Hue - DaNang - Hoi An --Great weekend trip!
Oct 19th, 2010, 12:42 AM
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Hue - DaNang - Hoi An --Great weekend trip!
I am teaching in Hanoi for the fall semester. My husband arrived last week and we decided we wanted to visit the central part of Vietnam since we had not been in that part of the country yet. Since I am teaching and didn't have lots of time to pull together a DIY trip, I contacted several local travel agents in Hanoi and got quotes from two of them for a four day (Friday - Monday) trip. The quotes we received were all pretty similar but one of the agencies Binhtours--www.binhtours.com) was very responsive to my suggestions and emails. They are a very small agency located north of the Old Quarter in Hanoi--and very close to West Lake. They seem to cater mostly to French tourists, but the person I worked with (Ms. Tu Anh) had excellent English and was fantastic.
I contacted Binhtours and they sent me two possible options for our trip. One of them looked pretty reasonable in price. I also liked the fact that they did not include all meals in their itinerary. I hate eating where the large tour groups seem to gather and I did have some time to research restaurants. They also had us returning very late to Hanoi and upon request quickly changed us to an early evening flight. I also did a bit of research on the hotels they included on TripAdvisor and asked that a hotel in Hue I liked be substituted. They did that for a small ($15) increase in price.
The other thing that made a HUGE difference for us was that Binhtours arranged for an airport taxi to pick us up at 5am. Typically this isn't a big deal...but I live in a dorm complex in a large university in Hanoi. They lock, chain and bolt the dorm doors between 10pm and 5:30am. It hasn't been a problem for me up to this point...but I needed to get out of the dorm by 5am. The issue is that none of the guards speak English and trying to negotiate an early departure is a major headache. Binhtours did all of this....and I received a call at 4:45am on my cell phone telling me the taxi was outside the gate waiting for them to open the doors at the arranged 5am time. Sure enough....we left our room and found the gate unlocked and an airport taxi man waiting for us. Phew....what a relief.
One more thing about Binhtours. I received a call the first day checking in to see if everything was ok. Was the English speaking guide working out? How was the hotel? And I was told that a huge storm was approaching the coast of central Vietnam and it could impact our schedule (it didn't) ... but Ms. Anh told me that she would call me if they felt the weather would be a problem and she would help arrange an alternative route. Anyway, we were very pleased with them and I liked the personal service they provided to us.
HANOI AIRPORT
As I mentioned, we arrived at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport around 5:30am for our 6:35 flight on Vietnam Airlines to Hue. Check in was smooth and we headed towards security. One thing I must mention about security at the Hanoi airport. Their security people REALLY do check carefully. Last year they found a very small knife I had carried for years tucked into a metal container in my carry on bag. This year my husband lost three pairs of scissors he uses to trim his beard. He has carried those scissors through many, many security screenings and never had a problem. Not in Hanoi. So be sure to put anything that you might wonder about in your checked bags........if not, you probably will lose it! They dump the items into a big clear bin that is FULL of stuff they have taken from passengers. Tweezers, cork screws, scissors and things that typically you might be able to get through security. Not here...they are tough--and of course you don't want to argue.
HUE
Our flight was quick - one hour and we arrived in Hue around 7:40am. No food on the flight, just one bottle of water passed out to all passengers. The Hue airport is small and they use buses to get you from the plane to the airport. I love it when you can disembark from both the front and back ends of the plane. Fast exit for everyone!
Our guide was waiting for us - we hopped into a Toyota four door sedan - and headed out of the airport. Since we left Hanoi early, our guide suggested stopping for coffee and a snack --which was a great idea. We stopped at La Boulangerie Francaise for coffee and some pastries. While there we discussed our tour and some alternative possibilities if the weather really became a problem. Refreshed by the coffee, good pastry and clean toilets, we jumped back into the car and headed to the Perfume River for a short boat trip.
I think our day was a pretty standard type of "tour" for Hue. After the river trip, we disembarked at the beautiful Thien Mu Pagoda and explored that site. We also stopped at a private home to look at the gardens and typical central Vietnam style house. It was lunch time when we finished and this is where I really began to enjoy our guide. Her name was Tien ([email protected]) and besides speaking excellent English, she really was willing to be flexible and helpful to make this a memorable trip. I expressed my love for local Vietnamese food and she told me that the food in central Vietnam was quite a bit different than Hanoi. She asked what my favorite foods were--(Bun Cha and Banh Cuon) and proceeded to take us to a local restaurant that served both of them. She wanted to show us how these two dishes were different from Hanoi. Well, I was in heaven --and I also was able to see first hand how the locals used their locally grown foods to make an excellent dish. The noodles were different--and the pork was grilled whole pieces of meat instead of paddies. The Banh Cuon was similar except the filling had duck instead of pork. Although it was not necessary, nor expected, I paid for our guide's lunch each of the days we were with her. Of course--the total lunch bill (2 Bun Cha dishes, 5 plates of Banh Cuon and 3 drinks) was less than $5....so this was not a huge expense. But the place was clean, the food excellent and we were totally stuffed when we left!
