Hal Jespersen's Vietnam Tour, March 2025 (Part 2)

This is my (Hal's) report on the trip “Return to Vietnam,” a mostly military history tour hosted by Valor Tours. This is my third tour with the Sausalito-based company. And other than two brief stops in Vietnam on a Southeast Asia cruise in 2001, it is my first time back since the war. I served with the US Army in the Saigon area in 1972–73, right at the end of the US military involvement.

Because this is a lengthy report with a lot of photographs, I have divided it into three parts:

• Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Khe Sanh, Dong Ha
• Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Can Tho (this page)
• Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Saturday, March 8 — Hue

Today was pretty much a non-military day, despite being on the site of one of the most significant battles in the Vietnam War, part of the Tet Offensive of 1968. We took a two-hour walk in the Citadel, which served as the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam, from 1802 to 1945. It is 5.2 square km, or about 1.4 miles on each side, dominating the area of Hue north of the Perfume River. There is a very tall wall with fortified gates, and it is also surrounded by a significant moat. We concentrated on the Imperial City, which is a small enclave in the larger citadel, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was constructed in 1804 and contained palaces that housed the imperial family, as well as shrines, gardens, a theater, and villas for mandarins.

Before entering the Imperial City, we saw nine gigantic antique cannons that were used in the defense of the citadel. Then we visited the Mieu Temple, built in 1821-22, where the royal court came to worship the deceased emperors. The outside was beautiful, but in order to enter, I would have had to take off my shoes, which I declined to do. The Thai Hoa palace included an elaborate golden throne. There was also the oldest theater in Vietnam, which once again wanted shoeless visitors. Our visit coincided with International Women’s Day, so there were hundreds of women decked out in colorful traditional outfits, usually the long dresses called Ao Dai. So it was quite a beautiful day. (The weather also cooperated, cool and overcast most of the day.)

Next, we took another cyclo trip, this time in the part of the Citadel outside of the Imperial City. This area is just like a regular small city, with shops and houses, and I had some déjà vu because the architecture and ambience were very similar to what I remember from my assignment in Saigon in the 70s. We followed a street that used to be the Citadel (Tay Loc) airfield, but there is no evidence of it anymore. Some of the guys brought up an interest in a Marine assault against a tower defended by a machine gun nest, and I did some Internet sleuthing to determine it was the Dong Ba gate/tower on the northeastern side of the Citadel, so Johnny instructed the cyclo drivers to modify their route and allow us to visit. We were unable to visit some of the other significant locations in the battle, such as the MACV Compound (which is actually right next to the hotel) or the First ARVN Division HQ.

We drove to the large Thien Mu pagoda, which stands impressively tall on a hill, but the couple of dozen steps leading up to it were very steep, uneven, and without a banister, so I declined to risk it. I was surprised to hear from Johnny that only 15% of Vietnamese are Buddhist, and the majority are actually atheists. He said there were 300 pagodas in the city. We concluded our touring relatively early in the day by taking a boat trip on the wide Perfume River, which separates the Citadel from the New City. The diesel-powered boat was decorated with two large dragon heads on the bow. This 30-minute trip was rather uneventful, and I found little to photograph, except for our hotel in the distance, admiring its pagoda-like structure on top. We had lunch in the DMZ Bar and Restaurant, which was adorned with giant maps of the DMZ, including one covering the entire ceiling. We had a few hours to kill in the afternoon and then two of us went out for dinner at a Japanese restaurant down the street. Together we had a beer, sake, and 24 pieces of sushi for $15!

Sunday, March 9 — Danang, Hoi An

After three nights in the same deluxe hotel, we packed up and hit the road again. About a half an hour from town was the Tomb of Khai Dinh, located on Chau Chu mountain, built for the twelfth Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty. It features a blend of Vietnamese architecture with Western styles. The tomb was completed in 1931 after 11 years of construction. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Once again I was intimidated by the access via 127 stair steps; even though they were relatively modern concrete steps, the banister situation was not very good, so I demurred. I was able to find some interior pictures on the Internet.

We rest-stopped at An Cu Lagoon, noticing the many oyster farms and large restaurants on piers. Next, we drove through the Hai Van Pass, 13 miles on Route 1, which traverses a spur of the larger Annamite Range on the border of Da Nang and Hue. Its name refers to the mists that rise from the sea, reducing visibility. Historically, the pass was a physical division between the kingdoms of Champa and Dai Viet from 1306 until 1471. Although there is a modern highway and six-mile tunnel bypass, we took the foggy, steep, winding switchback option for some local color. At the summit, about 1500 feet, there is an old French bunker, which is hidden in foliage, and a US bunker adjacent to an ancient gate structure erected by one of the emperors. And—surprise!—a number of souvenir shops.

