As our flight departs at 4.35 pm, I did not have anything planned for today. We wanted to take the time to enjoy a relaxing day at the resort and recharge before we head home. Originally, we wanted to skip breakfast, sleep in and go for lunch. My friends started to wake up at around 9 am, and since breakfast runs at the resort would only stop at 10.30 am, we went for breakfast. We spent the next few hours before our check out of our villa lazing and packing our luggage. Since there were another 2 hours before our airport transfer after we checked out at noon, we spent the next couple of hours at the Kid’s Club, playing some card games, till our pick up at 2 pm. Our airport transfer came on time, and we were transported to the airport in under 20 minutes. After checking into our flight, we spent the rest of our time at the airport while waiting for our flight back home.
My Thoughts on Our Maiden Da Nang Trip
We enjoyed Da Nang despite this city not having a lot going on for tourist sights. A trip to the city was very relaxing, and the people were friendly and hospitable. We reckon Da Nang is a great place to relax and wind down, and we are considering returning and spending more time at the resort since we have already visited the sights there are to see in the city.
We thought Ba Na Hills was great and worth revisiting. Most of the rides were included in the ticket price, and the cooler weather was a true escape to the hot and humid climate of Da Nang. It was a shame that we did not manage to ride on the Alpine Coaster. Ba Na Hills is also very easy to move around with the excellent transportation built in the resort. We felt a guide was unnecessary when visiting Ba Na Hills, but allocating one day was insufficient. We spent 1 hour getting there from the My Khe Beach area, and the cable car system down the hills ceased operation by 6 pm. We felt that spending a night in Ba Na Hills would allow us to enjoy the resort better since there is a hotel on Ba Na Hills.
We did not enjoy our day trip to Hoi An. It was not that the guide was not good, but the issue lies with the overtourism in the town. While a refreshing experience, the basket boat ride feels like something planned specifically for tourists. As much as Hoi An was vibrant, we felt its purpose was to attract tourists. Shops selling souvenirs and restaurants selling international cuisines now occupy the traditional buildings in the town. Hoi An also felt very crowded, and we spent more time trying to squeeze past people when we were there. The Hoi An Night Market was similar to those in Bangkok but on a smaller scale, selling mostly souvenirs and knock-off products and had nothing that stood out. We did not enjoy Hoi An as the whole town felt very touristy.
We liked Marble Mountains and thought it was unique and worth a visit. Seeing the locals turn the caves in the Water Mountain into places of worship was refreshing. Despite missing some caves, we thought we had seen everything on the mountain. Our trip to Hai Van Pass offered some great views of the peninsular and we enjoyed the tranquillity with the great views. The Lady Buddha was magnificent. Not only did the statue look tranquil, but the sight of the peninsular’s edge treated us with a great view of the coastal area and Da Nang city. We thought visiting here during sunset was perfect. Not only did we avoid the heat, but we also got beautiful views at dusk. Despite having covered most of the sights in Da Nang, my friends and I talked about returning to Da Nang. We planned to spend one night in Ba Na Hills and the next two to three nights in the resort.
Visiting the Marble Mountains is a must for anyone coming to Da Nang for the first time. Most tours I have found online combine Marble Mountain with My Son or Hoi An. Besides the Marble Mountains, I also wanted to visit Hai Van Pass, where we would see the Peninsular. However, very few tours combine these two sights in one day. I managed to find one tour operator, Explore My Vietnam, that combines these two sights in one day at a reasonable price.
Marble Mountains – Water Mountain of The Five Elemental Mountains
We met our guide at the main entrance of our resort, who brought us to the Marble Mountains, about a 15-minute drive from our resort. Having passed the Marble Mountains several times over the last few days, we are finally visiting this iconic sight of Da Nang. The Marble Mountains is a group of five marble and limestone hills, each representing an element of Water, Fire, Earth, Wood and Metal. Standing 105m tall, the Water Mountain is the biggest and the most beautiful. We started our Water Mountain from the eastern side of the hill, where an elevator system sits, saving us the climb of 150 steps. We exited the elevator at the top, followed the well-paved pathway and arrived at our first stop – Xa Loi Tower. Xa Loi Tower is a seven-storey stone pagoda visible from the base of the hill. The pagoda has a small surface area, and despite having 200 stone statues in the pagoda, we only saw one statue of Buddha installed in it. There was little to see at the Xa Loi Tower.
Linh Ung Pagoda
Following the pathway, we came to a crossroads and took the pathway to Linh Ung Pagoda. Rather than an actual towering pagoda, Linh Ung Pagoda is a huge compound with a temple building and a pavilion beside it. The main temple building has distinct Chinese architecture and is covered in white topped with green roofs. Despite its plain colour scheme, the carvings on Linh Ung Pagoda were intricate. There were three buddha stations installed Inside the temple. In front of the temple is a large open deck, where we found a huge marble Buddha statue sitting at the side of the deck. The view of the My Khe Beach area was amazing from this deck, where visitors could get a great photo shot of the beach area. The Pavilion beside the main temple houses a large statue of the Goddess of Mercy (or Lady Buddha, as the locals termed it). We left Linh Ung Pagoda after praying to the Buddha statues here.
Tang Chon Cave
Tracing back from where we came from, we saw a sign that pointed to Tang Chon Cave. The cave is situated on top of a series of staircases. Tang Chon Cave is one of the smaller caves at the top of the Water Mountain. The path that we followed led us to the cave entrance that seems to have collapsed over the years. There is one flight of stairs inside the cave that leads us to the innermost part of the cave. This staircase creates a bottleneck where everyone congregates, with people going up and coming out from the inner cave. Despite not being a large cave, we spent most of our time here waiting for our turn to use the staircase. There are two Buddha statues inside the cave: a statue of a Buddha, sitting cross-legged with his eye closed in a meditation stance placed in one corner of the cave, and another statue of a standing Buddha at the other corner.
Heaven Gate
As Tang Chon Cave sits at the dead end, we traced our steps back to Ling Ung Pagoda and took the other path from the crossroad. Along the way, we saw another large cave that seemed to be packed with visitors. Thinking that we would pass by this cave again on our way back, we continued our walk on the path with a sign that said “Heaven Gate”. Thinking that this sign would lead us to the highest peak on Water Mountain, we followed the path this sign pointed to. The initial climb to the Heaven Gate was easy as it was well-paved with stairs that seemed to go on forever. Suddenly, we were met with a rugged natural staircase that seemed to suggest work on the staircase had stopped. Climbing up this set of rugged natural stairways was a tad more challenging. We had to negotiate with people coming down from the top while trying to find balance on whatever flat surface we could step on. Some of the steps were waist height tall, which would be torturous for people with knee issues. Fortunately, these rugged steps were only a short flight. Soon, we find ourselves on the top of the steps. We were treated to more unobstructed views of the sea and parts of the nearby peaks that form the Marble Mountains. The area at the top was rather small, and we had to balance finding whatever flat surface could accommodate our feet while negotiating with the crowd gathering at this small viewing spot. As people were coming up, we made our way down after taking some pictures. Back from where we came from, we took a short rest at a large resting area in the middle of the Water Mountain before continuing our walk to the last cave.
Huyen Khong Cave
After our short rest, we followed the pathway to our next stop, Huyen Khong Cave, the largest cave in the Water Mountain. The entrance to Huyen Khong Cave is decorated with a well-carved stone archway., which led us to the cave entrance after a short walk. Huyen Khong Cave looked different from the other caves we have seen. Apart from its significantly large size, the flooring in Huyen Khong Cave was decked in deliberately polished marble, creating a flat surface. Sitting high on the cave walls was a Buddha statue in a meditation posture, blessing visitors who made it to this cave. Due to its sheer size, Huyen Khong Cave felt rather empty, with a couple of smaller shrines on both sides of the Buddha. The natural hole on the cave roof lets in rays of sunlight, giving it a mystical vibe. Despite its large size, there is not much going on inside this cave. Looking at the time, we realised we had spent almost 2 hours on Water Mountain. As we were a little behind time, we followed our guide’s instructions and made it to the staircase that marked Gate 1 to meet our guide at the base of the hill.
Tham Thai Pagoda and our way down
Gate No. 1 was a short walk from Huyen Khong Cave. Along the way, we passed by Tham Thai Pagoda. This so-called pagoda is a smaller temple building similar to the Linh Ung Pagoda. Unlike Linh Ung Pagoda, Tham Thai Pagoda is more colourful, decked in light blue, orange and green roofs. As this is a smaller temple, we did not enter the temple and made our way towards Gate No.1 at the base of the stairs. The way down was much easier as the 150-step staircase was well maintained. It took us 10 minutes to walk down the stairs, where we met up with our guide and continued our tour to Hai Van Pass.
The Breathtaking Hai Van Pass
Hai Van Pass is a mountainous road that rose to almost 500m up the mountains between Da Nang and Hue City. However, this mountainous road was less used after the construction of the Hai Van tunnel, which cut the journey by more than 1 hour. Today, Hai Van Pass is mainly used by tourists who want to get scenic views of the bay areas of Central Vietnam. As the road winds up the mountain, our guide stopped at a scenic point where we got a beautiful view of an unspoiled beach and the islands near Da Nang. It felt very tranquil here, with no crowd on the roads, the beach, or ships plying on this part of the bay. From the side we were on, we could see some low clouds brushing the mountain’s peak that we would be driving up. And this is just the beginning of the gorgeous view that awaits us further up the pass.
After a few pictures, we continued to drive up the mountain. As we were being driven up the windy roads, our guide pulled over in front of a cafe. This is our second stop on Hai Van Pass, where we stopped for a coffee break. Rather than calling it a coffee break, our guide wanted to show us the views from this cafe. As he ordered our drinks, our guide encouraged us to walk down the steps onto a rock that jags out into the air for some nice pictures. Taken from a correct angle, it felt that the rock was hanging out into the air. We could see Da Nang City and My Khe Beach sitting across the bay from here. Standing on the rock, looking out into the bay, gave us a sense of liberation.
