Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [183]
Finally, if you’re heading overland to Laos, the four border gates open to foreigners in the central provinces are at Lao Bao, along Highway 9 from Dong Ha; Cau Treo, on Highway 8 from Vinh; Nam Can, northwest of Vinh on Highway 7; and Na Meo, on Highway 217 from Thanh Hoa. (For information on the Bo Y border gate, near Kon Tum, see "Around Kon Tum".
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The central provinces |
Highlights
Hoi An Sip a latte by lantern-light while waiting for your tailor-made clothes to measure up in this laid-back city.
My Son Majestic Cham ruins covered in moss, grass and leaves – rise early to see them before the crowds.
Da Nang Amiable city providing a jump-off point for lofty Ba Na Hill Station and the fabled Marble Mountains.
Hué’s Imperial City Cross the Perfume River to meander through the intricately decorated buildings that emperors once called home.
Phong Nha Cave Take a boat trip into the mouth of one of Asia’s most extensive cave systems.
Cycling from Tam Coc to Hoa Lu A fantasy landscape of limestone crags provides the backdrop for a leisurely cycle ride through Ninh Binh’s prolific rice lands.
Cuc Phuong National Park Get close to some of the world’s most endangered species at the excellent Primate Rescue Center.
Cham towers at My Son
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The central provinces |
When to go
This region has a particularly complicated climate as it forms a transitional zone between the north and south of Vietnam. In general, around Da Nang and Hué the rainy season lasts from September to February, with most rain falling between late September and December; during this season it’s not unusual for road and rail links to be cut. Hué suffers particularly badly and, even during the “dry season” from March to August, it’s possible to have several days of torrential rain, giving the city an annual average of three metres. Overall, the best time to visit this southern region is in spring, from February to late May, before both temperatures and humidity reach their summer maximum (averaging around 30°C), or just at the end of the summer before the rains break. The region north of the Hoanh Son Mountains experiences a drier climate and a more marked rainy season, with September and October again the wettest months. Summers are hot and dry, though from August to November typhoons can bring periods of heavy rain and severe flooding.
The central provinces |
Hoi An and around
The ancient core of HOI AN is a rich architectural fusion of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European influences dating back to the sixteenth century. In its heyday the now drowsy channel of the Thu Bon River was a jostling crowd of merchant vessels representing the world’s great trading nations, and there’s still a compelling sense of history in the mellow streets of this small, amiable town. Hoi An’s most noteworthy monuments are the 200-year-old homes of prosperous Chinese merchants whose descendants, surrounded by astonishing collections of antiques and family memorabilia, continue to inhabit the cool, dark houses. Between their sober wooden facades, riotous confections of glazed roof tiles and writhing dragons mark the entrances to Chinese Assembly Halls, which form the focal point of civic and spiritual life for an ethnic Chinese community that constitutes one quarter of the population.
Granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999, Hoi An is now firmly on most visitors’ agendas. For some it’s already too much of a tourist trap with its profusion of tailors’ shops and art galleries and its rapidly proliferating hotels, and the majority of visitors pause only briefly, but it takes time to tune in to the town’s subtle charms. At least a day is needed to cover the central sights and sample some of Hoi An’s mouthwatering speciality dishes, and by then most people are hooked. It’s easy to spend longer, taking day-trips to the atmospheric Cham ruins of My Son