Vietnam & Surrounds Day 10 (PART 1)

By travelerdon on April 21, 2025

Day 10, Saturday, 3/22/25, My Son (PART 1)

We arise today at 5:30 AM. Breakfast buffet is at 6:45 AM. We meet together at 8 AM and board the bus.

Today we drive to My Son, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a ninety minute drive. Our driver drives down the middle of the road a lot and sounds the horn. I can’t watch.

Our guide today is Jun. My Son is an amazing place. We watch a dance demonstration that is colorful and precise. My Son was once a capital and religious center of the Cham people and is now home to red brick towers and sanctuaries. It is considered to be one of Southeast Asia’s greatest archaeological sites, along with Angkor in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand, and Borobudur in Indonesia. The towers and sanctuaries were built between the 7th and 13th centuries.

The main temples are very old and decaying. There are more than a dozen temples here. We’re told that people made pilgrimages here. We explore the lush valley and learn about the Cham civilization and their beliefs. We admire the intricate carvings and sculptures on the temples and learn about their significance.

We walk out of My Son and queue up to ride the shuttle bus out to the main parking lot where we board the small bus for the hour ride back to the hotel where we’ll have lunch. Elee has a noodle dish and I have fish and chips.

It’s time to relax for just a short while before we head out on the second adventure of the day! See you in Part 2!