Red Beach near Da Nang, now known as Xuan Thieu Beach, is where the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, the first US combat troops deployed to South Vietnam, landed on March 8, 1965. I found an internet source that indicated the landing (in full combat gear, but greeted by local politicians and pretty girls with leis) was in a section called Nam Ô Beach, so we stopped there. Quite a beautiful beach, entirely deserted. These marines went on to secure Da Nang Air Base, about six miles southwest.

We stopped in Da Nang for lunch. It is a very modern and attractive city with enormous, beautiful beaches. Definitely nicer and cleaner than Hanoi. Ngon Thi Hoa Restaurant was a delightful garden setting with a giant menu. I had beef pho again. Delicious. I also got a small box of artisanal chocolates, which they wrapped in heavy insulation with an ice pack.

My Khe Beach, about 5 miles long in the city of Da Nang, was nicknamed "China Beach" by American and Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War, who enjoyed the beach for R and R between battles. We walked on the beach a little, and I got to see Monkey Mountain for the first time. This was the primary north–south long-haul microwave relay station for our forces during the war, and I heard about it often in MACV signal briefings. It also has a huge statue of Lady Buddha, 67 m tall, at its base.

We drove by the former Fey Airfield, but could not go in. Then the Marble Mountains, a cluster of five marble and limestone hills (karsts) located south of Da Nang. The five mountains are named after the five elements: Kim (metal), Thủy (water), Mộc (wood), Hỏa (fire), and Thổ (earth). During the war, they were usually occupied by the Viet Cong, who had a hospital there within spitting distance of our troops. We did not take the big elevator to the top, but had a toilet break at the neighboring marble statue factory, which had absolutely beautiful statues, some enormous. I gave in to an impulse and bought a tiny jade elephant. I had forgotten guidance about bargaining for price, so I probably overpaid.

On the way to Hoi An, we passed by a number of luxurious resort hotels. If one could tolerate the lengthy flights, Da Nang would be a nice place for a reasonably priced beach vacation. The busy highway we took was named after Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, our main opponent in the war. When we reached Hoi An, we parked our bus and transferred our luggage to a small van for the ride through the very narrow streets of the city. It’s quite lovely and bucolic here, with only 120,000 residents, but it is also another UNESCO site, so tourists abound. It was a major international seaport until the 19th century, when it was overshadowed by Da Nang. Our hotel for two nights is the Emerald Hoi An Riverside Resort, which is a very nice tropical-style hotel right in the middle of the old city.

Before we ventured out for dinner, I took a walk around the daily night market, about two blocks away. Alongside the small Thu Bon River, there were brightly lit restaurants and shops augmented by dozens of food and souvenir stalls. I got a BBQ pork banh mi sandwich, expecting to take one bite and then save the rest for an after-dinner snack, but it was so delicious that I wolfed all of it down almost immediately. All of the street food looked really delicious and I could probably make a permanent diet of these dishes. On the river were small boats gliding along, all with colorful lighted lanterns. Overall, an enchanting interlude. We went to a hosted dinner as a group to a restaurant Johnny said was the best in town, Morning Glory Original, and it was really excellent. By 9 p.m., the night market on the way back was completely packed with people.

Monday, March 10 — Hoi An

Today started off with a four-hour walking tour of Hoi An. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and was overcast (and humid). But unfortunately, we had no military content all morning. Our first stop was the Japanese Bridge, the official symbol of the city; you can see its likeness on the 20,000 Dong note. The bridge was the dividing line between the historic Chinese and Japanese community areas. Next, the National Heritage House, which is a small building 250 years old, privately owned by a merchant family of seven generations. The building was unremarkable except for plaques on the walls indicating flood levels over the years. The flood in 1964 inundated the bottom 3 m of the building. This happened enough that they had pulleys installed at the front and back of the house, used to transport the furniture up to the second floor. All of the permanent fixtures were made from teak, so they can tolerate water. Our guide spent some time selling various souvenirs of the house. I ended up buying a medallion coin commemorating the year of the buffalo, my birth year: $1.30.

We walked to an “Art performance house” where we watched a 30-minute show of music, singing, and dancing. Then to a silk factory, where we saw silk worms and how they are raised. I was amazed to see that while the worm was in its cocoon state, it was able to produce 1,000 m of very fine silk thread. We watched ladies creating artwork by embroidering very complex and beautiful canvases with silk thread. Unless you stared at them with a magnifying glass, you might not notice that they were not oil paintings or photographs; the detail and artistic ability were very impressive. These large artworks take about three weeks to create, and they are selling them in the range of $900–1,500. We also saw all the clothing that they had for sale, and they offered to hand-tailor garments and deliver them to the hotel overnight.

