It is perhaps somewhat strange to see the ruins of My Son in Vietnam. These are after all, Hindu structures and you don’t really associate Hinduism with the country. But the Champa (the civilization that built My Son) ruled most of Central and Southern Vietnam from about the 7th century through to 1832. Their legacy lives on through these temples.

Before delving into My Son, let’s get to know the Champa a little bit. They are an Indianized kingdom of Malayo-Polynesian origin that controlled what is now Central and Southern Vietnam for more than a millennium. To the north is the Da Viet dynasty (which eventually annexed the Champa into what is now Vietnam) and Angkor to its west. All were rivals with the Champa.

Most of the kingdom’s glory can be seen here at My Son. And what a grand place it is! Many compare it to Angkor Wat over in Cambodia, the Bagan temple ruins in Myanmar and Borobudur in Indonesia. In terms of grandeur during their respective times, it totally makes sense. My Son, however may not feel as ‘grand’ as the others, mainly because of its smaller scale and damage to some of the buildings during the war in Vietnam.

After the Champa fell, the surrounding tropical jungle slowly crept in and began claiming these ruins. This is still evident today. Which makes for a pretty cool atmospheric site. And to cap it all off, the site was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999.

Most people explore My Son in conjunction with a Hoi An tour. And why not? Both are very near each other and the compact nature of each makes it feasible to tour both in a single day. Our Hoi An and My Son day trip tour promotion first takes you to the aforementioned Champa site. Then prepare yourself for a whole new environment at Hoi An. This is probably how Vietnam looked like 200 or so years ago.

So, there you go, two Heritage sites in one day! Looking for more in-depth excursions to compliment your Vietnam holiday? Look no further than our day trip travel deals. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need further details or assistance.

www.exotravel.com/