My Son
Set within the jungle 55km from Hoi An are the enigmatic ruins of My Son (731 309; admission 60, 000d; 6.30am-4pm), the most important remains of the ancient kingdom of Champa and a Unesco World Heritage site. Although Vietnam has better preserved Cham sites, none are as extensive and few have such beautiful surroundings – in a verdant valley surrounded by hills and overlooked by Cat’s Tooth Mountain (Hon Quap). Clear streams run between the structures and past nearby coffee plantations.

During the centuries when Tra Kieu (which was then known as Simhapura) served as the political capital, My Son was the most important intellectual and religious centre, and may also have served as a burial place for Cham monarchs.

My Son is considered to be Champa’s smaller version of the grand cities of Southeast Asia’s other Indian-influenced civilisations: Angkor (Cambodia), Ayu-thaya (Thailand), Bagan (Myanmar) and Borobudur (Java). American bombs have reduced many of the towers to ruins, but there’s still plenty to see.

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Getting there & away
Contents

Land
Car
A hire car with driver from Hoi An to My Son costs around US$15 to US$20. Going under your own steam gives you the option of arriving before or after the tour groups, and My Son is quite atmospheric when you’re one of only a few people there.

Bus/minibus
Numerous hotels in Hoi An can book a day trip to My Son that includes a stop-off at Tra Kieu. At US$2 to US$3 per person, you could hardly do it cheaper unless you walked. The minibuses depart from Hoi An at 8am and return at 1pm. Some agencies offer the option of returning to Hoi An by boat, which adds an extra couple of hours to the trip.

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See more Viet Nam

About Hanoi Vietnam | Around Ho Chi Minh City | About Halong Bay Vietnam | Ba Be National Park | Ba Vi National Park | Bac Lieu | Bai Tu Long Bay  | Bo Nau Cave (Pelican cave) |  Beaches North of Nha Trang |  Ben Tre | Buon Ma Thuot | Ca Mau  | Dien Bien Phu | Dong Hoi | Ha Giang | Haiphong | Halong City | Ho Coc Beach | Dong Hoi | Kon Tum | Kim Quy Grotto | Lang Son | Lao Cai | Long Hai | Luon Grotto | Long Xuyen | Mai Chau | Mekong Delta | Mui Ne Beach | My Tho | Phan Rang & Thap Cham | Phan Thiet | Phat Diem | Phong Nha Cave | Phu Quoc Island | Pleiku | Quang Ngai | Rach Gia | Soc Trang | Song Cau | Tam Coc | Tam Dao  | Tay Ninh | Thay & Tay Phuong Pagodas | Tra Co Beach | Tra Vinh | Tuy Hoa  | Van Don Island  | Vinh Long | Vung Tau