Day 1: 27
September 2018 (Thursday) ● PENANG – KUALA LUMPUR - DANANG
Penang (PEN - Penang Intl) → Kuala Lumpur (KUL – KLIA2) via AirAsia AK6111
Kuala
Lumpur (KUL – KLIA2) →
DaNang (DAD) via AirAsia AK648
PM:
Arrive DaNang International Airport
PM:
Take Grab Taxi to Green House Hotel and check-in
PM:
Walk to My Khe Beach and dinner at Be Anh 2 Seafood Restaurant
PM:
Take Grab Taxi to Chè Thái Liên for local dessert
Day 2: 28 September 2018
(Friday) ● HUE
AM: Breakfast at hotel, Green House Hotel
AM:
Depart from hotel to Hue (distance 2.5 hours journey)
AM:
Minh Mang Tomb
AM:
Khai Dinh Tomb
PM:
Thien Mu Pagoda
PM:
Imperial City (The Citadel)
PM:
River Cruise at Perfume River
PM:
Return to DaNang
PM:
Dinner at Be Anh Seafood Restaurant
PM:
Enjoy Dragon Bridge View at night followed by supper (local dessert) at 196 Bạch Đằng,
Quận Hải Châu, DaNang, 550000
Day 3: 29 September 2018
(Saturday) ● DANANG
AM:
My Khe Beach
AM:
Breakfast at hotel, Green House Hotel
AM:
Take Coco Bus Tour N2 at East Sea Park
AM:
Linh Ung Pagoda (Lady Buddha of DaNang)
AM:
Marble Mountain
PM:
Roman Catholic Diocese of DaNang
PM:
Han Market
PM:
Shopping at Big C, DaNang
PM:
Dinner at Lotteria at Parkson, DaNang
Day 4: 30 September 2018
(Sunday) ● BANA HILLS
AM:
Visit Man Thai Fishing Village
AM:
Breakfast at hotel, Green House Hotel
AM:
Depart from DaNang to Bana Hills (journey to BaNa Hills is around 45minutes)
AM:
Arrive at BaNa Hill Gateway. Took hotel to Hoi An Station → walk to Bordeaux Station → Louvre Station
AM:
Check-in Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills
PM:
Visit French Village
PM:
Fantasy Park
PM:
Visit Linh Chua Linh Tu Temple, Ba Shrine, Tombstone Temple, Spiritual
Zone
PM:
Take the Funicular to Flower Garden
PM:
Visit Le Jardin d’Amour Flower Garden
PM:
Visit Linh Ung Pagoda
PM:
Visit Golden Bridge
PM:
Fantasy Park
Day 5: 1 October 2018
(Monday) ● HOI AN
AM:
Breakfast at hotel, Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills
AM:
Walk along French Village
AM:
Check-out from hotel
AM:
Take cable car from L’indochine Station to Toc Tien Station
AM:
Take Grab Taxi to Hoi An (distance 1.5 hours journey)
AM:
Check-in River Suites Hoi An and refresh
PM:
Visit Japanese Bridge (Chua Cau)
PM:
Visit Trung Hoa Assembly Hall
PM:
Quang Trieu (Cantonese) Assembly Hall
PM:
Visit Fukian Assembly Hall (Phuc Kien)
PM:
Dinner at Old Garden Restaurant
PM:
Hoi An Night Market
Day 6: 2 October 2018
(Tuesday) ● HOI AN
AM:
Breakfast at hotel, River Suites Hoi An
AM:
Visit Old House of Tan Ky
AM:
Watch Art Performance at Hoi An Traditional Art Performance House and play Bai
Choi (Vietnamese Bingo Game)
AM:
Visit Hoi An Market
PM:
Visit Japanese Town and Phung Hung Ancient House
PM:
Stroll around Hoi An Ancient Town and watch sunset along the river banks
PM:
Put paper lanterns on the river (at night)
PM:
Dinner at Nha Hang Vi Que Vietnamese Restaurant
PM:
Hoi An Night Market
PM:
Supper at CocoBox Hoi An
Day 7: 3 October 2018
(Wednesday) ● HOI AN - KUALA LUMPUR – PENANG
AM:
Breakfast at hotel, River Suites Hoi An
AM:
Hoi An Ancient Town and Cau An Hoi (Bridge)
AM:
Hoi An Japanese Bridge
AM:
Check-out from hotel and depart to DaNang (distance approx.. 45minutes journey)
AM:
Depart from DaNang (DAD) International Airport via AirAsia AK649 - Kuala Lumpur
International Airport (KUL – KLIA2) via AirAsia AK6138 - Penang (PEN - Penang
Intl Airport)
It
was love at first sight when I arrived in Hue. Hue is a small city in Vietnam
with a very rich history. History lovers like me will find a huge amount to
enjoy here. In fact, prior to this trip, I’ve heard and learnt a lot about the
“Citadel” from various travel websites. That UNESCO Heritage Site is justly so
famous.
