Just when we thought we had experienced all modes of travel, another traveler told us about Vietnamese motorbike tours. After hiring two motorbikes with drivers, we set off from Hoi An on what promised to be an unforgettable six-hour journey of beautiful beaches, quiet fishing villages, the marble mountains and the Hai Van Pass.

Our expert drivers lashed our big backpacks to the back of their motorbikes and our small backpacks on the gas tanks and off we went. One thing that you don’t notice traveling on the bus is the changing smells from fishy to baking goods to rotting foliage.

First stop, Marble Mountain and the Huyen Khong Caves. These mountains are made of marble and the village at the base specializes in marble carvings. We saw happy Buddhas, solemn Buddhas as well as an assortment of animals. Many of the caves are filled with various Buddhist statues, some freestanding and others carved beautifully out of the living rock. The outer slopes are dotted with pagodas and temples and some of the caves even have ancient buildings inside. We were thankful for an elevator rather than stairs to the top and were rewarded with a spectacular view of the valley.

The Hai Van Pass, or  “Pass of Ocean Cloud” had panoramic views between beach and mountains. Hai Van’s continuing strategic importance is marked by a succession of forts, bunkers and ridge-line defensive walls erected by Nguyen dynasty Vietnamese, French, Japanese and American forces. Our stop there gave us time to explore the old lookout turrets used by both the French and the Americans to control Danang Harbor in war time.

Our last official stop was at Elephant Springs. The area consists of a number of natural pools with clear and cool water, scattered by huge boulders. With some imagination, you can find a boulder, which looks like an elephant head. Climbing on the boulders and swimming in the springs or just relaxing on some sitting mats is a favorite weekend activity for the locals. We enjoyed basking in the cool water during our break from the motorbikes.

We went off the main roadway and through a small fishing village where the days start early and by afternoon villagers are resting in the shade. Many fishermen live on their boats. As we rested in the shade, it was so quiet all we could hear was the lapping of the water.

 

Finally, Hue! We were glad to arrive as we were really tired of sitting on the motorbikes. Hue used to be an ancient capital of Vietnam and while there we visited the enormous citadel that was the Imperial Palace.