That morning, we had a 9 AM tour to catch, with a pickup point just a few minutes’ walk from our hotel in Da Nang. It felt easy, almost effortless, as we made our way there, still easing into the day.

About an hour later, we arrived at Sun World Ba Na Hills — and this is where our day truly began.

I am linking this to Jo’s Monday Walk, and to Pepper’s One Step at a Time

The first thing that greeted us was the garden… lush, vibrant, almost dreamlike. 

On our way further in, I noticed traces of past celebrations… remnants of Chinese New Year still lingering in the decorations. 

Then came the highlight: the cable car ride.

I stepped into what felt like a European cathedral lobby—grand domed ceilings, painted skies, and a chandelier that instantly made everything feel a little more magical.

This is the Fantasy Garden Sculpture, with the Lunar Castle softly rising behind it. It felt playful like it belonged to a storybook. Covered in greenery, it blended beautifully with the garden, especially in the mist.

I am linking this to Natalie’s Photographing Public Art Challenge

Bright tulips filled this garden, their colours popping against the grey, misty air. Among them were playful sculptures… a piano and instruments rising from the flowers.

From above, I spotted a massive stone figure, l couldn’t quite tell who it was. Only later on did I find out that it is an Atlas Statue.

Then, just around the corner, a row of quirky cats appeared, each holding an ice cream, adding a playful contrast to the scene.

The Tulip Garden which is part of the Le Jardin D’Amour is such a happy place even with all the fog.

I am linking this to Ju-Lyn’s Happy Place Happy Space.

This is the French Village which felt like a slice of Europe in the mountains. With its Louvre-inspired space, stone buildings, and cobbled paths, everything looked elegant and slightly surreal in the fog…like walking through a quiet, dreamy version of France.

The more we walked, the more glimpses we caught of different parts of Ba Na Hills. But the fog made everything feel confusing and disconnected.

At some point, Jack and I were ready to give up. We had no clear sense of direction, and with the language barrier, stopping to ask for help every few minutes started to feel exhausting.

As the rain began to pour, we finally reached the Golden Bridge, the main reason we came to Ba Na Hills. But the wind and heavy rain made it hard to fully enjoy the moment.

That was it—we gave up. We headed back down and took the cable car and spent the rest of the time enjoying the public art on the ground floor while waiting for our tour to resume.

We sat down and tried some street snacks, one that we had in the streets of Japan, a fluffy, crispy pancake shaped like a giant 10-yen coin, and the sesame seed balls we’re familiar with.

Lastly, here are some shops selling souvenirs and I am linking these doors to Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge.

And to Xingfumama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge with a chair and a bench from the Le Jardin D’Amour.

I felt a bit disappointed that the day wasn’t the clear, postcard-perfect kind most people hope for. But thinking about it now, the fog and rain made it more memorable for Jack and me—we’ll have something to laugh about and talk about for a long time.