My Son Sanctuary - A great opportunity for a day trip from Hoi An or Danang
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of My Son Sanctuary in Vietnam is often skipped. However, it is a worthwhile place to visit as a day trip from Hoi An or Danang.
This site once had over 70 structures of the ancient Champa civilization, mostly dedicated to the deities of Shiva, Krishna, and Vishnu had most of the temples destroyed by the Vietnam War bombing.
During your visit to Vietnam, if you have more time in Hoi An or Danang, you have plenty of options for day trips such as the ancient Hindu Sanctuary of My Son. Actually, My Son Sanctuary can be explored in as short as a half-day trip from Hoi An only!
My Son Hindu Sanctuary is a great example of the ancient Champa civilization, with temples dated over 1,000 years in the middle of the jungle. Their skillful use of red bricks and sandstone with their intricate carved-brick decorations are remarkable.
The impressive Hindu-themed ruins feature many beautiful stone sculptures, temples, and towers in tropical jungle surroundings. My Son was also a political center and royal burial ground and the complex consists of more than 70 structures devoted to Hindu gods and goddesses and the most noticeable one, Shiva, was considered the protector of the Champa’s kings.
Enjoy this guide to the My Son Sanctuary and safe travels!
BONUS RESOURCES: In this guide, you can find all the best tips and practical information you need to travel to My Son. In the end, you can find a bonus section for all the RESOURCES you need to plan and book your trip to My Son Sanctuary, and to make your experience as easy, safe, and fun as possible.
My Son Sanctuary orientation and how can you get there
My Son Sanctuary in Vietnam located 40 km from Hoi An and it takes about 1.5 hours by car. If you are thinking about day trips from Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary is an amazing option.
Located within the village of Duy Phu the complex stretches out two kilometers within a valley and is surrounded by mountain ranges. You can get to My Son by a personal driver, an organized tour from Hoi An or Danang, or by motorbike.
The roads are okay to drive, but I opted for a local drive because driving on the road in Vietnam can be challenging – especially on a rainy day.
Hiring a personal driver was very very affordable – US$15 for 2 people. I booked a local driver through my Airbnb host and the driver took me there, waited the time I needed for the tour, and drove me back.
It is very interesting to see the change on the scenery, since My Son is surrounded by mountains and you will notice the misty forest making it even look mystical.
My Son Sanctuary - PIN IT FOR LATER!
Practical Information to visit My Son Sanctuary
Entry Fee: Once there, you pay for your entry fee of 150 000 VND – $6 USD
Tour Time: The whole tour can take around 1-3 hours , since it’s not very large and it doesn’t take too long to explore the whole site.
Best Time to visit: The site is open from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Early in the morning is the best time to visit. Specially during the summer time, it can get very hot and humid, so if you want to avoid the heat. As you can see on my pictures, I visited My Song on a rainy day and it was also during winter time (Dec.), which made the temperature drop even more, and I am glad I had a rainy jacket with me.
What to wear: I wore dry fit clothes and carried a rainy jacket, and had dry fit hiking boots, as I knew it would rain. But besides being a religious sanctuary, and we all know better that we should cover our shoulders and knees, I saw people wearing dresses, short shorts, tank tops…What about looking cute for that Instagram picture, right?
How to go on My Son Sanctuary Tour
What to expect: Unfortunately the temples in My Son are not so well preserved, and if you just walk around observing the buildings may be a little frustrating. I see a lot of people commenting that “it is not worth it to visit”, “it is boring”, ” The temples in Angor-Wat are much better” – My Son is was bombed during the Vietnam War, go figure! My Son is still a World Cultural Heritage.
Visit the Museum: A small outdoor museum houses some carvings of Hindu gods and displays two US missile casings, the first found on the premises in 1988 and the second in 2007. Make sure to enter the museum after you pass through the ticket office. You’ll find many wall posters explaining the history of My Son, which will help you especially if you plan to explore the site without a professional guide. (There are no English boards around the temples.)