We continued our drive up Hai Van Pass after a cooling iced Vietnamese coffee. Our next stop on Hai Van Pass was another cafe. Our guide told us this is the highest point of the Hai Van Pass road, and from here on, the road winds down to sea level. At this cafe, we were treated to the views of Lang Co Bay, sitting on the other side of the mountain. The cafe has a private lookout that extends into the air. While we could see the Bay Area and the part of Vietnam stretching to Hanoi in the North, I thought the views here weren’t as great. Due to the vegetation and the shape of the terrain, we can only see part of the bay and the sea. After resting and enjoying another cool drink, we descended Hai Van Pass towards Lang Co Bay.
On our way to the Lang Co Bay area, our guide made a brief stop near the base of the Hai Van Pass when he observed we were taking some pictures in the car. The body of water in front of our eye, protected by a natural sandbar, forms the lagoon of Lang Co. Our guide mentioned that the locals stay by the lagoon and farm oysters in it. From this viewpoint, we caught the picturesque view of the mountains seemingly guarding the lagoon and a bridge that ran across the lagoon. Our guide told us this bridge leads to the Hai Van Pass Tunnel, the route we would take when we return to Da Nang later in the day. After taking our fair share of pictures, our guide drove us to a seafood restaurant by the beach, where we had a sumptuous and fresh seafood lunch.
Thac Do Stream – The Secret Waterfall
After lunch, we drove on a narrow road next to the lagoon, where we could see oyster farms. The coastal road soon turned into forest roads and a single-lane gravel road leading us into a small town. After we had parked the car, our guide led us through a small forest road on foot, and after about 3 minutes of walking, we arrived at Thac Do Stream. At the end of Thac Do Stream sits a small waterfall, the waterfall was so secluded that only locals know of its existence. The natural wall (due to the terrain formation), no taller than 3 storeys high, with streams of water rushing down from the higher terrain. There is a shallow waterhole in front of the wall where we saw some children swimming. I like the tranquillity here as few people are around. Listening to the water flow gushing down the waterfall and the occasional laughter of children playing in the cooling water hole, immediately a sense of relaxation ensued. We left the secret waterfall after taking some pictures.
Our Bonus Stop – Linh Ung Pagoda: Home of the Lady Buddha Statue
Our day trip was supposed to end at 3.30 pm, but we left the waterfall at 4.20 pm. Thinking that we would be driven back to Da Nang (I had requested our guide to drop us off at Da Nang City), our guide suddenly turned to me and told me he would bring us to the Lady Buddha Statue. This was a pleasant surprise, as this stop was not on our itinerary.
Map of Linh Ung Pagoda
Lady Buddha
Standing in front of the 67m marble Lady Buddha Statue, the peaceful and benevolent nature of the Lady Buddha was very well captured on her face. The Lady Buddha looked like she was watching over visitors who came here to pray to her, ensuring we were protected. Our guide told us Da Nang used to be hit by typhoons before the statue was built. Miracles happened after the statue was built, and several times, typhoons died down when they neared the statue. The locals believed the mystical powers of the Lady Buddha protected the city from typhoons. As the Lady Buddha was situated near the coastal line, we found a viewpoint in front of the statue that offered us a stunning view of Da Nang Bay and the city. It is especially beautiful during dusk when the purple sky matches the night lighting around the Linh Ung Pagoda.
Main temple
After offering our prayers to the Lady Buddha, we walked past a stone gate and came to the main temple of Linh Ung Pagoda. 18 stone Arhats, disciples of Buddha were installed in the large main square in front of the Main Temple. Each statue has life-like expressions as though they are protecting visitors who walk past this square from evil. Our guide told us the Smiling Buddha installed in the Main Temple was especially efficacious and encouraged us to rub his tummy for good luck. We would not say no to good luck. The Main Temple is home to the Buddha in the centre of the temple, with the Goddess of Mercy on his right and the Manjushri Bodhisattva on his left. The temple exudes a sense of serenity and calm.
Reclining Buddha and Xa Loi Pagoda
Our last stop in Linh Ung Pagoda was Reclining Buddha, a stone’s throw away from the Main Temple. The 48m long marble Reclining Buddha, though smaller than the Lady Buddha statue, was still impressive. The stone masons capture the peaceful expression of the Buddha as he enters his final resting position after achieving enlightenment. Standing behind the Reclining Buddha is the 9-storey olive-coloured Xa Loi Pagoda. As it was approaching closing time, we only visited the ground floor of the pagoda to pray to yet another Laughing Buddha inside the ground floor of the Pagoda.
Spending the Evening in Da Nang City
Linh Ung Pagoda was our last stop on this private day trip. We got our guide to drop us off at VinPlaza Mall, the largest shopping mall in Da Nang. After spending a day in the scorching Vietnamese sun, we wanted to cool ourselves off and spent the evening in the air-conditioned mall. Despite being the largest shopping mall in the city, I thought the shops were a tad limited. The mall only has 4 levels, with restaurants occupying the top floor. We spent a fair bit of time shopping in the supermarket on level 2. After shopping, we wanted to spend the night watching the Fire and Water show on the Dragon Bridge, one of the few tourist attractions in Da Nang City. We walked to Han River at around 8.15 pm and waited by the bank for the show. As 9 pm came by, there was no show on the bridge. Upon checking with our resort hostess, we were informed the show was cancelled due to the demise of the Vietnamese Party Chief. Seeing that there was nothing much we could do in Da Nang City, plus we had a long day visiting the sites, we returned to our resort to rest.
I originally left this day empty to relax around the resort and enjoy the beach. However, while planning this trip, I found many web pages recommending visiting Hoi An. People visit Da Nang to visit the ancient port city of Hoi An or the Imperial Palace of Hue. Comparing the two sights, I thought Hoi An had more to see, so we visited Hoi An.
Relaxing Day in the Resort
As our tour only started at 3 pm, we spent the morning relaxing around the resort. Today’s aim was to start our day slightly later, relax in our private swimming pool, and perhaps head to the beach. We borrowed the bicycles the resort made available to guests to ride for breakfast. After a hearty breakfast at the resort restaurant, we found that five of the six borrowed bicycles were missing. We managed to recover three bicycles, leaving some of us having to return to our villa on foot. As we were about to walk to our villa, a resort staff member driving a buggy offered to give us a lift back. They promptly gave us three other bicycles after informing the Kid’s Club staff of our stolen bicycles. We spent the next 45 minutes riding around the resort on our bikes to digest our breakfast.
The waters in our private pool and the sunny weather proved too tempting for us to sit around our villa. We spent some time playing in the pool, enjoying the weather and the warm waters of our pool to cool us off. Dipping in our pool, looking out into the fine white sand and the gentle waves on My Khe Beach in front of our villa, we headed for the beach to have fun. As this part of My Khe Beach is privately owned by the resort, there weren’t many people at the beach. The fine sands of the beach made walking on it very comfortable. The resort provided some beach-related activities we could do, such as beach volleyball, beach soccer and even beach badminton. But before we borrowed the items from the manned counter by the beach, we headed into the sea off My Khe Beach. The warm seawater and the occasionally pounding waves made swimming very comfortable. We were well assured that we would swim safely in the sea as the resort had a lifeguard to watch out for our safety at the beach. We also spent some time playing beach volleyball. After some beach volleyball games, we headed to the resort’s main swimming pool to redeem our welcome drink and relax by the pool. Time seems to pass by quickly as we were relaxing, we headed back to our villa to wash up for our evening trip to Hoi An.
Cam Thanh Village – Home of Palm Forest
We met our guide at the resort’s front gate (this is the one other thing I like about the resort; they took security very seriously and would not let anyone other than guests into the premises of the resort). The plan for today was to ride on the iconic Basket Boat in Cam Thanh Village before heading to the ancient city of Hoi An. It took us about a 30-minute drive from our resort to Cam Thanh Village. The Basket Boats were believed to date back to the French Colonial era when the French levied taxes on fishing boats. The Vietnamese fishermen could not afford these taxes, so they designed circular woven baskets used as boats for fishing. When we arrived at Cam Thanh Village, our guide informed us due to the low tide, we could only board the Basket Boats further into the village. He arranged motorcycles to give us a lift to the inner landing point.
We saw many Basket Boats ferrying tourists rowing on the stream at this landing point. Stepping into the Basket Boat, it felt a little unstable at first. However, the skilful coxswain assured us that they were in control of the boat. Sitting in the Basket Boat, we rowed down a palm forest lined up on both sides of the stream. These palm trees were brought down from the Mekong Delta about 200 years ago. Its ability to protect the coast from erosion and strong waves encouraged the locals to plant more palm trees. The palm tree forest here once sheltered Vietnamese troops from shelling and raids during the Vietnam War. The initial excitement of riding on the Basket Boat quickly dissipated. I guess our coxswain felt we were a little bored and started to do the Basket Boat dance. This dance involves the coxswain skillfully turning the Basket Boat on the spot, using centrifugal forces and balance to keep the boat steady while spinning with us on it simultaneously. The experience was fun and exciting.
We continued our boat ride down the stream, and soon, we were out of the Palm forest and in a fairly open river. We met up with our friends on the other two boats. This is where the ride gets a little touristy. Our boat coxswains paddled all three boats to a bigger basket boat moored in the river with huge Karaoke sound boxes. We were made to listen to them singing popular Chinese songs from Mainland China (they must have thought we were from China), seemingly waiting for us to tip the singer. We thought this was more of a tourist trap and did not bother to tip the singer. After 5 minutes, they seemed to realise we were not tipping (or maybe due to time), and we were paddled back to the landing point. We met our guide and headed for Hoi An.
Spending the Evening in Hoi An
The ancient port town of Hoi An was about a 20-minute drive from Cam Thanh Village. Hoi An dates back to the 16th century, when it was the busiest trade port in Southeast Asia for shipping between China, Japan, and Western nations. Due to the narrow channels, bigger ships would anchor off the coast, and the goods were transported via smaller boats to be disembarked at Hoi An. The town reflects a fusion of local and foreign cultures (mainly Chinese and Japanese with later European influences), as witnessed in the buildings around the town. Our guide informed us that the Japanese Covered Bridge segregates the Chinese and Japanese areas in the town. The buildings in Hoi An are painted mostly in yellow, and most are two storeys tall. Today, most of these buildings have been converted into shops.