We spent the afternoon viewing the Citadel area and also one tomb located a bit out of town. At this point the skies opened up and the rain was SHEETING down. Our guide looked at us and said we could continue with two more tombs...or call it a day and visit those tombs in the morning before we left Hue. We had been up since 4am and at that point were more than happy to head to our hotel.
I selected the hotel in Hue on TripAdvisior. I wanted a nice hotel --but didn't want to spend a great deal of money. We ended up staying at the Villa Hue. My husband says it was a mistake to stay here because it spoiled us for the rest of the trip. Nothing else compared to this hotel. The place was beautiful...and located in central Hue....easy walking distance to the Perfume River and its parkway along the banks. The rooms were gorgeous....huge....clean....and comfortable. I think it is ranked as a 3 star hotel....but it easily is a 4 star or higher. The hotel is part of the Hue Tourist College and all the hotel workers are students at the college. They really were wonderful....a bit timid...and noticeably nervous at times, but a smile and a thank you from us seemed to make them more comfortable. One of the young women bumped our breakfast table and rattled the dishes a bit. I looked up and told her jokingly that "She failed".....but I didn't see that her teacher was standing behind me! I felt horrible...but we all did laugh when I managed to get across the idea that I was just joking! Their teacher talked to me a long time--primarily because I teach in a university in Hanoi...so we were comparing jobs and students. It really was enjoyable.
We had dinner at the hotel because of the rain--and I was very glad we did! The food was wonderful....banana flower salad, Hue spring rolls, caramelized fish with the best flavored bok choy I have every tasted! We ended the evening with a shared dessert and a quick walk around the area --since the rain had eased up. It really was a lovely evening and the ambiance of the hotel made the beginning of this trip wonderful.
to be continued.................
I contacted Binhtours and they sent me two possible options for our trip. One of them looked pretty reasonable in price. I also liked the fact that they did not include all meals in their itinerary. I hate eating where the large tour groups seem to gather and I did have some time to research restaurants. They also had us returning very late to Hanoi and upon request quickly changed us to an early evening flight. I also did a bit of research on the hotels they included on TripAdvisor and asked that a hotel in Hue I liked be substituted. They did that for a small ($15) increase in price.
The other thing that made a HUGE difference for us was that Binhtours arranged for an airport taxi to pick us up at 5am. Typically this isn't a big deal...but I live in a dorm complex in a large university in Hanoi. They lock, chain and bolt the dorm doors between 10pm and 5:30am. It hasn't been a problem for me up to this point...but I needed to get out of the dorm by 5am. The issue is that none of the guards speak English and trying to negotiate an early departure is a major headache. Binhtours did all of this....and I received a call at 4:45am on my cell phone telling me the taxi was outside the gate waiting for them to open the doors at the arranged 5am time. Sure enough....we left our room and found the gate unlocked and an airport taxi man waiting for us. Phew....what a relief.
One more thing about Binhtours. I received a call the first day checking in to see if everything was ok. Was the English speaking guide working out? How was the hotel? And I was told that a huge storm was approaching the coast of central Vietnam and it could impact our schedule (it didn't) ... but Ms. Anh told me that she would call me if they felt the weather would be a problem and she would help arrange an alternative route. Anyway, we were very pleased with them and I liked the personal service they provided to us.
HANOI AIRPORT
As I mentioned, we arrived at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport around 5:30am for our 6:35 flight on Vietnam Airlines to Hue. Check in was smooth and we headed towards security. One thing I must mention about security at the Hanoi airport. Their security people REALLY do check carefully. Last year they found a very small knife I had carried for years tucked into a metal container in my carry on bag. This year my husband lost three pairs of scissors he uses to trim his beard. He has carried those scissors through many, many security screenings and never had a problem. Not in Hanoi. So be sure to put anything that you might wonder about in your checked bags........if not, you probably will lose it! They dump the items into a big clear bin that is FULL of stuff they have taken from passengers. Tweezers, cork screws, scissors and things that typically you might be able to get through security. Not here...they are tough--and of course you don't want to argue.
HUE
Our flight was quick - one hour and we arrived in Hue around 7:40am. No food on the flight, just one bottle of water passed out to all passengers. The Hue airport is small and they use buses to get you from the plane to the airport. I love it when you can disembark from both the front and back ends of the plane. Fast exit for everyone!
