Overview

Step into another world at My Son Sanctuary, the ancient relics of the proud civilization of Champa, on the My Son Sanctuary by Jeep & Boat tour. We take you to the Hindu temple ruins around the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, My Son Sanctuary, once the location of over 70 different temples facilitating the worship of gods like Krishna, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Now, it is a site of crumbling red bricks amid reclamation by the jungles that surround it, but the beauty of this amalgamation of ancient architecture and nature is truly astounding. A guided tour from Incredible Asia Journeys will reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of Champa, and how they built these buildings and worshipped their gods from within.

We arrive at My Son Sanctuary by Jeep and return by boat, visiting the fishing village of Tra Nhieu and its adjacent coconut forest, as well as Thanh Ha pottery village to learn of the age-old techniques of pottery creation that are still very much in practice today. We enjoy a cruise on the Thu Bon River, the lifeblood of the Champa civilization and current provider of livelihoods for the thousands of residents that live on Hoi An’s outlying riverbanks.

During our passage, we will take a cooking class and eat the delectable lunch that results from it. The My Son Sanctuary by Jeep & Boat tour is the perfect mix of history, current Vietnamese culture, and personal relaxation.

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Places you’ll see

Hoi An

Highlights

Driving through Hoi An’s rural perimeters, watching the daily Vietnamese farming scene unfold around us
Enjoying a traditional music and dance performance at My Son Sanctuary, explaining the practices and religion of ancient Champa
Walking with our guide around the fascinating system of temple ruins at My Son
Relaxing into a cruise down the Thu Bon River and learning the art of Vietnamese cooking as we do so
Visiting Thanh Ha pottery village and Tra Nhieu fishing village to discover the trades of Hoi An’s satellite domains

Itinerary

Activities: Visiting the temple complex of My Son Sanctuary by Jeep before returning to Hoi An by boat, stopping at Thanh Ha pottery village and Tra Nhieu fishing village on the banks of the Thu Bon River.

Board your Jeep as it arrives outside your hotel at 07.30 am. We follow the Thu Bon River down to My Son Sanctuary, stopping at a fish market on the way to see a lively local scene. Passing the gorgeous scenery of inland Vietnam, we stop for coffee in Nam Phuoc with a view of an ancient banyan tree.

Upon arriving at My Son Sanctuary, we will enjoy a traditional dance and music performance that explores some of the facets of ancient Cham culture. We will ascend a short track flanked by thick jungle on the way to the ruins, where we will begin our walking tour of this fascinating complex of ruins. Explore the dilapidated red brick buildings, partially reclaimed by jungle but simply beautiful in this natural state. Our guide will explain about the religious and cultural history of the Champa people here and the significance of some of the mysterious temples that remain.

We take the Jeep back in the direction of Hoi An before stopping at Thanh Ha pottery village, with its proud history of 500 years in the pottery trade, firing bricks and making tiles that comprise much of the architecture of the Old Town of Hoi An. We have a brief tour and continue to Thanh Ha Pier, where we board a boat and begin cruising down the Thu Bon River alongside picturesque country views.

While we are relaxing into our cruise, our chef will put on a cooking demonstration before we tuck into a delicious lunch. We continue cruising for a while, eventually stopping at the fishing village of Tra Nhieu, where we can see scenes of fishermen in coracle boats and those returning to shore to sell their catch at Duy Hai fish market. The coconut forest of Bay Mau lies on the doorstep of the village, with its beautiful nipa palm creating the perfect picture of tropical Central Vietnam.

Back on the boat, we enjoy the last part of our cruise before docking in Hoi An at about 15.00 pm, where a car will take you back to your hotel. Thank you so much for joining the My Son Sanctuary by Jeep & Boat tour, we sincerely hope to get the chance to serve you again in the future!

Meals: Lunch