To
begin with, we made a day trip to Hue from DaNang. We rented a car and driver
to navigate the sights of Hue for us in one day. The journey took us nearly 3
hours drive by car from DaNang (quite a distance to me) passing by Lang Co
Beach. Upon arrival, I was impressed by its quiet and deliberate lifestyle of
the people living in Hue.
 |
| Imperial Tomb of Minh Mang |
If
you’ve got one day in Hue just like us, you need to visit these places: Minh
Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb, Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady), The
Citadel and Perfume River.
 |
| The Dai Hong Mon Gate - the central gate was opened only once to let the Emperor's mortal remains |
Visiting
the royal tombs is another thing you shouldn’t miss when traveling to Hue.
Since we didn’t have much time in Hue, we randomly chose two tombs to visit in
Hue – which is (i) Minh Mang Tomb and (ii) Khai Dinh Tomb. We chose Khai
Dinh Tomb because it is near to Thien Mu Pagoda.
 |
| Imperial sights of Minh Mang Tomb |
 |
| The most majestic of all royal tombs |
 |
| Minh Mang Tomb is surrounded by lake |
 |
| Gateway to Imperial Minh Mang Tomb |
 |
| One for the album |
The ancient capital of Vietnam was home
to the Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty and seven of their tombs lie along the
Perfume River. The Tomb of Minh Mang is situated in An Bang village, on the
west bank of the Perfume River in a beautifully landscaped area which includes
lakes and canals. This majestic tomb is renowned for its architecture and landscaping.
The construction of this tomb began on the year of Emperor Minh Mang reign from
1820 to 1840, but it was still incomplete upon his death. It fell to his son
and successor Thieu Tri to complete his final resting place, with the help of
about ten thousand workers and artisans.
 |
| Statues in the courtyard of the tomb |
 |
| Steles Pavilion of Minh Mang Tomb |
 |
| The tomb reflects Chinese architectural concepts |
 |
| The tomb reflects Chinese architectural concepts |
If
architecture is something you are passionate about, you will be amazed by the
beauty of Khai Dinh Tomb, one of the most visited and elaborate of the Emperor
Tombs in Hue. The ceramics adorning the inside of the tomb are impressive
and the mix of Vietnamese and European architecture. To me, this tomb has the
most unique design and took a long time to build. I was overwhelmed by the
detailed and colorful mosaics and engravings of dragons on the wall and the
ceiling. You just have to come and see it for yourself!
 |
| The entrance to Khai Dihn Tomb |
 |
| Khai Dihn Tomb Facade |
 |
| Khai Dinh Tomb is the most visited tomb in Hue |
 |
| One of the most outstanding stuctures of Nyugen dynasty |
 |
| The interior of Khai Dinh Tomb |
 |
| The talent of the 12th King |
 |
| Combination of traditional and French modern style |
 |
| Love this piece of art |
 |
| Statues of the royal guards standing at the entrance of the tomb |
 |
| The surroundings at Khai Dinh Tomb |
Outside the complex monuments in another part of Hue, is the oldest pagoda in the city called Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady) built in 1601, and associated with many legends. Local people say “If you come to Hue without visiting Thien Mu Pagoda, it means you have never been to Hue.” The seven-story Pagoda is overlooking the Perfume River, is an iconic Hue backdrop and a symbol of the ancient city. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times in the years since.
 |
| Thien Mu Pagoda |
 |
| The oldest Pagoda in Hue, built in 1601 |
After
our lunch break, the driver dropped us to the “Citadel”. If you happen to
visit Hue, you need to visit the “Citadel”. Here’s a little bit of
history about the “Citadel”. It was founded as Vietnam’s capital city by King
Gia Long – the first King of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802. The massive
complex features hundreds of monuments and ruins, including the residence of
the royal family, which was badly damaged by time and wars.
