Phan Thiết and Mũi Né Trip

It's been really hot in Saigon with a heat index often above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  So what do you do?  In Vietnam you head for the coast.  With over 2,000 miles of coast there are plenty of spots to choose from.  We decided to head back to the dual cities of Phan Thiet and Mui Ne -- it helped that a friend had a good deal at a fancy beach front hotel.  We spent our days playing on the beach, eating sea food, and playing Catan.  Enjoy the pictures.

  

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The Khe Fruit

This fruit is used in Vietnamese spring rolls. It ranges from sour to sweet. 

Art - A painting made of rare stones

The other day while traveling in Ho Chi Minh City we came across this store that featured arts and crafts from around Vietnam.  In this shop was this:

Price $1,000

This picture costs $1,000 and is made up of thousands of small pieces of rare jewels.  Here is a picture of the small rubies and other stones that make up the picture.

Here is a list of the types of stones included.

Hue

Hue is the ancient capital of Vietnam.  In Hue you can visit the Citadel ( home of the king ) and the elaborate tombs of the monarchs.  Hue is known for their specialized delicacies that originated in the kings court.  The town is nice and a good change of pace from that of the bigger cities.

Here are some pictures of our visit to Hue.

Phong Nha

Phong Nha National Park is a beautiful spot to visit.  It is located in the Central Vietnamese Highlands.  It is noted for its cave and grotto systems.  In fact it is composed of 300 caves and grottoes.  This park is home to the biggest cave called Hang Sơn Đoòng.

Enjoy some pictures we took on our visit.

Cu Lao Cham Marine Park

Cu Lao Cham Marine Park is an island located off the central cost of Vietnam near Hoi An.  We booked a tour of the island.  The tour included a small walking tour of the small town on the island, lunch, snorkeling, and some time to relax on the beach.  It was very relaxing.

Here are some pictures.

Ba Na Hills

Ba Na Hills started in 1919 as a French resort.  The hills were filled with Banana trees.  So the foreigners called it banana hills which the locals shortened to Ba Na Hills.  The resort features the Guinness World Record for the longest single wire cable car system.  It also features a replica of an old French town and a theme park.

Here are some pictures.

Hoi An

The UNESCO World Heritage organization has described Hoi An as "an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site."

In Hoi An you'll see examples of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese culture and architecture. You come across small quaint roads and shops all accessible by bicycle. Hoi An is famous for their tailors and their lanterns. Even one of their bridges is featured on the Vietnames 20,000 Dong note.


We invite you to take a look. 

Da Nang

Da Nang is the largest city in central Vietnam.  It's known for its kind people and wonderful beaches called China Beach by the Americans.  We decided to take a trip and see Da Nang for ourselves.  Here is what we saw.