Our guide was waiting for us - we hopped into a Toyota four door sedan - and headed out of the airport. Since we left Hanoi early, our guide suggested stopping for coffee and a snack --which was a great idea. We stopped at La Boulangerie Francaise for coffee and some pastries. While there we discussed our tour and some alternative possibilities if the weather really became a problem. Refreshed by the coffee, good pastry and clean toilets, we jumped back into the car and headed to the Perfume River for a short boat trip.
I think our day was a pretty standard type of "tour" for Hue. After the river trip, we disembarked at the beautiful Thien Mu Pagoda and explored that site. We also stopped at a private home to look at the gardens and typical central Vietnam style house. It was lunch time when we finished and this is where I really began to enjoy our guide. Her name was Tien ([email protected]) and besides speaking excellent English, she really was willing to be flexible and helpful to make this a memorable trip. I expressed my love for local Vietnamese food and she told me that the food in central Vietnam was quite a bit different than Hanoi. She asked what my favorite foods were--(Bun Cha and Banh Cuon) and proceeded to take us to a local restaurant that served both of them. She wanted to show us how these two dishes were different from Hanoi. Well, I was in heaven --and I also was able to see first hand how the locals used their locally grown foods to make an excellent dish. The noodles were different--and the pork was grilled whole pieces of meat instead of paddies. The Banh Cuon was similar except the filling had duck instead of pork. Although it was not necessary, nor expected, I paid for our guide's lunch each of the days we were with her. Of course--the total lunch bill (2 Bun Cha dishes, 5 plates of Banh Cuon and 3 drinks) was less than $5....so this was not a huge expense. But the place was clean, the food excellent and we were totally stuffed when we left!
We spent the afternoon viewing the Citadel area and also one tomb located a bit out of town. At this point the skies opened up and the rain was SHEETING down. Our guide looked at us and said we could continue with two more tombs...or call it a day and visit those tombs in the morning before we left Hue. We had been up since 4am and at that point were more than happy to head to our hotel.
I selected the hotel in Hue on TripAdvisior. I wanted a nice hotel --but didn't want to spend a great deal of money. We ended up staying at the Villa Hue. My husband says it was a mistake to stay here because it spoiled us for the rest of the trip. Nothing else compared to this hotel. The place was beautiful...and located in central Hue....easy walking distance to the Perfume River and its parkway along the banks. The rooms were gorgeous....huge....clean....and comfortable. I think it is ranked as a 3 star hotel....but it easily is a 4 star or higher. The hotel is part of the Hue Tourist College and all the hotel workers are students at the college. They really were wonderful....a bit timid...and noticeably nervous at times, but a smile and a thank you from us seemed to make them more comfortable. One of the young women bumped our breakfast table and rattled the dishes a bit. I looked up and told her jokingly that "She failed".....but I didn't see that her teacher was standing behind me! I felt horrible...but we all did laugh when I managed to get across the idea that I was just joking! Their teacher talked to me a long time--primarily because I teach in a university in Hanoi...so we were comparing jobs and students. It really was enjoyable.
We had dinner at the hotel because of the rain--and I was very glad we did! The food was wonderful....banana flower salad, Hue spring rolls, caramelized fish with the best flavored bok choy I have every tasted! We ended the evening with a shared dessert and a quick walk around the area --since the rain had eased up. It really was a lovely evening and the ambiance of the hotel made the beginning of this trip wonderful.
to be continued.................
Oct 19th, 2010, 04:17 PM
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Since our guide was part of the package, I don't know what the cost was. She is a freelance guide who contracts individually with agencies and individuals. She lives in Hue--but also covers the Hue-Danang-Hoi An area. I suggest you contact her directly at [email protected]
I asked Tien if people interested in working with her could contact her directly and she said it was welcomed. She can contract with a driver and car and basically pull together things for you. You can agree to include all entry fees--or just pay those as you go.
We talked about the cost of our tour ($480 per person) which covered all airline costs --to and from Hanoi, all entry fees, guide and driver and several high cost items such as the cable car up Ba Na Mountain and lunch on the top--and lodging for three nights and four days. She thought this was a fair price since our airline costs approached $200 alone.
I didn't get the name of the restaurant. If you are interested I suggest you contact Tien directly. I am sure she would pass on the information.
I asked Tien if people interested in working with her could contact her directly and she said it was welcomed. She can contract with a driver and car and basically pull together things for you. You can agree to include all entry fees--or just pay those as you go.
