Southern Vietnam
- Angus
- Jan 19, 2018
- 3 min read
Vietnam's southern highlands offer spectacular scenery combined with more tolerable weather. Just what we were after following a tough couple of weeks in the rain. Beach lovers can head to the coast where there is a range of options for all travellers from high-end resorts to quiet, hidden beach towns. If it is exciting nightlife you are after, the busy city of Ho-Chi Minh is your best bet and if you are looking to relax why not take a journey into the Mekong Delta.
Hai Van Pass and Hoi An
Kick-starting our transition into the warmer weather of the south was the infamous Hai Van Pass. Following in the tracks of Top Gears' Clarkson, Hammond and May we ascended into the mountain pass. These 21 kilometres of twisting roads through a stunning mountain on the east coast of Vietnam was perhaps one of the most beautiful stretches we had come across on our motorbike journey. We stopped at the top to have a coffee and made our way down the other side to reach Hoi An in time for dinner.
Hoi An is a small city on the central coast of Vietnam known for its beautiful old quarter which is divided by canals and small fancily lit up bridges. We spent the night unwinding, relieved to have made it to the sunshine at last and enjoyed a stroll through the ancient city. The following day we made the short drive up through the rice fields to the ruins of My Son Sanctuary. Built between the 4th and 13th centuries, the ruins represent the former political capital of the Champa Kingdom which stems from a branch of Hinduism. Several temples and constructs suffered damage from artillery and aerial bombing during the Vietnam War but many of them are still intact for the most part. After spending a solid day exploring the ruins and the surrounding jungle we rode back to Hoi An to relax on the beach with some seafood and Cuba Libres.
Nha Trang
After a two day journey from Hoi An with a stopover in the forgettable town of Pleiku we reached Nha Trang. This coastal city is known for its beaches, diving and offshore islands but you may as well be in Russia. Bars, restaurants and tour agencies all operate in Russian and most of the visitors here hail from the Motherland. Olivia and Clara joined us from Cambodia and we spent the week enjoying the beaches, nice little cafes and restaurants, including an authentic Hungarian restaurant. We even spent a relaxing spa day together at the mud baths which left our skin silky smooth.
Ho Chi Minh City
On our way to Ho Chi Minh we spent a night in Dalat which was a picturesque town high in the mountains known for it's coffee and laid back vibes. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh at peak traffic hour was a fiasco and we could not help but laugh at some of the situations we found ourselves in. After narrowly avoiding death (not really) and safely arriving at our destination we crashed hard. We were lucky to stay with some old family friends who took us out for dinner to one of the top 10 pizzerias in the world and around the market the next day. We also went to the war museum, which aside from a few organisational blunders was an interesting collection of quite harrowing pictures and excerpts. We finally returned our bikes to the shop and received our congratulatory beer and t-shirt for managing not to kill ourselves on our 2,700 kilometer ride from the shivering grey North to the boiling South.
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