Travel & Nomad

What's New in Da Nang and Hoi An for Travellers Right Now (2026)

The news from Da Nang and Hoi An this autumn is less about new attractions and more about how to visit well: a viral photo stop on Hai Van Pass that just cost six travellers a fine, a sad reason to stop feeding Son Tra's monkeys, three new Bib Gourmands, a direct Singapore flight and what late-autum

Quick answer: This autumn in Da Nang and Hoi An, the changes that matter are practical: posing on the road at a Hai Van Pass hairpin now draws fines, Son Tra has stepped up its no-feeding warnings after a monkey was killed chasing a tossed banana, three Da Nang street-food shops became Bib Gourmands, and Vietnam Airlines starts a daily Da Nang to Singapore flight on 17 November 2026. Visitors can pay the city's small food counters by scanning their QR codes from USDT with Fizen QR Pay, and an eSIM keeps maps and Grab working on the coast road.

Key takeaways

Do not pose on the Hai Van Pass road. Six travellers sitting in a hairpin bend for photos were fined a combined VND1.5 million on 17 October 2026.
Do not feed Son Tra's monkeys. A wild monkey was hit by a vehicle while grabbing a banana tossed onto the road for photos; signs now ban feeding.
Eat the new Bibs. The 2026 Michelin Guide added Quan Ba Vui, Banh Beo Banh Dap and Le Gia Khang in Da Nang.
Singapore is one hop away. Vietnam Airlines flies Da Nang to Singapore daily from 17 November 2026.
Pack for rain. Late October and November are flood season; Hoi An's riverside streets sat under water for five days in 2025.

The best photo on Hai Van Pass used to be the one where you sat in the middle of a hairpin bend. On 17 October 2026, six visitors who did exactly that left with a fine instead. The newest stories out of Da Nang and Hoi An read like that: fewer shiny openings, more about how locals want visitors to behave, and a few small kitchens that just got a Michelin nod.

Everything below comes from reports dated June to October 2026, with one from last year's flood season for context. At the end, how a visitor pays and stays online: Fizen is building the stablecoin neobank for people on the move, a wallet you own, local QR payments and travel data in one app.

Why is the Hai Van Pass photo stop now a fine?

The hairpin bends on Hai Van Pass are a fixture of short videos, and some people now sit in the road for the shot. On 17 October 2026, six women who hired a car from Hue stopped at a sharp bend, sat down in the middle of the road and asked another tourist to film them while traffic passed. Tuoi Tre News reported they were fined a combined VND1.5 million for gathering on a public road and obstructing traffic, and police called it extremely dangerous.

Do this instead: stop only at the marked pull-outs and the summit, and film from the roadside. In rain or fog, keep any stop short and well off the tarmac.

What is the new rule of thumb on Son Tra?

Son Tra Peninsula's monkeys come down to the road because people feed them. On the Friday before 25 October 2026, a wild male monkey near the Bai Bac Border Guard Station was struck by a vehicle while picking up a banana someone had tossed onto the road for photos. The peninsula's management board has put up signs banning the feeding of wild animals and posted staff where monkeys gather, and conservation groups warn that feeding makes them dependent on people.

Do this instead: keep food in the car, watch from a distance and drive slowly where monkeys gather. Skip the roadside crowd that is tossing snacks; the animals step straight into traffic for them.

Which Da Nang kitchens just got a Michelin nod?

The 2026 Michelin Guide Vietnam, announced in Hanoi on 4 June, added four Da Nang names: three Bib Gourmands, Quan Ba Vui, Banh Beo Banh Dap and Le Gia Khang, and Quan Di Hoa (Hoa Cuong) as Michelin Selected. Bib Gourmand means good cooking at a moderate price, so expect locals as well as visitors; go just before or after the lunch rush.

Skip the fuss if you just want a great bowl of mi Quang: the Bib list is a nudge, not a rule, and plenty of neighbourhood shops do it well too.

Will Son Tra, Cham Island and Hoi An get visitor caps?

Not yet. At a green tourism conference on 14 October 2026, the deputy head of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism urged Da Nang to set carrying-capacity limits for its eco-sensitive areas, Son Tra and Cham Island, and its heritage sites, Hoi An and My Son. No cap is in force. The practical takeaway is the same either way: the old town and My Son are calmest early in the morning, and Cham Island boat trips are best on a weekday.

