Streetwise Hanoi

Streetwise Hanoi
Welcome to Hanoi! You’re in the political capital of Vietnam with a population of 7 million people. Like any big city, a tiny portion of those people are dodgy. Vietnam has vast cultural and legal differences to the west, that’s part of the reason why we love it. This means there’s some things us foreigners need to keep in mind. With decades of combined experience being backpackers who can’t seem to leave Vietnam, we’ve made a little list specific to Hanoi that we would like to share with you. We hope our experiences make yours even better & safer. Now don’t be worried, just be wary. Let’s get into it. North Vietnam tours

Crossing the street – Take a deep breath, look for a moment to commence and walk slowly and consistently across the street. They will go around you, have a bit of confidence and you’ll be a pro in no time.
Taxis - Some taxi drivers will try and take you for a ride. Hanoi Taxi Group (white, red & blue), Mai Linh (green) and ABC (white & pink) are most reputable. Ask our hostel to call you a taxi and write down the address for you.
Bia Hoi – Hanoi is legendary for it’s Bia Hoi, but be choosy. It’s home-brew made with varying levels of hygiene. There’s good Bia Hoi, and there’s bad Bia Hoi. The locals pay around 7,000vnd for a glass of good bia hoi. If you’re paying less than that, it’s probably not good. See our crew for some places to join the locals for some reputable Bia Hoi watering holes. Avoid cheap low quality product that could make you sick. Vietnam Halong bay tours
Cheap vodka – There is a reason why it is cheap, it can contain all sorts of nasties which can cause nausea, vomiting, drowsiness & dizziness without even having a big night out! We see this all the time. There is a big market for low quality and fake spirits in Vietnam. VBH serve only imported Smirnoff Vodka and genuine spirits. They are more expensive, but they are safe, and they taste better. If you drink irresponsibly, at least drink smart

Streetwise Hanoi

Disagreements with the locals – A rare circumstance usually involving boys and alcohol. There are 2 rules. Rule #1. – Never get involved in a fight with the Vietnamese. Rule #2 – If you’re drunk and a local does something you think deserves an act of aggression, immediately see rule #1. If a local really does do something wrong. Still see rule #1. The Vietnamese kicked China, France & the USA out of their town, you’re a small fry and they’ll treat you that way. In every circumstance, please please please see rule #1 and walk away. Peace. Vietnam Mekong river tours
Big nights out. All us backpackers understand that you never quite know when a massive night could come your way. We strongly advise that at some point during the build-up you take a moment to consider the location of your smartphone, passport, bankcards, and all your cash. If these things are in your possession when things escalate you run the risk of turning the night of your life into a nightmare. Please leave them somewhere safe before you get socially excited. There are security lockers in all rooms, and we have a safe to keep valuables in.
Getting home. Make sure you always have few a hostel cards to show your taxi or motorbike driver. Negotiate a price before you begin. Unfortunately it is rare to find a reputable motorbike or taxi driver after midnight. If you have problems, don’t make a scene, wait until you arrive at the hostel and ask night reception to assist you.
Cheap imitation tours. Be careful with Halong Bay especially. There are a number of dodgy companies that simply don’t care about your complaints after your shitty and sometimes unsafe experience. Many copycats pose shamelessly as long established reputable operators. For example there are currently 11 other places pretending to be our Castaways trip. There is only ONE real Castaways Island and it’s got a Red Buffalo. You really truly do get what you pay for. If it’s cheap, then it’s because the operator cuts corners. This means their boats can be any or all of the following: dirty, unseaworthy, environmentally disastrous, and most certainly have terrible decor. You may get lucky, but you may not. They will give you a great sales pitch and show you some great pictures, they’re experts. If you come back pissed off about your cheap shitty tour, we’ll do our best to help you, but aside from listening to you vent, giving you a cuddle and buying you a couple of beers to ease the pain, there’s not much more we can do. You’ve been warned!
Imitation hostels. Yes, you may get off a bus and a Vietnamese person with good English will tell you our hostel has closed down, or moved locations. They may even have one of our business cards. They may even get on the bus before it stops to give you some “advice”. Check online the location of our hostels, grab a card for each one, and only go to that address. If it doesn’t feel right, then it’s not. Simple.
Cash – The 500,000 note is a similar colour to the 20,000 notes! One is worth $24 the other is worth <$1. Don’t get them mixed up!
Be patient when communicating with the locals. Speak slowly, English is a very difficult language for the Vietnamese to pronounce, much harder than for Laotians, Cambodians and Thai’s. Their English is a lot better than your Vietnamese, so smile, laugh and enjoy the sign language! Even better, learn little language.
In the immortal words of Mr. T. “Don’t do drugs”. Penalties in Vietnam are so harsh we prefer not to talk about it. This is not California or the Caribbean. Weed is not ok, and harder drugs are even less ok. There is a large hemp growing industry in Vietnam and some locals will try and sell dope from these plants, but the joke is on you, you can still get done for possession, yet the plants are genetically engineered so that you don’t get you high. When it comes to drugs in Vietnam, please don’t be stoopid. As Mr. T also said “I pity the fool!”
Comply with the police. In the highly unlikely event you run into trouble, be polite, keep your cool and do what you can to remove yourself from the situation.
Vietnam is not the place to learn to ride a motorbike. If you are riding a motorbike, always wear a helmet. Pretty pretty please don’t get drunk and ride. We unfortunately have experienced a range of unfortunate circumstances pertaining to irresponsible motorbike behaviour, and because of this we would please insist you read this line again. :-)
Hope this helps and don’t hesitate to ask us anything. We’re all a bunch of backpackers who are still in love with Vietnam. We are here to help. If we don’t know, we’ll know someone who does.

