is a ginseng contest and an auction. The opening show is on the evening of Saturday August 1 at the park, with music and dance from the Xe Dang, Ca Dong, Bh'noong and Co Tu mountain people.

Ngoc Linh ginseng grows high in the mountains at Nam Tra My, which became part of Da Nang when the two provinces joined last year. This is the first time the city has held an international ginseng festival, so it is a rare chance to see the plant up close. Go in the evening when it is cooler, and expect the riverfront to be busy, so park a few streets back and walk in.

Rainy season is settling in. Friday, Saturday and Sunday sit around 31 to 34 degrees in the day and about 24 to 25 at night, warm and humid. The provincial weather page and the national service both point to a good chance of rain each day, mostly short showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.

The heavy rain that hit central Vietnam late this month is easing off, but a downpour can still roll in fast, and the forecast warns of lightning and sudden strong wind inside a storm cloud. If you are at the riverfront festival and the sky turns dark, step under cover for a while. Mornings are the safer bet for the beach.

No storm is coming to Da Nang. There is a very strong typhoon named Dolphin far out in the Pacific, and you may see it in the headlines, but Vietnam's national forecasters say it is not expected to enter the East Sea, so it is not our storm. Even so, a forecast is only a forecast, and weather here turns fast in storm season from June to November, so check again on the morning you head out.

Named events with real times, not the usual spots.

Friday: The Lost Boys play live at Claypot from 7:30pm. Megaboom plays PĀMA Bistro from 8:30pm. The HAT Jazz Band plays The Craftsman from 9:15pm. The Techno Lab with Lady Q and friends runs at Saga from 10pm.

Saturday: Fire Dance by the sea at Kala Kala from 8pm. The Tone Band plays PĀMA Bistro from 8:30pm. Louisiana Saturday Night at Dirty Fingers, a crawfish boil and chargrilled oysters from 4:30pm, with the Han River Settlers live from 7pm. Beyond Techno with Atala, Dalena and iMessenger at Saga from 10pm.

Sunday: The Moon Band plays 1920's Lounge from 9:15pm. Rominimal with Christian and Lady Q at Saga from 10pm.

All weekend: the Dragon Bridge shoots fire and then water at 9pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, free from the riverbank, about 15 minutes. The ginseng festival food area on Bach Dang is open Saturday and Sunday evening too.

Here is a cheap way to reach the beach at Hoi An without renting a bike. Since July 18 the city runs bus route 02 from the Central Bus Station all the way to Cua Dai, the beach end of Hoi An. The trip is about 46 kilometres and a bus comes about every 20 minutes.

The fare is worked out by distance, from 8,000 dong for a short hop up to 48,000 dong for the full run, paid on board. A second new route, number 21, runs from the Central Bus Station down to Tam Ky. Both bring in bigger buses at busy times.

It is slower than a bike or a Grab, but it is easy on the wallet and you do not have to ride in the rain. Good for a day trip to Hoi An's old town and beach, or a calm way to see the coast south of the city.

Da Nang's airport is being made bigger, and the first part is already going up. Work started this year on the international terminal, the T2 building where overseas flights come in. It costs about 1,500 billion dong, close to 57 million US dollars, and it is set to open around May 2027. When it is done the international side can handle up to 6 million passengers a year, and it badly needs the room, because it has been running well over its old limit.

There is a longer plan on top of that. In February 2026 the Ministry of Construction approved a master plan for the airport through 2030. It aims to lift the whole airport to about 20 million passengers a year by then, with roughly 9,455 billion dong, near 360 million US dollars, set aside for the work between 2025 and 2030. A brand new domestic terminal is drawn into the plan as well, but that one is for after 2030, so it is further off.

If you have ever stood in a slow line at Da Nang airport, this is the fix, more room, more gates and more flights over time. It will not all happen at once, and the building runs for years, so expect fences and work around the terminal in the meantime. For now the thing to watch is the new international hall, due around May 2027.

Da Nang is a lot busier with visitors this year, and the numbers are real. In the first six months of 2026 the city welcomed close to 5.2 million international guests, which is 28.7 percent more than the same time last year. That figure comes from the city tourism department.

Most of them come from South Korea, then China, India, the United States and Taiwan. From July 1 Vietnam Airlines added flights too, up to 14 a week to Seoul, 11 to Tokyo and 5 to Osaka. More seats mean more people on the sand and in the restaurants.

For a person living here it is simple. The beach, the old cafes and the popular dinner spots are fuller than a year ago, especially on weekends and holidays, so book a table ahead at the places you love. It also means more work in tourism, and more shops and food aimed at Korean and Indian tastes.