Best Coffee in Hoi An – Coconut Coffee of Cong Cafe
We started our evening in Hoi An with a Vietnamese Coffee. Our guide brought us to Cong Cafe, the most famous cafe. Our guide said the cafe was converted from a wealthy family house. There are hints of its former form around in the cafe. Our guide urged us to try the Coconut Milk ice-blended coffee, which he claims to be the best he had drank. True to his words, the coffee was very aromatic, and the taste of coconut was not overpowering. We enjoyed the coffee and the cafe’s atmosphere, occasionally looking out into the busy street of Hoi An from the window seat our guide had picked for us. After our coffee, our tour of Hoi An began.
Japanese Culture Gallery
Having purchased the tickets (which might be the tickets for the lantern release), our guide walked us on the streets of Hoi An towards our next destination in Hoi An. The streets of Hoi An look colourful despite only having one uniform yellow colour painted on the buildings. The lighting and the many red lanterns made Hoi An look very vibrant. The town is bustling with tourists roaming the streets, some just walking past while others were looking at the goods the shops were selling. We were led through a small alley to a plain-looking wooden house, which stood out from the other buildings we had seen in Hoi An. This is the Japanese Culture Gallery, modelled after the traditional Japanese architecture style. The first floor of the house was proportionally higher than the second level. The gallery displayed Japanese artefacts that gave us an idea of how the Japanese lived in Hoi An back in the day. Our guide led us to the second floor, which seemed to be some sleeping quarters of the house owners, with tatami mats in most of the rooms. The balcony, facing the facade of the building, gave us a different perspective of the streets of Hoi An. I thought this gallery was interesting but not a must-visit spot for those visiting Hoi An, but it gave us a break from the crowded street of Hoi An.
One of the icons of Hoi An is the Japanese-covered bridge. This bridge was built based on the Japanese architectural style but with Chinese elements in its decor. In addition to marrying the Japanese and Chinese cultures, the bridge also links the Japanese and Chinese Quarters in Hoi An. The bridge was so significant to the Vietnamese heritage that it was printed on the back of the 20,000 bill of the Vietnamese Dong that our guide showed. It was unfortunate that the bridge was under preservation at the time of our visit, and we were not able to cross it and see it up close.
Lantern Releasing on Hoai River
Since we were near Hoai River, the main river used to transport goods from the bigger trading ships to be unloaded in Vietnam, our guide led us to the next itinerary on the list, Lantern Release on the river. The Vietnamese light lanterns are used for good fortune, wealth, joy, and health, and they are seen in almost every building in Hoi An. The locals also release lanterns on the river to make wishes. There seems to be a long queue at the river bank for releasing lanterns. We saw many boats paddling on the river with tourists releasing lanterns. Fortunately, the queue moved fairly quickly. As we were queuing, our guide taught us how to release the paper lanterns on the river. After embarking on the boat, the boatmen paddled us to the middle of the river and told us to write our wishes onto the lanterns. He leisurely paddled his boat so we could release our lanterns safely while avoiding contact with the nearby boats. After releasing our lanterns, our boatsman took us on a 30-minute boat ride on the Hoai River. I’d say releasing lanterns on the river felt touristy; however, I enjoyed the leisure cruise along the river. We were treated to the night view of Hoi An from the river.
Dinner in Hoi An
After alighting from the boat, we met up with our guide, who asked if we wanted to have dinner or head to the night market first. We opted for dinner as we were a little hungry. We were led to a quieter part of Hoi An, away from the main streets and the river banks where most tourists would loiter, to a restaurant for dinner. The dinner was simple Vietnamese food, which was delicious and homely. The staff at the restaurant introduced us to the food on the set menu, and like clockwork, the food was served very quickly.
This is where we had our dinnerGroup photo at the dinner restaurantMenu for tonight
Hoi An Night Market
After the hearty dinner, our guide brought us to Hoi An Night Market. This is a small stretch of the street selling souvenirs and foodstuff. There was a crowd at the market when we arrived. Most of the time, we tried to get past people walking along the night market. I thought this market was underwhelming and was no different from those we saw in Bangkok. We spent the next 10 minutes browsing through the stalls in the night market before meeting up with our guide for our return trip to our Villa. We did not like the programme today. The Basket Boat ride, while interesting, felt very touristy. I’m not too fond of the part where we were made to listen to the karaoke singing to get tips. Hoi An felt touristy and crowded with tourists. While the buildings retained their original facade, most were converted to shops and restaurants. The night market was not particularly exciting. Hoi An just felt overcrowded.
I planned to take day trips across the next three days to explore the sights around Da Nang. To explore what Da Nang had to offer, we joined a day trip to Ba Na Hills.
The Marble Workshop – A Short Tourist Shopping Stop
After researching day trips to Ba Na Hills, we decided on the day trip organised by the resort as it seemed to cover more sights. After breakfast, we made our way to the resort’s main gate to meet our guide. We were pleasantly surprised that we were the only ones on today’s day trip, making it a private tour. Our first stop was a nearby marble workshop at the foot of the famous Marble Mountains (which we will visit two days later). I thought this was one of the tourist shopping stops that comes with day trips. We were given a short brief on how the masters turned an unassuming piece of rock into a remarkable marble artwork. After the very short brief, we were led into the shop selling the marble works. As we did not intend to get anything from here, we spent the next 5 mins walking through the shop. The staff at the shop seemed to know that we were not interested in getting anything from them; they were not pushy and merely walked behind us. After a brief 10-minute stop, we left the workshop and headed to Ba Na Hills.
Ba Na Hills – The French Resort Getaway
On our way to Ba Na Hills, our guide narrated that the French built a resort there during their occupation to escape the heat in Da Nang. Before the cable car system was installed, it would have taken eight Vietnamese to transport one Frenchman up the hills through the windy and treacherous mountain roads. The Vietnamese government redeveloped Ba Na Hills in the 1990s and installed a network of five cable car systems. Today, Ba Na Hills houses the world’s longest cable car system, which was completed in 2013 to ferry visitors to the mountaintop. The base station was crowded when we arrived at Ba Na Hills. As we walked to the cable car station, our guide explained that parts of the architecture we saw along the way were modelled after the houses in Hoi An, an ancient port city near Da Nang.
Despite the long queue, our knowledgeable guide seemed to know the way around the long queues, and we boarded the cable with a very short waiting time. The cable car transported us up 1,500m to the top of Ba Na Hills in around 20 minutes. Along the way, we were treated to the beautiful coastal lines of My Khe Beach and the city of Da Nang. At the top, our guide whizzed us through the resort to another cable car system. This 3-minute cable car ride took us to our first stop on Ba Na Hills—the iconic Golden Bridge.
Golden Bridge – the Icon of Da Nang
Exiting the cable car station, the iconic Golden Bridge is immediately in sight after a short flight of stairs. The Golden Bridge is a 150m curved bridge seemingly supported by two giant hands situated at the edge of the mountain. The two giant hands supporting the curved bridge symbolise the hands of the Mountain God supporting the bridge to carry visitors to the Paradise Garden. It is these two giant hands that gave Da Nang its icon. Despite the bridge being completed only in 2018, the architects purposely gave it an ancient look. There was a crowd at the Golden Bridge at the time of our visit. Our guide brought us to the best photo spots on the bridge, helped us take perfect pictures, and even shooed other visitors on the bridge to help us take the perfect shots. As we walked along the bridge, our guide took us to the spot where we were treated to the best views on the bridge – views of Da Nang City and My Khe Beach area. We were lucky that the sky was clear and visibility was excellent. Our guide told us such views were not guaranteed based on his experience at the Golden Bridge. There were times when the clouds were low; visitors would not be able to see such great views. We did not stay at the bridge for too long and headed over to our next destination.
The Gardens of Ba Na Hill
A short walk from the Golden Bridge, our guide took us to the Debay Wine Cellar. As this paid attraction was not part of our tour, we were given the option to spend some time in the cellar. Our guide informed us that the ticket price includes a glass of wine and a spot on the balcony overlooking the flower garden. As we do not drink wine, we gave this spot a pass.
The Le Jardin D’Amour, or the Garden of Love, was our next spot, just next to the wine cellar. The Le Jardin D’Amour is a small garden with vibrantly coloured flowers dotted in a small plot of land. The garden’s centrepiece was a Cinderella-like character with flowers as her dress. Due to the small scale of the garden, coupled with the fact that we were not really into flowers, we only spent mere minutes here and left after taking some pictures. Our guide led us to a garden maze next, sitting at the end of the garden. He then challenged us to break the record of 1 min 20 min set by an Aussie couple. We had some fun walking in the small garden maze, with half the time hastening our steps to see if we could break the record. We thought we had beaten the record at the maze exit when we met our guide. We were told we had spent about 3 mins 15 mins. Not exactly a record-breaking speed.
The Garden of Eden was next to the Le Jardin D’Amour and the garden maze. The Garden of Eden is a small plot of land planted with vibrant and colourful flowers. The main feature in this garden is the huge peacock head sitting at the end of the bed of flowers, with these flowers forming the peacock’s tail feathers. There is a terrace that is crowded with visitors taking pictures of the garden. However, we found the terrace at the opposite end of the peacock head to be a better photo spot. There were no visitors here, and we were also able to capture the entire garden with the peacock head.
The Garden of Eden in Ba Na Hills is a bed of flowers as a peacock tail
The Giant Buddha Statue at Linh Ung Pagoda
Passing by the Peacock Garden, we arrived at our next stop—the Giant Buddha Statue next to Linh Ung Pagoda. Our guide told us the 27-meter-tall Buddha statue was crafted from marbles mined from the Marble Mountains. With a serene face, the white marble Buddha seemed to overlook the city of Da Nang as though he were watching over and protecting the city. We did not spend a lot of time here and left after offering our prayers and taking some photos.
Movie Time at the Luna Castle
To get to our next stop on Ba Na Hills, we traced back our steps to the Le Jardin D’Amour and were led to a funicular station, which we took to the cable car station. The funicular ride to the cable car station gave us great views of the city. After a short cable car ride, we arrived at our next stop—the buffet lunch restaurant, Arapang Restaurant. Our lunch was included in the price of the ticket.
