Trip Overview – 8 Days in Central Vietnam covering Lang Co, Hue and Hoi An

We spent 8 days in Central Vietnam in September 2017, just before the rainy season (October to February) which usually causes floods in Hoi An. We flew into and out from Da Nang city. Da Nang is the gateway to Hue and Hoi An, known for their UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is also the gateway to many beach-front luxury resorts, with Banyan Tree Lang Co being one of the best.

We spent 2 days at Banyan Tree Lang Co, 2 days in Hue and 4 days in Hoi An. Most people will prefer to spent more time in beautiful and historic Hoi An and skip Hue. I decided to stay a couple of days in Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage city well-known for its historic imperial city (Citadel) and imperial tombs.

Like Hue, Hoi An has plenty of history still intact. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An was a small scale trading port in Southern Vietnam. The old town has many well-preserved buildings that reflects both indigenous and foreign cultures, especially Chinese, Japanese and later European. These places include houses of prominent people, assembly halls, communal houses, shrines, temples, bridge, market and wharf. Hoi An was included in UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999.

Most visitors to Hoi An planned at least a 3-days stay. There is plenty to do at Hoi An. For those looking to make cheap and good suits, Hoi An has many tailor shops that can provide custom-made suits within 3 days. A beautiful beach is within reach by bikes or taxi from the town center. The rural countryside around the Hoi An town is also nice to explore using bikes.

Since we had already spent some time at a beach resort and had already seen a bit of rural Vietnam, we skipped these activities in Hoi An. Our activities included an early morning private tour to Mỹ Sơn, a half day cooking class at Thuan Tinh Island, sampling the local Hoi An cuisine, shopping and exploring the ancient town.

The following summarises my itinerary and where we stayed.

Day 1 (23 September 2017)

This day was spent travelling from home to Da Nang International Airport. We were picked up by staff from Banyan Tree Lang Co and transferred to the beach-front luxury resort for our weekend of bliss and pampering.

Banyan Tree Beach Villa

Where we stayed: Banyan Tree Lang Co 

Trip report – Our stay at Banyan Tree Lang Co

Day 2  (24 September 2017)

There are plenty of activities to keep guests occupied within and outside the Banyan Tree resort. These include cooking classes, golf, yoga, excursions to Hue or Hoi An, cycling, water sports or just enjoying the villa facilities.

My wife did “yoga by the beach” at 6 AM, followed by breakfast. As part of the Banyan Tree Community Reward Stay programme, we were treated to an eco-tour of Lang Co. 

Exploring rural Vietnam in an eco-tour.

The itinerary included a visit to a nearby fishing village in Canh Duong where we learnt about the hard life of the local fishermen, navigate through mangroves in a traditional basket boat, see the beautiful Lap An lagoon and also travel along a winding road up the Hai Van Pass, a journey made famous by an episode of a popular TV programme Top Gear.

Where we stayed: Banyan Tree Lang Co 

Day 3  (25 September 2017)

More free and easy activities at the Banyan Tree Resort before checking out. The award-winning Banyan Tree Spa is not to be missed.

We used the private car transfer service provided by the resort to travel to Hue.

Entrance to the Imperial Palace at the Citadel, a UNESCO world Heritage site.

After checking into our hotel in Hue, we did the walking tour of the Citadel, a UNESCO world Heritage site.

Where we stayed in Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel.

The Saigon Morin Hotel is a historic, French colonial-era hotel, located next to the Truong Tien Bridge and Perfume (Huong) River. On Le Loi Road in the city center, it is ideally located for walking to the Citadel, Dong Ba market, shopping, restaurants & bars.

Trip Report - Visit to the Citadel in the city of Hue at Central Vietnam

Day 4  (26 September 2017)

Lake at the tomb of Tu Duc or Khiem Tomb.

We allocated our second day in Hue to visit three of the most impressive tombs of Nguyen emperors. Some of the tombs actually served as palaces and living spaces for their families when they were very much alive.

The best way to visit the tombs was to hire a private taxi with an English-speaking driver for the whole day so we could visit these places at our own pace, while the taxi waited for us outside. In addition to the 3 tombs, we also made a stop at the Thien Mu pagoda.

Where we stayed in Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel.

Trip Report – Our stay the Saigon Morin Hotel

Trip Report - Three Tombs and a Pagoda. Must see sights in Hue, Central Vietnam

Day 5  (27 September 2017)

After Hue, our next destination in central Vietnam is Hoi An. The best way to travel between Hue and Hoi An is to hire a private car with a driver for a day to take us through peaceful rural landscapes, scenic coastal route across the Hai Van Pass and make sightseeing stops along the way. 

Lap An lagoon

The 128 km journey would take about 3 hours of driving, excluding stops. With stops for lunch, sightseeing and taking photographs along the way, we could depart Hue in the morning and arrive at Hoi An in the evening.

