first - da nang and hoi an are pretty different. hoi an is a tourist city, you'll probably get hassled a bit. da nang is a bit more relaxed
beaches are all pretty nice
if you're getting a moped, you probably want to ride up north through the hai van pass - some beautiful views and a fun ride. go far enough and you get to lang co, which has amazing seafood if you're into that. ping me if you go up there and i'll ask my mate James for a recommendation - it's a bit off the beaten track. (there's also a really lovely mountain pool you can swim in, but that takes some finding) in da nang itself, you should see the dragon bridge (don't know if they're still making it breath water and fire, but they used to and it's spectacular) foodwise: there's a place called "dirty chicken" on google maps in da nang. don't be put off by the name, it's cheap and really tasty bbqed chicken. if you go to "red sky", they have really great steak, maybe one of the best i've ever had for about $13. you can get a drink at a la carte hotel in their rooftop bar on the beach. spectaaaacular views, and while it's expensive for vietnam, it's pretty cheap for anywhere else. also has a rooftop pool.
for working, "Temple Resort" on the beach is really good. https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/e9/89/0f/temple-da-nang.jpg …
for vietnamese food, "madame lan" in the city is super good and has a great range - try the banh xeo otherwise, "oasis tapas" and "burger bros" are both excellent (they're on the east side). tell Inaki (short spanish dude) you know me if you go to oasis my casa is also tapas and some really friendly spanish people good dim sum at the grand mercure
if you want to get a massage, an image of a reflexology foot means it's an actual massage joint rather than just a rub-and-tug
there's a really awesome seafood called "chip chip" but i can't remember the address offhand, lmk if you're keen and i'll ask my friend kong also if you're into a longer ride, he can put you in touch with a good vietnamese rider - the tours are so much fun it's ridiculous, i highly recommend them.
in general you want to get out of hoi an. it's beautiful but super touristy. da nang is much more chill. but while you're there see if "soul kitchen" is on - music night on the beach, always heaps of fun. (if you go to my casa tell 'em i sent you too, they're good mates.) marble mountain is fun too, if a fair bit of walking and climbing.
oh, and if you want to get super fancy, http://www.danang.intercontinental.com/la-maison-1888 is, while not cheap, also probably the cheapest way to eat food from a michelin-starred chef (except for that ramen bar in japan)
and https://www.facebook.com/perdu.pub/ this place is really nice and the owners are cool.
There’s lots of great new places in Da Nang. What sort of thing is your buddy looking for? Is he going to be working on the road—this is a great new co-working space:
Best new coffee shops in Da Nang since you left: https://www.foody.vn/da-nang/the-coffee-house/album-khong-gian … https://www.foody.vn/da-nang/the-succulents-coffee/album-khong-gian … https://www.foody.vn/da-nang/pavilion-the-garden-cafe/album-khong-gian …
http://pizza4ps.com/location/93/ Pizza 4P’s is awesome!
This is a cool bar/restaurant hangout on the beach: https://www.foody.vn/da-nang/breeze-bar/album-tong-hop Ok, here’s my Foody.vn collections!:
Da Nang restaurants (special occasions): https://www.foody.vn/bo-suu-tap/james5119/da-nang-restaurants-special-occasions-3544400 …
Da Nang restaurants: https://www.foody.vn/bo-suu-tap/james5119/da-nang-restaurants-3544403 …
Da Nang Bars: https://www.foody.vn/bo-suu-tap/james5119/da-nang-bars-4262045 …
Da Nang Hipster Bars: https://www.foody.vn/bo-suu-tap/james5119/da-nang-hipster-bars-3608596 …
Da Nang Café's: https://www.foody.vn/bo-suu-tap/james5119/da-nang-cafes-3347341 …