Mui Ne Sand & Water

A friend of mine once commented, “So you live on a houseboat?” “Yeah, kinda… It’s an ocean of sand under us. It’s a sand dune beach.”

When you live in Mui Ne, you become more and more aware of living in a sea of change. Development, politics, tourism… but especially the environment. Everyone talks about the “microclimate” here, but we all keep trying to figure out what that really means. In Muine, we live on sand. Wet sand, dry sand, clean sand… dusty sand. We buy and sell it. We shovel it. We suck it up and spit it out with machines. We love it so much and when it goes, we miss it. Like an old and endearing friend, it always comes back. South Vietnam tours

Fifty kilometers inland sand seems to tip out of the mountains and in a sluice between the rocky points of the Cham towers to the southwest, and the peninsula that holds the town of Muine to the east and north, this sand pours into the south China Sea (called The East Sea in Vietnam). Wind picks up sand, grains at a time, and takes them up towards the mountains again. From the mountains to the sea, it’s a big sluice. We live on a fifty kilometer deep beach. Dragon Pearl Junk Halong

The sand gets hot and creates a “heat draught” that pulls air off the ocean and makes Muine one of the best and most predictable wind sport spots in the world. Even as sand inland gets hot, the wind from the sea keeps the temperature near perfect along the coast. If the temperature drops for some reason, the warm air over the sand dunes seems to fall back towards the sea keeping it perfect. The heat creates a bubble and a lot of the stormy weather that comes to the south of Vietnam just seems to wrap around us. We often sit in the sun during the rainy season watching dramatic storms over the ocean. Often when we drive to Phan Thiet, a line of water on the highway shows where the rain begins and motorcycles are pulled over to put on their raincoats. Overall, we have the dryest and best weather in Vietnam. BASSAC CRUISE

Mui Ne Sand & Water

The sand under us swirls and stretches and flows. There are days each year when a person sitting on a deck chair at Joe’s Café will be looking eye to eye with someone walking on the beach while at another time the beach will have disappeared completely and the ocean laps or crashes our patios and walls. The beach sometimes will go for a couple hundred meters out at low tide, at others it is gone completely. When you enter the sea, you might be able to walk through the shallow seas for a couple hundred meters or you might find yourself over your head in just a few meters. Where’s the beach? You’re on top of it. Nature thinks it just put it here and will pick it up later. We’re squaters to nature. We’re not going anywhere! Let the great contest and cooperation continue!

