Tour of Vietnam 2023 | Day 16 | Da Nang – Hoi Ann | 89 kms

I keep snoozing my alarm, torn between getting up and staying in bed. I know it’s probably raining outside, making an early start pointless. Eventually, I force myself out of bed around 7 a.m. and spend time organizing my scattered belongings before packing them near my bike. After paying the bill of 116,000 VND and having my coffee, I leave, only to return because I forgot my rain gear in the laundry room.

I drive about 1 km and stop under a tree to put on my rain gear as it begins to drizzle. Then, I head to Marble Mountain, my first destination of the day, located 10 km from Da Nang. Upon parking, I notice the area is bustling with tourists, predominantly Koreans. The entry ticket costs 40,000 VND, with an extra 15,000 VND for a lift to the top, but I choose to take the stairs.

The Marble Mountains offer tourists a variety of attractions, including caves and pagodas. Both the caves and temples are impressive. I explored all the key points in the area, two of which require a short climb to enjoy a 360° view of the city. The total time needed to visit everything exceeded my expectations.

I met a group from my hometown, Pune. We easily spent 2 hours on the mountain. At the entrance, there’s a separate cave not included in the marble mountain caves ticket, which must be purchased separately. This cave is unique and large, attracting nearly all visitors to the Marble Mountains. I explore its interesting features using the admission brochure. This cave is a must-see. On my way back to my bike, I enjoy a giant coconut, the largest I’ve ever seen, nearly the size of a football and weighing over 10 kg. The refreshing coconut water provides the energy I need to continue.

Next, I headed to the May Son city, an ancient cultural heritage site famous for its impressive ruins, located about 40 km from the Marble Mountains. The roads were single carriageway with light traffic, taking us away from the sea and toward the mountains. I arrived within an hour and was thrilled to see the sign “May Son – World Heritage Site.” Initially, I thought it would be an ordinary ruin, but the full parking lot of tourist vehicles proved me wrong.

After parking my bike, I bought a ticket for 150,000 VND and rented an audio guide for 70,000 VND to delve deeper into the site’s history. They gave me a leaflet with a map of the Champa Kingdom ruins, highlighting 40 points of interest. I realized this would take more than two hours, despite my initial plan to quickly move on to Hoi An, thinking it wouldn’t attract much interest. However, I noticed many foreign visitors were eager to explore the ruins. I proceeded slowly, listening to the audio guide and relating it to my surroundings, learning that many temple designs were inspired by India.

The Champa Kingdom showcased a blend of Indian and Vietnamese cultures. The site featured mostly temple ruins dedicated to worship, with only one or two temples intact, showing signs of severe weathering. Many were in ruins, and some were partially destroyed by U.S. bombings during the Vietnam War. Numerous bomb craters resembled ponds, and I saw two large bomb shells displayed inside one of the temples. My visit lasted over two hours, concluding at 5:30 pm as darkness fell—I seemed to be the last person to leave the ruins.

An electric shuttle dropped me near the museum where the excavation artefact was displayed. I immediately hopped on my bike and rode nearly 60 km to Hoi An, arriving by 7:30 pm, mostly in the dark, but the streetlights helped. I found a reasonably priced hostel, Heliport, for 126,000 VND, conveniently located near the old town. The city vibe was great, and since it was December 31st, I extended my stay for one more day to celebrate the New Year’s Eve there. I initially booked a bed in a 16-bed dorm but was shocked by the crowd, so I requested an upgrade and was moved to a 6-bed dorm for a slightly higher price. The total for my two-night stay was 250,000 VND.

After cleaning up, I headed to the wharf for a leisurely night boat tour. The area glowed with colorful lanterns, creating a beautiful sight. The 20-minute boat tour cost around 150,000 VND. We casually floated along with other boats while tourists watched from the banks. After the tour, I explored the nearby streets to get a feel for the area. I didn’t plan to buy anything today, but knowing where things were would help tomorrow when I made my purchases. My top item was a lantern, and there were many shops selling them. The sight of lit, multi-colored lanterns was stunning and made for a great photo backdrop. Later, I enjoyed two Bahn Mi for dinner before retiring to my hostel. It had been a tiring day filled with activity. I didn’t set an alarm for the next day since I was staying another night and wanted to enjoy my rest day.