Po Sah Inu Cham Towers

The towers on Ba Nai hill are early work, put up around the eighth or ninth century in the plain Hoa Lai style, before the Cham took to heavy ornament. Three brick structures remain: a main tower with a linga and yoni inside and two smaller ones, all worn down by wind off the sea and patched in places with new brick. The site is modest, a short climb through frangipani and cactus to a terrace, but the view opens over Phan Thiet, its fishing harbour and the long curve of the bay towards Mui Ne. Cham families still hold ceremonies here, and excavated foundations of later buildings lie on the slope below.

What you actually see

• The main tower - the largest of the three, with a linga and yoni still in place inside.
• The smaller towers - two lower structures beside it, plainer and more heavily eroded.
• Excavated foundations - brick footings of later buildings uncovered on the slope.
• The bay view - Phan Thiet, its harbour and the coast towards Mui Ne from the terrace.

When to go

November to April is the dry season on this coast, though it stays warm year round. Late afternoon is best, when the brick warms in the light and the sea breeze picks up, since midday on the exposed hill is punishing. Cham ceremonies take place at several points in the year and onlookers who keep back are tolerated. Forty-five minutes is enough.

Honest expectations

This is a small site, quickly seen, which surprises people who have paid for a tour to reach it. The towers are heavily eroded and the repairs are obvious. A modern entrance area, souvenir stalls and a communications mast sit close to the ruins. There is little interpretation, and nothing else on the hill besides the view.

Nearby

Mui Ne's sand dunes and fishing harbour lie along the coast to the northeast.