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.
There’s so much to love here, Teresa. The bad weather yielded some fantastic photos of that bridge drifting into the fog. Sorry you had to endure the rain, but I love the photo.
My favorite photo is the cats!
I like the doors you singled out, but you also have some nice doors in the other groups. It might not have been a great day to be exploring, but you got some wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks for liking my photos, Dan. And there were so many doors that I don’t know how to organise them in my post.
This was fine. I enjoyed viewing all the groups of photos.
Thanks Dan.
You do such a wonderful job of capturing the essence and beauty of your travels, Teresa. Thank you for always sharing and inspiring.
Spring is lovely.
Teresa, I love the fogginess in these photos! I know it can be disappointing to have this type of day while you are traveling but it worked well for your images. The grand piano made into a planter is amazing. 👏
Happy you liked that part of the garden. It wasn’t that bad yet that time. It just became worse after that. But such is travelling. No regrets though. Thanks Pepper.
You made the most of the bad weather and managed to see a lot. Some of your shots actually look great in the fog 🙂 But it’s a shame it wasn’t nicer for your time at the Golden Bridge.
Well, I didn’t know it at that time, I just kept on taking photos. Glad it turned out ok. The fog was so thick that we don’t even know if we were on the edge of a cliff or something so it was scary at times and we were the only ones there.
Although you were disppointed, as a reader of your blog, who’s never been there, I wasn’t. Your shots are full of atmosphere, so I hope they help make your memories a lot nore positive.
Well in the end I liked the effect it produced. But when Jack and I couldn’t even see where the paths were leading and our umbrellas were flying… you could imagine haha
A challenge indeed! But you survived ….
Is that normal weather there? The fog is so atmospheric that I like it, so long as it wasn’t cold? A beautiful destination, Teresa, and many thanks for sharing xx
I think the weather is erratic. I see in Instagram that you can never tell what the weather is gonna be like. So in reality it is just luck. Yes it is not cold and I don’t mind the fog but it was the rain and the wind that bothered us. Thanks for commenting Jo.
Teresa, you shouldn’t apologize for the color. I think the fog gives your photos an ethereal look, fantasy land. The colors are vivid and it is such a unique place. Your pictures are fabulous. I love the one of you next to the little girl statue in the red dress. Very cute! It’s been a wonderful trip through a place I’ll probably never see any other way. Thank you so much! 🙂 xxx
Thanks Marsha, I know that now especially because of the comments I have received. But when I was at the moment, it seemed frustrating.
Often, getting back and looking at all your photographs is a bit of a shock at how good they look- especially from the warmth of your home sitting in front of your computer. 🙂
Such a great place to explore and take pictures, even when it’s foggy. The dreamlike garden, the painted cows and the row of lanterns are my favourites. Thank you for your PPAC contribution.
Always a pleasure to share, Natalie.
This looks like a really wonderful place to explore. So many fun things to notice.
Thanks Mama, happy that you enjoyed it as well.