Vietnam 2019 - Goodbye Da Nang...

“Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving...” - Terry Pratchett

(Danang International Airport)

Day 04: Da Nang – KL 

04 November 2019

(With Normah, my besan, waiting for the airport transfer)

After a heavy breakfast, we packed our bags and the van sent us to Da Nang Airport. We were quite early and had ample time to stroll the duty free shops and bought some souvenirs before we boarded the noon flight.

We reached KLIA2 safely in late afternoon. 

Alhamdulillah…

👈👈Our 2019 Great 4x4 Adventure
2019 Culture and Heritage in Hoi An Old Town 👉👉

Vietnam 2019 - Culture and Heritage in Hoi An Old Town...

"Storms don't come to teach us painful lessons, rather they were meant to wash us clean..." - Shannon L. Alder

(Japanese Bridge at the Heritage Town of Hoi An)

Day 03: Hoi An Old Town and My Khe Beach
03 November 2019

(Another heavy breakfast to start the day)

This morning we started early to visit Hoi An Old City. On the way we made a brief stop at a Marble Shop and Showroom. Here we had the opportunity to watch the making of marble ornaments and shopped for small marble souvenirs.

(Local scenes souvenirs for sale)

(Various colours of marble sculptures)

We reached Hoi An early and visited a Silk Factory before we began our tour of the old city. Hoi An is situated on the coast of central Vietnam and is home to colonial architecture, rich culture, and breath-taking beaches. Visitors are enchanted by the relaxed pace of life and stunning local attractions of Hoi An.

(Silk worm cocoons before processing into silk threads)

(The ladies nimble fingers sewing using silk threads)

(Colourful table cloths and cushion covers)

Every nook and cranny of the UNESCO protected Ancient Town is picturesque. The whole town is somewhat of an outdoor art gallery with centuries-old tea houses painted in a distinctive golden hue. There are lantern-decorated alleyways, quiet canals, colourful bridges, noisy market places and peaceful locals going about their daily life. Cars are not allowed in the old town. Tourists could rent bicycles or ride on the rickshaw to go around the old city.

(A street vendor selling fruits and local delicacies)

(A rickshaw to transport tourists around town)

(An old coffee shop in the old town)

(A coffee shop by the river, full of tourists)

One of the iconic attractions in Ho An is the Japanese Covered Bridge dating back to the 18th century. It was built by the Japanese then residing in Hoi An as a means of getting to the Chinese quarter. It is especially photogenic at night with the reflection of the lights on the water surface.

(The 18th Century Japanese Bridge)

(Hot and sunny weather in Hoi An)

We visited Tan Ky, a Merchant Heritage House Established in the 17th Century. It is one of the most famous architectural buildings in Hoi An, blending Japanese, Chinese architectural styles. The house has been the home for the family for seven generations.

(One of the Heritage House in town)

(The long history of Tan Ky House)

(A typical souvenir shop in Hoi An)

(A colourful decorated bistro)

(Only rickshaws and bicycles are allowed in Hoi An)

The Thu Bon River runs through the Ancient Town. During the day, the river is busy with fishing boats and cruise boats ferrying locals and tourists. River cruises are a popular activity and vibrant coloured boats are moored by the riverside waiting for passengers.

(The busy Thu Bon River)

(A river vendor selling local goods)

(Taking a rest after a long walk)

There are a few Chinese Temples in Hoi An and we visited one of them. There are many souvenir shops too. They are super colorful and lively. A wide variety of items are sold here, from local crafted souvenirs, clothes, handbags, shoes and jewellery. You could get a good low price depending on your bargaining power.

(One of the many Chinese Temple in the old town)

(Offerings and prayers in the old temple)

We had lunch at Zaytun Restaurant situated in Hoi An Old city. The restaurant serves Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines as well as western dishes.

(Kebab wraps and lentil soup for lunch)

(Nan bread and hot spicy curry)

(Antique cars for rental)

After lunch we drove back to our hotel where we performed our prayers and had a short rest before we drove to My Khe Beach a short distance away from our hotel. My Khe Beach has developed a reputation for being one of the most luxurious beaches in Vietnam. From the beach we could see the white statue of Guan Yim Buddha standing at Chua Linh Ung Bai But Temple, the tallest and most impressive measuring 67 m in height. The Lady Buddha casts a protective gaze over Da Nang, with her striking white figure visible from almost any point in the city.

(Bai Bien Beach)

(Tall hotel buildings along the beautiful beach)

(The rough sea and the white Lady Buddha statue)

After a few photo shots at the beach we went to Han Market again as some of us wanted to buy some more souvenirs. After Han Market we went to Big C Supermarket and Parkson for a last minute shopping.

Tonight we had dinner at Mumtaz Restaurant again.

👈👈 2019 Goodbye Da Nang

2019 Ba Na Hills and Lang Co Lagoon 👉👉

Vietnam 2019 - Ba Na Hills and Lang Co Lagoon...

"A great storm is like a sunny day to a person of great faith. A gentle wind is like a great storm to a person of great fear..." - Matshona Dhliwayo

(Holding on tight to our raincoats at the Golden Bridge)

Day 02: Ba Na Hills and Lang Co Lagoon
02 November 2019

(Starters for the heavy breakfast)

We had heavy breakfast in the hotel café before our road trip to Ba Na Hills located 90 minutes’ drive from Da Nang’s city centre. It was raining quite heavily when we arrived at the foot of Ba Na Hills.

