As often happens with us, we decided spontaneously to go to Mount Hon Ba. We got on the bike and drove off. It’s not close to get there, 19 kilometers to the exit from the main road and another 37 kilometers to Alexander Ersin’s house.
Along the way we found it, you can read a separate article about it.
Along the way there are small streams flowing from the mountains and beautiful landscapes.
We will remember the road to the top of the mountain for a long time, because when we left, the sun was shining, and as soon as we started driving along the serpentine road up the mountain, it started to rain.
We didn’t give up on our idea and continued to move forward on the motorbike, even though we didn’t have raincoats and were dressed in shorts and T-shirts.
The rain stopped after 20 minutes, but it became noticeably colder. Fog descended on the mountains, and in some places the road up resembled the road in the movie Silent Hill.
Everything was covered in fog, my skin was covered with goosebumps from the cold, and the sign showed that we had another 15 kilometers to go. But we were determined to get to the end.
There are interesting places along the road that offer views of Nha Trang.
When we had five kilometers left to the final point, we were already driving with chattering teeth, because the temperature at an altitude of 1600 meters dropped to 13 degrees and all we dreamed about was hot tea.
In the end, we reached our destination.
The house of Alexander Ersin appeared before my eyes. This man is very loved and revered in Vietnam and almost every major city has a street in his honor.
His most important role in the life of Vietnam is that he found a vaccine against the plague, which infected almost every third resident of this country.
We bought two entrance tickets, each for 30,000 dong ~ 57 rubles, took a quick look at the outside of the house and went to drink tea.
The price of tea is only 10,000 dong ~ 19 rubles. After we thawed out a little, we went to study the house in more detail, both inside and out.
We found out that you can stay there for the night, spend the night in houses for 500,000 dong ~ 950 rubles, but decided to go back before it got dark.
The road up the mountain takes about an hour and twenty, and from the mountain about an hour.
After we crossed the 700 meter mark, it started to get warmer. It didn’t even bother me that the sun had set and we were driving in the dark with the help of headlights.
If you go to Mount Hon Ba, be sure to buy raincoats, wear or take with you warm clothes and preferably provisions in the form of food and water.
I invite you to watch a video of the ascent to Mount Hon Ba through the fog and the end of the trip at the house of Alexander Ersin.
Mount Hon Ba and the house of Alexander Ersin in Nha Trang on the map.
A few kilometers from Nha Trang on the top of a mountain is the house of the scientist Alexander Ersin. The founding of Nha Trang is associated with his name. But Ersin's main occupation was microbiology. It was he who discovered the microbe that causes plague. Thanks to this discovery, a vaccine against this terrible disease was created. Having heard a lot about the gorgeous views from Mount Hon Ba, we decided to go to the scientist’s house on bikes.
Travel to Mount Hon Ba
When planning a trip to Alexander Ersin’s house, we did not take into account one important point, namely the weather conditions. It was not hot in Nha Trang, but you could easily walk around in shorts and a T-shirt. When we approached Mount Hon Ba, we saw that its peak was shrouded in a white cloud. But they didn’t attach much importance to this. It should be warm until about halfway up the mountain. From the top you can see wonderful views of Nha Trang and the surrounding area. The road goes around the circumference of Mount Khon Ba in a serpentine way. We stopped periodically to admire the views.
But the higher we rose, the colder it became. At the top we were enveloped in such thick fog that the road was visible only for the next two meters ahead. People stopped meeting a long time ago and there was not a soul here. The environment began to strongly resemble a horror film. Hoping for a cup of hot coffee, we continued on our way.
Finally, we have reached our goal. We immediately ordered coffee and went to Ersin’s house. This is a completely simple house made of dark wood without any frills. It preserved the old furniture and household items of the owner. In addition to his scientific research in the field of microbiology, Alexander Ersin was the first to try to acclimatize cinchona and rubber trees in Vietnam. Judging by the furnishings of the house, its owner was a busy and enthusiastic person who was not distracted by everyday trifles and could live in completely simple conditions.
Then we went to drink coffee in a neighboring house. As we understood, it was possible to stop here for the night, which that night was equivalent to death from hypothermia. Deciding to refuel with food, we spent a long time looking at the laminated menu with beautiful photographs of different dishes, but in the end we learned that there was only barbecue chicken. We agreed and began to wait. From the characteristic sounds that were heard soon, it became clear that the barbecue chicken had been caught and killed. We did not expect such a turn of events, but apparently there are not so many visitors in this weather and no preparations are made here in advance. The Vietnamese man who was frying a poor skinny chicken in front of us insistently offered me to eat its head, despite the fact that I in every possible way refused such a pleasure.
Then we walked around the area around the house. I think in good weather you can have a wonderful time here, but we decided not to freeze and go back. The road from Mount Hon Ba turned out to be faster and soon we were already at the bottom, and the air temperature around us became comfortable.