White sand dominates and what we call the “White Sand Dunes” is a special place and ecosystem. People stop at the “Red Sand Dunes” as well and the hike up the “Fairy Stream” is a must as a mixture of sands is cut by flowing water Grand Canyon style. Red sand we associate with iron ore. Black sand is heavier than white sand and is associated with titanium and titanium mining. Black sand stays out of sight until you walk on the white beaches, your feet sink in and a bit sticks to your feet.

One of the other great benefits to our microclimate is the currents that for most of the year keep all trash away and our beach pristine and water clear. There is no rip current here to take you out making our beach safer than many, but you might get a couple resorts further than you thought in a hurry as it takes you down the beach.

Phan Thiet beach and sanddune

It’s so confusing because even as the beach, the actual sand, will go up or down a couple meters in an hour, it’s hard to remember what it was like. People brag or lament. We hear about global warming, changes in rainfall, cutting down the mangroves in the Mekong, development… greening of the sanddunes with farms and golfcourses… we hear about the factories and watch long peirs, jetties or holding walls go out into the sea to control sand. We debate the designs of our seawalls and watch some fail. We think of the sand going up and down the coast and sometimes in and out of the sea, but of course it’s moving vertically as well as we build and change the ground water table.

I often think of a glass of water stirred and dropping a little blue ink in to watch it swirl up and down and around. I think the sand is doing that below us and around us. But of course that isn’t perfect either… sand when dry is solid or dusty, sand wet is even harder until it gets wet enough, and then it liquifies.

One thing is for sure, we love our microclimate. We love the heavily touristed winter months when wind and weather are perfect and people choose us instead of chilly Natrang and Danang. We love the rainy seasons when it rains- but rarely and we love how the air still has that after rain freshness. We love our beach and pine for it when it is gone. We live in constant change.

7 tourist traps to avoid when traveling in Vietnam

When you travel, especially to a country with the culture, lifestyle and mentality that are absolutely different from yours, sometimes it’s quite hard to avoid different kinds of troubles and traps. Some people even say that Vietnam itself is one big trap for a tourist. But we strongly disagree with it and believe that traveling smart can reduce the risks to the minimum. Read the article to learn about the potential traps (which hopefully, will not happen to you) and figure out how to avoid them! South Vietnam tours

Taxi Scams
Probably, most of the travelers which have visited Vietnam, have some stories connected to taxi services. There’s a lot of traps that may happen to tourists: sometimes the drivers don’t take the passengers where they have to; or they will not agree on the price according to the counter; or they will not give your change back; or even make a few circles on the same street just to have a bigger distance on the counter. In a word – the taxi drivers in Vietnam are very creative when it comes to making a fool of tourists! So choose only reliable taxi services, don’t pay till you reach your destination and be confident, like you know the city perfectly! Image Cruise

Overpriced Bus
When you take a bus in big cities in Vietnam or especially, bus from the airport, there is a chance that when the bus driver understands you are a foreigner, he may charge you a double or even triple price for a ride! The regular price for a bus ticket is between 25,000 – 30,000 VND (about $1), but be ready that the driver can ask you to pay up to 100,000 VND. What is the most funny is that the locals will happily support him and try to persuade you that the price is actual, such a solidarity! SONG XANH CRUISE

No Change
If you are in Vietnam, if you are a tourist and if you pay with a large banknote, most probably, you will hear the answer that there’s no small money to give you a change. It can happen in the markets, bars, even restaurants. That’s why it is better always to have some small banknotes to be able to pay without a change or at least to say the waiter (or seller) that you have it, so it may help to avoid the scamming and save your money.

7 tourist traps to avoid when traveling in Vietnam

Street Vendors
Whenever you walk in the more or less touristic areas, especially in big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, lay streets vendors will approach you and offer to buy different stuff – from fruits to souvenirs. The price for a foreigner may even seem low and acceptable, but comparing to regular prices in Vietnam, it may be 10x higher. Why should you pay more if it always possible to go to the stores and markets which are just a little bit far away from the downtown?

