I decided to hire a private car service to take me from Hoi An to Hue which is about a 3 hour drive. The car service would include stopping off to do some sightseeing along the way. We would be stopping at Marble Mountain, Hai Van Pass, Lang Co Beach, and Lap An Lagoon along the way which would make for a six hour journey. All of which are very picturesque.
The only problem is the rain hadn’t let up and it was overcast and foggy. Hai Van Pass was supposed to have amazing views, but the peak was shrouded in fog. I didn’t have much interest visiting a beach in the pouring rain. I talked to the driver and we decided to head to Marble Mountain, skip Hai Van Pass and the Beach and make a stop at the Lagoon for a little food.
Marble Mountain
Marble Mountain actually consists of 5 different mountains made of limestone and marble. The main attraction is the largest peak Thuy Son which has many caves and Buddhist temples to explore. For a small fee you get a ticket to ride the elevator to the top of the mountain and begin exploring.
My driver to me to the ticket counter and helped me get the ticket I needed. From there I was on my own. The rain had broken for a little bit and I used my time to explore some of the caves and temples that were located across the mountain.
Some of the temples were located inside of caves.
There was a few lookout points where you could get a nice view of the ocean and surrounding are. I’m sure it would be amazing on a clear sunny day.
I only explored part of the mountain before I decided to start heading back to meet my driver.
Lap An Lagoon
From Marble Mountain we made our way to Lap An Lagoon where we stopped for a bathroom break and to grab a little snack. There wasn’t much to see other than a couple of boats floating on the water.
And a couple of Vietnam War era jeeps that were being used to give tours. It made me glad I was traveling in a nice warm and dry Toyota.
After our break we headed out on our final leg to Hue. It took us a little over 4 hours including our two stops. I wish the weather had been better so we could have done some more sightseeing.
The car and driver are highly recommended if you need to get from Hoi An to Hue or vice versa. I used BNT Travel. The car was modern, clean and had free Wi-Fi. The driver spoke good English and was very friendly and accommodating. It cost me about $60 for the trip, which I thought was reasonable.