Most private taxi operators’ itineraries include suggested stops at My Khe Beach in Da Nang, Marble Mountains, Lang Co beach, Lap An lagoon, top of Hai Van Pass or even an optional stop (with additional fees payable) at a swimming place called the Elephant Springs.

The famous tiled-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge.

I requested for an additional stop at the famous tiled-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge, located 8 km east of Hue city. Tour From Hue – Family Car Transfers & Tours was happy to include that into our itinerary without additional charges.

Spent the evening at Hoi An riverside. Not to miss is the night market with many stalls and colourful lanterns for sale.

Night market with many stalls and colourful lanterns for sale.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay. This relatively low cost, family operated guesthouse is located close to the Hoi An Ancient Town and is perfect for exploring this historic town on foot.

Trip report - Scenic road trip from Hue to Hoi An, via Hai Van Pass, Da Nang and Marble Mountains

Day 6  (28 September 2017)

We attended a half day cooking class in Hoi An on our first morning. There are many cooking schools providing half day classes in Hoi An. I signed up with Thuan Tinh Island Cooking School, partly because of good reviews and partly because of recommendation from my relatives who visited Hoi An before.

The rest of the day was spent free and easy exploring the sights and cuisine of Hoi An.

Trying the street food in Hoi An

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip report - Visit to Hoi An’s morning market and cooking class at Thuan Tinh Island

Trip Report - What and where to eat while in Hoi An

Day 7  (29 September 2017)

Ruins at My Son Sanctuary

A visit to Hoi An would not be complete without a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage cultural site of Mỹ Sơn. My Son Sanctuary was once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom who ruled Central Vietnam from 4^th to 15^th century.

It is best to go early in the morning when it is much cooler and there would be less people at the site. We signed up for the Sunrise My Son Tour with Tommy Dao Tours with pick up from our hotel at 5 AM! Sacrificing a bit of morning sleep is well worth it.

Exploring Hoi An ancient town

We arrived back to Hoi An at about 10 AM in the morning. The rest of the day was spent exploring the cuisine and shopping in Hoi An at a leisurely pace. The ancient town and Thu Bon river side area is very beautiful at night when the lanterns are lit.

Hoi An riverside in the evening.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip report - Visit to My Son Sanctuary, Champa ruins near Hoi An and Da Nang

Trip Report - Enjoying UNESCO World Heritage Hoi An in the evening

Day 8  (30 September 2017)

This is another free and easy day for us to explore Hoi An ancient town. One of the highlights of visiting Hoi An is to explore the insides of some of these places.

Insides of one of the assembly hall.

We bought a ticket for the ancient town with 5 coupons that allows entry into 5 historical places of our choice.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip Report - 5 places to visit while exploring Hoi An’s UNESCO World Heritage old town

Trip report - 4 free and easy days in Hoi An

Day 9 ( 31 September 2017)

Travel from Hoi An to Da Nang Airport for our morning flight home.

Other trip planning tips and considerations

Buy a Data SIM card in Da Nang International Airport

A 30 day data SIM with unlimited data, LTE, from Viettel cost USD 5.5, a fraction of the price compared to what we had to pay in most countries. The card can be purchased in the luggage collection area of the airport. The staff even helped us to install and activate the card.

Buy a combo ticket when visiting the Citadel and the Imperial tombs in Hue.

Entry to the Citadel and the various Imperial tombs are chargeable. We saved some money by buying a combo ticket instead of paying the entrance fees to each place separately. This combo ticket is sold at the ticket booths outside these places.

Note: Entry to the Thien Mu Pagoda is free.

While there are group tours to the above places that cost less, we prefer to travel at our own pace. Public transport within Hue is almost non-existent and imperial tomb sites are distributed all over the outskirt of Hue city. It made sense to hire a private taxi with an English-speaking driver for the whole day so we could visit these places at our own pace and with less hassles.

Stay near the Hoi An ancient town

While there are many places to stay in Hoi An, the best way to explore and enjoy Hoi An is on foot or bike. Hence, we felt that the ideal place to stay should be within walking distance to the ancient town and riverside area. The September weather in Hoi An is hot, humid and unpredictable. Once the weather gets too hot in the afternoon, we would seek shelter in a cool cafe or head back to the cool air-con comfort of our nearby hotel to rest before venturing out again in the cooler evening.

Continue Reading »

Pampered by Banyan Tree Lang Co at Central Vietnam

We arrived at Da Nang International Airport in Central Vietnam at about 6 PM, after a 4 hours and 15 minutes journey by Silkair from Singapore via Siem Reap, Cambodia. My wife and I were invited guests of Banyan Tree Lang Co, under the Banyan Tree Community Reward Stay programme from September 23 to 25.

