Cageless Birdie: Vietnam (Central) - Hue, Hoi An and Danang

I've recently returned from another escapade - this time to the historically-rich yet simple South East Asian country of Vietnam. It's my first time to Vietnam, and I had decided to tag along with my mum and her well-travelled friends to central Vietnam as they have never been there before. Most first-timers to Vietnam would actually opt for the more touristic cities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh which are known for the underground tunnels used during the Vietnam/U.S. war.

But we got a good deal from Air Asia and it was my chance to travel again without needing to plan for it (I usually leave the planning to my mum). So based on magazine write-ups on Danang, my expectation of the trip were simply white-sandy beaches and street stalls where I would indulge in Vietnamese vermicelli and local beef noodle soup! But things are not always as what you would expect. So here's the story of my journey through the ancient cities.

We arrived at Danang airport on Sunday, 27 July 2012 and our tour guide picked all 10 of us up. Our first stop was to the ancient city of Hue, three hours away from the Danang airport. Above is a photo from inside our van taking us through the city.

This photo was taken just before we entered the longest tunnel in South East Asia.

As you can see, Vietnam's countryside is quite breathtakingly beautiful. The azure blue mountains set the perfect backdrop for this oyster farm.

We couldn't help but take a group photo amongst the stunning scenery.

Before heading to our hotel, we first needed to satisfy our growling bellies. This led us to Hoa Vien Garden restaurant.

Vietnamese spring rolls

Egg and crab soup

Dinner was planned as part of the tour package. We had two types of clear soups. Just goes to show that they consume a lot of soup here. Not bad for a first meal. But I was still craving for the typical beef noodle soup!

After a savoury dinner, we looked forward to luxurious comfort for the next two nights. And we gladly settled in the Gold Hotel in Hue. We dropped our bags and eagerly headed out to the streets of Hue.

Vietnamese street dessert made up of beans and jellies.

We bought rambutans from this street vendor.


Local Vietnamese fruits are great. But remember to bargain!

Notice how miniature the chairs and tables are. Not only are the locals tiny, so are the furniture.

Day 2 - Monday, 30 July 2012

We left the hotel after a hearty buffet breakfast to the outskirts to watch how incense are made. These incense here have been added with cinnamon. It releases a spicy, sweet fragrance when lit.

Lady boss demonstrates how the mixture is rolled onto the stick while adding colour.

Coloured incense ready to go.

Our next stop was to the Mausoleum of Tu Duc which was first used as a palace retreat before it was used as the emperor's final resting place.

We were greeted by the lotus pond as we stepped into the grounds.

Yes, the signage actually says 'minor wives'. Otherwise known as a place for the emperor's concubines.

We head into the royal resting chambers.

This is where the emperor sat as he watched performances from the concubines. No women were allowed in this room, hence why the women would perform on the balcony above, facing the emperor.

Olden-day props.

The tomb

The slab inside is an autobiography of the emperor.

Watch tower located just next to the tomb.

The emperor's tomb lies inside.

Actual-size statues of the imperial officers those days.

By now, we've been walking for half a day under the scorching sun. And a nice cooling coconut was all I could think of. But just as we got into the van to enjoy the air-conditioning, the van stopped us at our next itinerary - Khai Dinh's tomb.

The stairs up Khai Dinh's tomb.

So here's a bit of history. Emperor Khai Dinh wasn't your typical emperor. He was actually very much influenced by the French. Hence why the interior of his final resting place is infused with traditional Vietnamese design with a European touch. This makes his tomb unique from the other tombs in Hue.

The landings outside the tomb

Brass statue of the Emperor Khai Dinh.

Khai Dinh's gold-plated statue

Emperor Khai Dinh was the last emperor of Vietnam. The actual tomb where he lays is beneath this monument. To build this enchanting final resting place of his, he subjected the people of Vietnam, particularly farmers, to high taxes. So obviously he wasn't very highly regarded by the Vietnamese.

The walls inside the tomb - made of tiles. Here, the four seasons are represented in each panel.

We then left for a Vietnamese martial arts performance.

Lunch at Royal Park restaurant.

Greeted by a little Vietnamese statue.

Delicious deep-fried spring rolls.

After lunch, we travelled back in time to the forbidden city. The imperial citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled.

Ancient canons which were once used to protect the citadel.

Front entrance to the imperial citadel.

The fortress.

Check out the roof tiles! Looks edible to me.

Bonsai tree?

The moat surrounding the forbidden imperial city.

The watch tower.

Words of caution with regards to food...

Don't... be deceived!


Now if you're ever in Vietnam, just a word of caution that sometimes there's less than meets the eye. As you can see, the outer packaging shows biscuits full of cashew nuts. However when unwrapped, the inside pieces are like the one you see on the right. Deceiving huh? ;(

Do... indulge in a cup or two!

Do visit this young lady selling Ginger tau fu fa!

Best tau fu fa I've ever had! The shredded ginger with the right amount of honey/sugar.

And then off we go for a 'romantic' ride along Perfume River. Don't see how this is romantic though especially since it looks more like a dragon boat...

The cruise on the dragon boat.

View from inside.

Another leisure cruise.

And we reached the other end of the river where our van driver has been waiting for us, just in time for dinner!

Dinner was a 10-minute walk to the bustling town from where our hotel is - a pretty quaint restaurant located amidst tourist shops.

Some sort of pho. It was pretty good.

Visited an art shop and I had to take this picture! The girl looks so much like my Vietnamese friend, Ella, whom I met in NZ.

Chicken in a hand-made accessories shop.

Street food! Vermicelli served with spare parts and coagulated blood. I abstained from the lump of blood. But the soup was very tasty.