Women With Fruits
If you see on the street of Vietnam a woman carrying a yoke, usually with fruits, be careful. It is common for villages and small towns, but for sure not for city centers of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. It actually looks beautiful and you will probably want to make a photo of her. So be ready, after that a woman may ask you to pay for a photo, usually it is approximately $4 (50,000 VND). This is one of the popular tourist traps in the country.

Silk Markets And Tailor Shops
Vietnam is famous for its high-quality silk and fine tailors. However, in the towns like Hoi An, which is considered to be one of the best in the industry, there’s such a big number of silk markets and tailor shops, that the chances to become a victim of a cheater. If you are planning to get a new piece of cloth in Vietnam, better make a research and find some trustful and reliable places in advance.

Travel Agents
At the train or bus stations, especially in big cities, you may meet so-called “travel agents”, people who will kindly offer you their help in booking tickets and arranging your trip. If you meet one of them, better go away. Their fees may be not that high, but after all, you may, for example, end up in the 2nd class train, instead of the 1st one, for which you’ve actually paid.

Things to do in Ben Tre

Ben Tre, the fertile land of Mekong Delta cruise is an exotic destination for those who would like to explore an abundant of tropical plants and busy villages on waters.

Vietnamese call Ben Tre is the land of coconut, a peaceful and poetic destination with shaded villages’ paths and immense orchards. We would like to share with you some important guide to travel to Ben Tre, Vietnam.

Ben Tre is the land of coconut

How to go?
There are 4 directions to get to Ben Tre, the first one is from Saigon, the second one is from other Southern provinces, the third is from Central provinces and the other is from the Northern provinces. However, the most convenient and popular way is from Saigon. Thus, wherever you are in Vietnam, the best way is traveling to Saigon and taking a drive to Ben Tre. Travel in Vietnam
By Public transfer
In Saigon, you can buy a bus ticket to Ben Tre at Western Bus Station. Price from $5.
However, few people choose this way, they tend to choose a 1 day Mekong Delta tour package to Ben Tre provided by a travel company including transfer, lunch and sightseeings.

Ben Tre doesn’t offer many places for sightseeing; you can explore the whole destination within only 1 day tour. Or if you want to spend more time exploring local life, you can book a homestay experience for 2 or 3 days. Jasmine Cruise

When to go?
You might ask yourself which season should we visit Ben Tre. Actually Ben Tre is beautiful all year around, but if you visit the province during summer time (from June to August) you will have a chance to enjoy colorful picture with delicious tropical fruits.

Things to do in Ben Tre

Ben Tre – Exploring local life

There are two big festivals in Ben Tre is Phu Le Temple Festival and Nghinh Ong Festival in the third and eleventh month in Lunar Calendar.

Where to stay
Not many people stay overnight in Ben Tre. So there are not many options for decent accommodations here. There is no luxury hotel but vast options for hostels and homestay.

What to eat?
Ben Tre is famous for its system of rivers and springs with various seafood species, some only live in coconut forests. Ben Tre people used them to cook many traditional dishes for a long time and create one of the most intricate cuisines in Mekong Delta.

In Ben Tre, travelers enjoy different dishes in different season of the year, which people call seasonal food, such as each month, Ben Tre residents have a special fish that taste the best.

Shopping
Taking about Ben Tre, tourist talk about famous coconut candy flavors and other products made from coconut such as coconut oils, coconut wine, coconut jelly, coconut soaps, and handicraft items. You can buy them at each workshop or handicraft farms during your visit (if you book a Ben Tre tour, visits to traditional villages, workshops are included in the itinerary). Another address is Ben Tre market.

If you domestic travelers or international visitors staying in Vietnam some days more, you can buy some favorite fruits: bananas, durians, oranges, mangos, grapes, etc.

Where to visit?
The highlight of Ben Tre is the rustic paths paved by abundant orchards. You can enter to visit the orchards and harvest fresh fruits from the trees. More funny activity is catching fish and cook your own “achievement” for lunch.

Don’t forget experience local cruise in Mekong Delta, enjoy the calm and charming water of various waterways within the province.

Visit Vam Ho bird garden is a nice activity for those who love to explore the nature. Located 52 kilometers from Ben Tre city, Vam Ho bird garden is home to various species of birds and other rare animals.