We were greeted by a couple of slim ladies dressed in the purple ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long gown), before being shown the way to a waiting van that took us from the modern Da Nang Airport to the heavenly resort by a secluded beach north of Da Nang. We were part of a group of 4 couples that arrived on this flight, all bound for a weekend of bliss and pampering at Banyan Tree Lang Co.

Our van made its way slowly through the narrow streets of Da Nang, giving us a glimpse of Da Nang city at night before entering the Hai Van Tunnel, the longest tunnel in Southeast Asia at 6.28 km. Once past the tunnel, it was an hour long journey through the dark countryside. If we had arrived earlier, we would be able to see scenic vistas of rice paddies, grazing water buffaloes, cloud covered mountain ranges and even a lagoon en-route.

We were warmly greeted by the manager, Mr Sree Valsan, and staff of Banyan Tree Lang Co upon arrival.  Each guest was presented with a long stalk of lotus flower, signature flower of Vietnam, before being whisked to our villa, on an electric powered golf cart or “buggy” as they called it here, through pathways lit by colourful Chinese lanterns.

Checking in was done in the comfort of our luxury Beach Pool Villa, one of the 17 that lined the shores of a private red sand beach. The best villas of course were the 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms Seaview Hill Pool Villas, perched high up on a rocky spur that provides panoramic views of the East Sea, followed by the Beach Pool Villas and the Lagoon Pool Villas, built round a lagoon offering water activities.

The spacious bedroom of the Beach Villa at Banyan Tree Lang Co with a King size bed. The bath area is behind the large screen with pictures of the lotus flowers and a study area with long writing desk.

Bath area with individual basins and toiletries for Him and Her. There was much attention to details; down to the sizes of the bathrobes, sandals and even which side to place our luggage when they were delivered to our villa.

Each villa has an assigned villa host, whose job includes ensuring that we enjoy a personalised and unforgettable experience.  Our villa host served us a welcome drink, cold towels, did the check-in paperwork and ran us through the itinerary of our stay, including the timings of the yoga and spa sessions we had booked prior to arrival.  She advised us on some changes in the programme and that we would be going for a guided tour of Lang Co area the next day instead of a visit to a nearby village school.

A sumptuous multi-course dinner at the Azura restaurant soon followed. We were served by the staff of Seedlings, a restaurant operated by Banyan Tree in the UNESCO World Heritage Hoi An ancient town. Banyan Tree is engaged in many projects to support the local community and Seedlings is a company-wide mentorship programme for helping under-privileged young people. All staff members are from marginalised backgrounds and the training provided by the restaurant helps them build vocational skills for a successful career. The food with a fusion of contemporary and classical Vietnamese influences, and drinks was excellent and the impeccable fine dining service provided was flawless.

Another community project is the Green Imperative Fund where guests could donate US$2 per room per night, which Banyan Tree matched. This fund is used to finance environment conservation and community projects.

Guests are encouraged to contribute to the Green Imperative Fund. We could keep the stuffed toy sea turtle as a keepsake. Another sea turtle to add to my Banyan Tree collection.

After dinner, we made a stop at the main lobby to change some money to Vietnamese Dong. We would need the local currency when we visit the two UNESCO World Heritage sites of Hue and Hoi An after our stay at Banyan Tree. Both of these cities are located about one and half away by car, with Banyan Tree located right in the middle of both.

A large pool with water lilies, floating lanterns at the lobby at the Banyan Tree Lang Co.

We decided to take a slow walk back to our villa instead of using the buggy as the resort is so beautifully lit by colourful lanterns at night.

Colourful lanterns hang from trees and over a river that flows through the property.

We could appreciate that the architecture and decor of the resort reflects Vietnam’s Imperial past and the historical Chinese influence in the area.

The bridge across the river is modelled after the famous Japanese bridge found in Hoi An ancient town and is also beautifully lit by lanterns.

There are plenty of activities to keep guests occupied within and outside the resort. These include cooking classes, golf, yoga, excursions to Hue or Hoi An, cycling, water sports or just enjoying the villa facilities.

My wife had signed up for the “yoga by the beach” the next day at 6 AM. Our villa host had taken the initiative to arrange for a buggy to pick us up at 5.45 AM from our villa.

The ever efficient buggy system within most Banyan Tree properties is the best way to travel within the spacious and well planted resort. Alternatively free bicycles are available for those who wish to burn some calories and explore the resorts and its vicinities at leisure.

Yoga by the beach, under the watchful eye of an instructor.

The yoga is conducted at Moomba Lawn, in the premises of Angsana Lang Co, located just next to Banyan Tree.

Private beach shared by the Banyan Tree and Angsana Resorts.

The Seaview Hill Pool Villas, perched high up on a rocky spur that provides panoramic views of the East Sea could be seen in the back.

View from the lobby of the Angsana Lang Co resort.

Lobby of the Angsana Lang Co resort. The Banyan Tree is positioned as an exclusive, ultra-luxury, “romantic escape” theme resort while the Angsana is positioned more for couples, families and friends.

