IS MY SON SANCTUARY WORTH A TRIP?

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My Son Sanctuary was one of the highlights of my time in Central Vietnam. It offered a great contrast to the sunny beach-vibe of Da Nang and was actually the only place in Vietnam I visited that felt remote and jungle-like.

I have to admit that I had never heard of My Son Sanctuary before my four weeks in Da Nang. Of course I realized early on during that trip that I knew VERY little about Vietnam… But as I was looking for interesting sights in the area, I learned about My Son and decided to add it to my itinerary. And I am so glad I did!

Are you wondering whether My Son Sanctuary is worth a trip? Or are you looking for the right tour to book? Read on for my experience with an organized tour from Hoi An.

So what is My Son Sanctuary?

My Son Sanctuary refers to a cluster of Hindu temple ruins originally built by the Champa Dynasty between the 4th and 13th century. The Cham people ruled over large pieces of Vietnam for many years.

The temples are about an hour inland from Hoi An, in a secluded location surrounded by mountains and jungle. During the Vietnam War My Son served as a hide-out for the Vietcong and many of the buildings were damaged as a result of the fighting.

All about my Tour to My Son Sanctuary

Booking my Excursion

When checking out the options, I realized that My Son is quite a bit closer to Hoi An than to Da Nang. That worked out great as I was going to Hoi An for a three day mini-vacation/side trip.

After a little bit of back and fourth, I decided on the early morning option – though the 5:30 am pickup time did give me some pause. This tour also included a Champa breakfast/brunch. This has nothing to do with Champagne (more is the pity) as I thought at first but refers to the local food of the Cham people.

I paid USD 19.80 in total for the five hour trip, not a bad price! It was one of the pricier things I did in Vietnam but still fit easily into my budget and made a great addition to my 3-day itinerary.

It was still dark when I went outside to wait for my pick-up

Preparation and Pickup

The tour company sent several reminders to make sure to go to bed early and be ready on time. It seems quite a few people end up not making the 5:30 am pick up time.

Not going to lie – I too did struggle a bit. I had gone to see the memories show the night before and though it doesn’t run very late it was still close to 10 pm by the time I got back to my hotel. And then I had a hard time falling asleep and sleeping – probably because I was so worried about missing the tour!

Anyway, I probably only managed a couple of hours of sleep but did make it easily to wait in front of my hotel, the De Vivre Hotel Hoi An, by 5:30 as planned. It was just starting to become daylight.

Looking for a place to stay in Hoi An? I was quite happy with the De Vivre Hotel Hoi An. Though not luxurious, it was completely adequate, inexpensive, and in a great location to explore Hoi An’s Old Town. Maybe even more important, my room was very quiet – a rare thing in Vietnam!

The van came pretty much on time (okay, it was 2 minutes late but most wouldnt even notice). The van was already mostly full but we did pick up a couple extra passengers as well as the tour guide. In total we had 11 guests on this tour.

Drive from Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary

The drive from Hoi An to My Son took about an hour. It was uneventful though we did see some of the surrounding landscape and various small villages. Our tour guide also told us quite a bit about the sanctuary we were headed to as well as about local life and culture in Vietnam.

Arriving at My Son Sanctuary

It was still quite early in the morning when we got to our destination. The entrance ticket is NOT included in the tour so had to be purchased separately. However, at VND 150,000 it wasn’t a huge expense.

Some of my photos look a bit gloomy – the views were better in person as the morning mist looked magical rather than gloomy. And of course the early arrival meant there were less people and it wasn’t hot yet. I definitely recommend taking the early morning tour if you can deal with getting up by 5 am!

After a very short walk we got to a plaza where we boarded small vehicles, kind of like large golf carts. These were quite handy as it would be a fair amount of walking to get from the entrance to the actual sight.

Coffee Break

The carts dropped us off at a small café. Here we each got a cup of coffee or tea. Our guide had asked for our order still in the bus so the beverages were ready when we got there. I am not a big coffee drinker and this was the only coffee I had in Vietnam! It was tastier than I expected (presumably due to the condensed milk which was quite sweet).

Touring the site

By now it was about 7 am and we were ready to explore the site. As we walked towards the temple ruins I really appreciated the mist shrouded mountains and jungle atmosphere. I spent most of my time in Da Nang which has a more beach town/sunshine vibe so it was quite a contrast.