(The Sun World is still in Halloween mood)

(Riding the cable car to the top)

We had to walk quite a distance to the Cable Car Station and passed through beautiful landscaped gardens with East Asia-themed decorations. The bright yellow bricks are iconic to the houses that are found in Hoi An Ancient Town. There are also straw houses and even a section which represents a bamboo forest.

(Beautiful landscape and ambiance)

(Passing canals and bridges to the Cable Car Station)

The Monsoon rain is here. We came prepared with our rain coats, the rest in the group bought theirs at the souvenir shops. Without rain-coats or umbrellas, they will be soaked to the skin because of the non-stop heavy showers. The ride in the cable cars was exciting though the view of the surrounding was quite limited because of the heavy rain. At the start of the ride we could view the beautiful Toc Tien Waterfall before we ascended, literally, into the clouds.

(The cable car ticket to the top)

(A long queue but fast moving)

Ba Na Hills is one of the newest attractions in Vietnam. It is a mountaintop resort complex that looks like a medieval castle, but inside these stone walls are beautiful gardens, modern accommodations, world class restaurants and a Fantasy Park full of exciting rides.

(We were ready in our rain coats)

(The sky is clearing up for a little while)

The most popular attraction of Ba Na Hills is The Golden Bridge. This incredible 150-metre-long walking bridge is 1,400 m above sea level. The gigantic hands, which appear to be emerging from the forested hillside, proudly hold a golden walkway that offers awe-inspiring views of the mountain landscape during clear day. It was raining and very windy when we walked across The Golden Bridge but it was fun to take pictures of us in our flapping rain-coats in the rain.

(Misty and raining heavily on the Golden Bridge)

(Trying to hold our rain coats in the strong wind)

(A blurry glimpse of the golden hands)

We passed the Paradise Garden which has mosaic designs floor and stone sculptures of human hands, ears and legs and visited the Le Jardin d’Amour, translates to The Love Garden. It is a famous flower garden with nine different themes. Each garden has a different style of architecture and a unique story. It is a picturesque location filled with bright and colourful flowers.

(Visiting the many gardens of Ba Na Hills)

(Strange statues along the route)

(The Jardin Garden with colurful flowers)

(A photo spot for visitors)

While others were engrossed with picture taking, we entered the Maze Garden through the Secret Garden and for a while got lost in the labyrinth of the maze until we retraced our route back to the entrance.

(Looking for the way out of the maze)

(An old windmill in the flower garden)

(Another one of the gardens)

Later we visited the 100-year-old Debay Wine Cellar next to the Grape Garden. Old Debay Wine Cellar was a peculiar hallmark constructed by French colonialists that involved a deep tunnel through Ba Na Mountain in 1923. The wine cellar runs 100 m deep and is always kept at an ideal temperature between 16’ and 20’ C.

(Exploring the old cellar)

(A dinner party in the cellar)

We rode the cable car again, ascending to an elevation of 1,500 m high to the Magic Village, French Village and finally the Fantasy Park. We strolled in the rain trying to catch glimpses of the Magic Village and the French Village through thick mist and rain. The cobblestone streets and European-style buildings are remarkably well-built.

(Too foggy for a photo shot)

(Silhouette of the French Village, in heavy rain)

In the Fantasy Park, like any other amusement park there are plenty of rides and things to do to while away our time. One could visit the Wax Museum for a fee to see wax figures of politicians and celebrities from all over the world.

(Having fun at the Dinosaur Park)

(A headless man)

(The Wax Museum)

By 2:00 pm we rode the cable car and descended to the foot of Ba Na Hills. From there we drove to Lang Co Lagoon via the Hai Van Tunnel, which opened in 2005. It is 6.2 km and is the longest tunnel in Southeast Asia. It is a toll road and motorbikes are not allowed to drive through.

Lang Co is a small town on the other side of the Hai Van Pass. It is an enormous seawater lagoon that's stocked with shellfish farms growing mussels, oysters and clams. And it has miles and miles of coast. The town itself is rather unattractive but people visit Lang Co to have seafood meals at one of the many restaurants perched on the lagoon.

(The lagoon at Lang Co)

(A lone boat by the sandy shore)

We had a sumptuous seafood lunch at the Lagoon Café and later wade the shallow water to the beautiful rafts for photo opportunity of the beautiful and tranquil view of the lagoon.

(A seafood floating restaurant at the lagoon)

(Wading the shallow water to the round wooden raft)

On the way back to Da Nang, we took a different route via the scenic Hai Van Pass. We had to cross the bridge south of Lang Co and then stopped for a train to pass. A short distance away there was an accident involving a large container. We were lucky that our van managed to pass through. The Hai Van Pass is one of the most scenic routes in Vietnam, snaking its way through the coast and up the mountains. It reaches up to 500 m in altitude, making it the highest pass in Vietnam. The meandering road leads to some American outlook ruins from the war and the views of the surrounding landscape was amazingly breath-taking from the top.

(Crossing the bridge to the Hai Van Pass route)

(Waiting for train crossing on the way to the pass)

As it was already late, we stopped at a petrol station on the way to Da Nang to perform our prayers in the van. When we arrived in town we drove direct to Han Market to shop for souvenirs. Han Market is Da Nang’s largest market with an endless array of goods from food and spices to clothing and trinkets and you must have some bargaining skills to get the right pricing.

Later we had our dinner at Brunei Simpur Restaurant. The restaurant is popular with Malaysian and Singaporeans and serves halal Brunei and Malay cuisine.

(A simple light dinner at Simpur Restaurant)

👈👈 2019 Culture and Heritage in Hoi An Old Town

2019 The Storm is brewing in Da Nang 👉👉