Champa Ruins and Hoi An Day-Trip from Da Nang

Traversing Vietnam from South to North in 10 Days – Day 3

Today, we flew to Da Nang – a coastal cityΒ of Vietnam and the largest city of Central Vietnam. It is locatedΒ midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It does not share the hustle-bustle of either of them. Da Nang is popular for its own city beach and beautiful bridges. The bridges lit up in the evening making the city look beautiful. The city is just by the East Vietnam Sea with Han river passing through the heart of the city. The cityΒ is used to be a French colonial port. Its close proximity to ancient cities of charming Hoi An, Champa ruins at My Son, and imperial capital of Hue makes it a popular vacationing spot for taking day trips or transit city for your onward journey.

Highlights of the Day

  • Fly to Da Nang
  • Stop at Marble Mountains
  • Vegan Lunch at Lovely Hut
  • Explore Champa Ruins at My Son
  • Ancient City of Hoi An
  • Vegan Dinner at Karma Waters

Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang

Our flight to Da Nang from Ho Chi Minh City was at 7.45 AM with Vietjet. It is an economical airline of Vietnam. The reception staff of our Ecobackpackers Hostel arranged a taxi for us to the airport. We reached airport well before time. So we had some time to grab some veggie Bahn Mi for breakfast.

View of Han river from the flight
The flight departed Tan Son Nhat Airport of HCMC at 7.45 AM and within an hour, we were crossing the Han river of Da Nang – the flight was on time
Shadow of the plane while landing at Da Nang airport
We smoothly landed at Da Nang at around 9 AM, where our kind driver was waiting to pick us up

We had booked rooms at Funtastic Beach Hostel, which is close to the beach. Also, we arranged a car for us with a driver for day-trip to Champa ruins and Hoi An. The driver was supposed to pick us up from Da Nang airport. He took us to the hostel, and waited for us while we dumped our luggage there and freshened up. Then he took us to the Champa ruins at My Son and also Hoi An ancient city. Finally, he dropped us back to our hostel at Da Nang.

Getting TrainΒ Tickets in Vietnam

It was difficult to book the tickets from the railway website. You need to have Vietnam bank cards for that and we did not have them of course. It is better to book from agents though we booked from the station directly.

On the way to our hostel, we requested the driver to stop at the railway station of Da Nang. We had to get the train tickets from Dong Hoi to Hanoi for day 5 and from Hanoi to Lao CaiΒ for day 8.

Getting the tickets directly from the station was not tough at all. As you enter the railway ticket office, you have to take a coupon. Wait for your coupon number that would appear on the LED screen. When your turn comes, go to the railway ticket officer. Give him or her the details of your train journey. He or she would handle you the tickets after you pay the amount directly. They accept both dong and dollars.

Check-In at Funtastic Beach Hostel

The hostel we had finally booked was only a minute away from the city beach. We had booked one room with a double bed and two bunk beds with private bathroomΒ andΒ a double room with shared bathroom.

Reception at Funtastic Beach Hostel, Da Nang
At Funtastic Beach Hostel, the friendly staff who was well fluently conversant in English allowed us to check in early as the rooms were available
Entertainment on ground floor at Funtastic Beach Hostel, Da Nang
The hostel has luggage storage facility, ticketing and laundry services, and also foosball table in the common lounge area – which was my favorite part
Bedroom for 4 in Funtastic Beach Hostel, Da Nang
Our room was simply furnished with tiled flooring, air conditioning, a clothes rack, towels and clean linens
Room for 4 in Funtastic Beach Hostel, Da Nang
Our room for 4 had private bathroom facility while the double room we had booked had shared bathroom facilities, both with shower and free toiletries

On the Way to My Son Ruins

It was 11 AM when we left the hostel. The first thing we did was we picked up two 5-l water bottles for us and kept in the car. We were also hungry enough. The driver knew we prefer vegetarian food, so he stopped by a lovely vegan restaurant called Lovely Hut on the way to the ruins. The food was economical, delicious, and on top of that, it was cruelty-free.

