Vietnam multi centre - Hanoi, Hoi An, Nha Trang & Saigon - Part 1
Where to stay: I personally think the Old Quarter in Hoan Kiem is the best place to stay. It’s at the heart of the tourist area and puts you closest to many of the city’s top attractions. We stayed at Silunline Paon Hotel & Spa which is about 500 metres from Hoan Kiem lake and the red river.
Things we did: There's so many trips to do and places to visit. We started with walking around the historical city. It may be old and crumbling in parts but it’s a city full of character. it’s a very walkable city and one that you could explore in about 2 days.
Hoan kiem Lake & Huc bridge: Hoan kiem lake is an attraction in itself but there are also several structures worthy to see. Turtle tower in the middle of the lake, Nha son Temple on jade island in the lake and the connecting bridge to the temple known as the bridge of the rising sun or Huc bridge. Particularly beautiful at night when it it highly illuminated.
Now the famous train street. A must see whilst in Hanoi. Unfortunately “train street” is not an official tourist attraction but lately has become a very popular place for visitors. Both sides of train street are full of bars, cafes and shops. These are active train tracks and potentially dangerous which is why it’s odd to find cafes with outdoor seating on either side. The tracks are easy enough to find and visit on your own. We spent a couple of hours here.
Ha long bay overnight cruise: This was a 3 hour journey by car east of Hanoi. We did our cruise with secret Halong cruise. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. From cruising round some 2,000 islets, most of which are made from limestone, kayaking in the jade green waters, cavern the Ho Dong Tien Cave. There’s no place like it!
Well that’s it for Hanoi. Next stop Danang.
Today we took a short flight to Danang and a 45 minute transfer to the Palm garden beach resort and spa - Hoi An
A little about Hoi An
Hoi An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals and its diverse and excellent food. Besides the charm of the ancient town, Hoi An is also an enticing beach destination.
Where we stayed: We stayed along Cua Dai beach at the palm garden beach resort and spa. A Beautiful resort amidst 5 hectares of tropics landscapes gardens and a 3km stretch of fine white powdery sand beach. The position just north-east of Hoi An make Cua Dai Beach the perfect place to easily find your own patch of paradise. This hotel was perfect for us as it was just a 5 minute shuttle outside the hustle and bustle of Hoi An ancient town with plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance to the hotel.
Things we did: Que vegetable village, my son, marble mountain and bon river. This was a great trip. We Cycled from our hotel to Tra Que vegetable village. This was an experience in itself seeing the locals and riding through paddy fields. We eventually arrived at the local vegetable farm. This was a Peaceful, lush green farming area, lined with rows of planted herbs, spices and vegetables. We were welcomed by way of a heavenly foot and neck massage, a fun cooking lesson and a delicious lunch. Everything served was picked from the working farm. After an enjoyable lunch we were then dressed up in their traditional clothing and taken round the garden and even got the chance to plant and water in their customary style which has been done for many generations.
Next stop Marble Mountain. The Vietnamese often called this place ‘Ngu Hanh Son’ (Five Elements Mountain). There are five mountains in accordance with the five elements of nature: Kim Son (Metal Mountain), Moc Son (Wood Mountain), Thuy Son (Water Mountain), Hoa Son (Fire Mountain) and Tho Son (Soil Mountain). Each mountain is unique in shape with their own layout of caves and shrines. We didn’t have time to see them all so we visited the most popular mountain of marble mountain, Thuy Son (water mountain) which has become the sanctuary attracting many Buddhist anchorites. After the 156 steps we found ourselves in front of a three-entrance gate leading to the Tam Thai pagoda. This one is definitely the one you don’t want to miss. It’s a witness of history and also contains great cultural values. After a steep climb you go down a semi hidden flight of stairs to Huyen Khong Cave this was once a refuge for Vietnamese revolutionaries during wartime. It was bombed repeatedly which lead to the openings in the ceiling where you can now see the heavenly light shining vertically through the top of the cave, touching the Buddha statues inside the cave. Opposite lies Hell cave and it literally was. It was dark, humid and filled with strange and scary creatures in the corners. And finally we did the last cave. Not everyone did this as it was in areas a tight squeeze but the panoramic views at the top were jaw dropping.
Next stop My son sanctuary. My Son was the religious center of Champa kingdom from the second century, now remaining with red brick towers and sanctuaries. It is older than some of Southeast Asia's greatest archaeological sites, including Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia. People consider My Son as the pre- Angkor in Vietnam as these towers and sanctuaries were built from the 4th to 13th century. On arrival we took the electric shuttle which whisked us up to the sanctuaries. This was a god send as it was far too hot to walk up a hill. We were greeted with the holy Apsara dance which is performed by charming Cham ladies after which we took the opportunity to explore ancient ruins, intricate designed temples peppered with bomb craters and learned more about the history and culture of Champa. Another beautiful UNESCO site. After a long fantastic day of sight seeing what better way to end the day with a relaxing 2 hour boat ride on Bon river passing Duy Hai fishing village, Tra Nhieu - weaving village, Kim Bong carpentry village and Cam Thanh coconut jungle village. This was a tough and tiring trip but well worth it.