Colourful lanterns in the lobby of Angsana Lang Co. Such lanterns are a feature in both resorts.

Both resorts are operated by Banyan Tree and shared the same 3 km long private beach, as well as the river that flow through both resorts. Kayaks and other water craft to explore the river are available for those with plenty of energy!

River boats providing an alternative means of transport between the Banyan Tree and Angsana resorts.

Breakfast at the Banyan Tree’s Watercourt restaurant was excellent. We get to order our eggs, cooked in any of the six different ways, plus the usual breakfast spreads. In addition, there are local delights like spring rolls, steamed buns, beef pho, Bun Bo Hue, local fruits in season (dragon fruit) and rounded off with a glass of Taittinger champagne and cheese.

As part of the Banyan Tree Community Reward Stay programme, we were treated to an eco-tour of Lang Co after breakfast.  The itinerary included a visit to a nearby fishing village in Canh Duong where we learnt about the hard life of the local fishermen, navigate through mangroves in a traditional basket boat, see the beautiful Lap An lagoon and also travel along a winding road up the Hai Van Pass, a journey made famous by an episode of a popular TV programme Top Gear. 

Explore Lang Co's beautiful lagoons and the local fishing village, navigating through the mangroves in a traditional basket boat.

Our guide, named Hung, was a knowledgeable young man from Hoi An. I was able to learnt so much about history of Vietnam, Hue and Hoi An during this tour.

We learnt that Banyan Tree hired 70% of staff locally, created jobs and add value for the local community. Most of the staff was from nearby villages, neighbouring cities like Hue and Hoi An or other parts of Vietnam. They lived in the village of Lang Co, a short distance away. Most of their needs are provided by the hotel, including free hourly transport service to and from the village.

We headed back to Banyan Tree's signature restaurant Saffron for Sunday Brunch after the tour. Our group was a bit late for a brunch due to a traffic incident on the way back. No problem. The restaurant extended their operating hours till 3.30 PM. Just for us.

View from Saffron Restaurant, Banyan Tree Lang Co.

Perched on a cliff overlooking the resort property, Saffron offers delicious Thai cuisine and magnificent views.

We had free time to enjoy the facilities of our Beach Pool Villa in the afternoon till it was time for dinner. The exterior of the Beach Pool Villa is surrounded by lush trees shielding wooden fencing from sight, offering privacy and a sense of openness.

Private pool, lounge chairs, parasol, outdoor showers and Jacuzzi at the doorstep of the luxury villa.

A footpath led to the beach but who needs the beach when we had our own private pool, lounge chairs, parasols, outdoor showers and jacuzzi at the doorstep of the luxury villa.

Dinner on the second day was hosted by Mr Valsan, the manager of Banyan Tree Lang Co, in a private room at the Watercourt restaurant where we enjoyed the interactions with our host and other Community Programme guests. We were also treated to performances from a local musician playing a uniquely local instrument made from bamboo.

Making music from bamboo stems!

Returning to our villa after dinner, we were pleasantly surprised by the special turn-down service delivered by the housekeeping team.

The award-winning Banyan Tree Spa is not to be missed. We had time for a 90 minutes full body massage on our last day before check-out. Once again, the spa treatments at Banyan Tree Spa did not disappoint.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. We checked out from this ultra-luxury resort, said goodbye to our villa host, and enjoyed a luxury private car transfer from the resort to our next hotel, in Hue.

Vietnamese countryside near Banyan Tree Lang Co

We got to see the views we missed on our arrival day on our way to Hue. Scenic vistas of rice paddies, grazing water buffaloes,   mountain ranges and lagoons.

It had been an amazing weekend at the Banyan Tree Lang Co. We will certainly be looking forward to visiting other Banyan Tree properties in the near future.

Disclosure: My wife and I were privileged invited guests to Banyan Tree Lang Co, under the Banyan Tree Community Reward Stay programme from September 23 to 25. This blog post is voluntary and all views and opinions are my own.

Continue Reading »

Tour of the Canh Duong area from Banyan Tree Lang Co

24 September 2017  

While staying at Banyan Tree Lang Co, we joined the eco-tour of the Canh Duong area, organised by the hotel.

In the tour group were other hotel guests, plus a group of young men and women from the hotel’s reservation team and our guide named Hung who spoke excellent English. 

Our first stop was at a fishing village a short drive away. A few local fishermen were waiting to take us for a ride on the iconic round “basket boat” or thung chai.

Local Vietnamese fisherman preparing the basket boats to take us for a tour of the waterways and lagoon near Lang Co.

Hung told us that this basket boat was invented during the French colonial era. When French arrived in Vietnam, they began to levy a tax on the ownership of boats. Most of the poor Vietnamese fishermen who depended on boats for their livelihood could not afford to pay the taxes. So, the ingenious Vietnamese invented a new type of “boat” woven from bamboo strips and coated with tar for waterproofing. This round basket “boat” is functional but technically not a wooden boat, so escaped the tax. Ingenious.