Lovely Hut is a vegan restaurant on the way to My Son ruins
The country is dotted with Loving Hut vegan restaurants inspired by Supreme Master Ching Hai, who serves vegan food, non-alcoholic beverages, and desserts in the restaurants – besides, the place also sells some packaged mock meats, cooking sauces, and cookies
Menu at Lovely Hut, Da Nang
The restaurant had English menu with pictures, which made it very easy for us to order
Spring rolls ordered at Lovely Hut, Da Nang
When it is Vietnamese local food, spring rolls make an important and regular appetizer
Stir-fried veg noodles ordered at Lovely Hut, Da Nang
The stir-fried vegan noodles was simply delicious
Vegan Pho ordered at Lovely Hut, Da Nang
Pho has become my all-time favorite – one bowl of it is so filling
Marble mountains on the way to My Son ruins
After lunch, within a minute or two on our left side, we came across a cluster of five marble and limestone hills, called Marble Mountains – a photo-stop on the way
To the top of Marble Mountains
You can take the escalator to the top and walk to the topmost point that offers a great view of the city and its surrounding along with stretches of East Vietnam Sea

Champa Ruins at My Son

I had studied of the ChamsΒ or Cham peopleΒ of the Champa kingdom in the history of Southeast Asia. They migrated here during the 2nd-4th century and populated the central and southern Vietnam up to the mid-15th century forming the My Son civilization. The My Son sanctuaryΒ is locatedΒ around 50 km south-west of Da Nang. We reached there in around 1.5 h.

The opening time of the My Son sanctuary is 6 AM to 5 PM, and the entrance fee is quite high – 150,000 d or 7.5 $, but it is worth a visit.

It is listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main reason is because it carries outstanding universal value for the people of Vietnam, for Southeast Asia, for societies across the world. It is mainly because of the two criteria:

  1. Cham people were an ethnic group of Austronesian origin in Southeast Asia. They were adapting to external cultural influences, for exampleΒ the Hindu art and architecture of the Indian subcontinent. SoΒ the My Son Sanctuary is an exceptional example of cultural interchange.
  2. Moreover, the Champa kingdomΒ was an important episode in the political and cultural history of Southeast Asia. It is graphicallyΒ illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower temples in My Son.
Entrance of the My Son Sanctuary
When you enter the site, you would find a board mentioning that the site is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site and few steps ahead, you would come across a museum on your right side
Inside the museum of My Son Sanctuary
It is highly recommended to visit the museum before you scamper about the ruins as the museum will help you identify and understand the Hindu symbolism and mythology shown in the architectural pattern of the ruins
Shiva linga paired with Shakti yoni in the museum of My Son Sanctuary
The symbolical representation of the Hindu God Shiva in the form of a linga, which is a male phallus, paired with the goddess Shakti in the form of a yoni, which is a female womb, is one of the most important representations that you will see in Champa culture – together they symbolize the axis of the universe and creation
Know more about Champa dynasty
To know more about it, you can visit the Cham Museum in Da Nang city, which has the best stonework and statues from the Champa dynasty
Map of My Son Sanctuary Ruins
My Son sanctuary is a semi-circular valley of about 2 km in diameter, with around 72 monuments at the time of its discovery

The site was discovered by a French architect, archaeologist, and art historian Henri Parmentier and his colleagues. They began excavating and documenting the site in 1887. Today, you can only see groups of towers simply dotted throughout the forest. The temples are in varying states of repair, with restoration stillΒ undergoing.