You must learn the history: The key is to understand the history behind and when you gain important information about relevant attributes, you certainly gain a wider understanding and a greater appreciation for the Mi Song complex. In my case, I bought a book prior to my trip to understand the history behind it and to gain knowledge about the reaming of the buildings, therefore I could just explore on my pace and take as many pictures as I wanted.
Hire a Guide: One guided tour around My Son will cost you about 100,000 VND ($4.40 USD). Take a reputable tour as the guide who has a lot of knowledge – but keep in mind that depending on the size of the group, you will need to rush through sites.
Better do Clockwise direction: I started my tour in a clockwise direction and found it to a better option. Most people will start counter-clockwise. By going the opposite direction I was not following any large groups around and the complex seemed to reveal itself to me gradually rather than seeing the largest temples first.
Walk on the marked path: Walk only through the marked paths and don’t detour into the lush forest by yourself, since there is still a de-mining process going on in the area of My Son.
The history of My Son Vietnam
My Son Sanctuary was an independent state from around the 2nd to the 17th century, at which time it was occupied by Vietnam.
It is the main surviving architectural complex of the Champa dynasty its oldest structures are believed to date back to the 4th century and the site was used until the 15th century.
The origins of their spiritualism were India-based, and the Champas built My Son in honor of the Hindu god, Shiva, crafting each tower of sandstone bricks and a mixture of sand and water. Once a tower was completed, the Champas burned it to harden the sand and water mortar into stone.
The vast territory covered by temple ruins reflects the glory of the Champa Kingdom, which ruled the Central and Southern parts of Vietnam, from the 3rd century until 1832. After the Vietnamese defeated the kingdom, the temples were abandoned among the lush nature of Hon Quap (Cat’s Tooth Mountain) and the Thu Bon River.
The explorer Camille Paris, rediscovered the My Son complex during his cartography expedition in Vietnam in 1889. Later on, in 1903, Henri Parmentier, a French archeologist and his team began an excavation of the site that lasted eleven months. They documented the site of 71 rediscovered structures within two kilometers.
They also managed to restore some of them, but unfortunately, the holy place full of secrets was bombarded during the Vietnam War in 1969 when American forces attacked Viet Cong that had made a base in the ancient ruins.
The Vietnam War and My Son Sanctuary
Parts of the temple complex were destroyed during the Vietnam War when the Viet Cong used the area as a base and American forces bombed it.
It is heartbreaking to see that the temples are not well preserved, and many are covered by vegetation. During the Vietnam War, US military command believed that the site housed a North Vietnamese base and very nearly bombed it to oblivion.
During the tour, you can notice marks from US bombs on the temples, and also large craters in the ground measuring about 8 meters across and 4 deep. I was told that during the US Vietnam War, the Viet Cong were believed to have used this complex as a repository of military supplies.
Only 17 structures out of 71 survived the bombing, although Vietnamese and international teams have been doing conservation work on the site since 1975. Sadly, the floods from the nearby river and climate conditions such as high humidity jeopardize the ability to preserve the site.
But My Son survived, and despite its dismal condition, it is worth the hour’s drive to see it.
WHEN TO VISIT MY SON IN VIETNAM
Tour Time: The whole tour can take around 1-3 hours since it’s not very large and it doesn’t take too long to explore the whole site.
Best Time to visit: The site is open from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Early in the morning is the best time to visit. Especially during the summertime, it can get very hot and humid, so if you want to avoid the heat. As you can see in my pictures, I visited My Song on a rainy day and it was also during winter time (Dec.), which made the temperature drop even more, and I am glad I had a rain jacket with me.
VIETNAM GUIDE BOOK
Prepare in advance for your trip to Vietnam. Here are some of the excellent guide books that can help you to prepare for your trip to Vietnam:
WHERE TO STAY IN HOI AN
If you are planning to stay around My Son Sanctuary area, I have selected the best hotel options for all budgets:
BEST ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS IN HOI AN:
Great Value: Countryside Garden Homestay
Boutique Hotel: Paddy Boutique House Hoian
Best rated on Booking.com: Allegro Hoi An, a little Luxury Hotel & Spa
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR VIETNAM TRAVEL
Considering that anything can go wrong with any trip, we don’t want to risk the fun, right? Risks are of breaking down, loosing your luggage, or even worse, having an accident and get injured.