We talked about the cost of our tour ($480 per person) which covered all airline costs --to and from Hanoi, all entry fees, guide and driver and several high cost items such as the cable car up Ba Na Mountain and lunch on the top--and lodging for three nights and four days. She thought this was a fair price since our airline costs approached $200 alone.
I didn't get the name of the restaurant. If you are interested I suggest you contact Tien directly. I am sure she would pass on the information.
Oct 19th, 2010, 07:49 PM
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i have heard back from her tonight and she has quoted me $60 for 1.5 days of guiding, and $70 for a car and driver for the same time, plus $10 for the boat ride on the river.... it all seems quite good to us...
we could probably find it cheaper if we waited but to be met at the airport and then tour a bit on day one and all day the next day it just seems easy.... plus she speaks good english according to your report, so that sealed the deal....we will have her in about 2 weeks from now.....
thanks for your post
we could probably find it cheaper if we waited but to be met at the airport and then tour a bit on day one and all day the next day it just seems easy.... plus she speaks good english according to your report, so that sealed the deal....we will have her in about 2 weeks from now.....
thanks for your post
Oct 19th, 2010, 08:08 PM
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Da Nang to Hoi An
Day two of our long weekend trip began with a clear sky and cooler temperatures. We were a bit anxious because the rain the previous day was pretty severe in the late afternoon. Watching TV that night (on the huge flat panel TV) we saw terrible flooding about 200 kilometers north of Hue. Many lives were lost and thousands of people are homeless due to high water. We felt lucky missing this storm.
We started the day with an excellent breakfast at the Villa Hue Hotel. Wonderful french pastry, breads, fruit and eggs cooked to order. They had three types of jelly --banana, mango and pineapple. I tried them all and thought the banana was the tastiest. I was told that they make all the jams and pastries at the hotel.
We departed at 9am and visited two of the tombs we missed due to the rain the afternoon before. I was glad we delayed our visit to these places because the weather was perfect. Around 11am we left Hue and headed south towards Da Nang. We took the mountain pass and stopped several times along the way to photograph the beautiful coastline. At the top of the mountain pass we stopped and climbed up to see the vista - which was spectacular. You could see Da Nang and also the coastline north and south. At the top of the pass we saw for the first time some remnants of the "American War", as the Vietnamese refer to the Vietnam War. There are several machine gun bunkers and I saw one cement building with bullet holes all along the sides.
We headed down the mountain pass and into Da Nang for a late lunch at a small local restaurant. It was similar to the previous day's lunch - noodles, fresh herbs, pork, chicken and "assorted" types of sea food in a big bowl of sauce --which I think was fish sauce, sugar and some chili. Again, very good! It was a local place--plastic chairs and tables and lots of local people - no Westerners! The cost of one bowl of food was 23,000 dong or just over $1. We also tried some of the crunchy sesame type of cracker that Da Nang is famous for. They were very good and the next day we bought some at the local market to take back to Hanoi with us.
After lunch we stopped at the Cham Museum in Da Nang. As previous Fodorites have posted, it is a nice little museum that highlights some of the artifacts that were removed by the French from many of the local archeological sites. I was somewhat saddened to know that these things had been removed, but yet understood that they are preserved now for all to enjoy. I also saw later at My Son that much of the area was destroyed due to American bombing during the war. So it was a good place to stop for a short visit and get an overview of the history of the area. Like others, we had visited Ankor Wat several years previously and felt a little let down after seeing this location. This was also true the next day when we visited My Son. More on that later!
We continued on to Hoi An...driving along the China Beach area. I was amazed by the development taking place along the stretch of beach from Da Nang to Hoi An. Huge hotels, enclaves of gated communities and other very high-end types of development taking over the beach area. I told my husband that now would be a good time to buy!
We arrived at our hotel in Hoi An about 4pm. We stayed at the Thuy Doung 3 hotel in central Hoi An. The hotel's location was perfect. We were within easy walking distance of everything. Everyone was very nice and very helpful. I checked the hotel's ratings on TripAdvisor before we left and the reviews looked fine. But, we were a bit disappointed in their rooms--I think because the Villa Hue was such a nice place. These rooms were average size...the bed was large and comfortable. But the room was a bit "worn" and little things surfaced that were a bit bothersome. They advertise free Wi-fi...but to access it I had to stand on our little balcony and lean over the railing to get a signal. It wasn't a pretty picture at 6am when I was doing this in my pj's! The bathrooms were pretty small. The TV didn't have many English speaking channels. The breakfast in the morning was adequate. They had lots of fruit, eggs and a variety of breads. I think this was a pretty standard 3 star Vietnamese hotel....nothing really wrong with it, but nothing special either.