Our guide took us to another funicular not far from Arapang Restaurant after lunch to the Luna Castle. This funicular would have treated us to the mountainous views around Ba Na Hills if not for the low clouds. The Luna Castle houses two theatres. Our guide told us that the European-inspired Luna Castle was a COVID baby built during the pandemic. I thought the Luna Castle was big and empty, with a lot of unused space. My friend and I were commenting about how many rooms this castle could fit if converted into a hotel. The purpose that our guide brought us here was to watch two short animated shows. The first short film, Flying Eyes, brought us around the world to see some of the landmarks. My friend and I were counting the number of landmarks we visited while watching the short film. The second film, Happy Family, was a 4D film about a family’s outing to a theme park. The film brought us through the roller coaster ride that the family was riding on.
Fantasy Park and French Village
After the films, we headed back to the French Village and Fantasy Park, where we were given some free time to wander around the main area of Ba Na Hills. Our guide brought us back to the funicular that took us back to the French Village. The first item on our list was to walk around the French Village, which our guide told us was model after buildings in France. Walking in French Village, I thought it looked more medieval than French. We stopped by a food truck for a Vietnamese coffee break before exploring the area more. As we were walking, we saw a carousel, but by mistake, we couldn’t seem to find our way to the carousel. We ended up on the flying chair rides, which were included in the ticket price to Ba Na Hills. There was a queue for the flying chair ride, but we did not have to wait too long for our turn. Although the ride just went around in a circle, we enjoyed it. After the ride, we went into the indoor Fantasy Park area for a bumper car ride we had passed by earlier. We had great fun on the bumper car and even ganged up together to bump others.
After the bumper car, we wanted to take the alpine coaster ride (cost VND70,000). The Alpine coaster has two lines; the first is next to the cable car station we arrived in. We constantly saw long queues for this line as it was very centrally located. The second line seemed more exciting and was a tad difficult to find. There was a short queue at the ticketing counter, which did not seem to be moving at the time of our arrival. Initially I thought the couple at the front of the queue was being difficult. We subsequently learnt that the staff stopped selling the tickets due to the bad visibility caused by the low clouds. We gave up waiting after another 10 minutes and returned to meet our guide.
After meeting our guide, he whisked us to the descending cable car station as he was concerned that it might rain due to the low clouds. Our guide told us that one of the groups he took was stuck in the cable car for 30 minutes due to heavy rain. By the time we reached the base cable car station, it was raining cats and dogs. Our guide mentioned we were lucky that the rain came in the evening and not during the day when we were having fun at Ba Na Hills. We arrived back at the resort at around 6 pm. We were too lazy to get out of our villa as it was raining and the long day we had. We ordered Grab Food for dinner and spent the rest of the evening chilling out in our villa. We like Ba Na Hills so much that we even talked about only visiting and perhaps spending a night on the hills when we return to Da Nang.
Our trip to Da Nang started early in the morning. We had an early headstart today as our flight is scheduled at 9.30 a.m. To beat the morning rush hour, we reached the airport at 6.30 a.m. to give us some buffer for our flight. Due to our early start today, I deliberately kept our first day in Da Nang rather empty. The plan was to relax in the resort and walk around the area of My Khe beach outside the resort if we were bored.
We are ready to board our aircraft at Singapore Changi Airport for Da NangEnjoying our breakfast at the lounge before our flight
Arrival at Da Nang
We touched down at Da Nang a little after 11 a.m. The immigration process at Da Nang International Airport was rather slow, with only four immigration counters open at our arrival to process the four flights arriving around the same time. We spend the next 45 minutes clearing immigration. After collecting our luggage, our pre-arranged airport transfer was already outside the airport terminal waiting for us. It took us about 20 minutes to reach our resort from the airport. Along the way, we passed by the edge of Da Nang City. Compared to the busy Hanoi I visited several years ago, Da Nang was a lot quieter. There weren’t hordes of motorcycles or packs of cars making their way into the city, nor were loud honking sounds on the street. I am begining to like Da Nang.
Checking into our Resort
We arrived at the resort, which we called home for five days, around noon. Our villa would not be ready until 1.30 p.m. Our host suggested we relax around the lobby or head to the main pool bar area for a small bite while waiting for our villa to be ready. At first, we just wanted to wait at the resort’s reception until our villa was ready; after all, our host had arranged a private area for us to sit around. However, we got a little bored after sitting around for 15 minutes and started to explore the resort a little.
We wandered to the main pool at the resort, which our host told us was just a mere minute’s walk from the reception. We originally just wanted to hang around at the pool area and peep at our location next to the main pool area). Since there is nothing we can do here besides people-watching, we ordered some things to share. As our food was being served, we got a call from our host, who informed us that our villa was ready, and she was on the way to the pool bar to meet us. We were escorted to our villa, and our host took us on a tour around the villa. We fell in love with the villa assigned to us for its functionality and how it was designed for communal living. We were excited to see the swimming pool and the close proximity to the famous My Khe Beach, the most beautiful beach in Vietnam. As we were getting bored and everyone seemed still energic, we headed outside the resort to get some drinks at the nearby minimart.
Exploring the My Khe Beach Area
After a buggy ride later, we were outside the resort. Instead of just heading opposite the villa, we explored the My Khe beachfront area. We walked along the street directly in front of the My Khe beach and spotted numerous eateries along the beachfront area and the countless hotels across the road facing the beach. As it was still early, the beachfront seemed sleepy. We spotted a handful of tourists suntanning on the beach while the eateries were preparing for the evening crowd. The beach seemed quiet at this time. Looking across the road from where we were, we saw some restaurants and minimarts dotted along the roadside. After walking about 30 mins from our resort, we made a U-turn and returned to the minimart in front of our resort.
BBQ in the Villa
After getting our drinks, we returned to our villa to laze around. We organised a birthday BBQ dinner for our friend at our villa at 6 p.m. The resort staff came to set up around 4 p.m., and the BBQ dinner started promptly at 6 p.m. We were not required to do the BBQ ourselves. Instead, the staff would cook the food, and we just sat around in the dining room of our villa while another staff served us food fresh from the BBQ pit. The staff treated us like VIPs and constantly filled our plates with food.
As we were very well fed by the staff from the BBQ session, we wanted to walk around the resort to digest. But we ended up strolling along My Khe Beach. We discovered a shorter way to the beachfront area we were at a few hours ago. Strolling along the My Khe beach at night, we were treated to the bright neon lights from the hotels lined the beachfront. Despite being at night, the beach was still dotted with locals enjoying the beach, kids playing on the beach and numerous others who came out to enjoy the sea breeze on My Khe Beach like us. The eateries along the beach were as quiet as earlier in the day. I guess this period is the tourism off-peak session. After about 1 hour of walking along the beach, we returned to our villa the same way we came to rest for the night. We will have another early start tomorrow when we visit Ba Na Hills.
This is our final day in Hanoi. Our flight departs at 6.30pm, gave us half a day to finish up the few sights that we did not manage to visit on our first day in Hanoi. My friend and I deliberately keep the itinerary today very light, so we can get back to the hotel and freshen ourselves up before leaving for the airport. We very much wanted to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. However, when I checked with the staffs at the front desk of the hotel, I was disappointed to be informed that the mausoleum is closed on every Mondays. Guess we will have to visit the next time if we ever come back to Hanoi.
St Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi
After breakfast, we made our way to St Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi, which is located west of Hoan Kiem Lake. St Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi is the oldest church in Hanoi, built in 1886 and is one of the first structures built by the French colonial government. The Neo-Gothic style church has two bell towers that resemble Notre Dame de Paris and is nicknamed Notre Dame of Hanoi. St Joseph Cathedral overlooks a small plaza in front of the church. It is distinct that the original white colour church has given way to soot, with most of the structure covered in patches of black spots, which gives the church an aged character. The church was not crowded at the time of our visit, allowing us to take pictures of the church without any interruptions. As we entered the church, a staff member of the church informed us that the church will be closing in 1 min, I think we were lucky to have the chance to visit the interior of the church. 1 min is sufficient for us to take some pictures of the interior of the church.
St Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi
Taking a wefie at St Joseph Cathedral
St Joseph Cathedral
Side building of St Joseph Cathedral
Inside the St Joseph Cathedral
Inside the St Joseph Cathedral
Inside the St Joseph Cathedral
Inside the St Joseph Cathedral
In Search of the Vietnamese Egg Coffee
After exiting the church, my friend wanted to try the famous Vietnamese Egg Coffee that we did not manage to try for the past three days. We went enquired at a few cafes around St Joseph Cathedral and finally managed to find a cafe that sells the Egg Coffee. The Egg Coffee tasted creamy and rich and has a very unique texture to the coffee. After coffee, we walked around this area of Hanoi, stopping by a few shops to do some last-minute shopping for souvenirs. Somehow, we ended up in the northern part of Hoan Kiem Lake and popped by a supermarket nearby to shop for souvenirs. Soon it is time to head back to the hotel. When we returned to the hotel, we had some time to take a dip in the swimming pool in the hotel, which helped relieve the summer heat.
We finally got to try the Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Hanoi has numerous old buildings such as this
Statue of Emperor Ly, founder of the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam on the eastern side of Hoan Kiem Lake
Till Next Time, Hanoi
Our arranged airport transfer arrived came 15 mins earlier than the destinated pick up time. Anyways we were ready to depart for the airport for our flight back home. Along the way, the sights we have seen flashed by the car window reminded me of how much I had enjoyed the trip despite being short. The locals are friendlier and more patient than I expected. The sights and the locals that we have come across is what made this Hanoi trip enjoyable.
Ready to check-in at Hanoi Not Bai Airport
Taking our last wefie in Hanoi
Afterthought
I thought four days is sufficient to cover most of Hanoi and the surrounding sights such as Halong Bay and Tam Coc unless one is going to Sapa for a trek, which usually requires two days. I thought the day trip is sufficient for Halong Bay and does not require anything more than a day unless one wants to experience sleeping on the cruise ship in Halong Bay. For first-timers going to Hanoi, our itinerary for the four days are as follows for reference:
When I started to plan for this short trip to Hanoi, I was certain that Halong Bay is a must-visit destination. I started to look around what other places we can visit for our third day in Hanoi. There were several day trips we could take, it is either we visit Perfume Pagoda, Trang An or Tam Coc & Hoa Lu. The main attraction for Perfume Pagoda is the Buddhist temple complex and there is no pagoda, so we strike that off the list. The main attraction at Trang An is Bai Dinh Pagoda which is completed only recently in 2015. Tam Coc & Hoa Lu gave us a little of nature and a little of history. We chose the day trip to Tam Coc & Hoa Lu.
