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Published: December 13th 2009
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It was time for a weekend away, continuing my travels around Vietnam. The destination this time, Hoi An. I had been wanting to go there for some time, mostly for access to My Son. Last time I had tried to go I had to cancel due to flooding. This time though the weather looked good and there were no obstacles in my way, so I booked the flights, booked the hotel and set course for Central Vietnam.
We arrived at the airport at 430am, a little early but wanted to make the most of the weekend so an early start was essential. Unfortunately the flight had been delayed for a couple of hours due to bad weather, but not bad enough to cancel the trip entirely. As it turned out it was good that the flight was delayed since we had a few bureaucracy problems before actually getting checked in.
I had booked the flights online and had not put the full name of my Vietnamese girlfriend, so the ticket was rejected at the check in desk. They sent us to the airline counter to change the name on the ticket. When we get to the airline desk though
they told us they could not change the name and we would have to buy another ticket. After much debate, we finally accepted the fact and purchased the new ticket. So then after much queuing (or at least the Vietnamese equivalent of queuing, I.e. pushing your way through to the counter), we were able to get checked in and begin our journey.
The flight to Danang to quick and comfortable, giving us the opportunity for a power nap. Danang airport itself is quite basic, but we passed through arrivals quickly and were met by the driver that the hotel had arranged for us. It was noticeably colder than in Ho Chi Minh City and still had several rain showers, but not as tropical as I had experienced a few weeks earlier in the South.
We began our 45 minute car journey through to Hoi An. On the way the driver asked if we wanted to stop to see the Marble Mountains. Since we had not planned on being in Danang again anytime soon, we decided this was an opportunity not to be missed. The driver dropped us off to explore the mountains, expecting us to only be 10-15
minutes. One and a half hours later we returned to find the driver had gone because he had another pick up to do but were told he would be back to get us later.
The Marble Mountains are definitely worth visiting. There are five mountains in total, each names after one of the elements water, fire, wood, metal and earth. The largest is Thuy Son (water) and this has several caves which can be explored either on your own or with the aid of local children (usually best to just go by yourself to avoid any potential scams). Scattered around the mountain and caves there are Buddhist and Confucian temples as well as several pagodas. The highlight for me was Van Thong Cave. Initially it seems quite small, but then with the aid of a torch you notice it extends at the back and from there you can climb up through the cave to a higher level on the mountain which is said to be the path to paradise. The climb itself is a little tricky, you have to rely in the natural holes in the rocks climb up. This is not aided by the rain as the rocks
become quite slippery. Quite often you must take a leap of faith, put your hand out and hope nothing lives there. It is worth the climb though with some beautiful views once you reach the top.
There are a couple of watch towers on the mountain which provide views of Danang and the beach. These are worth climbing to as well for even more spectacular views.
So having completed our Lara Croft/Indiana Jones bit we returned to the car and continued our journey to Hoi An. We arrived at the Ancient House Resort 20 minutes later, our home for the night. The hotel complex was very nice with natural looking buildings. The room was very comfortable and the staff were excellent, always willing to help organise something for you.
After having lunch and freshening up, it was time to visit Hoi An Old Town. The town has a definite old world colonial charm to it. The buildings are a mix of traditional Vietnamese and French architecture. Having escaped the war, even buildings of 100 years are considered Ancient in comparison to the rest of Vietnam. Much of the town caters for tourists, plenty of traditional bars, cafes
and restaurants. The old town itself has mostly been converted into shops selling clothes (the Hoi An tailors are some of the best in Vietnam, the are the masters of copying any design you wish) and lanterns. At night, the shops are illuminated by traditional lanterns which makes for a truly magical site. It is like stepping back in time as you walk through the streets.
At one end of the main street is the Japanese Covered Bridge. The first bridge was built by the Japanese residents in the 1590’s to link them with the Chinese quarter. A bridge has remained there since them with much of the carved ornamentation remaining faithful to the original. Inside the bridge there is a temple which can be visited by purchasing one of the Hoi An Old Town tickets.
Visiting Hoi An Old Town after dark is an absolute must. The streets ooze character, the bars are lively (and if you drink the Fresh Beer it will only cost you 4000VND;30p for a beer). There are several speciality dishes on the Hoi An menu, mostly seafood. These are all delicious (yes, I did try them all). Just walk around and soak
up the atmosphere, the Old Town is off limits to motorbikes but bicycles are allowed.
Sunday we had arranged a tour to My Son. This is one of the most important ancient remains in the world, particularly for the Cham Kingdom. Similar in style to Ayuthaya and Angkor Wat, My Son is set within the Vietnamese jungle and is overlooked by Cats Tooth Mountain making it an especially impressive site. There has been a religious site on these grounds since the 4th Century, although most of the structures were built between between the 7th and 13th Centuries with the earlier temples being made from wood and hence lost over time. Much of the area was bombed during the war, so few temples remain intact. The best preserved are group B and group C. Several shrines to Shiva remain in tact and linga are dotted around the sites (linga are essentially large stone penises which had water poured over them, drinking the water was said to give you the power of the gods). Group A has some remains, but this has been largely reclaimed by the jungle, which results in something that looks like it should be in a movie.
Visiting My Son is best done in a small private party, the larger tour groups tend to over power the site and so if you wait for them to move on then explore the ruins at your own pace you have a much more authentic experience. The site does open early, so if you can be there for sunrise you will have it to yourself with the added benefit of the sun rising in the background.
At 11am there is a demonstration of traditional Cham dancing and music. This is worth staying to the end for, with the last dance being the most beautiful.
We returned to Hoi An by boat, having a lunch of local foods on board. This was a nice journey, although it does take twice as long as if you return by car. This gives you the opportunity to see river life, with many fishermen carrying out their daily work.
Getting back to the hotel at 3pm, we then hired a bicycle for a ride through to Hoi An beach. It is about 3km from Ancient House Resort to the beach. The hotel can provide you with a pass to their beach
club though, which gives you complimentary sun loungers. The beach is clean and quiet. A nice relaxing time just watching the waves crash down.
We then returned to Danang for our flight home. We had managed to do everything we wanted in and around Hoi An. I would maybe go back just for a weekend retreat and to experience the atmosphere of the Old Town again. Hoi An and My Son are a must visit for anybody travelling around Vietnam. This is about as Ancient as it gets and makes for a great few days.
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