That evening we headed off to the historic area of Hoi An to check out the area. As we expected, there were lots of places to get clothes made. Also many, many good restaurants and shops. After walking about, we stopped at the Cargo Club and had a beer --sitting outside watching all the tourists wander by. We looked at their menu and decided to eat dinner there. It was a great choice. We shared a mango salad, order of "white rose" - a specialty dumpling of the area, and an order of green chicken curry. We ended our meal with a scoop of homemade lemongrass ice cream. It was a wonderful dinner - especially since we ate upstairs on the balcony overlooking the river.
Ba Na Mountain
The next morning we left for Ba Na Mountain - a "newly developed" tourist area about 30 K west of DaNang. Ba Na was developed in the 1920's as a French resort and we were told that many villas, restaurants, and clubs were built there as an escape from the heat of the coastal areas. Today you can only see remnants of the early French development because the whole top of the mountain is being developed as a modern tourist area. Several hotels have been finished and many more are being built. They also have recently completed a new Buddhist temple-- complete with a very large white statue of the Buddha on the top of the mountain. To get up the mountain, a newly opened cable car -billed as the world's longest non-stop cable car-- whisks you up to the top of the mountain. It was a beautiful day and the view from both the cable car and at the top of the mountain was wonderful. All of DaNang and the coastline unfolded at your feet.
We walked around for quite awhile looking at the newly developed facilities. We also had lunch in one of the fancy restaurants at the top. It was ok--a very typical hotel style meal with lots of food and nothing really standing out as excellent. We visited the temple and then took the cable car down the mountain. I asked Tien, our guide, about staying at the hotel at the top of the mountain. It looked like a great place! She told me that it was not great--primarily because of the humidity and cool temperatures. She said they "can't keep the place clean" because nothing dries there. The rooms are damp... The beds are damp... and it isn't pleasant. She said she had some clients that made reservations on their own--and she took them up the mountain, telling them that it might not be a good idea to stay. They didn't heed her advice --and later ended up checking out and staying at another hotel in DaNang. Since our visit I have looked at the reviews of the hotels there on TripAdvisor. It isn't pretty.....so think twice if you are inclined on staying there!
We left the area about 3pm and Tien suggested we visit My Son--the Cham culture area that afternoon because the weather was still fine. We agreed, not knowing that My Son was a good hour's drive away. We arrived at My Son about 4:30pm......and the place was empty! What a surprise. Tien said that most tourists visit early in the day and the place is packed. We walked around the site--and were not overly impressed by the area primarily because we had been to Ankor Wat. But, what made a lasting impact upon us was the surrounding environment. We knew that this site was heavily bombed during the war....thus many of the relics, towers and area were leveled. But just walking the site--especially at dusk was pretty sobering for both my husband and myself. We didn't talk much...because both of us were imagining what it was like to fight in an area like this--heavy, dense vegetation....rolling hills and mountains....wet, damp climate. It really hit home what it must have been like for the American soldiers fighting here. We left and headed back to Hoi An arriving about 6:30pm. It had been a long day--but very interesting.
Hoi An
Our last day was spent entirely in Hoi An. We spent the morning touring all the historic sites in the town center. Saw the Japanese Bridge, many of the old Vietamese/Chinese/Japanese homes and touring the local market where we purchased some breads and other Hoi An specialty foods to take back to Hanoi with us that evening. We wanted to do some shopping so Tien took us back to the hotel so we could check out. We then headed out to help improve the Hoi An economy. Bought lanterns, T shirts and other local items.
As we were wandering some of the narrow alleyways, I spotted a wonderful looking restaurant with a beautiful garden. I dragged my husband in and we had lunch there. It was great! It was called "My Secret Garden" (www.secretgardenhoian.com). I recommend it highly. The food was excellent and the ambiance of the place was superb. I wished we had found it earlier and eaten dinner there. They also have a cooking school and several people were finishing their lunch--food they made--as we came in. They seemed pleased with the experience.
Afterwards we headed back to our hotel to hang out at the pool. At 4pm we gathered our luggage and walked across the street to Rose Travel--the travel company that provided the car and driver for our trip. We hopped into a car and headed off to Da Nang airport. Check in was easy and fast. We went through security and while waiting for our flight, my husband and I both commented on the airport building. It looked like it was built in the early 60's....old and probably "modernized" several times. It seems that for those of us who were young during the 60's and 70's, a visit to Vietnam will always carry memories from those times. This was particularly true for my husband and me as we spent the weekend touring in central Vietnam.
Day two of our long weekend trip began with a clear sky and cooler temperatures. We were a bit anxious because the rain the previous day was pretty severe in the late afternoon. Watching TV that night (on the huge flat panel TV) we saw terrible flooding about 200 kilometers north of Hue. Many lives were lost and thousands of people are homeless due to high water. We felt lucky missing this storm.
