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Day 13 - Ba Na Hills

Weşandin: 05.02.2023

Today's day trip took me to Ba Na, which is located about 1 hour inland at an altitude of about 1,400 meters. It was transformed into a summer resort by French colonialists starting in 1919. After Vietnam gained independence, the locals destroyed the hotels and facilities to prevent the return of the French.

Golden Bridge
Golden Bridge
Passage with mosaic columns and stained glass roof
Passage with mosaic columns and stained glass roof
Dragon fountain with Lady Buddha statue
Dragon fountain with Lady Buddha statue
Huge statue of the enlightened Buddha
Huge statue of the enlightened Buddha
Linh Ung Pagoda with Happy Buddha
Linh Ung Pagoda with Happy Buddha
Alpine roses also grow here - in the flower bed
Alpine roses also grow here - in the flower bed

Today, several Doppelmayr cable cars take you through dense greenery to the misty mountains in two stages. The old French houses have been rebuilt, but you can still see the simplified construction with modern building materials. I felt like I was in an amusement park the whole time - similar to the recreated "villages" in Gardaland. There are figures and plant sculptures at every corner where you can take Instagram-worthy photos.

French Village, old cable car and alpine coaster
French Village, old cable car and alpine coaster
Jungle in the fog
Jungle in the fog
Fountain with numerous gilded statues
Fountain with numerous gilded statues

An underground amusement park has actually been built here. Escalators take you to the three levels where you can try out various rides and stalls. I myself went on a ghost train ride and visited a 4D cinema where we participated in a futuristic Formula 1 race.

Recreated cathedral
Recreated cathedral
Temple at the highest point of the mountain
Temple at the highest point of the mountain

In the outdoor area, I strolled through the French Village and even took a ride on the Ferris wheel. An excellent band played hits from the last 40 years in one of the squares. It was a bit strange for me to see the area of the "medieval marketplace" reminiscent of a beer festival. I couldn't quite associate Bavarian beer culture with the French flair.

Recreated marketplace
Recreated marketplace
Recreated town hall
Recreated town hall
Medieval alleys
Medieval alleys
Moment of silence
Moment of silence
Medieval square with beer festival atmosphere
Medieval square with beer festival atmosphere

At first, I found it strange that all hotels and most restaurants seemed to be closed. Then I noticed that everything at the hotels was labeled in English and Chinese. I suspect that this place primarily relies on Chinese tourists for its economy, and now that there is a travel ban from China due to the coronavirus, Ba Na Hills has been reduced to a minimum for the locals and the few foreign tourists. I'm quite happy about that because I already find the hustle and bustle here to be enough. I can't imagine what it would be like if hundreds of Chinese tourists were also roaming the streets.

View of the crowds of visitors
View of the crowds of visitors

Before taking the cable car back down to the valley, I enjoyed an iced coconut coffee while listening to the pop band.

Coconut Coffee
Coconut Coffee


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