Today we had a trip from Hue to Hoi An. Our journey took us over the Cloud Pass and through one of the most beautiful landscapes of Vietnam.
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Dong Ba Market in Hue
After an extensive breakfast at the hotel, we set off with our Gebeco tour group to the local Dong Ba market. Unfortunately, it has already rained in the morning in torrents and since many market stalls can also be found outdoors, we tried to cross the market relatively quickly. This was of course a great pity, as there are a lot of interesting stands with extraordinary things here. Nevertheless, we were able to see a lot and get a good impression of the market. Our Gebeco tour guide bought some fresh herbs and spices on the market, which he showed us on the bus afterwards and explained – for the most part, these were things we haven’t heard of before or tried them.
The ride over the Cloud Pass (Hai-Van-Pass)
Around 9 o’clock we left the Dong Ba market in Hue and made our way south. The rain was our constant companion.
Our journey took us over the Cloud Pass(Shark Van Pass), which forms a natural border and weather divide between North and South Vietnam. The pass has a length of about 20 kilometers, reaches a height of 496 meters and leads over the foothills of the Truong-Son mountains. Normally, the highest point offers breathtaking panoramic views over the ocean, To Da Nang and the Son Tra peninsula. With our bus we also made a short stop at the top point, but unfortunately we could not see anything at all. The rain had become so heavy by now that whole torrents of torrents were flowing down the streets and our feet were wet after we had only taken a few photos outside. Really a pity!
Lunch in the coastal town of Da Nang
Around 1 p.m. we arrived in the coastal town of Da Nang. The city has about 1.1 million inhabitants and is considered the gateway to Hue, My Son and Hoi An. Due to its convenient location at the mouth of the Han River, the city has always had an important port. In 1965, the Americans occupied Da Nang and one of the largest air bases in Southeast Asia was established.
A striking attraction in Da Nang is the six-lane, 666-metre-long Dragon Bridgethat crosses the Han River. The arches of the bridge have the shape of a golden dragon with head and tail. After dark, the dragon arches are illuminated with thousands of lights; Every Saturday and Sunday at 9 p.m., the dragon even spews fire and water. This is certainly a great spectacle, which we unfortunately could not experience, because we were in the city during the day.
For our lunch we went to a cozy, local restaurant and tried Mi Quang, a noodle soup typical of Central Vietnam. The soup is based on rice ribbon noodles, various vegetables and herbs – meat or seafood are added as needed. Everything is put in a bowl and covered with a clear broth. Super tasty!
Our hotel “Muca Hoi An Boutique Resort & Spa”
In the afternoon we arrived in Hoi An and took a tour of the city and looked at the most beautiful sights. Afterwards we went to our hotel, the Muca Hoi An Boutique Resort & Spa . Unfortunately, the hotel is located about 5 kilometers outside Hoi An, so the old town is not so quickly accessible on foot. However, the hotel offers a free shuttle service to the Old Town for hotel guests (10am, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8.40pm) so we could use it in the evening.
Muca Hoi An Boutique Resort & Spa opened in 2014. The grounds are lovingly designed with a beautiful lush garden. The rooms are housed in three-storey buildings and are not close together, so it is really very quiet. Our twin room was nicely furnished, but looked very cool due to the floor tiles and bright walls.
Breakfast was included in the price and was served daily between 6.30am and 10am. The choice was not as big as in the hotels before, but we got fed up and it tasted 😉
All travelogues from Vietnam
During our 10-day trip with Gebeco through Vietnam we got to know many different sides of the country. Starting with the pulsating capital Hanoi and the millions of scooters on the streets, the majestic beauty of Halong Bay, an exciting night train ride to the cultural centre of Hue, further to the old town of Hoi An, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and on to the megacity of Saigon in the south of the country. Our trip was very varied and full of contrasts and here you can find an overview of all travel reports:
» Day 1: Our trip “Typical Vietnam!” with Gebeco (Vietnam)» Day 2: Hanoi – Tourist Attractions, Things to Do & Photo spots (Vietnam)
» Day 3: Halong Bay – A day trip from Hanoi (Vietnam)
» Day 3: The Night Train from Hanoi to Hue (Vietnam)
» Day 4: Hue – Citadel & Imperial Palace with the Forbidden City (Vietnam)
» Day 4: Hue – Emperor’s Tomb of Minh Mang & Thien Mu Pagoda (Vietnam)
» Day 5: From Hue to Hoi An – The Cloud Pass & Da Nang (Vietnam)
» Day 5: Hoi An – Tourist Attractions, Things to Do & Photo spots (Vietnam)
» Day 6: My Son – The ruins of the ancient temple city at Hoi An (Vietnam)
» Day 7: Saigon – Die Sehenswürdigkeiten von Ho Chi Minh Stadt
» Day 7: Saigon – A culinary Vespa tour of the city (Vietnam)
» Day 8: The Mekong Delta – A bike & boat tour (Vietnam)
» Day 9: Cu Chi – The Tunnels of the Vietcong in the Vietnam War (Vietnam)