Day 3 - Tue, 31 July 2012

We packed out bags, had breakfast and left for our next destination - the lantern village - Hoi An which is about a 3-hour drive away. And we took the scenic route.

Postcard views along the way.

Our hotel for the night.

The beautiful grecian pool.

We were greeted by a very strong Vietnamese lady who shouldered this huge basket of fruits.

Our gorgeous room which oversees the pool.

Hoi An city

Now before we go any further, here's a bit of history about this little ancient town.
Hoi An was a major trading port in the 17th and 18th century. It's architecture and relaxed pace of life hasn't changed much over the years. Hoi An was originally a Cham seaport but it has been influenced down centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures.

Awesome restaurant - a great place for lunch!

Den Long Pho Restaurant

They sold lanterns too.

My beef vermicelli.

Happy faces all around.

And then comes my favourite part of every meal!

Mango with crepes topped with roasted peanuts.

Banana fritters with choco-rum sauce (Nice, but didn't taste the choco though).

Mango Sticky Rice.

Cute piggy deco by the counter.

Check out the architecture.

All boats here have eyes as the fishermen believe that boats have spirits that navigates their way to the sea.

This tranquil seaport makes a great place for a bike ride along the river.

And we got into the boat for another boat ride.

View of the Hoi An market from the boat.

View of a newly-constructed resort.

Restaurant by the river. This is where we had dinner that evening.

Fisherman and wife in action.

But they caught no fish.

Spot the dog!

The main bridge across the river. This little kid tried avoiding the camera but wasn't fast enough.

Street delicacies - from far left - donuts, deep fried buns filled with green bean and deep fried banana on the top far right.

My favourite part of the town! Lanterns!

Lantern frames.

The best part of the entire trip was learning how to make my very own lantern!

Funny how my 'sifu' could hardly speak English and yet successfully taught me how to complete a lantern.

Roadside stalls by the river. Notice once again how small the chairs and tables are. For a moment I felt I was in Hobbitsville!

Remember the restaurant by the river that I pointed out earlier? This is it and these are what we had for dinner. Very scrumptious!

Money bags with beef salad.

Chicken cooked with basil.

Stir-fried green eggplant and claypot fish.

A shoe shop.

I like the interior decoration of white lanterns.

Checking out more gorgeous lanterns.

The lantern city by night.

Crossing the bridge once again to the other side.

Paper lanterns on the river.

The colourful, buzzing night market.

Isn't this the prettiest sight in the world?!

Lantern heaven.

We started craving for something sweet and went on a tau fu fa hunt... We found this little old lady selling it by the roadside. She amazingly pulled out enough miniature stools for all of us.

Day 4 - Wed, 1 Aug 2012

The famous Japanese Covered Bridge - a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Another UNESCO World Heritage site. This house is one of the oldest, dating back to the 17/18th century.

Vietnamese coin collection.

Traditional clothes.

Traditional sink and water barrel.

The first owner of the house. It was then passed down to his children.

The home owner's daughter.

This house has been passed down from generations. Despite the home owner living here, he is not allowed to make renovations to the house without UNESCO's permission as it is now meant to be preserved as a historical site.

Chua Ong Pagoda/ Hokkien Association.

Thirst-quenching, icy-cold lotus dessert sold at the landings of the Hokkien Association.

Hoi An market.

Snails for sale.

The slimmest ice-cream ever!

Tasted pretty good too!

An old sewing machine.

Ancient instruments at the pottery house.

Handicraft shop where ladies make lanterns.

Paintings for sale.

Embroidery extraordinaires.

Top level of the handicraft shop.

View from above.

Pottery in motion.

The finished masterpiece.

Eyes of the house.

Gorgeous French-Vietnamese designer boutique. Loved the designs, disliked the price tags.

Monument commemorating the first European settler in Hoi An. (Looks like Santa Claus to me!)

Lunch at the Secret Garden.

Great food. Definitely very secretly hidden though.

Fresh mango smoothie.

Savoury beef salad with crackers. Available in almost any restaurant. It's a must-try!

Vietnamese spring rolls.

Grilled fish wrapped in banana leaf.

After our scrumptious, tummy-satisfying lunch, we headed to our final destination of Danang where we spent our final two nights.

Vietnamese 'sampans' by the beach.

It was pretty crowded for a Wednesday evening.

A lady selling char-grilled wraps filled with spring onions and bits of mince meat. 2,000 dong per piece. Best eaten hot.

We had a good rest in our hotel and headed to Bana Hills the very next day.

Day 5 - Thur, 2 Aug 2012

The entrance to Bana Hills.

The entrance to the souvenir shop and to the cable car ride.

The cable car ride up the hills.

Sweet local dessert sold at the landings after the first cable car ride. Notice the wide variety of beans.

The second cable car up to the newly-built theme park - Fantasy land.

The stunning view from above.

The entrance to Fantasy land.

We then headed back to our hotel by the beach for an afternoon siesta. We then took a stroll in the evening and then headed to the roadside stalls.

Spreading the goodies onto the bread.

Grilled french loaves filled with sambal and pate.

Dinner by the beach.

Pickled fruit as appetisers.

Nothing spells serenity like a refreshing coconut by the beach.

After much searching throughout Danang for beef noodle soup, we requested the restaurant to specially make this for us. We were satisfied customers.

These were the best spring rolls I've ever had! Highly recommended.

Day 6 - Fri, 3 Aug 2012

Our final morning in Vietnam brings us to Cham Museum. It houses the world-renowned collection of sculptures and artifacts from the ancient Kingdom of Champa. The museum was opened by a French architect who wanted to preserve the remains of these artifacts.