We started the day with an excellent breakfast at the Villa Hue Hotel. Wonderful french pastry, breads, fruit and eggs cooked to order. They had three types of jelly --banana, mango and pineapple. I tried them all and thought the banana was the tastiest. I was told that they make all the jams and pastries at the hotel.
We departed at 9am and visited two of the tombs we missed due to the rain the afternoon before. I was glad we delayed our visit to these places because the weather was perfect. Around 11am we left Hue and headed south towards Da Nang. We took the mountain pass and stopped several times along the way to photograph the beautiful coastline. At the top of the mountain pass we stopped and climbed up to see the vista - which was spectacular. You could see Da Nang and also the coastline north and south. At the top of the pass we saw for the first time some remnants of the "American War", as the Vietnamese refer to the Vietnam War. There are several machine gun bunkers and I saw one cement building with bullet holes all along the sides.
We headed down the mountain pass and into Da Nang for a late lunch at a small local restaurant. It was similar to the previous day's lunch - noodles, fresh herbs, pork, chicken and "assorted" types of sea food in a big bowl of sauce --which I think was fish sauce, sugar and some chili. Again, very good! It was a local place--plastic chairs and tables and lots of local people - no Westerners! The cost of one bowl of food was 23,000 dong or just over $1. We also tried some of the crunchy sesame type of cracker that Da Nang is famous for. They were very good and the next day we bought some at the local market to take back to Hanoi with us.
After lunch we stopped at the Cham Museum in Da Nang. As previous Fodorites have posted, it is a nice little museum that highlights some of the artifacts that were removed by the French from many of the local archeological sites. I was somewhat saddened to know that these things had been removed, but yet understood that they are preserved now for all to enjoy. I also saw later at My Son that much of the area was destroyed due to American bombing during the war. So it was a good place to stop for a short visit and get an overview of the history of the area. Like others, we had visited Ankor Wat several years previously and felt a little let down after seeing this location. This was also true the next day when we visited My Son. More on that later!
We continued on to Hoi An...driving along the China Beach area. I was amazed by the development taking place along the stretch of beach from Da Nang to Hoi An. Huge hotels, enclaves of gated communities and other very high-end types of development taking over the beach area. I told my husband that now would be a good time to buy!
We arrived at our hotel in Hoi An about 4pm. We stayed at the Thuy Doung 3 hotel in central Hoi An. The hotel's location was perfect. We were within easy walking distance of everything. Everyone was very nice and very helpful. I checked the hotel's ratings on TripAdvisor before we left and the reviews looked fine. But, we were a bit disappointed in their rooms--I think because the Villa Hue was such a nice place. These rooms were average size...the bed was large and comfortable. But the room was a bit "worn" and little things surfaced that were a bit bothersome. They advertise free Wi-fi...but to access it I had to stand on our little balcony and lean over the railing to get a signal. It wasn't a pretty picture at 6am when I was doing this in my pj's! The bathrooms were pretty small. The TV didn't have many English speaking channels. The breakfast in the morning was adequate. They had lots of fruit, eggs and a variety of breads. I think this was a pretty standard 3 star Vietnamese hotel....nothing really wrong with it, but nothing special either.
That evening we headed off to the historic area of Hoi An to check out the area. As we expected, there were lots of places to get clothes made. Also many, many good restaurants and shops. After walking about, we stopped at the Cargo Club and had a beer --sitting outside watching all the tourists wander by. We looked at their menu and decided to eat dinner there. It was a great choice. We shared a mango salad, order of "white rose" - a specialty dumpling of the area, and an order of green chicken curry. We ended our meal with a scoop of homemade lemongrass ice cream. It was a wonderful dinner - especially since we ate upstairs on the balcony overlooking the river.
Ba Na Mountain
The next morning we left for Ba Na Mountain - a "newly developed" tourist area about 30 K west of DaNang. Ba Na was developed in the 1920's as a French resort and we were told that many villas, restaurants, and clubs were built there as an escape from the heat of the coastal areas. Today you can only see remnants of the early French development because the whole top of the mountain is being developed as a modern tourist area. Several hotels have been finished and many more are being built. They also have recently completed a new Buddhist temple-- complete with a very large white statue of the Buddha on the top of the mountain. To get up the mountain, a newly opened cable car -billed as the world's longest non-stop cable car-- whisks you up to the top of the mountain. It was a beautiful day and the view from both the cable car and at the top of the mountain was wonderful. All of DaNang and the coastline unfolded at your feet.