Onward to Ninh Binh Province
Our trip to Tam Coc and Hoa Lu resides in Ninh Binh Province, about 2½ hours drive south of Hanoi. Our guide, Long, and the driver came by our hotel to pick us up at 7.15am and proceeded to pick up the other four pax in the tour group around Hanoi. Along the way, we drove past numerous paddy fields and saw some graves in the middle of the fields. Long explained that it is customary in Vietnam to have the landowner to be buried in the field in a way to bless the field. As we were driven into a small town in Ninh Binh province, Long drew our attention to a European palace-like building. This is Thanh Thang Palace home to a wealthy Vietnamese businessman who wanted to live in a palace and he spent $17 million to build this palace. The building has a domed gilded roof and elaborately-decorated arch and is inspired by several European styles. Long described this as the Taj Mahal of Vietnam.
We drove past numerous paddy fields on our way to Tam Coc
Thanh Thang Palace, the Taj Mahal of Vietnam
After the 2½ hours drive, we reached the first stop of the day. One of the itineraries is to have lunch at the home of a Vietnamese family. This two-storey building has a large front yard and belongs to a wealthy family. Long explained the original owner of this house is a Vietnam war veteran who was handsomely rewarded by the Vietnamese government for his contributions during the war. We rested at this house momentarily before heading out in a bicycle for our ride through the countryside in Tam Coc.
The Vietnamese House that we will be having lunch
Cycling Through the Countryside of Tam Coc
Long arranged with the owners of the house to loan us bicycles and a traditional Vietnamese straw hat for our ride to the countryside of Tam Coc. The mountain bikes that Long arranged were perfect for the ride through the rough gravel countryside paths that Long led us through. Along the way, we were treated with gorgeous views of the countryside. The field of bright green pastures filled with paddy and what seem like lotus plants as well as some with wild plants in the foreground and limestone mountains draped in their green garments of the summer season in the background seemingly watching over these pastures like their guardian angles are what we see along the way. These limestone mountains looked like those we seen in Halong Bay yesterday, no wonder the locals dubbed Tam Coc as Halong Bay on land. The ride was scenic and relaxing coupled with the unpolluted fresh air of the countryside, and at times we spotted some wild goats taking their forenoon stroll through this area, I totally enjoyed the ride. We rode past the Ngo Dong River and stopped momentarily at a bridge for some photo opportunities.
We cycled through the countryside of Ninh Binh province
Limestone mountains
My friend and I stopping for a wefie
Our guide, Long, leading us in the cycling through the countryside
My friend at the bridge with the stunning view of the limestone mountains
Me at the countryside of Ninh Binh
Taking a wefie with our guide, Long
We pass through this amazing view of the limestone mountains during our cycling
View of Ngo Dong River
Thai Vi Temple
We made two stops on our 1½ hour ride through the countryside. We arrived at Thai Vi Temple, which was built by King Tran Thai Tong in 1258 after he led a victorious fight against the Mongol Empire. The king gave up his throne to his son and retired to this place after the war and became a monk. The only temple made of entirely of monolithic greenstone, Thai Vi Temple is a small and tranquil temple surrounded by limestone mountains. This temple is a little off the beaten path and there are not many people at the temple at the time our visit. Passing through the small main gateway to the temple, the temple grounds open up to a huge foreyard. A small tower is erected on both sides of the foreyard facing the temple. A drum and a bell are installed in the left and right tower respectively. The grey stone colour temple houses the statue of King Tran Thai Tong. Entering the main temple building, we spotted an old man playing a traditional one-string Vietnamese guitar – Dan Bau and stopped to listen. It is amazing the variety of notes Dan Bau can produce with just a single chord. Long told us this man is the guardian of the temple. He is a musical wiz and can play all sorts of traditional Vietnamese musical instruments and the best thing is he self-taught to play these instruments. The guardian of the temple played another two different types of flutes made of bamboo, the male flute or Sao Truc and the female flute or Sao. We were given some time to walk around the temple grounds. I spotted a tomb-like structure behind the temple building and asked Long about it. Long explained the tomb I saw was the tomb of a general.
Entrance to Thai Vi Temple
Entrance of Thai Vi Temple up close
The scenery outside Thai Vi Temple
One of the two towers inside Thai Vi Temple
Thai Vi Temple main building
Thai Vi Temple up close
The courtyard of Thai Vi Temple
Cavern by the River
After spending another 10 mins, we left Thai Vi Temple and continued our cycling trip around the area. Long led us to a cavern by the bank of Ngo Dong River. The view here is breathtaking. The river snakes around the limestone hills on both sides as though giving in to the might of the hills. Immediately in front of the cavern, another taller limestone mountain with a dragon statue and a pavilion can be seen. For a 500 step climb up this mountain, the view is worth the climb as it allows visitors to truly appreciate the beauty of this Halong Bay on land. We rested for 5 mins and headed back to the Vietnamese house for a traditional Vietnamese lunch.
Cycling to the caverns near Thai Vi Temple
Picture with the bike we cycled on
View of the limestone mountains at the cavern
Wefie by Ngo Dong River
Limestone mountains from the caverns
Rowing Down to the Three Caves
After lunch, we headed to the bank of Ngo Dong River for our 2-hour boat ride down the river to the three caves. As we were walking to board our boat, Long cautioned us that the vendors will try to sell us drinks and snacks for the boat paddler. He recommended us not to buy these overpriced items and instead tip the paddler if we wanted to. There are numerous small metal boats docked at the boarding area, each boat has a maximum capacity of two visitors (but we did see some boats with three or four adults on it along the way down Ngo Dong River). We boarded one of the boats and soon found ourselves being rowed on Ngo Dong River. We were treated to limestone mountain ranges lining themselves along the river, as though they are welcoming us. It is interesting to see the paddlers in this area uses their legs to row the boat. The boat trip is very peaceful, I would imagine the boat ride will be more pleasant in other seasons when it is not as hot. As we were being rowed on Ngo Dong River, we were able to see numerous limestone mountains, some at a distance while others up close. Regardless of the distance between the mountains and the river, the view was unspoiled and unobstructed. It seems like taking the boat ride along Ngo Dong River is the only way to get close to these mountains as there did not seem to have any road connections.
This is where we boarded the boat that took us down Ngo Dong River passing through the three caves
Riding on the boat towards the first cave
Limestone mountains lined up on both sides of the river
Scenery during the boat ride
We saw amazing views of the limestone mountains on the boat
Wefie on the boat down Ngo Dong River
Wefie with our paddler
Scenery along Ngo Dong River
No wonder they called this place Halong Bay on land
The scenery along Ngo Dong River
The scenery along Ngo Dong River
The boat paddler rowed the boat along the bends of the river and the changes in the landscape did not cease to amaze us. Every mountain looks different in shape and size as though each has its own character. We found ourselves coming to the first cave, which provided us with shelter from the hot summer Vietnamese sun. The cave is similar to Luon Cave we visited in Halong Bay yesterday. We were rowed along the river that runs under the limestone mountain. Looking up, we could see the limestone formations underneath the mountain. There is little clearance between the boat at the cave, we were able to touch the ceiling of the cave. The scenery instantly changed from the darkness of the cave to one that has limestone mountain ranges covered with lush green vegetation lined on both sides of the river as soon as we exited the cave. These mountain ranges look as if it stretches forever on both sides of Ngo Dong River.
The first cave we went under along Ngo Dong River in Tam Coc
Rowing in the first cave underneath the limestone mountain
Rowing in the first cave underneath the limestone mountain
The first cave is the longest of the three caves
At the end of the cave is more mountain ranges
Scenery along Ngo Dong River after the first cave
Scenery along Ngo Dong River after the first cave
Scenery along Ngo Dong River after the first cave
Scenery along Ngo Dong River after the first cave
Taking a wefie on Ngo Dong River
Scenery along Ngo Dong River after the first cave
Scenery along Ngo Dong River after the first cave
Very soon we found ourselves on the part of the river than flows through the second cave, which is relatively shorter than the first cave. It did not take too long for the boat to exit the second cave and continued our journey down the river. We were still taking in the scenery that this Halong Bay on land offers.
Approaching the second cave along Ngo Dong River
The second cave is a shorter cave compared to the first cave
Inside the second cave
The scenery along Ngo Dong River after the second cave
The scenery along Ngo Dong River after the second cave
As we were near the third cave, I spotted a few boats on the river with only one person on the boat. These boats gathered at the entrance of the third cave and are the so-called floating market that Long had told us earlier on. Rather than being a real floating market that sells goods where locals can come and buy from like those in Thailand, this floating market is nothing more than a few boats trying to sell their wares to tourists to come down the river on these sightseeing boats. This market looks like they are there for the tourists. Our boat went into the third cave but did not go through the cave unlike the first two we came across. It does seem that there is no way through the third cave from where we were. The third cave looks the same as the first two we saw on our way here. This is where we took a u-turn and headed back from where we came from. Exiting the third cave, our paddle took her momentarily rest for one of these floating market boats pulled up to our boat. True to what Long had told us earlier on, this vendor begin to persuade us to buy a snack and drink for the paddler. I rejected her offer and the paddler noticed no sale from us and started to paddle the boat back to where we embarked from the boat. The scenery looks repetitive on the way back, probably the scenery is still fresh on our mind, and I felt bored after awhile hoping that we would get back sooner.