 |
| The Meridian Gate also known as South Gate, main entrance to the imperial |
 |
| A vividly restored gateway in the citadel |
 |
| Old image of Khai Dinh Emperor with his highest ranking mandarins in the citadel |
 |
| The grounds of a restored palace in the citadel |
 |
| More gates in imperial city |
 |
| Map of the ancient citadel |
 |
| An animal statue at the citadel, Hue |
The Citadel area contains the imperial residence, Hoang Thanh (Imperial City), Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Purple City) and other royal palaces. There’s so much to see there – royal tombs, flag towers, pagodas, temples, library and museums which will take you around 3 hours to explore every corner of its maze. However due to time constraint, we spent only two hours in this Citadel.
 |
| Myself posing in front of an ornate decorated gate |
 |
| One for the album - Us at the path through a manicured garden |
 |
| The Pavilion of Splendor |
 |
| The Pavilion of Splendor |
 |
| Dien Tho Residence Gate |
 |
| Myself posing in front of Ngo Mon Gate |
Today, only a handful of buildings still stand within the citadel, which once had more than 250 buildings. Still the citadel area is still well worth a visit. The vast complex was once the administrative centre of southern Vietnam during the 17th and 18th Centuries and, although the complex is in disrepair and restoration has been slow, it’s still well worth a visit. At around 5.30pm, we left the Imperial City and make our way back to DaNang.
 |
| The flag tower overlooking the citadel in Hue |
Travelers
visiting Hue can also see imposing city gates and walls, beautifully restored
halls, and the ancient moat fed by the Huong (Perfume) River. Do not miss
the dragon boat along the Perfume River too!
 |
| Hue's version of dragon boat |
 |
| The perfume river in Hue |
We
think it was a little rushed to spend just one day in Hue. There were so many
things we wish to see in Hue.
Accommodation(s):
DANANG
Green
House Hotel (27 – 30 Sept 2018)
Address:
22-24 Ha Chuong, Son Tra District, Da Nang Vietnam
Tel:
84 (236) 3939868
Room
price: MYR287.37 /3 nights for 2 adults booked via Expedia
Room
type: Deluxe Room (Partial Sea View) inclusive of breakfast
Air Itinerary Details:
AirAsia:
Penang (PEN) – Kuala Lumpur (KUL) – DaNang (DAD)/ DaNang (DAD)– Kuala Lumpur
(KUL) - Penang (PEN)
From
To
Flight Date
Dep Arr
PEN
KUL
AK6111
27 Sept 2018
07:10
08:10
KUL
DAD AK648 27
Sept 2018 10:30 12:05
DAD
KUL
AK649
3 Oct 2018
12:35 16:20
KUL
PEN
AK6138
3 Oct 2018 17:55
18:55
Return
ticket fare/person: MYR473 (KUL-DAD-KUL) + MYR178.48 (PEN-KUL-PEN) = MYR651.48
(Economy Class)
VietJetAir
: Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to DaNang (DAD)
From
To
Flight
Date
Dep Arr
SGN
DAD VJ628
27 Sept 2018
09:00 10:20
One-way
ticket fare/person (inclusive of 20kgs baggage allowance): USD39.95
VietJetAir
Booking Website: https://vietjetair.com/Sites/Web/en-US/Home
Tips for visiting ancient tombs, citadel and pagodas:
Dress
appropriately. Skirts or pants that cover the knees for woman and pants for
men. Sleeveless tops are not allowed.
Bring
small change to pay your entrance fees.
Recommend
to stay overnight in Hue.
 |
| Dress Appropriately |
Entrance Fee(s):
Imperial
City - 150,000VND
Khai Dinh Tomb - 100, 000 VND
Minh Mang Tomb - 100, 000 VND
Thien Mu Pagoda – Free
Transportation:
DaNang - Hue - DaNang (Day/Round Trip via 4 seated car inclusive of driver/petrol/toll) - 1,400,000VND (Minh Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb, Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue Citadel, Perfume River)
Khai Dinh Tomb - 100, 000 VND
Minh Mang Tomb - 100, 000 VND
Thien Mu Pagoda – Free
Transportation:
DaNang - Hue - DaNang (Day/Round Trip via 4 seated car inclusive of driver/petrol/toll) - 1,400,000VND (Minh Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb, Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue Citadel, Perfume River)
Note: All entrance / transportation fees and
accommodation rates/charges listed on this post are based on our (chengywong.blogspot.com) travel
dates (2018) and therefore subject to change(s). ©chengywong.blogspot.com is not
responsible for content on external web sites.
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