We walked around for quite awhile looking at the newly developed facilities. We also had lunch in one of the fancy restaurants at the top. It was ok--a very typical hotel style meal with lots of food and nothing really standing out as excellent. We visited the temple and then took the cable car down the mountain. I asked Tien, our guide, about staying at the hotel at the top of the mountain. It looked like a great place! She told me that it was not great--primarily because of the humidity and cool temperatures. She said they "can't keep the place clean" because nothing dries there. The rooms are damp... The beds are damp... and it isn't pleasant. She said she had some clients that made reservations on their own--and she took them up the mountain, telling them that it might not be a good idea to stay. They didn't heed her advice --and later ended up checking out and staying at another hotel in DaNang. Since our visit I have looked at the reviews of the hotels there on TripAdvisor. It isn't pretty.....so think twice if you are inclined on staying there!
We left the area about 3pm and Tien suggested we visit My Son--the Cham culture area that afternoon because the weather was still fine. We agreed, not knowing that My Son was a good hour's drive away. We arrived at My Son about 4:30pm......and the place was empty! What a surprise. Tien said that most tourists visit early in the day and the place is packed. We walked around the site--and were not overly impressed by the area primarily because we had been to Ankor Wat. But, what made a lasting impact upon us was the surrounding environment. We knew that this site was heavily bombed during the war....thus many of the relics, towers and area were leveled. But just walking the site--especially at dusk was pretty sobering for both my husband and myself. We didn't talk much...because both of us were imagining what it was like to fight in an area like this--heavy, dense vegetation....rolling hills and mountains....wet, damp climate. It really hit home what it must have been like for the American soldiers fighting here. We left and headed back to Hoi An arriving about 6:30pm. It had been a long day--but very interesting.
Hoi An
Our last day was spent entirely in Hoi An. We spent the morning touring all the historic sites in the town center. Saw the Japanese Bridge, many of the old Vietamese/Chinese/Japanese homes and touring the local market where we purchased some breads and other Hoi An specialty foods to take back to Hanoi with us that evening. We wanted to do some shopping so Tien took us back to the hotel so we could check out. We then headed out to help improve the Hoi An economy. Bought lanterns, T shirts and other local items.
As we were wandering some of the narrow alleyways, I spotted a wonderful looking restaurant with a beautiful garden. I dragged my husband in and we had lunch there. It was great! It was called "My Secret Garden" (www.secretgardenhoian.com). I recommend it highly. The food was excellent and the ambiance of the place was superb. I wished we had found it earlier and eaten dinner there. They also have a cooking school and several people were finishing their lunch--food they made--as we came in. They seemed pleased with the experience.
Afterwards we headed back to our hotel to hang out at the pool. At 4pm we gathered our luggage and walked across the street to Rose Travel--the travel company that provided the car and driver for our trip. We hopped into a car and headed off to Da Nang airport. Check in was easy and fast. We went through security and while waiting for our flight, my husband and I both commented on the airport building. It looked like it was built in the early 60's....old and probably "modernized" several times. It seems that for those of us who were young during the 60's and 70's, a visit to Vietnam will always carry memories from those times. This was particularly true for my husband and me as we spent the weekend touring in central Vietnam.
Oct 20th, 2010, 08:22 AM
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This is a perfect report for me personally, because the Hue/HoiAn area will be a 5-day portion of our spring trip to VN. I'm just curious why you spent the time to go up Ba Na Mountain --- from your description, it sounds like not much more than a good view!
Oct 20th, 2010, 04:58 PM
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My husband is an American Buddhist and together with our travel agent we thought it might be a nice view and a nice temple to see. In addition, I am a geographer interested in tourism development and I wanted to see how this area was being developed. It was an interesting day --but if you have no interest in those things and don't want a short escape from the heat, I would skip it. It also is pretty expensive--based upon Vietnamese standards. The ticket for the cable car was something like 220,000 each --which was built into our tour price.
Oct 20th, 2010, 05:16 PM
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Before I close out this trip report and move on to Thailand (We leave tomorrow for 10 days) I want to give a final "thumbs up" for Binh Tours. (www.binhtours.com)
Several days ago I received an email from Ms. Anh inviting my husband and myself to the agency for lunch. They wanted to "debrief" about the trip and check to see if they could have improved their services. We went yesterday and had a grand time. Yesterday was Vietnamese Woman's Day and one of my former students who works at the agency gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers in honor of the day. We had a very lovely "hot pot" lunch .... and enjoyed experiencing a typical work-day meal with all of the employees of the agency. My husband and I both commented that it was interesting to experience the "communal" style of eating of the Vietnamese. Everyone has a small bowl and a set of chopsticks. You take a bit of this ...eat it... and then take a bit of that. And of course the Vietnamese are great hosts and are always putting the best bits of "this and that" into your bowl to try.