Approaching the third cave along Ngo Dong River
Floating market at the third cave
Inside the third cave
We made a u-turn and came out from the third cave
Floating market at the third cave
The so-called floating market outside the third cave is just the locals trying to ambush tourists in buying their overpriced merchandise
On our way back to the pier
Some of the stunning limestone mountains along Ngo Dong River
On our way back to the pier
Hoa Lu – The First Capital of Vietnam
After some 45 mins rowing on the boat, we reached where we started. The rest of our group mates had already reached the shores and were waiting for us. Long gathered everyone on the vehicle and started to make our way to Hoa Lu ancient citadel, our last destination of the day. The drive from Tam Coc to Hoa Lu ancient citadel took around 25 mins. Along the way, Long narrated the importance of Hoa Lu. Hoa Lu served as the capital of Vietnam in 986 AD when the first emperor of the country, Dinh Tien Hoang united Vietnam. In 1010, when the Ly Dynasty was formed, the emperor shifted the capital to Hanoi, which remains the capital of Vietnam to this day. From the moment we alighted the vehicle, I can see why this area was chosen as the first capital of Vietnam. The limestone mountain ranges serve as a great defence for the palace. A lone Chinese styled stone gate lies at the end of a short bridge over a moat with two stone lion sculptures welcomed us the moment we arrived at Hoa Lu ancient citadel. There are no palace walls or any reminiscence of palace walls here. As we got closer to the gate, I was a tad disappointed. It appears this gate is relatively new and shows signs of it being rebuilt. Passing through the gate, we were greeted with a sight of a huge piece of empty land, which seems like where the palace of Emperor Dinh originally sat on. These days the only remains of the Dinh Dynasty are the two temples in the grounds of Hoa Lu ancient citadel. I feel this place can be easily replaced with a trip to the top of the mountains with a view of Tam Coc. What we saw was an empty plot of land that replaced the original palace and two rather old temples in Hoa Lu ancient citadel. Without our guide, we would have no context to the importance of these temples and the stories behind them.
The gate to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu ancient citadel
Stone lion that guards the gate to Hoa Lu
Limestone hills by the moat that surrounds Hoa Lu
Taking at wefie on the bridge to Hoa Lu
Temple of King Dinh
Long brought us to the Temple of King Dinh, located in one corner inside Hoa Lu ancient citadel. The Temple of King Dinh is a temple that the locals built in the former palace grounds to commemorate King Dinh Tien Hoang. Passing through the main stone entrance to the temple, we came across a small garden before stopping at the second entrance to the temple. At the short wooden temple entrance lies a big stone with dragon carving. Long explained this is a replica of the Dragon Bed that King Dinh used back in 948 AD. A short walk after the wooden entrance, we arrived at the main temple building. With the limestone mountains as the backdrop, the Temple of Kind Dinh is quite a modest building for someone as important as King Dinh in Vietnamese history. The small temple building, mainly made of wood, has very heavy Chinese influence with statues of dragon installed on the roof. A statue of King Dinh is installed in the temple for locals to pay their respects to the late King. The temple and the temple grounds are not large and it did not take us long to look around.
Introduction to Temple of King Dinh
The second entrance to the Temple of King Dinh and the Dragon Bed
Main entrance to the Temple of King Dinh
Carvings on the beam of the Temple
Temple of King Dinh
Temple of King Dinh up close
Temple grounds
Wefie at the Temple of King Dinh
Temple of King Dinh
Temple of King Le
Leaving the Temple of King Dinh, Long brought us to the Temple of King Le, which is located within mere steps away from the Temple of King Dinh. Temple of King Le is another temple that the locals built to commemorate King Le Dai Harm, the commander in chief who succeeded King Dinh. The entrance to Temple of King Le is slightly taller with a two-storey roof structure but with designs that are not as elaborate as that of King Dinh. At the entrance of the temple, Long pointed to another Dragon Bed that was used by King Le. Unlike the one outside the Temple of King Dinh, this Dragon Bed is just a plain stone and does not come with any carving. Similar to Temple of King Dinh, Temple of King Le is made of wood and has simpler decorations on the temple roof. However, the beams at the temple are intricately carved with mythical Vietnamese creatures such as dragons. Temple of King Le is smaller than that of King Dinh, perhaps out of respect to the first emperor of Vietnam. There are three statues installed in the Temple of King Le: statue of King Le Dai Harm, the statue of Empress Duong Van Nga and statue of his successor, King Le Hoan. We did not spend much time in the Temple of King Le due to its size. Long gave us some time to explore around in Hoa Lu citadel, but there is nothing much to explore in this area. The place where the palace was supposed to be at is now an empty plot of land.
Introduction to the Temple of King Le
Main entrance to Temple to King Le
Second entrance to Temple of King Le
The Dragon Bed used by King Le
Temple of King Le
Intricate carvings in Temple of King Le
Back to Hanoi
We arrived back to Hanoi a little after 7 pm due to a traffic jam along the way back. My friend and I were the last to be dropped off. After reaching the hotel, we headed back to our room and freshen ourselves before heading out for dinner. We walked along the French quarters in search of dinner and dined at a relatively small restaurant where a group of locals were dining. After dinner, we walked around a little before heading back to the hotel to rest for the night.
We were able to catch a glimpse of Hanoi Opera House at night when walking around searching for dinner
We head fried squids for diiner
My friend had stir-fired pork with rice for dinner
No trip to Hanoi is complete without a trip to the magnificent Halong Bay. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, Halong Bay is busy every day with tourists flocking to this part of Quang Ninh Province to admire the beauty of the bay. Halong literally means descending dragon and got its name from folklore. Legend has it that Halong Bay is formed when the gods send dragons to assist the Vietnamese to fight against their invaders. The family of dragons spit out jewels that turned into islands dotting the bay to form a wall against the invaders. After winning the battle, the dragons liked the peace in the area and decided to live in this bay. Halong Bay consists of 1969 islands and only half of them have been named.
Journey to Halong Bay
At the time of planning, my friend and I were not interested in staying overnight for the sunset or sunrise in the bay. I figured a day trip to Halong Bay is sufficient. We booked our trip to Halong Bay from Klook. The tour company organised a bus to pick us from our hotel at 8.30am, with our guide named Thann. Before setting off from Hanoi, Thann notified the group that we will stop by a pearl farm for 30 mins then head to a nearby marina to board our cruise around Halong Bay. Along the way, Thann gave us some background to the sights we drive by. The drive to Halong Bay took three hours, which my friend and I used to catch up some rest.
Driving over the Red River in Hanoi
Streets of Hanoi
We are near Halong Bay
Halong Pearl
After travelling for close to 3 hours, we were woken up by Thann who explained Halong Bay used to be populated with floating villages. These floating villages’ main livelihood is pearl farming. Most of these villages have since been shifted to land thanks to new methods of pearl farming. Shortly after, we arrived at one of the pearl farms – Halong Pearl. Thann handed the group over to a guide who explained to us the different types of pearl and their grades. We were given a live demonstration by one of the staffs in Halong Pearl on the intricate methods of cultivating pearls in the oysters. The staff also showed us how they harvest these pearls while explaining the oysters once being harvested, the meat will go on to be made into delicacies and the shell into artworks. After the short demonstration, we were led to a showroom where products of pearls are being sold. This visit to Halong Pearl feels like one of those typical tourist traps that are in every guided tour trips. However, the difference is this company make it feels like something to do so that they can put a tick in the box. With merely 30 mins set aside for this visit, 10 mins of which is used for the explanation of pearl farming, and 20 mins for us to roam around. Needless to say, practically all of the people in the group did not visit the showroom. All of us were just standing outdoors, looking out at Halong Bay in the far distance and eager to sail out to the bay. After the visit to the farm, the tour bus swung by and picked us up. Thann briefed the group that we will be heading to Tuan Chau island in Halong Bay, barely 10 mins drive from Halong Pearl to board our cruise to Halong Bay.
Some of the artworks on sold made from the oysters
A grain of sand is being inserted into the membrane of the oyster
Pearl that is cultivated from the oyster
Pearl cultivated in Halong Pearl
Shop selling jewellery made from pearls
First stop: Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave
The two-deck cruise boat wasted no time and set sail into Halong Bay as soon as the group completed boarding. The lower deck of the cruise boat resembles a restaurant where we were sited at the table, in groups of four. The upper deck, accessible via the stairs in front of the boat is an open deck for tourists to get a better view of the surroundings in Halong Bay. As the boat is pulling away from the marina, Thann told us the three places that we will be visiting around Halong Bay today. As the boat was sailing out to our first stop, Sung Sot Cave, lunch was served course by course. Lunching with the view of the numerous limestone islands in Halong Bay popping out and disappearing before our eyes is absolutely fantastic. These limestone islands stood majestically from the waters in Halong Bay like mushrooms sprouting on the ground after a rain. Some of these islands with tall pillar-like shape are untouched by humans. These numerous limestone islands were formed some 300 million years ago, and if they can talk I would imagine the interesting stories they will tell. Thann would have some stories to share on some of these islands that we are sailing past. In between courses, my friend and I would occasionally head up to the upper deck to take some pictures of the surroundings in Halong Bay. Not all the islands are the same, some islands are tall and slander which seems to make a landing on them impossible. There are islands that have gentle gradients with fields of greeneries that looks like meadows grown on them. Yet there are some that looked bare with their stony and tall cliffs with trees growing on the top of these islands. The waters in the bay are very calm, making sailing onboard through the bay relaxing.
The cruise boat that took us around in Halong Bay
Taking a wefie on the top deck of the boat in Halong Bay
Panoramic view of Halong Bay
There are 1969 such limestone islands in Halong Bay
And we sailed into Halong Bay
The locals named this “Money Island” as it appeared on the VND200,000 bill
The food we had onboard the cruise boat
The food we had onboard the cruise boat
The food we had onboard the cruise boat
The food we had onboard the cruise boat
The food we had onboard the cruise boat
Sailing past some of the limestone islands in Halong Bay
Only half of these islands have been named in Halong Bay
The calm sea makes sailing in Halong Bay very relaxing
Sailing in Halong Bay
We are near Bo Hon Island
After sailing for almost 1 hour, and having finished our dessert, Thann announced to the group that we have arrived at Bo Hon Island, where the famous Sung Sot Cave is situated. Sung Sot Cave is one of the largest cave in Halong Bay. Thann cautioned that the way to the cave involves a 100 steps climb to the entrance, but we will be rewarded with great views of this part of Halong Bay and the magnificent cave structure. For me, I just want to get away from this Vietnamese summer heat. The stairs case towards Sung Sot Cave is rather narrow, allowing only one person to climb at a time. How right is Thann, as we reached the mid-point of the climb, a viewpoint allows us to see this part of the bay. From this viewpoint, a handful of limestone islands draped with greeneries sitting in the emerald waters coupled with the clear blue sky, the view is stunning.Â
We begin our climb to Sung Sot Cave
Taking a wefie at the viewpoint on Bo Hon Island
Viewpoint on Bo Hon Island, halfway to the entrance of Sung Sot Cave
We only stayed at the viewpoint momentarily and continued our climb to the entrance of the cave.  It did not take us long to reach the entrance of the cave, the road narrows and we even have to bend at some parts as we go further into the cave. The further we go into Sung Sot Cave, the cave seems to get bigger and bigger. It is difficult to imagine how a small hole in the mountains can grow to such a massive size. The ceiling of the cave is decorated with stalactites like chandeliers. There is a designated one-way path for us to walk in Sung Sot Cave. Not far from the entrance in Sung Sot Cave, Thann gathered our group and brought our attention to a carving on one of the stones in the cave. This is one of those “I have been here” imprint left by visitors to the cave, except that this engraving is left by the French who discovered this cave in 1901. As we walked in the cave, Thann pointed out some rock formations that the locals resemble things they are familiar with in their daily lives. A 15 mins walk inside Sung Sot Cave we came across a cannon, a tortoise (which Thann mentioned we will get good luck by touching its head and I did win the lottery that night after touching the head of the tortoise. Coincidence much?) Romeo and Juliet, a dinosaur head, a giant snakehead amongst other things. At the exit of the cave, we were rewarded with another stunning view of Halong Bay before we descend the stairways towards the pier and boarded our boat to the next stop.
