Central Vietnam Bucket List
In the collective imagination, Vietnam is about trains dangerously skimming through street markets in the narrow alleys of Hanoi, caves and rice paddies, boats with orange sails plying the green waters between the islets of Halong Bay. Few know that Central Vietnam hides as many as 3 of the 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites found in the whole nation. Less well known among foreign travelers, the small towns of Huế and Hội An, and the archaeological site of Mỹ Sơn are fascinating destinations for a less conventional Vietnam trip, off the beaten track, and at an ideal pace for family travels.
It is ideal to spend a week in this beautiful region, to have time to enjoy its beauties and its good food, which seems to be considered the best in all of Vietnam.
Two days in Huế
Huế is a place that thrives on contrasts: a stupendous imperial city aging in sun and rain, majestic tombs dotting modest villages, garden houses hidden among vegetation, a dense modern town bustling with hundreds of uncontrolled honking horns and groups of locals practicing Tai Chi next to a temple on the riverbank , restaurants with music blaring in front of hunched-over grannies cooking street food, surrounded by smoke and hiding in the shade of a nón lá (the typical Vietnamese cone-shaped leaf hat).
In two days, you can get a sense of the historical wonders of this place. But if you want to enjoy the bustling city atmosphere a bit more, plan a longer stay. On the first day, devote it to the Imperial City. This is a monumental complex that encloses the residence of the emperors who ruled Vietnam in the second half of the 1800s, when the capital had been moved from Hanoi specifically to Huế.
We recommend already buying a combined ticket here to visit the emperors' tombs the following day, with which you really save a lot for visiting all the monuments.
The imperial city is guarded within imposing walls with several monumental entrances (only for the exit, there is only one entrance to the city, where you also find the ticket office). Inside, temples, reception halls and gardens alternate wisely. It will take a full half day to visit it all and enjoy the magnificent silence that governs these great spaces.
For a detailed description of the wonders to visit in Huế, you can read the article dedicated to the city.
On the second day, it will be convenient to hire a driver who will be able to take you through the surrounding villages hosting the city's other historical sites. The emperors who resided in Huế pen planned their burial by making veritable monumental residences that were built in remote areas around the city. The tombs of the emperors are several, but at least 3 are worth visiting (also included in the combined ticket).
The most distinctive, and different from each other are the tombs of Minh Mạng, Tự Đức and Khải Định.
Two days in Hội An
Hội An is a veritable living museum: the city itself, still bustling and vital, is a collection of buildings of enormous value and architectural merit, bequeathed by merchants who plied the waters en route between India and China. This place is full of tourists, and businesses devoted to them, but the atmosphere that pervades it makes the whole setting exceptionally pleasant. The old city is dotted with old merchants' houses, guild houses, and temples. The visit requires a ticket that can be found for sale at several kiosks scattered around the city. The ticket consists of 5 beads that will be detached at each building you visit. If you want to visit more places, you will need to buy another ticket.
From our experience, 5 places are enough to delve into the history of this city, as its chaotic streets, covered with bougainvillea flowers and pervaded by the scent of jasmine, will capture all your attention.
It is therefore a matter of strolling around breathing in this atmosphere, visiting a few historical sites here and there, making your way through the chaotic market baskets and stopping at a quayside café to admire the boats dispensing lanterns on the Perfume River. The city is wonderful both by day and by night, and it really does offer a pleasant environment to spend a couple of days browsing through cups of tea, lanterns, and night markets.
A Day in Mỹ Sơn
An hour's drive from Hội An is the fascinating archaeological site of Mỹ Sơn. These ruins of a Khmer temple complex, reminiscent in architecture and jungle location of the better-known Angkor Wat ruins in Cambodia, are easily accessible by car and give something new to those visiting Central Vietnam.
Vietnamese tourists are indeed early risers, and gladly taking advantage of organized trips, it is common to find them in droves early in the morning at tourist sites. Leaving early to visit Mỹ Sơn, therefore, will not repay your efforts, unless you leave so early that you reach the site at dawn (the ruins can be visited as early as 6:30 a.m.). Our advice, after our experience, for those like us perhaps traveling with children and cannot afford an early night rise, is to go in the late afternoon after the mid-day heat and morning crowds. Half a day is an appropriate amount of time for visiting the ruins, including travel.
One day on the coast
If you want to add a day or two of relaxation on the coast, Central Vietnam is a good place to do it, without too much expectations. The weather is not always favorable, and it happens, as we did, to enjoy a beach stay with lots of wind, little sun and very rough seas. However, the beaches are very quiet, spacious, with beautiful white sand that invites you to stroll, and maybe you will be lucky enough to happen during a pleasantly sunny day. The advantage is also that you can enjoy luxurious resorts at cheap prices, taking a massage or a coconut coffee overlooking the sea. The coast opposite Hội An is very peaceful, and a few resorts alternate with fishing villages; the coast opposite Da Nang, is decidedly livelier, studded with hotels and kiosks where the town reaches the waterfront, but the beaches are better equipped and the waters milder.
This content is NOT SPONSORED, but based on my genuine personal experience. Spontaneous, positive and negative opinions, shareable or not, that I hope will help to live better travel experiences. My advice is a guide to accompany you in your explorations, but the real journey is built by yourselves!