Look at the wake created by this fast moving basket boat!

We sat on the edge of the basket boat, up to 4 persons per boat. We found that the thung chai is surprising agile and fast.

I watched the teenage boy who was rowing my thung chai and learnt the technique. The proper technique is to move the paddle back and forth through the water in an arcing motion at the “front”. I was given the chance to row the boat. My boat did not spin round in circles and actually made relatively good progress for a first timer. 

Part of the maintenance required is the yearly re-coating of the tar and my boat was overdue for maintenance! It was leaking a bit and some bailing with a small white hand-held bucket was required.

Water at the bottom of the leaky “basket boat” or thung chai.

We were given the chance to catch some fish using the floating gills nets. These nets were laid across the flow of the slow flowing river to trap fishes swimming up or down stream.

We let out the nets from our round basket boats. We would come back to haul them up later to check if we caught anything.

Life as a fisherman in this area is tough. After an hour in the sun, we caught nothing but a few small crabs and a couple of small fish. Most of the catch is sold locally or made into fish sauce.

We chat with the teenage fisherman who was rowing my boat. He speaks a little English, having learnt it in the village school. He is the youngest son of the fisherman and his wife who are rowing the other two basket boats. He is the only one in the family learning the fishing trade from his parents. Like most young Vietnamese, his older siblings prefer working in the cities compared to the hard life of a fisherman.

An easier way to catch fish in the Vietnamese river would be by using the square lift nets.

Square lift nets commonly found in rivers of Vietnam.

The net is lowered into the water at sunset. Lanterns are lit during the darkness to attract the fishes and crustaceans. The fisherman will raise the net before sunrise to catch the fishes having a party below the lights. There is a small opening at the centre of the huge net that could be opened to allow easier harvesting of the catch. Once again, ingenious!

Our excellent guide giving us plenty of information during our tour.

We had a fun time on the river, including time to inspect wild oysters growing on the roots of the mangrove trees and listening to Hung, our knowledgeable guide who shared plenty of insights to life in Central Vietnam, including stories, history and tips for visitors to Hue and Hoi An.

Our next destination is the Hai Van Pass. On the way there, we made a short stop by the Lap An lagoon and a lookout point where we could see the place where Lap An lagoon meets the sea.

Lap An lagoon with cloud-covered mountain range in the back.

Lookout point where Lap An lagoon meets the sea. Lang Co beach, with its fine white sand, is the best beach along the coast of Central Vietnam.

Here, we could see the long stretch of white sand beach that is the Lang Co beach. Hung told us that this stretch of Lang Co beach, with its fine white sand, is the best beach along the coast of Central Vietnam.

Next to the road and running along the coast is the tracks of the narrow gauge railway. This is for the only train service linking the north and south of Vietnam. Travel from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City would take about 34 hours, covering a distance of 1726 kilometers. Slow but scenic ride if one has plenty of time to spare.

The lookout point marks the start of the road up Hai Van Pass. Hai Van Pass is situated along the Hai Van mountainside between Hue and Danang. With a height of 500m above sea level, and a length of 21km, this is the highest and longest pass in Vietnam.  It crosses over a spur of the Truong Son mountain range that juts out into the sea and serves as a geological and geographical dividing line. It forms a physical boundary between the north and the south of Vietnam, and has been considered an important strategic frontier post along the north-south road in the past.

“Hai Van Pass” is translated to mean “Ocean Cloud Pass”. Hai Van Pass probably get this name as the peak of the mountain is mostly covered in clouds while its foot is close to the sea.

Old architectural relics at the top of Hai Van Pass. The tallest brick structure is the Hai Van Gate.

There were stalls selling souvenirs, drinks and snacks at the car park at the top of the pass. We went straight up a path on what used to be a rampart to an architectural relic that was once the Hai Van Gate, built in 1826, during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang.

This gate used to control access between Hue (the ancient capital city) and the southern part of Vietnam.

Hai Van Gate, built in 1826, during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang.

The side of the gate facing Thua Thien-Hue Province is inscribed with the 3 words “Hai Van Quan” (Hai Van Gate).

There was more interesting history lessons about Vietnam, in particular the Cham kingdom and the Nguyen Dynasty, from Hung once we arrived at the gate.  The information on the 13 kings of the last Nguyen Dynasty was great as it allowed us to appreciate our visit to the Citadel and the imperial tombs in Hue later during our trip.

We saw quite a fair bit of tourists on motor-cycles at the top and along the Hai Van Pass. Apparently, riding along this winding road up and down the sides of the mountain on a motor-bike was made popular in an episode in the Top Gear. Personally, I think there are more exciting and challenging mountain passes than this road.

There were some old bunkers, built during the Vietnam war that can be explored or climbed, at one’s own risk.