We left after lunch and walked a few blocks to West Lake and wandered along its shores for awhile before catching the 14 bus back to the university where we are staying.
I haven't given any major "plugs" for travel agencies on this forum before, but since we had such good luck--I am going to give one for Binhtours. They really went all out to make our weekend in central Vietnam a wonderful experience. I recommend them highly if you want to arrange tours, flights or anything in Vietnam. In addition, they booked our airline tickets to Bangkok for us. They are honest and seem willing and ready to personalize any travel experiences you might want to have.
Several days ago I received an email from Ms. Anh inviting my husband and myself to the agency for lunch. They wanted to "debrief" about the trip and check to see if they could have improved their services. We went yesterday and had a grand time. Yesterday was Vietnamese Woman's Day and one of my former students who works at the agency gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers in honor of the day. We had a very lovely "hot pot" lunch .... and enjoyed experiencing a typical work-day meal with all of the employees of the agency. My husband and I both commented that it was interesting to experience the "communal" style of eating of the Vietnamese. Everyone has a small bowl and a set of chopsticks. You take a bit of this ...eat it... and then take a bit of that. And of course the Vietnamese are great hosts and are always putting the best bits of "this and that" into your bowl to try.
We left after lunch and walked a few blocks to West Lake and wandered along its shores for awhile before catching the 14 bus back to the university where we are staying.
I haven't given any major "plugs" for travel agencies on this forum before, but since we had such good luck--I am going to give one for Binhtours. They really went all out to make our weekend in central Vietnam a wonderful experience. I recommend them highly if you want to arrange tours, flights or anything in Vietnam. In addition, they booked our airline tickets to Bangkok for us. They are honest and seem willing and ready to personalize any travel experiences you might want to have.
Oct 20th, 2010, 07:35 PM
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Whoops - a minor mistake in my post above. Binhtours has an English website--I referenced their French website above.
http://indochinaonestop.com/
and a direct email to their English speaking agent that I worked with is:
[email protected]
In my rush to get things posted, I didn't double check the links.
So...we are now onward to Bangkok in the morning. I asked many questions on this leg of our trip on this forum so it will be interesting to see how things work out. We are starting at the ROS in Bangkok--thanks to the "crazy deal" post several weeks ago. Then we are taking the train to Chiang Mai and staying at a hotel recommended on this site. Next taking a bus (as recommended here) on to Chiang Rai and flying back to BKK and staying in airport area so we can catch our flight back to Hanoi the next morning. Stay tuned for detailed trip report when we return.
Bon Voyage!
http://indochinaonestop.com/
and a direct email to their English speaking agent that I worked with is:
[email protected]
In my rush to get things posted, I didn't double check the links.
So...we are now onward to Bangkok in the morning. I asked many questions on this leg of our trip on this forum so it will be interesting to see how things work out. We are starting at the ROS in Bangkok--thanks to the "crazy deal" post several weeks ago. Then we are taking the train to Chiang Mai and staying at a hotel recommended on this site. Next taking a bus (as recommended here) on to Chiang Rai and flying back to BKK and staying in airport area so we can catch our flight back to Hanoi the next morning. Stay tuned for detailed trip report when we return.
Bon Voyage!
Oct 20th, 2010, 07:42 PM
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looking forward to more...
what were you charged for the transfers to hoi an from hue and from HA to danang?
thanks...
tien quoted me $70 from hue to hoi an but i think earlier the hotel had told me $45... it all adds up
what were you charged for the transfers to hoi an from hue and from HA to danang?
thanks...
tien quoted me $70 from hue to hoi an but i think earlier the hotel had told me $45... it all adds up
Oct 21st, 2010, 02:22 AM
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I can't really answer your question because we booked a complete "tour" with Binhtours. As I mentioned earlier I paid $480pp for the four day tour--or $960 for two. This included airfare from Hanoi to Hue and DaNang to Hanoi. I think the airfare alone was close to $200pp....so the remainder of our tour (hotels, car, driver, and entry fees) was probably about $280pp or $550+. Hotel was probably about $150 for three nights and entry fees were probably around $100 leaving about $310 for guide, car, driver and travel agency for four days.
Not sure this helps....but it is just an estimate.
I imagine booking these things separately would save $$$...but as I mentioned in my first post, I was tight on time and it seemed to be easiest to just let someone else do the "legwork" for us. We were happy with the result and really had a wonderful time.
Not sure this helps....but it is just an estimate.
I imagine booking these things separately would save $$$...but as I mentioned in my first post, I was tight on time and it seemed to be easiest to just let someone else do the "legwork" for us. We were happy with the result and really had a wonderful time.
