Driving Highway One

by Lisa Spivey / Albert Wen, Feb 1, 1995 | Destinations: Vietnam / Hanoi

So often we find travelers only fly to the major cities in Vietnam. We were the same way on our first trips because there was so much to see and we never had enough time. But in January 1994, Lisa and I found that we had finished up some of our meetings earlier than expected and had five extra days. She had taken the train from North to South on a prior trip, but we knew that to see more of Vietnam we should get out on the road.

Highway One runs from the Chinese border in the North down the entire length of the country, stretching some 2,200 kilometers. We had heard the northern half of the road was a little more rugged than the southern section, and since our time was limited we decided to use our five days to drive just 1,000 kilometers. We flew to Hue and from there started the drive to Ho Chi Minh City via Danang, China Beach, Hoi An, Qui Nhon and Nha Trang.

"...we knew that to see more of Vietnam we should get out on the road."

We planned our trip with the help of Vinatour in Hanoi and their Ho Chi Minh City branch office. They sent a driver and car from Saigon to meet us at the airport in Hue. We were able to finalize our itinerary and confirm everything easily within one day. The cost of hiring a car in Vietnam (the price includes the driver, fuel, the driver's lodging and his meals) is generally determined by the distance driven and the number of days. If a car is hired for a one-way trip, there is a 50% surcharge. The price is often negotiable, but when negotiating be as specific as possible (include the make and age of the car, the skill level of the driver and his language capabilities, the driver's knowledge of the area and the cost of his meals and lodging). The trip we took could have cost anywhere from US$200 to US$600. We paid half the amount in advance to confirm the trip and half when we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City.

When our plane landed in Hue our driver met us with a Ford and a hand-printed sign with our names on it. We found out his English was limited to a few words, however his driving skills, positive attitude and willingness to laugh with us made up for the language barrier. Using maps and sign language, we got through the entire trip without a real tour guide but with a great driver. If you are used to detailed explanations you would probably want to hire an additional guide to go along with you.

The two major hotels in Hue are the Huong Giang and the Hue Century Inn, both of which overlook the Perfume River. Since Lisa had stayed in the Huong Giang on a previous trip, we decided to try the newly renovated Hue Century. A small room overlooking the city cost $55, while a larger one with a view of the river (and a bath-tub, a luxury in Vietnam) went for $75. We checked into the hotel and went next door to the Huong Giang Hotel rooftop where we enjoyed a beautiful view, drinks and appetizers served by an attentive waiter in a traditional costume. We watched the sun set and wished we had several days just to stay and relax. At night our driver took us on a tour of the city and we had a great dinner on the terrace at at the Century.

"The amazing and wonderful part about driving rather than flying is that you get to see how life goes on for many people in the country."

The next morning we started early to fit in seeing the Citadel and Forbidden City. Hue is the former capital of Vietnam and is known for the imperial tomb sites and many pagodas. It is also known for the fierce battles fought there during the Tet offensive in 1968. We were able to see the tomb of Tu Duc, Khai Dinh and the Tien Mu Pagoda. Admission to each was approximately $3 and each one was worth the visit.

We started our drive for Danang mid-afternoon. The road from Hue is quite mountainous and many say the most scenic stretch is Hai Van pass (Pass of the Ocean Clouds), the highest point on Highway One. The road is in good condition, but we were glad to be in a car instead of among the many foreign bicyclists we watched trying to make the climb.

We arrived in Danang at dusk. Danang has a totally different feel than Hanoi. Danang is on the waterfront, and bustles with the activity of a major port city. As we pulled into town, lights were being turned on all along the road so commercial activity could continue into the later hours. We visited four hotels before we found one with rooms available. The hotel was nothing to write home about, but it was affordable at $15 a night. We then got smart and had our friend at Vinatour in Ho Chi Minh City make hotel reservations in advance for the following two nights so we wouldn't have to spend so much time looking for a hotel at the end of the day.

The Vietnamese get up early, so we got started early every day. The other reason we had to start so early is that there are really very few options for overnight stops along the coast. That morning, we visited the Cham museum. It isn't big, but it is wonderful because the rooms are open air, and it houses sculptures from the Cham era of 2nd-15th century AD. We didn't do a lot of shopping on this trip, but we found the museum gift shop to have very nice paintings which we couldn't resist.

The 30 minute drive south from Danang took us past the Marble Mountains on the way to China Beach. We only had time to stop for a Coke on the beach, but we promised ourselves that next time we would spend an entire week relaxing and exploring this stretch of coast-line.