Small bridge past the museum in the My Son sanctuary
After the museum, we came across a small bridge past which, there was the tram station
Electric buggies at the My Son sanctuary
The open-sided electric trams shuttle tourists 2 km along the paved jungle road to the foot of the site – you have to walk and explore the rest of the site
Walking track to the ruins
At the drop-off point, there is a food joint, toilet, and also an office from where you can take a guide, though we did not take any guide – we followed a walking path that is unidirectional and leads in a large loop through the complex
Ruins at the My Son sanctuary
The temples are situated in 10 groups, labeled A-L
Ruins at the My Son sanctuary
Four of the sites (A, B-C-D, E-F, and G) are located in the same general vicinity
Ruins at the My Son sanctuary
The H, K, and L ruins are separate
Ruins at the My Son sanctuary
All the sites are clearly marked on large maps situated frequently throughout the ruins
Ruins at the My Son sanctuary
The walking path is mostly flat, with the exception of a small hill with stairs by Group G
Ruins at the My Son sanctuary
If you are climbing to see the temples of Groups H or L, you will need to follow dirt hiking paths through the jungle
Ruins at the My Son sanctuary
I found the setting very spectacular though the scorching sun can put you off – do not forget putting your Vietnamese hats on for that

We spent one whole hour exploring the ruins, and came back by the same path by taking the tram ride back to the entrance of the site. History had always been so interesting, so I had a great time indeed. We left the site at around 2 PM and proceeded east to Hoi An ancient town, which is around 40 km from the My Son sanctuary, which we reached in another hour.

Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi AnΒ traded withΒ countries of Southeast and East Asia and also with the rest of the world.

While My Son was the spiritual capital of the Champa kingdom, Hoi An acted as the commercial capital. It wasΒ the principal port fromΒ 15th to 19th centuries. Even after its decline, it has managed to retain its traditional and original form till the date. Now it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, mainly because of the following reasons:

  1. Hoi An is an outstanding evidenceΒ of the fusion of cultures, both indigenous and foreign. You will find especiallyΒ Chinese and Japanese with later European influences. All these influences have survived uniquelyΒ in itsΒ traditional wooden buildings, organically developed street plan, and itsΒ beautiful setting by theΒ north bank near the mouth of the Thu Bon River.
  2. Hoi An is also anΒ exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional South East Asian trading port and commercial center.

It was almost 3.30 PM when we reached Hoi An ancient town. Our car parked outside the ancient town. Outside vehicles are not allowed beyond that zone, except cyclos (cycle rickshaws) and bicycles. So from there, we had to walk down the street.

Outside the ticket office at Hoi An
This small traditional yellow building is actually the ticket office from where we picked our tickets for visiting few attractions of the old town

You have to purchase a ticket worth 120,000 d or 6 $ to get access of any of the five attractions in the ancient city. It can be any of theΒ museums, old houses, assembly halls, handicraft workshops or traditional theater, and either the Japanese Covered Bridge or the Quan Cong Temple.

Open fruit market at Hoi An
There is an open fruit market, which spreads an aroma of Southeast Asian tropical fruits just before you enter the riverside street of the ancient town
Cyclos in the ancient town
Cycles try to rip you off by charging 300,000 vnd or 15 $ for taking you around the old town – we preferred walking though

I would help you with a rough plan below that you may use when you visit Hoi An, without getting confused to choose the five attractions as per the coupon:

  1. First, you may choose one of the two landmarks of Hoi An:

    i. Japanese Covered Bridge’s Pagoda
    , whichΒ is in one corner of the bridge that was constructed in the early 17th centuryΒ by the Japanese community
    ii. Quan Cong Temple, which is a small, 17th-century Chinese pagoda temple decorated with elaborate statues and artwork

    Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An
    Japanese Covered Bridge was constructed in the early 17th century by the Japanese community and there is a pagoda in one of the corners of the bridge
  2. Second, you may choose any of the fourΒ museums in the Old Town:

    i. Museum of Folk Culture
    , which documents the dress and culture of rural Vietnam
    ii. Museum of Trade Ceramics, a beautiful house thatΒ displays broken pottery of the old era
    iii. Hoi An Museum of History and Culture, whichΒ contains some old black and white photos of the 20th century, 9th century bricks and tiles from the Champa period, an old canon, and some 2,000-yΒ old pots
    iv. Museum of Sa Huynh Culture, whichΒ consists of pottery and urns from the 1st and 2nd centuries

    Museum of Folklore in Hoi An
    Museum of Folklore in Hoi An holds sculptures of dress and culture of rural Vietnam
    Traditional boat in Museum of Folklore, Hoi An
    Wooden boat inside the Museum of Folklore, which was used sometime within 15th-19th century when Hoi An was an important trading port