Next was the most elaborate Chinese temple in town. There are approximately 850,000 Chinese in Vietnam and about 3,000 in Hoi An. I do not find temples all that interesting, but this one had a feature in which hanging spiral rings of incense were slowly burning all through the building. And we walked through the Central Market, which was very large, and a lot of people were eating lunch at little counters. Finally, we adjourned to a very busy bakery where we had lunch. I had another banh mi, which was very good, although not as good as the one I got at the street market. The amazing thing was that lunch for seven people, including five or six beers and other drinks, totaled $21.

We took an open-sided electric cart back to the hotel. I was feeling a bit queasy, having some digestive issues all morning—let’s call it Ho Chi Minh’s Revenge—so I popped some Imodium and remained at the hotel for the rest of the day. A few of the others did as well, but six of our group took a bus ride to the Chu Lai airport, about a four-hour round-trip. During the war, this was a Marine Corps airbase. The next morning, they reported that there was really nothing there besides sand dunes, so I don’t regret missing it, although I do regret missing a dinner that Johnny hosted at his house featuring a home-cooked meal with his family.

Tuesday, March 11 — to Can Tho

Today is a full travel day. We drove an hour to the Da Nang Airport and flew 90 minutes on Viet Nam Airlines to Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat Airport, my old stomping grounds in 1972–73, although back then we used the Southern spelling, Tan Son Nhut), and then took a bus for three hours to Can Tho, the major city in the Mekong Delta. It’s unclear why we didn’t fly directly to Can Tho’s international airport. I found it interesting to see that virtually none of the plane passengers were Vietnamese.

We arrived in Saigon early afternoon and met our guide, Tam. Quite a weather change: partly sunny and 94°. At 4 p.m. we had a late lunch in a roadside place. It was called Mekong Road Stop, but despite that bland name, it was a very nice tropical-style facility with multiple open-air buildings and gardens. I found that my old Saigon standby, Biere 33 (ba muoi ba), has rebranded as 333 (ba ba ba).

Our hotel is the Sheraton, which is a five-star, 31-story beauty, the tallest building in this city of 1.5 million, the largest in the Mekong Delta. I have a super comfortable room with a panoramic view of the city and the Hau River. A few of us walked about a mile down the main street to find a restaurant. We ended up with nothing special, although I had a good appetizer called fried fish balls (not what you think). The sidewalk was pretty broken up and uneven. We had to navigate some extremely lengthy pedestrian crossings, avoiding eye contact as hundreds of scooters weaved their way around us. The most notable aspect of the walk was the extremely high humidity.

Wednesday, March 12 — Can Tho

The hotel had literally the largest breakfast buffet I have ever seen in my life. We got an early start and bussed to the Hau River, where we boarded a small boat for a river cruise to the floating market of Cai Rang. Tam told us that the river here once was crowded with ARVN defensive positions on one side and VC on the other. We sailed along for about 20 minutes and reached the market, which was rather anticlimactic. I had pictured a number of small boats with colorful fare crammed in next to each other, but the majority of the boats were rather large (30–50 feet), dilapidated, and anchored separately from their neighbors. All were selling fruit and vegetables brought from farms upriver. Typically, the boat would stay for a week and then return for more goods. A couple of small boats swooped in and tied onto ours, selling us drinks and a couple of fruit options. Tam told us that there used to be many more small boats, but the market has gone downhill.

We briefly walked through a conventional market, once again mostly fruits and vegetables, and then drove to a cocoa farm. It was a very small operation, founded by the guy (Mr. Bean) who originally brought cocoa plants from Malaysia, the first in Vietnam. His farm had been in his family’s ownership for 10 generations. He came over to talk with us, and we found out that he was an ARVN helicopter pilot during the war, trained at Travis and Lackland Air Force Bases for two years. He said he knew both John Kerry and John McCain, although I applied some skepticism to the latter claim. He spent two years in jail after Saigon fell. We got to taste some raw cocoa beans, and then again after they were fermented and roasted, and finally some delicious cocoa drink. The farm’s output is so small that there was no attempt at retail sales to us tourists.

On our way back to the hotel, we drove around the city, and Tam pointed out a few places where US Army and Navy units had been stationed. Otherwise, our touring came to an end at 11 a.m. To avoid the heat and humidity, I decided to stay in the room for the rest of the day. A couple of us took a taxi to dinner at a riverfront restaurant, Nam Bo, and had a very nice French–Vietnamese fusion meal on the roof of the hotel, with a view of the river, the full moon, and the back of a giant golden Ho Chi Minh statue.

• Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Khe Sanh, Dong Ha
• Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Can Tho (this page)
• Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)