Lisa had been to Hoi An before and convinced me that we should take a short detour off Highway One to visit this quaint area. Hoi An was the highlight of our trip. It was established in 1535 as a trading center and port and still has an old world feel. We wandered along the many narrow streets that branch off from the riverside, visited Chinese family association buildings, and had a fantastic lunch at a local noodle shop that cost US$1 (30 cents for the noodles, 70 cents for the Coke which came all the way from Singapore).

All too soon we had to get back on the road and head for Qui Nhon. We were excited by the places we had visited that morning and the entrancing scenery. Plastic water bottles in hand, we settled in for the long ride ahead. Our car had air-conditioning (just like we ordered) but it wasn't working too well so we decided it was better to just roll down the windows and take in the hot air and dust. We got used to the heat and even got used to the sound of blaring horns that occurred whenever we passed someone.

Traffic never stops on Highway One (unless your car or bus or bike breaks down.) There are always vehicles going in both directions. Buses are always full of passengers and piled high with goods. The highway is the main thoroughfare for goods going from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi to more rural parts of the country.

Highway One is generally a two lane, paved road with no center marking. The amazing and wonderful part about driving rather than flying is that you get to see how life goes on for many people in the country. Near villages we got to know the school schedules and the children were a joy to watch walking back and forth from class. It was fascinating to see the harvested rice left along the side of the road to be driven over by passing vehicles to separate the chaff from the rice.

Every 10 kilometers or so, the road is being rebuilt. Crews range from five to 30 people. First they break down the big pieces of rock that are either dug from the hillside along the road or have been delivered to the work site. These little pieces of rocks are then spread over the area of the road being repaired and left there for the traffic to pack down. Then tar is poured over the area. The first few times we drove over a newly laid section of rocks, it felt like the car was coming apart. The car's shock absorbers left something to be desired. Lisa heard me say many times: "Next time, we need a Land Cruiser."

We had a flat tire on the way to Qui Nhon, and Lisa used the opportunity to make friends in the local village. People were very friendly and offered tea and help. In fact, we were charmed by the friendliness of people every time we got a little off the beaten path. At one point we lost our muffler and once again found that people were able to laugh with us and help us at the same time.

Because of the delays it was way dark by the time we reached Qui Nhon. We had one last challenge that day because the bridge leading into the city was being repaired and was closed to traffic. Once again, people went out of their way to help us, and we eventually made it to the Hai Au Hotel with rooms that overlooked the ocean and a dining room filled with an international crowd. We were able to get cold beers, fresh fruit and fresh sea-food. We walked out on the beach by our hotel and again were amazed at how much we had experienced in one short day.

The stretch between Qui Nhon and Nha Trang was the roughest part of the trip, but we thought it had the best scenery. The ocean and rice paddies were on one side, and more rice paddies, trees and mountain ranges were on the other. We watched men in fishing boats and people in rice fields. It really looked like a picture post-card.

We stopped for gas and decided it might be time for lunch too. Across the street was a "truck-stop" restaurant which was an open-air cafe. Lisa offered to order lunch. Since she doesn't speak Vietnamese she pointed to written words on the painted restaurant sign which doubled as a menu. Of course, by the time I got there I realized she had no idea that she had ordered the quite unusual special of the day, a fish caught in a stream behind the restaurant. We discovered that even in the most remote areas of Vietnam you can get a fresh meal prepared right in front of your eyes.

In Nha Trang we made our way straight to the Cau Da Villas, the former vacation spot of Emperor Bao Dai and one of the places you kind of hate to tell too many people about. It sits up on the top of a beautiful hill that overlooks the city and has its own private beach and dining rooms. For US$27 we had an entire building to ourselves with beautiful sitting areas overlooking the ocean. The food was good, the weather was perfect, and once again we hated to leave.

We had a long drive the next day though, so we left very, very early. Lisa was half asleep and left one of her suitcases behind, though we didn't miss it until we got to Saigon. The hotel staff was very helpful and managed to return the suitcase to our friend in Hanoi later.

We were a little wistful to get back into the fast pace and traffic jams of Ho Chi Minh City, but once we got there Lisa didn't waste any time getting to the beauty salon so she could have her hair washed and I took a few showers and turned on the satellite TV in our room to find out that there had been a terrible earthquake in Los Angeles. We had been out of touch for five days, so I was happy to be able to go downstairs for a copy of the Herald Tribune and catch up on the news back home.

We were a little wistful to get back into the fast pace and traffic jams of Ho Chi Minh City, but once we got there Lisa didn't waste any time getting to the beauty salon so she could have her hair washed and I took a few showers and turned on the satellite TV in our room to find out that there had been a terrible earthquake in Los Angeles. We had been out of touch for five days, so I was happy to be able to go downstairs for a copy of the Herald Tribune and catch up on the news back home.

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