View from the top of the Hai Van Pass. On nice days, one can admire Lang Co beach to the north and spot the winding road leading up to the mountain top. Climbing the old crumbling US-built war bunkers is at own risks.

View of Da Nang city on the South side from the top of Hai Van Pass.

We had time to explore the old war bunkers, built by the US during the Vietnam War, as well old stone relics built during the Nguyen dynasties.

Bullets holes and damages caused by bombing during the Vietnam are visible on these old buildings.

The top of the Hai Van Pass was our last stop for the tour. On the way down from Hai Van Pass, we were slightly held up by an accident along the narrow mountain road. Some heavy equipment had been dislodged from a large trailer. A mobile crane was on hand to remove the obstacles.

I get to see the cool and level headedness of the local people. No tempers, no impatient honking. Here the locals and just rolled up their sleeves to solve a problem and clear a narrow passage through the obstacles on the road. The motorcycles and cars then took turns to squeeze through and we were soon on our way. 

The Banyan Tree staff that were on the tour with us took the initiatives to call back to the resort to extend the closing time of the Saffron restaurant and buffet lunch for our group.

Overall, it had been an enjoyable day out.

Continue Reading »

Scenic road trip from Hue to Hoi An, via Hai Van Pass, Da Nang and Marble Mountains

27 September 2017 

The best way to travel between Hue and Hoi An is to hire a private car with a driver for a day to take us through peaceful rural landscapes, scenic coastal route across the Hai Van Pass and make sightseeing stops along the way. The 128 km journey between the two UNESCO World Heritage cities would take about 3 hours of driving, excluding stops. With stops for lunch, sightseeing and taking photographs along the way, we could depart one city in the morning and arrive at our destination city in the evening. Perfect!

Travelling through rural Vietnam in a car, we got to see scenes that city-dwellers may find interesting. We even chanced upon a herd of cows hogging the narrow country road.

A herd of cows on the country road, as seen from inside our SUV. 80% of Vietnamese are Buddhists or Taoists. It is a common practice of the locals to place a small statue of the Goddess of Mercy on top of the dashboard, facing the front. (Lower right corner of the photo above).

Flooded rice paddies just outside Hue city.

There were many private car companies and tour operators offering such services at competitive prices. After comparing reviews of these operators on the internet, I booked my trip from Tour From Hue – Family Car Transfers & Tours before leaving home.

Most tour operators’ itineraries include suggested stops at My Khe Beach in Da Nang, Marble Mountains, Lang Co beach, Lap An lagoon, top of Hai Van Pass or even an optional stop (with additional fees payable) at a swimming place called the Elephant Springs. I requested for an additional stop at the famous tiled-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge, located 8 km east of Hue city. Tour From Hue – Family Car Transfers & Tours was happy to include that into our itinerary without additional charges.

Our English speaking driver met us 15 minutes before 9 AM at the lobby of the Saigon Morin Hotel in Hue and waited patiently while we did our check-out. After helping to load our luggage into his clean and spacious Toyota Innova SUV, we were on our way from Hue to Hoi An, with planned stops at Thanh Toan Bridge, Lang Co beach, Lap An lagoon, Hai Van Pass and Marble Mountains.

Thanh Toan Bridge

The Thanh Toan Bridge is a 17 meter long and 4 meter wide wooden bridge built across an irrigation canal bringing water to the rice paddy fields around Thanh Toan village. It was impressive and covered with ceramic roof tiles. It is one of the few bridges with this unique design still found in Vietnam, another being the Japanese Bridge located in the Hoi An ancient town, our final destination for this day.

Thanh Toan Bridge.

An informational plaque at the bridge indicated that this ancient bridge was constructed in 1776 with funding provided by Ms Tran Thi Dao, the wife of a high ranking mandarin. The small shrine in the middle span of this bridge was to honour her.

We sat on the sloping wooden benches on the arched bridge and did some people watching. This beautiful bridge is popular with tourists and locals. We spotted a local couple and their photographer doing their wedding photo shoot. Some villagers were even napping on the benches while others were busy in the local village market about 100 meters away. A walk around the village offered some good photo opportunities of life in rural Vietnam.

Villagers in the traditional conical hat having a chat.

 

Another view of the Thanh Toan Bridge. It is amazing that the wooden structure had stood in water for hundreds of years.

Lap An lagoon and Lang Co beach

From Thanh Toan village, we continued along the highway to a fishing village next to the Lap An lagoon. Our driver told us that the many wooden stakes seen protruding out of the water in this lagoon are used for oysters farming. Recycled rubber tyres from bicycles, motorbikes and cars were hung from these poles for oysters to grow. The farmers used rubber tyres as oyster beds as it takes longer for rubber to erode or rot compared to using wood.

After harvesting, the oyster shells coated tyres are collected, strewn on the roads for vehicles to run over, thereby crushing away the unwanted shells and the tyres could be reused for oyster growing again.

