Channelling Indiana Jones in My Son, Vietnam

When I talk about My Son, I mean some ruins in Vietnam, not my child. This is because I don’t have any offspring, not that I’m really neglectful. To distinguish the two there is a pronunciation difference, but to the life of me I can’t remember it.

My Son is an old ruin of Indiana-Jones-esque proportions where Cham Kings were buried in the 4^th century. In other words, it’s pretty old. Apparently the Viet Cong were based here during the Vietnam War, so many of the buildings are highly damaged from bombing by American B52 bombers.

My Son itself was very touristy so it was difficult to get uninterrupted photos. We hung back as our tour group moved on to the next group of monuments in order to enjoy some solitude, but this tactic almost backfired when we missed the bus back! Luckily they collected the stragglers in a jeep, so we and another couple got a ride in a convertible jeep back to the bus – we couldn’t have planned it better! 🙂

It was VERY hot – I’ve never fainted but I really thought I was going to pass out because of the heat. I would recommend taking lots of water, a fan (can be bought in Hoi An for around $1 USD), and even an umbrella to provide shade.

I was horrified to read in my guidebook that there are unexploded landmines, so you should stick to the paths – a fact I stressed repeatedly to my BF. He ignored my advice with wanton abandon and went “off road”, which didn’t help my blood pressure! (He was fine luckily).

We had bought tickets from a travel agent in Hoi An, and paid in full ($16 USD) so we weren’t impressed when on the bus they charged us extra to actually get into the site. They explained that this was optional, but you don’t really have much option, unless you want to sit on the bus all day despite having paid for a tour! We were lucky we had enough cash on us. So beware – if you buy from a travel agent in Hoi An, either clarify that this is included or take cash with you! It wasn’t expensive (120,000 Vietnamese Dong, ie. around $6 USD), but it’s the principle, and it was lucky we had enough cash with us, or we’d have been stuck!

The tour brought us back to Hoi An via a boat ride along the river, which was lovely. We also stopped at an island which specialized in skilled wood carving, which amazing sculptures and abundant shopping opportunities.

Overall, despite the heat, tourists, overcharging and landmine warnings, My Son was a real experience and I’d definitely recommend coming here if you go to Hoi An.