Da Nang City in central Vietnam has been recommended by The New York Times as one of the places to travel to this year.

The city places 43rd on a list in an article published in The New York Times on Friday last week.

The article listed 52 places to go in 2015.

“For the last couple of decades, Da Nang, on the central coast of Vietnam, has been the place travelers fly into to get to historic Hoi An, a Unesco-recognized but tourist-swarmed neighbor 20 miles to the south,” the article says.

But Da Nang has become a worthy destination in its own right, it adds.

After an airport expansion in 2011, resorts began mushrooming along the coast, with last year’s luxury lodging additions being Premier Village and A La Carte Da Nang Beach.

Da Nang’s charms also lie in “its long, sandy beaches and kiosks selling ‘banh mi’ (bread) overflowing with pork and pickled papaya and fresh herbs,” according to the article.

Topping the list, which sees once-avoided destinations becoming must-sees and familiar cities offering new reasons to visit, is Milan in Italy.

The gorgeous Italian city is followed by Cuba, Philadelphia (U.S.), Yellowstone National Park (U.S.), Elqui Valley (Chile), Singapore, Durban (South Africa), Bolivia, Faroe Islands, and Macedonia.

A night view of the Rong (Dragon) Bridge and its surroundings in central Vietnam's Da Nang City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

In early December last year, Da Nang City also led the “World’s Destinations on the Rise" category of the 2014 Travelers’ Choice Awards given by travel site TripAdvisor.

The city beat nine other destinations around the world to rank first, including Sihanoukville (Cambodia), Limassol (Cyprus), Ao Nang (Thailand), Bodrum City (Turkey), Naha (Japan), Hurghada (Egypt), Kazan (Russia), Manaus (Brazil), and Eilat (Israel) – listed in descending order.

The coastal Vietnamese city was also ranked highest in the “Asia’s Destinations on the Rise” category.

The travel site recommended several destinations in the coastal city, namely Lady Buddha, Non Nuoc Beach, and Son Tra Mountain.

Earlier in July, Cua Dai Beach in Hoi An City, located in the central province of Quang Nam, and Non Nuoc Beach in Da Nang City were included in the “Top 25 Best Beaches in Asia” category of the 2014 Travelers’ Choice Awards by TripAdvisor.

The awards were given based on the year-on-year rise in positive reviews provided on the website by members of the public.

A beach in Son Tra Peninsula in central Vietnam's Da Nang City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A replica of an age-old ethnic house at Dong Dinh Museum in Da Nang City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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