Due to my mediocre photography skills my pictures of the temple buildings don’t look too impressive. But in reality they were very interesting and had a distinct Jungle Book vibe.

Our guide spoke excellent English and did a good job telling us about the history of the site without being boring. He also shared more about daily life in Vietnam which I found at least as interesting. At the same time there was also plenty of opportunity to get to know the other guests and talk with each other.

Unfortunately, My Son Sanctuary was used as a Vietcong base during the Vietnam War and bombed by the US, destroying and damaging many of the buildings. Apparently, there are still landmines in the surrounding area, so if you visit independently don’t wander too far!

During our visit we saw a monkey – the biggest I have seen in the wild and slightly threatening. We also watched a dance performance for a short time. I am not sure if this is a regular occurrence though – if I remember right it was part of shooting a promotional video.

There is a fair amount of walking between the different temple complexes and buildings. However, for the most part the ground is level. We did have someone in our group who was wearing a cast. He did struggle a bit at some of the sights but overall he managed. So you don’t have to be in great shape to enjoy My Son.

Breakfast at the Restaurant

Touring My Son Sanctuary took about 2 hours so it was around 9 am when we got back to the restaurant. By that time the sky looked much bluer but it was also getting quite hot and humid. I was definitely glad that we weren’t just starting out!

The included meal was just okay but did showcase local foods

For breakfast we sat at a couple of shared tables for 6 people each. The food was included in the tour price but any drinks you ordered had to be paid for. The meal consisted of a bowl of Quang Noodles and various smaller dishes. To be honest, the food at breakfast was fine but not spectacular. The Vietnamese dishes on my Hoi An Food Tour were definitely tastier!

Return to Hoi An

On the drive back there was quite a bit of chatting – the group had gotten to know each other fairly well during the sighseeing and especially breakfast. Otherwise, the drive was pleasant but uneventful.

However, here is where I made my big mistake. When we had our first stop for passengers to get out, I hopped out as well. There was no need to and I am not sure why – maybe I wanted to save them the bother of returning me to my hotel?

Anyway, while the stop was not far from my hotel I somehow lost my way. It took me far longer than anticipated to get back – hot and exhausted. So my advice: don’t end the tour by just exiting the van without a plan!

In the morning My Son feels quite remote and abandoned

Do you need a tour for My Son Sanctuary?

While you can probably explore My Son Sanctuary independently, this is one of those sights I do recommend booking an organized tour for.

First, it is fairly remote and requires a longish drive. If you hire a driver/get a Grab you probably won’t save much money (especially as a solo traveler). Second, this is one of those sites that does need some background info so you understand what you are looking at.

And as for me, I appreciated the chance to meet fellow travelers. I got some great tips for the rest of my time in Vietnam but even more important had a really good time.

If your time in central Vietnam is limited you might want to consider a combo tour of My Son Sanctuary and Marble Mountain. Several people on my tour were signed up for this and a couple more actually added the Marble Mountain portion on during the tour as there were still available spaces and they had enjoyed the My Son Sanctuary part! I too might have been tempted but had already made plans to visit Marble Mountain from Da Nang.

Is there anything else to be aware of?

There is a fair amount of walking but most of it is on level ground. Still, it is best to wear somewhat sturdy shoes. Do take sun protection (sunscreen, hat) as it might start to get hot towards the end of the trip. And don’t forget to bring some cash for the ticket and any drinks you might buy.

How is the value for the price you pay?

I thought the value of this excursion was very good. At USD 19.80 the tour wasn’t very expensive and included the 1+ hour drive to and from Hoi An, coffee and a meal, as well as a very personable and informative tour. The only extra expenses are the entry ticket (VND 150,000) and any beverages you might order at breakfast (and a tip for the guide).

So would I recommend a Tour of My Son?

Yes, I absolutely would recommend this tour if you enjoy culture and history. Everything ran very smoothly and the tour guide was excellent. My Son is definitely worth a visit as it is a great combination of ancient history and modern history in a very cool jungle-like setting.

I recommend booking the early morning tour as you will avoid the crowds but especially the heat! It also means you will be back in Hoi An early enough to explore more of the town or do another activity.

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