Hoi An

Although our Vietnam journey ended in Hoi An it was defiantly a case of last but not least.

We flew from Hanoi to Da Nang and stayed 5 minutes out of The Old Town at Anio Boutique Hotel for three very cultural, colourful and relaxing days.

The Old Town:
Hoi An Old town is UNESO listed being location to more than 800 historic buildings which have been preserved to look as it did several centuries ago. From the 2^ndto the 10^thcenturies, Hoi An was a busy seaport of the Champa Kindom. After the 15^thcentury Hoi An became one of Southeast Asia’s major ports where Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Indian, Filipino, Indonesian, Thai, French, British and American ships came to call. As you walk through town you’ll notice the ancient building techniques and architecture. It’s remarkable to have survived the 20^thcentury wars and a true historical destination of Vietnam.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The shops in The Old Town is great for shopping. In particular purchases of leather, jewelry and shoes. We had several bags and shoes custom and top quality made for a very reasonable price.

After a long day shopping, one of my favorite places to stop for some cocktails or dinner is Morning Glory Restaurant which serves an array of Central Vietnamese street food and traditional dishes in a stylish setting. The restaurant occupies a refurbished colonial building along Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, featuring an open kitchen downstairs and open terrace that overlooks Hoi An Ancient Town. I would highly recommend the seafood mi quang noodles, claypot fish in caramel sauce, and pork-stuffed squid and the Banh Xeo (crispy pancake). If you do order the Banh Xeo, make sure to ask you’re waiter to show you the traditional way to serve and eat this dish (it isn’t as straight forward as it might seem).
After dinner take a walk through The Old Town to see floating lanterns on the river and along the shop fronts. The colors and lights are magical. Take a lantern boat down the river or stop off for some ice-cream rolls before making your way home for the night.

Golden Hands Bridge

Golden Bridge is located in Thien Thai Garden of Sun World Ba Na Hills.
Ba Na Hills, 35 kilometers southeast from Da Nang, is a famous hill station and resort. Unlike normal stations built on the ground, Ba Na Hills is located 1,489 meters high on Nui Chua Mountain.

• 

Apparently, the giant hand alludes to the mountain god, and the bridge represents the yellow silk that instructs the villagers to find Thien Thai garden (Thien Thai means the Heaven). Being so high up above the clouds it really is like heaven however just keep in mind timing is everything with the Golden Bridge and every minute counts. You can never tell what the weather will be. Even if it’s clear on the ground, the bridge can be surrounded by clouds and fogs. If you want no crowds then you should aim to get the first cable car up the mountain at 7am. 

It’s safe to say that this is one of the most crowded places to visit in Vietnam, especially at the weekend and during the peak tourism season from April to September. When we visited the bridge there was a wedding on the bridge followed by wedding photography of the bride and groom so just be prepared for every situation.

Once arrived at the foot of the Ba Na Hills, proceed through the entrance to purchase a ticket for the park. The Golden Bridge is located on top of Ba Na Hills, so cable car is the only way to reach it. Ticket prices are 750,000 VND for an adult and 600,000 VND for a child between 1m and 1.3m in height. Walk through to the Hoi An Station, where the longest cable car (over 5km) in the world awaits!

My Son

For me – our visit to My Son would have to be the highlight of our trip to Vietnam. This History and beauty at the site is like nothing I’ve experienced so far in my travels and I felt extremely lucky to have visit another Unesco World Heritage Site.

My Son was once the most intellectual and religious center of the kingdom of Champa. In the late 4^thcentury, under the rule of King Bhadravarman the site was declared a space of religious worship and was continuously occupied until the 13^thcentury. For some years the site was then left unoccupied and became overgrown and forgotten until it was rediscovered by the French in the late 19^thcentury who restored parts of the site however as you will notice if you visit the site, many of the temples have been badly damaged from the American bombing during the Vietnam war. When visiting the site you’ll notice the huge bomb craters around the temple, some overgrown with grass and others filled with water.

• 

• 

Getting there: My Son is best visited on a tour. We booked a tour through our hotel. Our tour departed at 12 mid-day and also included a return sunset boat-ride along the Thu Bon river and some locally purchased Banh Mi for a late lunch. The best part about doing a tour was all of the information and history we learnt about Vietnamese culture and the history of My Son which we would of missed if we visted the site on without a tour. If doing a sunset boat ride on the way back doesn’t interest you, I would recommend doing a early morning tour to avoid the crowds.