The Indochina Adventure: Paradise Cave

After visiting Phong Nha Cave in the morning, I visited Paradise Cave in the afternoon. This was also fantastic.

The Indochina Adventure: Phong Nha Cave

After spending time in Hue, I headed over to Dong Hoi. I used Dong Hoi as a base to explore the caves in Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park. This was a fantastic place, and the first thing I checked out was Phong Nha Cave.

The Indochina Adventure: The Tomb of Khải Định

The last tomb I visited during that day was that of Khải Định. This was an interesting emperor, and he also had an interesting tomb.

The Indochina Adventure: The Tomb of Minh Mạng

After Tự Đức, Minh Mạng was the next emperor whose tomb I went to see. After a short car ride, we arrived at the sight, and as expected, this was a massive place.

The Indochina Adventure: The Tomb of Tự Đức

One day, while I was in Huế, I rented a car for the day. I wanted to visit the surrounding mausoleums, and having a car was the easiest way to check out these places. I started with the tomb of Tự Đức, an emperor of the Nguyen dynasty.

The Indochina Adventure: The Imperial City of Huế

After Da Nang, I moved on. I took the train (first time doing so in Vietnam) and headed to Huế. This used to be the former capital of Vietnam, and therefore had many interesting historical sites worth checking out.

The Indochina Adventure: Marble Mountains

The last item I checked out before leaving Da Nang was the Marble Mountains. I did this as part of the group tour I joined to go to the Lady Buddha.

The Indochina Adventure: Linh Ung Pagoda

While I was in Da Nang, I joined a group tour to visit some of the scattered sites nearby. The first one was the large statue of Lady Buddha, or the Linh Ung Pagoda, located on Monkey Mountain.

The Indochina Adventure: Museum of Cham Sculpture

I wasn't too impressed with Da Nang as a city. Perhaps it was because the focus of the city seemed to me at least to be on the beach and partying, and I wasn't too much into that. In any case, I did find a few interesting gems within the city, and one of them was the Museum of Cham Sculpture. This museum focuses on a culture that I didn't have much knowledge about.

The Indochina Adventure: The Dragon Bridge in Da Nang

After Hội An, I headed to Da Nang. This is a rather big city, and in fact, the city's airport was receiving numerous flights from the region. I re-entered Vietnam from Cambodia via Da Nang, but decided to go to Hội An first. Now that I am back, I had a few days to discover the city, and I started with its most famous bridge.

The Indochina Adventure: Mỹ Sơn

While I was in Hội An, I arranged for a day trip to Mỹ Sơn. This is an archaeological complex, consisting of ruins of Hindu temples. These temples were constructed between the 4th and 13th centuries, by the Kings of Champa. I knew nothing about this place, aside from the fact that it exists. It was slightly hard to get to independently, so I joined a tour to get there.

The Indochina Adventure: Hội An

So I am back in Vietnam from a brief stint in Cambodia. I flew from Siem Reap to Da Nang, and upon landing, I took a car and headed to Hội An, a nearby city with an enchanting Old Town.

The Indochina Adventure: Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts

Before moving on from Ho Chi Minh City, I wanted to check out the fine arts museum. This is my way of seeing a sample of the local art, so to speak. And I always find these interesting, given that it provides the visitor a glimpse of local talent.

The Indochina Adventure: Independence Palace

Of course, I had to visit the Independence Palace. It's after all one of the major sights of the city. So one morning, I walked the short distance from my hotel to this very prominent building, in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City.

The Indochina Adventure: Exploring Ho Chi Minh City

My first visit to Vietnam concentrated on the north. This time, I focused on the south, landing first in Ho Chi Minh City. It's a large city, full of energy and motorbikes.

The Indochina Adventure

So, I went back to Vietnam. And I also visited Cambodia for the first time. It was fun!

A Voyage to Vietnam: Exit Vietnam

So it has been an interesting three weeks. After spending 21 days in Vietnam, and narrating it for the past 4 months, it is time to leave. My visa-free time is up, so I need to board a plane and head back to Europe.

A Voyage to Vietnam: The Temple of Literature

The last place we have visited in Hanoi was the Temple of Literature. This is a Confucian temple built by the Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, back in 1070. And as with several other temples we have seen, the layout and structure are quite similar, with courtyards, ponds, statues, offerings, and other Confucian symbolisms.

A Voyage to Vietnam: The Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long

After checking out the One Pillar Pagoda, we walked a few blocks and headed to the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long. This is a royal fortress right in the middle of Hanoi, originally built in the 11th century, during the Ly dynasty. This area was the royal palace until the emperor decided to move the capital to Hue during the 19th century. Nowadays, the buildings found within the fortress are in various states of disrepair.

A Voyage to Vietnam: The One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi

So after spending a few days in Đà Lạt, it was time to go back to Hanoi. The trip is wrapping up. So we checked out of our hotel, took a car to Đà Lạt Airport, and flew back to Hanoi. By afternoon, we were in our final guesthouse of the trip. And we have two final nights before we head back to Europe. On our final full day in Hanoi, we opted to do our favourite things one last time, like drink egg coffee. And we also checked out a few sights we haven't seen before, like the One Pillar Pagoda.