Top 7 Brilliant Things to do in Nha Trang Vietnam

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s best known beach destination: golden sand beaches are lined with palm trees. This is a prime spot for watersports, in particular scuba diving and surfing. The pristine beachfront and low-key city are backed with looming mountains, whilst small islands beckon from the sea. It’s time to discover for yourself just what entranced the French who made this their premier beach resort over 100 years ago. Centre Vietnam tours

Dive with the sharks and rays

Nha Trang has been the ‘serious’ home of scuba diving within Vietnam for the last ten years, ever since the government established a protected marine park region just off the coast of Nha Trang in 2003. The island of Hon Mun is one of the top dive spots within Southeast Asia. Local operators will transport you out to Hon Mun Island, which is a short boat ride away. Here you can snorkel and swim, although it’s the superb diving that most come for – the myriad of colorful corals are very close to the coast. The waters are teeming with tropical fish including devil scorpion fish, clown fish and nudibranches. And although rare, sighting the odd reef shark, turtle or manta ray is a distinct possibility. Hon Mon is perfect for abilities: from beginners to those looking to take their PADI training amidst the breathtaking surroundings. Alova Gold Cruise

Top 7 Brilliant Things to do in Nha Trang Vietnam

Explore the Po Nagar Cham Towers

The four brick towers that make up the Po Nagar complex (pictured above) date back to the Cham Kingdom period who ruled this region between the 7th and 12th century. These particular towers were built to honour Yang Ino Po Ngar, who was regarded as the matriarch of the Cha Kingdom. Located about 2km north of Nha Trang itself, the towers are strategically located at the mouth of the Cai River. Visitors will catch the intense and heady scent of the incense sticks burning within the towers, which attract Vietnamese Buddhists, Cham and ethnic Chinese to pray and make offerings. In fact, this site has been used as a place of worship since 2AD. PANDAW CRUISE

Sample the local watersports and glorious beaches

As well as superb diving facilities, the glorious golden beaches along the Nha Trang coastline also offer fantastic opportunities to indulge your passion for various watersports. Try your hand at windsurfing, wakeboarding, sea kayaking and water skiing.

Nha Trang beach itself is rather built up and is lined with an abundance of shops, bars and restaurants, which is great if you like plenty going on. However if you’re looking for a little bit of peace and quiet, head a little way out of the city to Bai Duong Beach, which has calmer waters: perfect for swimming and snorkelling.  Nui Hon Chong Beach is as gorgeous as the scenic route that leads to the hidden rocky stretch of coast. And over the mountains is the pretty Bai Dai Beach which is clean and largely explored by tourists.

This is also the perfect base for a boast trip out to one of the many outlying islands. Make the journey to Hon Yen, aka Bird’s Nest Island and you’ll be amply rewarded with sightings of thousands of switflets, who are busy building their nests within the caves on the island. The two islands that make up Hon Yen; Hon Noi and Hon Ngoai are about 20km off the coast of Nha Trang.

Discover stunning Long Son Pagoda

Established in the late 19th century, the Long Son Pagoda is a beautiful example of a Buddhist temple. The roof of the pagoda is adorned with colorful glass mosaics depicting dragons. Behind the pagoda sitting atop a small hill is a giant sparkling white Buddha statue, which is visible across Nha Trang.  The scared Buddha rises to 79 feet (24 meters). Don’t forget to cover your knees and shoulders and contrary to what waiting touts may tell you, the pagoda is free to enter.

Admire Nha Trang Cathedral

The imposing French Gothic Nha Trang Cathedral, aka Nha Tho Nui, is a stunning example. The catholic cathedral was built atop a small hill between 1928 and 1933, during French colonial rule. The sumptuous architecture boasts stained glass windows and features three large bells within its tower. Regular mass sessions are still held here thanks to the strong local French Catholicism influence.