Inside Sung Sot Cave
Inside Sung Sot Cave
Inside Sung Sot Cave
This limestone looked like a waterfall
Inside Sung Sot Cave
There is a cannon on the right of this column of limestone
Inside Sung Sot Cave
Inside Sung Sot Cave
This formation looks like a turtle
Inside Sung Sot Cave
Inside Sung Sot Cave
Inside Sung Sot Cave
There is a Romeo and Juliet silhouette on the right column of this formation
Halong Bay from the viewpoint outside Sung Sot Cave
Halong Bay from Bo Hon Island
Next Stop: “Bamboo” Boat Ride to Luon Cave and Lake
The next stop wasn’t far from Sung Sot Cave. It took us 10 mins to sail from Sung Sot Cave to a floating platform where we had the option of either kayaking or take a so-called “Bamboo” boat. We did not want to get wet, hence my friend and I opted for the “Bamboo” boat ride. Our cruise boat came alongside a floating platform which faces a huge limestone cliff that has vegetations grown only towards the top of the island. This is part of Bo Hon Island. After disembarking at the floating platform, we headed to grab a life vest and headed for the “Bamboo” boat ride. The so-called “Bamboo” boat is not made of bamboo, rather it is made of metal capable of carrying up to 12 passengers. The boat is manually paddled by a staff member. I guess the former incarnation of this boat ride was made of bamboo and the tour operators might have figured replacing it with the metal boat not only saves maintenance cost, but it is also safer for passengers. They did retain the manual paddling of the boat which might be the only link between now and then.
The floating platform where we boarded the “Bamboo” Boat
My friend and I at the floating platform near Luon Cave
The “Bamboo” boat was quickly filled up with passengers from our cruise. We were lucky to snag the front row seats on the boat as these seats gave us great views of the surroundings and are also best for photo taking. The paddler started to paddler the boat towards the huge cliff in front of us. Below the cliff, there is an opening roughly around 2m or so, sufficient for the paddler to do his job standing up. This opening is Luon Cave. It is an amazing feeling passing through the underside of the cliff that stood like a pillar holding up the sky. In Luon Cave, we can see the formation of limestones that seem to drip into the emerald waters below. The limestone formations in Luon Cave is not as impressive as that we saw in Sung Sot Cave. In Luon Cave, we were able to see limestone that stood the erosions throughout the millions of years since these karsts were formed. At some parts, it seems that a thin piece of limestone is holding up the entire cliff. I can’t help but wonder what will happen if the limestones give way while we were paddling under the cave.
The “Bamboo” Boat is not made of bamboo
Paddling through Luon Cave under the limestone island
We went under this huge limestone
The way to Luon Lake is through Luon Cave
The limestone formation in Luon Cave
Luon Cave is not a huge cave. It took the paddler 5 mins to paddle to the other side of the cave. At the end of the cave tunnel, the scenery opens up to a body of water. This is the Luon Lake. Luon Lake is surrounded by a range of limestone mountains on this part of the island and it seems the only way to gain access to this lake is through Luon Cave. Here the waters are calmer and there is a chance that we might see some monkeys which lived on this park of Bo Hon Island. But the monkeys do not seem to be at home at the time we visited. The air in Luon Lake is still with no wind, our paddler was wise to paddle the boat to a shady area, away from the hot summer sun. Here we are, sitting in the boat and not making headway enjoying what would otherwise be a peaceful scenery not for the singing of two boats filled with Chinese tourists. Luckily they left moments after our arrival, thus returning the peace to this area. The tranquillity coupled with the dangerous rocky mountain ranges, each covered with thick vegetation, making this spot a very relaxing spot. We enjoy watching the kayakers on their kayaks, some struggling to keep their kayak on a straight course, others having water warfare with their fellow kayakers. We stayed here for another 10 mins before our paddler made a U-turn and paddled the boat back to the floating platform through Luon Cave.
Kayakers at Luon Lake
Luon Lake is very peaceful
It took us about 5 mins to paddle through Luon Cave to reach Luon Lake
Final Stop: Ti Top Island
We boarded our cruise boat once again and sailed pass the islands of Halong Bay for another 20 mins to our next destination – Ti Top Island. Thann came on his portable PA system and informed the group that our next and final stop of this day trip around Halong Bay would be Ti Top Island. We were given 30 mins on the island to either swim on the beach or to climb up to the top of the island. My friend and I looked at each other and exclaimed: “we will do the climb”. As we approached Ti Top Island, we saw the number of people swimming in the small beach of Ti Top Island, my friend and I was glad that we took the option of climbing to the top of the island. After landing on Ti Top Island, we headed to the stairs for the climb to the top of the island, passing the small beach for those who want to swim in the sea. The beach is very small and was overcrowded with visitors. There is barely any space for anyone do to decent swim or to relax by the beach.
Ti Top Island
The small and crowded beach on Ti Top Island
The climb took us 15 mins to reach the top of the island. Halfway up the long and narrow stairs to the top of the island, we came across a viewpoint which offered yet another stunning view of Halong Bay. Here we saw Islands surrounding the waters around Ti Top Island with dozens of cruise boats anchoring off the island. After taking some pictures, we headed up to the top of the island. After another 7 mins climb, we reached the top of Ti Top Island. A pavilion sits with a commanding view of the view of Halong Bay at the top of the hill. There is a small crowd at the pavilion. From the pavilion, we were able to get a stunning 360° view of Halong Bay. The view here is breathtaking! If not for the number of people up here, the pavilion can be a perfect spot to enjoy the tranquil in Halong Bay. There are two views at the pavilion. On the more crowded side, numerous limestone islands resting in the calm emerald waters of Halong Bay nearer to Ti Top Island can be seen. One can even see the islands that spread in Halong Bay over the horizon. The view here is perfect for photo taking. I find the other view at the pavilion to be less scenic perhaps partly due to vegetation next to the pavilion and partly due to the bright sun. Nonetheless, this side of the pavilion provides a great spot for a sunset viewing of Halong Bay.Â
Panoramic view of Halong Bay from the top of Ti Top Island
Panoramic view of Halong Bay from the other side of the pavilion
View of Halong Bay from the top to Ti Top Island
View of Halong Bay from the top to Ti Top Island
Taking a wefie at the top of Ti Top Island
View of the Halong Bay from Ti Top Island
After spending a good 5 mins at the pavilion, it is time for us to descend from the hilltop and get to the rendezvous point with the rest of the group. We boarded the boat as soon as Thann has accounted for all the people in the group. The cruise boat sailed back to the marina once everyone has boarded. On the way back, we sailed past the islands that we saw on our way out. At this point, the scenery felt a little repetitive. It took us another 45 mins to reach the marina.
Last look of Halong Bay
Last look of Halong Bay
We sailed on this peaceful waters of Halong Bay back to the marina
Halong Bay near sunset
Back to Hanoi
We were ferried back to Hanoi on the 3-hour bus ride after disembarking from the cruise boat. The air conditioner on the bus is a huge relief to the hot weather. As we would reach Hanoi at around 8 or 9pm, we requested Thann to drop us at the walking street so that we can grab dinner before heading back to the hotel to rest. We alighted near the walking street and made our way to one of the restaurants on the north of Hoan Kiem Lake. We spotted this restaurant the night before. Cau Go restaurant sits on top of the building that was able to provide us with a great view of the entire area at night. Tonight there seems to be some outdoor concert going on. The street is crowded with people, especially near to the stage where the concert is held. After dinner, we headed to the Trang Tien Plaza for a short walk. Trang Tien Plaza mainly sells branded goods such as LV, Gucci to name a few. There did not seem to be people shopping in these shops, the plaza is still crowded with shoppers, who like us, were here for the air conditioning. We headed back to the hotel to rest for the night. After all, we still have an early day for our trip to Tam Coc the next day.
Vietnamese Dinner
Wefie at Cau Go Restaurant in Hanoi
Vietnamese Dinner
Vietnamese Dinner
Vietnamese Dinner
Vietnamese Dinner
View of Hoan Kien Lake from Cau Go Restaurant
The locals coming out to party at the walking street
My friend and I visited Hanoi over a super long weekend in Singapore. Since we have never been to Vietnam before, it would be interesting to explore a new country. The flight schedule for our trip was perfect for us to maximise our short stay in Hanoi, the first flight out of Singapore and last flight back home. During the planning of this trip, I gathered that most of the sights in Hanoi can be explored in a day or two. Hanoi is a gateway to the magnificent Halong Bay. Â
Landing into Hanoi Airport
Arrival at Hanoi
It takes 3½ hours flying from Singapore to Hanoi. Our flight arrived at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport slightly before noon. Clearing custom at Hanoi Airport was a breeze, very soon we found ourselves at the concourse of the airport looking for our pre-booked airport transfer. It took us another 40 mins to reach the hotel we were staying, which is in the heart of Hanoi. After checking in, my friend and I wasted no time and headed out to explore the sights in Hanoi after settling our luggage in our room. Most of the sights in Hanoi are located West of Hoan Kiem Lake and only a handful are found in the French Quarter, where our hotel is located.