I recommend and also use reliable insurance through World Nomads. You can just do a quick quote below, and you will be surprised to find out how little it can cost, for the benefit you will get.
RENTAL CAR IN VIETNAM
If you are planning to rent a car for your road trip in Vietnam, I recommend to request a quote from a reliable source and compare the prices from different car rentals available.
THE BEST MY SON SANCTUARY TOUR OPTIONS:
If you are looking for a convenient and easy way to visit the amazing My Son Sanctuary, I have picked some tours options that you may love:
My Son Sanctuary visit & Thu Bon River Cruise with Lunch: With this tour, you have the opportunity to experience rural Vietnam on a minivan trip to My Son and a boat tour with lunch on the Thu Bon River.
My Son Sanctuary & Marble Mountains Private Tour: Explore the ancient My Son Sanctuary and marvel at stunning panoramic views of Danang from the peak of Marble Mountains on a private tour.
Da Nang Full-day My Son Sanctuary Tour: Visit the Champa Kingdom of My Son, and watch the fantastic Cham Ceremony.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR DAY TRIPS FROM HOI AN TO MY SON
Comfortable clothes: gym attire can be a good choice! A rain jacket is also a great idea if it is on a rainy day.
Sturdy shoes: I recommend wearing sturdy shoes if you are planning to visit all the sites and climb up to the top. Also, I visited it on a rainy day and turns very slippery, so wear sturdy and waterproof shoes to be safe.
Hi Paula,
Your description of the My Son and the history associated with it makes it more interesting to explore. The name itself makes one more curious to visit. In fact, when I first read the title, I thought you were referring to your born child. But then I realized as I read further that it is the ancient Hindu ruins.
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Moss…Yes, My Son is a beautiful site and a great place that I recommend to visit. The name can be a little tricky, I agree with you 🙂
Vietnam is one of those places I had preconceived notions about and not exactly positive! This post has really opened my eyes to all the beautiful places and tourism potential! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Shelbs – Vietnam is absolutely incredible beautiful, and the people are so kind and welcoming. I am so glad I could represent Vietnam on a positive way here, because it is one of the most incredible places I have ever visited.
Fantastic post! Its sad to think about how much damage the war left there, especially on such beautiful and historic places like this. Thanks for sharing! I’ve never seen a temple quite like it before.
Carley, you are right, it is very sad to see all the negative impact a war can create. I wish these sites could be preserved for eternity, but hopefully, we learned lessons from the past.
Fantastic to see the temples, although they are damaged.
Hi Cosette, it is a shame to see such a gorgeous site that got so damaged, but they tried to reconstruct it without any success, and it is still an amazing place to visit.
These pics are straight out of Nat Geo! Vietnam is high on my bucket list once we’re able to make that happen, so will save this for later. I kinda like that the ruins here aren’t as preserved as you might find in the more Disney-esque historical sites. Only shows the importance of these places, and the stories behind them!
I love your remarks about the ruins Agnes, it is true. Sometimes these places are out of the itinerary from most visitors because they are not perfectly preserved, but they have so many stories to tell us, it is just fascinating.
oh, I love this! Off the beaten path, super interesting, and your pictures are doing a fab job at selling this to me!
Hello Galatia, so glad you enjoyed this guide and yes, My Son is a real hidden gem and an intriguing place to visit in Vietnam.
Hi Paula,
What a spot. Too bad I missed it during my 2 months in Hoi An in 2012. I loved that region. Perhaps I will hit it up on a return trip. I loved riding around the rice fields on a bicycle with my wife. The people are incredibly friendly there. Super post.
Ryan
Hey Ryan, WOW….you spent 2 months in Hoi An? What a dream, I loved Hoi An so much that I still want to go back to live there for a few months too, so I can experience more that incredible area. The food and the people are amazing.