Spend a few hours at the Vinpearl Amusement Park

Many others destinations within Asia have branches of Disneyland and Universal studios, and this is Vietnam’s version… sort of. The independent Vinpearl Amusement Park covers some 200,000m2 and highlights include a stunning Orchid Garden, Underwater World and Cable Car System. There are also arcade games, funfair rides and various waterpark rides. Built by Vietnam’s first billionaire, Vinpearl is located on its own island, Hon Tre Island, which is reachable via the Vinpearl Cable Car, which is actually the longest cable car system to run over a body of water – some 3,320 meters long in total! It’s supported by nine pillars which were built to resemble miniature Eiffel Towers, which are lit up at night. Those afraid of heights can opt for the local ferries or powerboats to hop over. The main draw with kids of all ages are the abundant waterslides, of which there are 20: perfect for watery adrenaline seekers. Vinpearl is also home to the biggest wave machine within Southeast Asia. Don’t miss the pretty Truc Lam Pagoda which sits atop a mountain and catch a show in the 5,000 seater Vinpearl Amphitheatre, which is dubbed the most modern of its kind within Vietnam. And as an interesting bit of travel trivia, Hòn Tre Island was formerly used as a jail but is now solely used as a resort island!

Explore the surrounding countryside

The region around Nha Trang is rich with lush rice fields and refreshing waterfalls. Hire a bicycle or motorbike and head out of the city. Head to the Ba Ho waterfalls which are close to Ba Ho village. The series of three intense waterfalls make for a decent light climbing location, followed by a soothing dip in the falls afterwards. Take the jungle path to the Fairy Spring waterfalls, which are filled thanks to the cool waters coming off the Hồn Bà Mountain. There are also thermal waterfalls, hot springs and mud baths locally.

Top 6 things to do in Halong bay

Halong Bay Visiting Floating Villages
Floating villages are unique feature about culture and seascape on Halong Bay that draw the attraction of visitors. Visiting floating villages, tourists will have time interacting with friendly fishermen and visiting floating pearl farms. The local villagers are the original inhabitants of Halong Bay who have lived on the sea for several generations. They were created a diverse culture of fishing and living. In the peaceful atmosphere of fishing village, tourists will be welcomed with fresh seafood and folksong performance (in Vietnamese: “hat gheo” or “hat cheo duong”). Halong bay cruise

Discover Halong Bay Caves
Halong was honored twice with the title “World Natural Heritage Site” by the UNESCO as its value of geology, geomorphology. Therefore, visitors once coming to Halong Bay shouldn’t miss the chance to explore grotto system there (including Sung Sot Cave - Surprise Cave, Dau Go Cave - Wooden Stakes Cave, Thien Cung Cave, etc.). Magnificent masterpieces of the Creator will definitely dazzle all visitors by the magical world of stalactites and stalagmites in various sizes and shapes. Tourists are also have chance to dine in a cave and experience an exotic feeling of dining in spacious and romantic ambiance inside.

Discover Halong Bay Cruise
Halong Bay was listed as one of Asia's top five tropical island paradises in an article published on CNN in April 2012. “Halong Bay in northwestern Vietnam is one of the most stunning boating destinations anywhere in the world”, wrote the author. By cruising, tourists can fully enjoy “the mysterious limestone caves on Halong Bay's bigger islands and the incredible sunsets”, which are two sights not to be missed according to the advice of Mr. Stuart McDonald. Moreover, there are several relaxing services provided on the cruises including restaurant & bar, massage, cooking class, tai chi class, etc. Best cruise Mekong

Cycling in Halong Bay
In order to deeply enjoy quiet atmosphere and scenic setting on the beach, cycling and trekking will be a good suggestion for the trip on Halong Bay. When trekking on the beach, tourists will be free to enjoy cozy white sandy ground and gaze stunning seascape of Halong. Cycling and trekking is also an ideal way to explore wild nature of the area around. These activities can be perfectly accommodated with a BBQ meal on the beach. North Vietnam tours

Halong Bay Kayak
Halong Bay is considered as one of the most ideal place for kayaking in the world. Kayaking service is available with many imported kayaks. Joining guided kayaking on Halong Bay; tourists will reach pristine islands and discover untouched lagoons when the tide rises in the late afternoon. Tourists will have a closer insight into the bay’s diverse nature with wild animals and mangroves.