Recycled rubber tyres used for oyster farming strewn on the roadside, by Lap An lagoon. The white patches on the tyres are residual oyster shells.

The views of the mountains and lagoon were stunningly beautiful.

Wooden fishing boats or sampans at Lap An lagoon. It is traditional in South East Asia to paint “eyes” at the front of boats.

We were actually on a narrow isthmus with Lap An lagoon on one side and the East Vietnam Sea on the other side. Our driver drove us across the isthmus to the Thanh Tam Resort, on the coast of the East Vietnam Sea where we had a chance to walk on the fine white sands of Lang Co beach.

There was no one but us on this beach. It was too hot to be out on the beach, under the late morning sun, for more than a few minutes. This place would be nicer in the early morning or late evening.

Lang Co Beach. The Hai Van Pass is across the Truong Son Mountains with the clouds in the background. “Hai Van Pass” is translated to mean “Ocean Cloud Pass”. Hai Van Pass probably gets this name as the peak of the mountain is mostly covered in clouds while its foot is close to the sea.

A good place to have lunch along our road trip is at the Be Than Restaurant, a “floating” restaurant sitting on the shores of Lap An lagoon. We invited our driver to sit with us for lunch but he preferred to give us some privacy. We enjoyed the fresh seafood at reasonable prices, coupled with natural cool breezes and views.

A “floating” restaurant on the Lap An lagoon serving good seafood.

Delicious seafood lunch (grilled squid and prawns fried with tamarind sauce) with nice scenic views.

 

Hai Van Pass

Once lunch is done, we travelled up the famous Hai Van Pass. This was our second time travelling up this pass within a week. We came here earlier with a tour organised by Banyan Tree Lang Co. 

Hai Van Pass is situated along the Hai Van mountainside between Hue and Da Nang. With a height of 500m above sea level, and a length of 21km, this is the highest and longest pass in Vietnam.  It crosses over a spur of the Truong Son mountain range that juts out into the sea and serves as a geological and geographical dividing line. It forms a physical boundary between the north and the south of Vietnam, and has been considered an important strategic frontier post along the north-south road in the past.

Although a tunnel now cuts through the same mountain offering a shorter travelling time, going across the mountain via the scenic Hai Van Pass is more fun for tourists.

Top of Hai Van Pass.

Once again, we made a stop at the top of the pass.

Once again, we went to see the Hai Van Gate, built in 1826, during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang, the old war bunkers and the views of Lang Co beach to the north and Da Nang city to the south.

Old war bunkers built during the Vietnam War at the top of Hai Van Pass.

Building with wall full of bullet holes at the top of the Hai Van Pass.

This time round, I went inside one of the bunkers to imagine what it was like to be a soldier during the war, peeking out of the openings of the pillbox.

View from inside the pillbox.

Quite a lot of motorbikes were seen at the top of the Hai Van Pass, with riders taking a coffee break at some of the many roadside stalls. Riding up and down the sides of the mountain along the winding Hai Van Pass on a motor-bike is a popular activity for the more adventurous tourists. Especially after this journey was featured in an episode of the TV show, Top Gear.

Another reason could be that motorbikes are not allowed to be ridden through the tunnel as the air quality in the tunnel is considered harmful. Our driver told us that there are services to bring motorbikes through the tunnel on a truck, while the riders take a shuttle bus to the other side. For a small fee.

Unlike the last visit where we backtracked down northwards to return to Banyan Tree Lang Co, we continued down south towards Da Nang city. In Da Nang city, we drove across the Dragon Bridge and drove pass My Khe Beach on the way to Marble Mountains. My Khe Beach was used by US troops for rest and relaxation during the Vietnam War and hence, it is also known as R&R beach. Compared to secluded Lang Co Beach, R&R beach is more happening since it is closer to the city.

Marble Mountains

The Marble Mountains was our last and longest stop for the day before we arrived at Hoi An. The Marble Mountains is a cluster of five hills made from limestone and marble and is located at the outskirt of Da Nang city on the way to Hoi An. The five hills are named after the five elements of the ancient oriental philosophy: metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

Our driver brought us to Thuy Son (Water Mountain) and gave us directions to the ticket booth selling entry tickets and also tickets to take the elevator up to the top. For those who do not wish to take the elevator, there are 150 steep stone steps to ascend.

It cost 40,000 VND per person for the entry ticket and 15,000 VND for a one way elevator ride up.

Tip: Take the elevator to save energy that you need later explore the place.
 

View of the other hills of the Marble Mountains as seen from Thuy Son (Water Mountain) just outside the elevator.

We could see the amazing views of the other hills sticking out from the flat landscape. 

It is a good idea to snap a photo of the sign showing the layout of Thuy Son on our smartphone for reference since there are many caves and temples to visit within Thuy Son.