Based on our experience, I can advise everyone who wants to go to Alexander Ersin’s house to choose a nice sunny day for the trip and be sure to take warm clothes with them! Even in good weather it can be cold at the top of the mountain.
Vietnam attracts foreign tourists with different things: attractions, carefree beach holidays, exotic food. Many travelers want to get acquainted with the nature of the country. Jungles with unprecedented plants, beautiful flowers, sea and mountains, as well as many species of animals - all this attracts tourists. This is why excursions to national parks and reserves are so popular. We will talk about one of them now.
How to get to Hon Ba Nature Reserve in Vietnam?
This reserve is located approximately 60 km from Nha Trang. But the road there will take 1.5-2 hours. The fact is that Hon Ba is a mountain (the height is more than 1500 m), and part of the route will pass along a mountain serpentine, where it is impossible to drive quickly. Although this will even be an advantage: along the way there are wonderful views from different heights.
You can go to the reserve:
- with a group tour,
- with an individual excursion,
- on one's own.
In Nha Trang they offer group tours on a comfortable bus and individual excursions (usually by jeep). The most popular transport for independent travel is a rented bike; you can rent one in Nha Trang. There is no public transport to the reserve.
Entrance to the Hon Ba Nature Reserve costs half a dollar. There are no catering establishments along the way, so you will have to take a thermos with sandwiches with you. True, on the mountain itself, at the arrival point, there is a mini-cafe where you can have lunch. Experienced travelers also advise taking warm clothes with you even on a hot day. High in the mountains it can be cool, despite the scorching sun.
What to see in the reserve?
The final point of the journey will be the top of Mount Hon Ba, where there is a hotel in the form of wooden houses, cafes, gazebos with barbecues and the main attraction - the house of the scientist Alexandre Yersin. It’s worth telling about it in particular. 
Alexandre Yersin was born in Switzerland, but studied in France to become a doctor. Bacteriology became his specialty, so it is not surprising that he went to practice in Vietnam. At that time, the country was a French colony, and there were a lot of diseases caused by various bacteria here. Yersin was engaged in treating local residents and, at the same time, doing scientific work. He then returned to France, but then went back to Vietnam because he fell in love with its nature and local people. He built a house on Hon Ba Mountain and continued his research and treatment of the Vietnamese. Alexandre Yersin did a lot for the local residents and, moreover, treated them as equals, and not down on them, like other colonialists. That is why the Vietnamese are still grateful to him: streets and educational institutions are named after him in the country, and there is a Yersin Museum. 
Another interesting detail is that the scientist regularly wrote letters to his mother and talked about local nature, way of life, and the structure of life. His messages were reminiscent of a blog maintained by modern authors. If Alexander lived today, he would be a popular blogger talking about the peculiarities of life in another country!
Of course, the main reason why tourists go to the Hon Ba Nature Reserve is nature. Acquaintance with it begins on a winding mountain road passing through a picturesque area with lush vegetation. Then, along the way, tourists will encounter a small river with a suspension bridge. You can swim in the river and wander between the rocky banks and take atmospheric photos. In Vietnam, they try to preserve areas of nature, minimally affecting them with civilization, and Hon Ba is just such a place! In addition to the pristine nature, there is clean mountain air and coolness that saves you from the suffocating heat during the dry season. 
At the top, you can also take a photo of yourself against the backdrop of picturesque landscapes. And then - visit the house of Alexandre Yersin, sit in the gazebo, wander around the surrounding area. Then you can go back to Nha Trang.
Visiting Vietnam's parks and reserves is an obligatory part of traveling around the country. If you have the opportunity, be sure to visit Hon Ba. This is a piece of nature untouched by civilization, but at the same time accessible to tourists. There are not many places like this left on the planet that are easy to reach.
Mount Hon Ba is located on the territory of the reserve of the same name, near the southern city of Nha Trang. The place is interesting because its territory has a mild and cool climate, among dense forests and high mountain peaks. The height of the peak of Mount Hon Ba is 1578 meters. It is believed that this reserve can be visited at any time of the year, but we still recommend not coming here during the rainy season (September-December). On the territory of the reserve you can see small waterfalls, streams, and also hike along mountain trails. Keep in mind that the closer you get to the mountain, the more noticeably the cold mountain air will be felt. The mountain road has its own characteristics - its surface is not ideal, its width is narrow, with many sharp turns. But there is real wildlife all around - perennial trees grow along the road, streams flow, and sometimes small animals run by. There are several key attractions within the reserve. For example, the house of Alexandre Yersin (French scientist), which he built himself in 1915, to conduct scientific research, as well as invent medicines from the plants he planted. Also here you can find Lake Suoi Dau, flowing from the top of the mountain. Suoi Nguon Waterfall is located near the road to the top of the mountain, it is large in size and has clear blue water.
Opening hours: 7:00 - 18:00
Price: Free