    Sculpture in Museum of Folklore, Hoi An
    Sculpture of people of old Hoi An in the Museum of Folklore
  3. Third, you may choose to visit any of the three old houses:

    i. Phung Hung House
    , which is a traditional two-story wooden house, inhabited over 100 years by 8Β generations, and is considered as the cultural heritage of the town
    ii. Quan Thang House,Β whichΒ is over 150-y old house ofΒ ChineseΒ architecture style
    iii. Tan Ky House, which shows the interminglement of Japanese and Chinese influences in its architecture

    Beautiful bridges on Thu Bon river, Hoi An
    The small bridges connecting the other side of Hoi An ancient city across the Thu Bon river were beautifully designed – they looked picture-perfect when the sun went down and the decoration was lit up
  4. Fourth, you may visit any of the numerous congregation halls, where Chinese expatriate residents socialized and held meetings:

    i. Cantonese Assembly Hall
    Β from the 19th century
    ii. Hokien (Fujian) Meeting HallΒ from the 18th century
    iii. Chinese All-Community Meeting HallΒ from the 19th century

    Street plan of Hoi An
    The street plan of the ancient city was impressive as it was lined by buildings for convenient customer access while the backs of the buildings open to the river allowing easy loading and off-loading of goods from boat
  5. Finally, you mayΒ choose one of the following to getΒ an idea of the impalpableΒ culture of ancient Hoi An:i. Hoi An Handicraft Workshop, where folk music performances are offered
    ii. Hoi An TraditionalΒ Theater,Β where folk shows are offered showing the cultural influences on Hoi An
    iii. Swan Boats on the river near the footbridge – it is a great experience to witness Hoi An from the river especially when the sun is setting

    Hoi An Traditional Art Performance Theater
    If you want to picture the history of Hoi An – a center of cultural interminglement among Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese – then visiting Hoi An Traditional Art Performance Theater is must
    Hoi An ancient city lits up beautifully in the evening
    When the sun sets, the whole ancient city is lit up beautifully
    A child selling paper lanterns
    Putting paper lanterns with small candles inside on the river while making a wish is considered to bring good luck, which I do not believe of course, and moreover, it was sad to see children selling paper lanterns to tourists
    One of the many boat restaurants on the river of Hoi An
    There are many boat restaurants on the river where you may choose to dine, keeping in mind they are very crowded and the food is very expensive as compared to what you would get inside the city
    Hoi An Ancient City
    We spent 3 lovely hours exploring the beautifully preserved ancient city – a memory to cherish forever – we would come back again for sure and should stay here for few more days – the city is too beautiful

    Dinner at Karma Waters

The food was delicious and economical, served by happy and smiling staff.

If you are a vegan, even if you are a vegetarian or a healthy eater, choose Karma Waters to dine at while in Hoi An. It is located in the center ofΒ the ancient city. Our driver took us there and waited for almost an hour while we enjoyed our healthy and organic vegan dinner.

Noodles ordered at Karma Waters Restaurant, Hoi An Ancient City
Stir-fried vegan noodles
Burger ordered at Karma Waters Restaurant, Hoi An Ancient City
Vegan burger
Veg fritters ordered at Karma Waters Restaurant, Hoi An Ancient City
Vegan fritters
Philosophy of Karma Waters Restaurant, Hoi An Ancient City
The philosophy of Karma Waters is that they are creating sustainable communities by providing and promoting a healthy organic vegan lifestyle – the message was a perfect ending to such a beautiful day

After dinner, the driver drove us safely to our hostel at Da Nang within an hour. It was an extremely long day for us. I would advise you to spend at least two nights or maybe more in Da Nang or Hoi An. We were very tired even though we had the comfort of the car. The next day would be long too as we have plans to explore Hue – the Imperial City! Goodnight!

NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN USD)

Let us have a look at the expenses of Day 3 inΒ Vietnam – Da Nang.

  • Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang (flight): 60.5
  • Hostel in Da Nang for single bed (1 night): 10
  • Getting around: 15
  • Entrance fee of the places in My Son and Hoi An: 13.5
  • Food: 10

Total expense (roughly):Β 109 USD

For an overall idea of itinerary and expense of the trip,Β whether for soloΒ or couple or group of any number of people, feel free toΒ contact me onΒ Contact UsΒ page. You can also have a look atΒ Traversing Vietnam from South to North in 10 Days – Itinerary and Expenses.

If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays atΒ Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!

26 thoughts on “Champa Ruins and Hoi An Day-Trip from Da Nang”

  1. All the food you had looks delicious! It’s a good tip to visit the museum before the Champa Ruins so you know more about what you are seeing. I think it would be fun to ride the tram along the jungle road!

  2. So I will admit that Vietnam is definitely on my bucket list but I know so little about it. I will say though that I am definitely adding a day or two to explore Hoi An. What a unique area to explore. The food alone there looks amazing but I would definitely want to first explore the Champa Ruins and then spend another day checking out Hoi An proper. Love the hostels you stayed at. People are always shocked when I tell them that Darcee & I stay in Hostels but if they only saw ones like the Funtastic then they would realize they are just as nice as most expensive hotels!

  3. A friend of mine recently travelled to Vietnam and she had such amazing things to say about that country. She’s really well-travelled and Vietnam is one of her favourite countries! It’s a pity that you cannot book train tickets online because you need to have one of the local bank cards. For tourists, it can be a bit painful to physically go to the train station to buy, no? Nevertheless, the country looks beautiful! Your guide is a good one to refer to when I plan mine in 2019.

  4. I loved Vietnam so much! Hoi An was definitely one of my favourite little towns too, so quaint and pretty. And I absolutely adored all the food!!

  5. I’m really craving some Vietnamese spring rolls after seeing that photo! They’re so delicious. I remember visiting My Son and having an excellent time! It’s so incredible to explore, and you learn a lot about the history too. Hoi Anh’s another place I remember very well, just so pretty!

  6. What a great trip you had through Vietnam. You really filled your day in Da Nang with a tour of nearby sights and Hoi An! Seeing 5 places in Hoi An during three hours sounds rushed. I wonder why the list is divided into five categories like that. Great tip on going to the train station to buy all your tickets since you can’t do it online without a Vietnamese card without having to pay an agency. Looking forward to more tips!

  7. On your day trip to Danang and My Son sanctuary to see the ruins, it was raining non stop all day! It was winter when we went so the rain made the day quite cool. That open air shuttle was so cold as the wind hit our faces. Loved the ruins and the walk around to go and see them. Wouldn’t say it was impressive as such but certainly worth the day trip. We stayed in Hoi An for 5 days and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and of course the food was to die for!

  8. I traveled to Vietnam a few times and loved it every single time. The train bookings were a hustle and I didn’t really like the buses and I think the best way to explore the country north to south is by motorbike πŸ™‚ Still, you managed to cover a lot in just a few hours and seems like you had a great time. Thank you for sharing this article, it brought back so many nice memories

  9. One of the reasons why I loved Vietnam was because of the ruins. They are spread across the country. Too bad I missed Champa ruins. Maybe next time. Your post has given me idea what not to miss next time πŸ™‚

  10. Vietnam is on my list for next year and as I have just started staying in hostels, it’s nice to know if a good recommendation. Will definitely add in time. Looks like I would need several weeks to explore the country properly, especially to try all of the food. I’m a pho fanatic like you!

  11. I love to explore ruins. Champa ruins look especially enticing for the same reasons. Vietnam is one outstanding destination which I have not yet been to. People mostly talk about the stunning beaches but this is the first time i read about Champa ruins and it will be on my itinerary for sure

  12. Blair villanueva

    Your story is giving me inspiration to visit Vietnam soon. Aside from the fact that I can visit sans travel visa, I also want to explore these cities which is just a neighbour of my country. I will take note all your recommendations πŸ™‚

  13. I have always loved Vietnam! It’s super cheap. My friend lives in Da Nang. I would like to visit him soon. I’ll follow your tips.

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