Halong Bay Kayak

Halong Bay Mountain Climbing
Mountain climbing is most favored by tourists who like energetic activities. Seaside lime-stone mountains are interesting challenges for tourists to reach the top. All professional climbers coming to Halong agree that Halong Bay is the paradise of adventurous mountain climbing as it has thousands of islands with high lime-stone mountains. This activity is usually combined with kayaking to explore natural environment of Halong Bay.

Top 5 Things to do in Da Nang Vietnam

Da Nang is comfortably nestled between Hoi An and Hue on Vietnam’s east coast, but unlike the neighbouring towns travellers only stay here for 2 days on average, which is a real shame as there is so much so see and do in Danang! This is the fourth largest city in Vietnam so benefits from fantastic restaurants, shops and tree lined boulevards. There are also beautiful beaches, fascinating culture and archaeological wonders; after all this is the capital of the Champa Kingdom! Danang – Hoi an 3 days

Explore the Museum of Cham Sculpture

Located: 1 D Trung Nuvuon Street
Admission: 30,000 Vietnamese Dong (Less than 2 US dollars)
The Cham Museum showcases the sculptures from the Champa or Cham people who inhabited and ruled Central Vietnam from 192 AD to 1835. The museum was built by the French with heavy Cham influence showcased in the architectural design. Sculptures and adornment were brought in from temples and towers from all over the region. Sculptures rage in age from the 6th to 17th century. These artifacts and works of art and deal with Buddhist and Hindu influenced materials. Gods, sacred animals, and legends were carved as altars, statues and other temple adornments. Almost 300 different works are on display inside and outside of the main building. LA MARGUERITE

Archaeologists have recently unearthed an ancient Cham tower in Phong Le Village in Danang which is thought to be 1,000 years old. The tower has four gates and four towers and measures 16m by 16m. The site is rich in artefacts as many have been unearthed so far, providing further insight into the ancient Champa kingdom.

Tackle the mighty Marble Mountains

Located: South of Danang
Admission: Only one of the mountains is open to be scaled by visitors
The five limestone mountains located southwest of Danang are named after the five elements by an emperor of Vietnam’s past. These mountains once held temples and even pagodas carved deep into the mountains. The French, Viet Cong, and Americans all left their mark on the mountains as lookouts and hiding places. Exploring caves, temples, tunnels and even climbing up the only open mountain offer something different and beautiful to view.

For other things you didn’t know about Vietnam, check out our 10 things you didn’t know about Vietnam. For example did you know that Vietnam is the fastest growing tourist destination? Jasmine Cruise – Halong Bay

Top 5 Things to do in Da Nang Vietnam

Relax on the beautiful beaches of Da Nang

One of the more famous beaches is My Khe, or China Beach. This beach was once an R&R location for American troops during the Vietnam War. Today it is still used for relaxing, and enjoying the sun and sand. Beautiful accommodations are available for visitors today, along with clean beaches and a reduced amount of beggars compared to other beaches.

Clear water, white sand and green forests surround the Non Nuoc beach. In 2005 this beach was hailed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by Forbes magazine. Visitors enjoy surfing on its gentle waves and its proximity to other destinations such as the Marble Mountains.
Discover Danang Cathedral aka Rooster Church

Located: Tran Phu, City Centre
This candycane pink church was built in 1923 for the French Catholics who inhabited Vietnam at the time. Locals have long called the church Con Ga, or the Rooster Church, because of its copper rooster weathervane. Today Danang Cathedral serves 4,000 parishioners and offers services in different languages. If you wish to attend services, observe the Vietnamese etiquette and come early to avoid having to stand in the back or even in the street with cyclists for services led by the local priest. Papers are printed out to help parishioners follow along with the service.

Marvel at the decorative Buddhist Pagodas

Some of the most striking architecture, culture and history present in Danang is located in its many buildings, especially its pagodas. Pagodas in Vietnam are traditional tiered places of Buddhist worship that hold special sacred articles. Worshippers come to pray and meditate within the confines of the pagoda and its surrounding areas.