What do late-autumn rains and the new Singapore flight change?

Late October and November are flood season on this coast. In 2025, Hoi An was under water for five days; by 1 November, streets along the Hoai River were still about half a metre deep, ticket counters were shut and Chua Bridge was closed. Book a hotel away from the riverfront at this time of year, keep a flexible day, and check local news before a Hoi An day trip.

Getting here gets easier from 17 November 2026: Vietnam Airlines flies Da Nang to Singapore daily on an A321, leaving Da Nang at 3pm and Singapore at 7:45pm local time.

How do you pay and stay online on the coast?

Banh beo stalls and mi Quang shops usually show a bank QR code. If you are visiting (not a Vietnamese resident), Fizen QR Pay pays VietQR, VNPay, MoMo and ZaloPay codes from USDT: create or import your Fizen wallet (non-custodial), get USDT on Solana or BNB Chain into it, deposit from the wallet into QR Pay (KYC per wallet and per device), then scan and confirm the amount in dong. BNB Chain deposits need no gas; on Solana keep a little SOL. Limits: US$800 per payment, US$1,000 per week. In Vietnam it pays Vietnamese account holders' codes only. Steps: QR Pay guide.

Between Da Nang, the pass and Hoi An you will lean on maps and Grab. Fizen's Vietnam eSIM plans ran on Viettel 4G when checked on 26 October 2026, slowing to 128 kbps once the data is used. New users get US$10 of eSIM credit in the Fizen app's eSIM tab.

Frequently asked questions

Is it illegal to stop for photos on Hai Van Pass?

Stopping safely at the roadside is fine. Sitting or gathering on the road is not: on 17 October 2026, six travellers were fined a combined VND1.5 million for obstructing traffic at a hairpin bend.

Can I feed the monkeys on Son Tra Peninsula?

No. Signs on the peninsula prohibit feeding wild animals, and in October 2026 a monkey was killed by a vehicle while grabbing a banana thrown onto the road.

Which Da Nang restaurants are new on the 2026 Michelin list?

Bib Gourmands Quan Ba Vui, Banh Beo Banh Dap and Le Gia Khang, plus Quan Di Hoa (Hoa Cuong) as Michelin Selected, announced on 4 June 2026.

Is November a bad time for Hoi An?

It is flood season, so expect rain and possible high water near the Hoai River. Stay away from the riverfront, keep your plans flexible and check local news before you go.

Can tourists pay by QR code in Da Nang and Hoi An?

Yes, with the right app. Fizen QR Pay lets visitors pay VietQR, VNPay, MoMo and ZaloPay codes from USDT on Solana or BNB Chain. Vietnamese residents cannot use it in Vietnam.

What if my USDT is on Tron or Ethereum?

USDT on another network cannot be deposited into QR Pay. Swap and bridge it to Solana or BNB Chain in the Fizen app first, and send a small test amount before a large one.

Pay the coast's QR codes as a visitor

Fizen QR Pay works for travellers and foreigners in Vietnam. Fund it from your Fizen wallet with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, scan the stall's code and confirm the amount in dong. Travel eSIM data is in the same app, payable with USDT or by card via Stripe.

Get the Fizen app

Terms and conditions

Information only. This article is information only. It is not an offer or a sale, and it is not financial, legal or travel advice. Rules, schedules, venue details and weather conditions come from the sources listed and can change; check official notices before you travel.
For readers in the United States. This is information only, not an offer or sale, and not advice. Fizen products and services are not offered to US Persons.
QR Pay availability. QR Pay is for cross-border use by travellers and foreigners in Vietnam and the Philippines only, and is not available to residents of those countries in their own country. It is funded only with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain; USDT on another network, or another token, cannot be deposited. The Fizen wallet is self-custody; USDT you move into QR Pay is governed by the Fizen QR Pay Terms, so only move in what you plan to spend. KYC applies.
Independent. Fizen is not affiliated with the restaurants, airlines, authorities or publications mentioned. Acceptance of any payment method at a given shop is not promised.

Sources

Rules, routes and listings checked against reports dated 4 June to 25 October 2026 (flood context from November 2025); eSIM network checked in the Fizen catalog on 26 October 2026.