Layout of the Thuy Son or Water Mountain showing the locations of the various caves and temples. Just follow the numbers indicated on the map so as not to miss any. We actually missed seeing No 15. The Am Puc Cave.

Xa Loi Tower at the Marble Mountain.

Temple at the top of Thuy Son, Marble Mountain.

 

Statue of Goddess of Mercy.

Tang Chon Cave

 

Beautiful sculptured wall showing dragons along passageway leading to the Tang Chon Cave.

 

Narrow entrance to the Tang Chon Cave.

I went “Wow” once I passed through the narrow entrance into Tang Chon Cave. The natural lighting from above, figurines, structures and vegetation with vines hanging down from the roof made this place pretty cool to visit.

This was the first time that I had been to a place like this. My mind recalled scenes from Indiana Jones movies but thankfully, there are no booby traps in this holy place.

Place for worship inside Tang Chon Cave.

Small temple within the Tang Chon Cave.

White marble chess players inside Tang Chon Cave, highlighted by natural light streaming in through gaps in the cave roof.

Leaving the Tang Chon Cave, I was looking forward to visiting the next cave, wondering what surprises the next cave would offer.

Van Thong Cave

Van Thong Cave was next. By now, I was perspiring from the physical exertions in the humid Vietnamese weather.

Entrance to Van Thong Cave.

There was a colourful figure of a Buddha inside the dark Van Thong cave. The statue looked quite modern and was lit with electric lamps.

What was more interesting to me was at the back of this cave. Steps led to a bigger cavern lit with sun light coming through a natural hole or skylight at the top of the cave.

The 3 Chinese words on the wall is the name of the cave – Van Thong Cave (“Way to Heaven” Cave).

Inscription on the wall of the Van Thong cave that looked pretty ancient.

There is a narrow, almost vertical passageway that leads to the top of the hill at the back of this cave. Some people turned back at this point as the passageway up looked quite slippery and dangerous.

I had read about this passageway before my visit and this was something I was prepared to try climbing up this passageway. There was some prepared foot and hand holds, so it was not as dangerous as it seemed to be.

Scrambling through the narrow, almost vertical passageway that leads to the top of the mountain. Literally a “way to heaven” if I slip and fall on the slippery marble surfaces.

Arriving at the peak, we were rewarded with great views of Da Nang and the surrounding areas.  This lookout point is quite small in area, covered with sharp rocks and could accommodate only a few people at a time. There were seven of us there at that time. One chap who made it up the passageway was actually wearing sandals!

Fortunately, we could descend from the peak using another route with stairs. I could not imagine how we could have return back down to Van Thong Cave using the way we came. 

Once we descended from the top of the Van Thong Cave, also known as Heaven’s Gate, there was a small rest area with stalls selling refreshments and souvenirs.

The public toilets were also located nearby. I went to use the toilets and was quite surprised at how clean it was. I had to remove my shoes, put on a pair of provided sandals before going in. Japanese style!

Hoa Nghiem and Huyen Khong Caves

The Hoa Nghiem Cave and Huyen Khong Cave are interconnected. We entered the caves through a gate, with design similar to those we saw at Hue’s Imperial City.

First up was the Hoa Nghiem Cave, with a statue of the Lady Buddha that is a few hundred years old.

Hoa Nghiem Cave with the statue of Lady Buddha.

Behind the Lady Buddha is a passageway that led down into the enormous Huyen Khong Cave. Some natural light were coming in from holes at the top of this cave. The best time to visit would be near noon, when the sunlight would be the brightest. It was about 3 PM when we arrived at this cave, so it was not very brightly lit.

Huyen Khong Cave with many altars and temples inside.

A huge marble Buddha sits, high up against the marble wall, facing the entrance.

Stone stairs leading down into the Huyen Khong Cave with fierce looking deities, sitting on cute looking tigers, on each side.

“Cartoony" tigers with the deity on its back.

Attendant preparing offerings for prayer session.

 

Colourful paper horses in front of an altar. I guess these paper horses would be burned as offerings after the prayers.

Linh Nham Cave

After seeing the Huyen Khong Cave, the smaller Linh Nham Cave seemed less interesting.

Passage leading into the Linh Nham Cave.

After seeing the Linh Nham Cave, we followed the signs indicating the exit and took the stairs down from the Thuy Son or Water Mountain.

The steps were steep! And there are 150 steps. It may be better to buy another ticket to take the elevator down at the entrance to reduce wear and tear on our aging knees.

Overall, we spent about 1.5 hours exploring the Water Mountain. The Marble Mountains is a truly amazing place easily accessible from either Da Nang or Hoi An. 

From the Marble Mountain, our driver took us to Tea Garden Homestay, our accommodation in Hoi An for the next 4 nights.  This relatively low cost, family operated guesthouse is located close to the Hoi An Ancient Town and is perfect for exploring this historic town on foot.

Continue Reading »