Arrival at Hanoi Noi Bai Airport
Exploring Hanoi
Since we have more time to spare for today, our plan is to visit the sights in West of Hoan Kiem Lake, which is further away from the hotel and leave the few sights in the French Quarter, nearer to the hotel on the last day prior to our departure.
Streets of Hanoi
Streets of Hanoi
Hanoi Opera House
Our first stop of the day is the Hanoi Opera House which is a mere 3 mins walk from the hotel we were staying. The Hanoi Opera House is a yellow building that overlooks a roundabout in the French Quarters. The European influenced building was completed in 1911, designed by French architects. The facade of the building has eight roman columns that seemingly supporting the roof. There are five Roman styled balconies on the facade of Hanoi Opera House. The Opera House now functions as a venue for local and international plays. As our time is limited today, plus I figured we will not be able to enter the Opera House without watching a play, we decide to head to the other sights in the Old Quarter in Hanoi.
The European inspired Hanoi Opera House
Hoan Kiem Lake and the Turtle Tower
Departing from the Opera House, we headed towards the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. Along the way, we passed by the southern part of Hoan Kiem Lake. My friend and I decided to take a slight detour and spend some time at Hoan Kiem Lake. Hoan Kiem Lake these days is where locals hang out in the midst of the hot summer sun. The shades provided by the trees planted around the lake makes it an ideal spot to hide from the heat by the sun. From the southern part of Hoan Kiem Lake, we spotted the iconic Turtle Tower sitting isolated on a small island in the lake. The Turtle Towel, also known as Thap Rua Tower to the locals, is a three-storey white structure built on an island that does not seem to be accessible to visitors. The architecture of the Turtle Tower seems to be heavily influenced by the Chinese, with  Chinese styled roofs and dragons sculptures on the roof of the tower. There did not seem to be any works done to restore or refreshen the Turtle tower.
Thap Rua or Turtle Tower in Hoan Kiem Lake
One of the French-styled buildings that are a common sight in Hanoi
Flag Tower of Hanoi
After taking some pictures and taking a momentary break from the heat of the sun, my friend and I continued our journey to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. The walk to the citadel took us about 25 mins. Along the way, we passed by Hanoi Military Museum. We decided to skip visiting the museum as we are not interested in visiting the Hanoi Military Museum as it displays the equipment that was used during the war. We skirted the parameters of the museum and came across the iconic Flag Tower of Hanoi. One will not miss the Flag Tower as it has a huge flag of Vietnam flying on the top of the tower. The 33m Flag Tower was built in 1812 as an observatory tower to the citadel. We stopped by the tower to take some pictures and headed to the citadel, which is about 5 mins walk from the Flag Tower of Hanoi.
Flag Tower of Hanoi up close
Take a wefie with the Flag Tower of Hanoi
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
After some walking, we finally reached the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. We initially did not plan to stay at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long for too long. From my research of this site, I thought the southern gate is the only attraction to this place, which would take us at most 15 mins tops. However, once we pass through the gate, there are more things to see at this site. Passing through the ticketing building, a large well-manicured courtyard befitting of that found in oriental palaces was before our eyes. Further into the background is the South Gate of the palace, the only remaining structure of the palace that visitors can get up close to. The South Gate was part of the surrounding wall to the palace and acts as the main entrance to the palace in its hay days. A two-storey yellow building sits on the palace walls with a commanding view of the courtyard as well as the Flag Tower of Hanoi. We passed through the gate to the back of the wall, here is where one can climb up an easy flight of stairs to the top of the wall. There is nothing much inside the building on top of the wall, but the view here is amazing. We spotted an abandoned building behind the South Gate.
The southern gate of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the only remaining structure of the Imperial Palace
Taking a wefie at the South Gathe
The South Gate up close
The South Gate up close
The Flag Tower from the inside of the South Gate
The pavilion on top of the Palace walls
The pavilion on top of the Palace walls
The abandoned building that is out of bounds behind the South Gate
Taking a wefie behind the South Gate
The stairways to the top of the wall
Wefie with the pavilion on top of the wall
Part of the palace wall
Wefie with Flag Tower of Hanoi seen from the top of the palace wall
Just when we thought we were done with this site, we spotted a number of visitors heading further into the complex instead of heading towards the main entrance. Curious, we followed their footsteps and discovered there are more to see at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long than the South Gate. Along the way, we spotted a building that seems to be air-conditioned, a great relieve for us from the scorching sun. We entered this building to find that there are displays of the relics that were being dug up during the archaeological digs within the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. We walked further into the complex and found some buildings that randomly displays items that are not related to the history of the Imperial Palace, rather these exhibits give us a good understanding of the culture and the livelihood of the Vietnamese. After a while, the buildings seem repetitive and we got a little bored of this place. We headed out from where we came from after spending about 45 mins in the Imperial Palace. Time to head to our next destination.
Some of the relics on display
Some of the relics on display
Some of the relics on display
The South Gate from inside the complex
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
We did not expect to spend so much time in the Citadel of Thang Long. As it is approaching 5pm, the closing time of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, we took a Grab to the mausoleum hoping that we can visit before it closes. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is one of the must-visits in Hanoi, it is where the father of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh’s body lies for visitors to pay their respect. We arrived at the entrance of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum at around 4.30pm and was told by the guard that the mausoleum has stopped accepting visitors. Disappointed, we headed to the next destination, the One Pillar Pagoda, which is next to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
One Pillar Pagoda
In order for us to get to the Pagoda, we had to skirt around the parameters of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The alternate entrance to One Pillar Pagoda at where the entrance of the Ho Chi Minh Museum is. From this entrance, we turned right and walked around the Soviet styled building to reach the entrance of a small temple. The One Pillar Pagoda is located inside the temple. I would have expected to see a tall structure as the “pagoda” word associated with the name of this attraction seems to suggest that. When I came to the entrance to the temple, I was a little sceptical that the pagoda is located within the temple grounds as there did not seem to be any tall structures insight. As we were entering the temple, we were stopped by one of the monks in the temple who told us that our Bermudas are too short. Well, we unfolded our Bermudas and the monk gave us the green light to proceed to the One Pillar Pagoda. It turns out visitors to the One Pillar Pagoda should at least wear shorts that cover their knees. As we passed through the door to what seems like a garden behind the temple, a short structure came into our sight. The One Pillar Pagoda is essentially a wooden house built on a single stone pillar in the middle of a small lotus pond. The original One Pillar Pagoda was destroyed in 1954 by the French, the structure today is rebuilt from in 1955. My friend and I walked up to the stairs to the One Pillar Pagoda and paid our respects to the deity that is installed in the small temple complex. As we were walking around, we spotted some westerners in shorts shorter than ours. This is when we realise there is an alternate entrance to the One Pillar Pagoda which does not require one to go through the temple. The dress code is more relaxed from this alternate entrance.
The One Pillar Pagoda
The One Pillar Pagoda
The temple where the One Pillar Pagoda is housed
Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake
Tran Quoc Pagoda located on a small island in the southeastern part of the West Lake, the largest lake in Hanoi, is the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi. Our Grab driver was nice enough to make a U-turn in the busy road and dropped us right in front of the temple, saving us the need to cross the busy road. Exiting the car, the rustic brown 11 tiered pagoda is immediate insight. We can’t hold our excitement upon seeing this iconic pagoda and start snapping pictures while we were on the bridge leading towards the pagoda. As the temple closes at 5pm, according to google, we were not hopeful that we would be able to enter the temple grounds. Nonetheless, we approached the door to the temple hoping to get a more close up shot of Tran Quoc Pagoda. We were surprised to have found out that the temple is still open at the time of our visit. My friend and I wasted no time and head inside the temple to see the pagoda up close.
The iconic Tran Quoc Pagoda
Tran Quoc Pagoda is housed in the temple grounds immediate to the left of the entrance to the temple. Standing amongst a forest of Buddhist stupas, Tran Quoc Pagoda is the tallest amongst the stupas. Up close there are statues of Buddhas being placed on every tier in each side of the brick laid pagoda. There are a couple of temple buildings in the grounds Tran Quoc Pagoda is housed in. One of the temple building is closed to the public, while the other building has statues of monks being installed in them. Tran Quoc Pagoda temple complex is rather small, it did not take us more than 10 mins walking around the temple complex.
Taking a wefie with the Tran Quoc Pagoda
Tran Quoc Pagoda up close amongst the Buddhist stupas in the temple complex
The bricked Tran Quoc Pagoda has statues of Buddhas on each of the 11 tiers
Entrance to Tran Quoc Pagoda
One of the temple complex
The West Lake, Hanoi’s biggest lake where the Tran Quoc Pagoda is located
It was time for dinner, my friend and I wanted to taste some authethanic Vietnamese food. I am not much of a foodie and for my trips, I usually settle whatever restaurant or food join that I bumped into along the way. As we are not familiary with this area, we did a Google search for any Vietnamese restaurants nearby. Amongst the few restaurants that popped up on Google map, my friend and I settled in a restaurant named Home nearby the West Lake for our first Vietnamese meal in Hanoi. The food was tasty and flavourful and I particularly liked the decor and ambience of the restaurant. We were recommended Bun Cha which originated from Hanoi.
Bun Cha, a Hanionan dish
Seafood fried rice
Grilled oysters
Hanoi at Night
After dinner, our plan was to head back to the hotel and rest for the night as we had to wake up early the next day for our day trip to Halong Bay. As we alighted from the Grab car, we noticed the street we passed by this morning was closed to traffic. We were surprised to see that the busy street next to Hoan Kiem Lake filled with traffic a few hours ago is now emptied of vehicles. In replacement, the locals came out to relax and walk along the street. The vibe of this area at night is totally different from the day. At night, it feels as though the locals came out to party. There were people gathering around in circle playing, or street performers dancing and singing. As we were walking, we spotted the Turtle Tower in Hoan Kiem and the Ngoc Soc Temple illuminated at night.
This part of the street is closed to traffic and people just stroll along the road
Locals coming out at night
Hanoi at night
Ngoc Soc temple in Hoan Kiem Lake at night
Turtle Tower at night
We continued walking along the street and came across the Hanoi Night Market, which is only opened during the weekends. Stalls after stalls in the night market seem to stretch with no end in mind. The night market resembles those we seen in Thailand and the goods on sale seem repetitive after a while. We managed to walk to the end of the night market and decided to head back to the hotel to rest for the night.
