The Marble Mountains: The Lift, the Caves and Which Peak to Climb

Five marble and limestone hills rise straight out of flat coastal land between Da Nang and Hoi An, each named after one of the five elements. Only Thuy Son, the water mountain, is developed for visitors, and it is the one every tour means.

Inside it are caves that have been used as Buddhist and Hindu shrines for centuries, with pagodas built into the rock and openings in the ceiling that drop shafts of light onto altars.

It is a short visit with a lot in it, and it works well as a half day paired with something else rather than as a day on its own.

There is a lift up the side of Thuy Son and there is a staircase. The lift costs a small extra fee and saves a climb of well over a hundred steps in heat.

Taking the lift up and walking down is the arrangement most people are happiest with. The descent passes several shrines the lift skips and is much easier than the ascent.

There are still steps once you are up there, including narrow and uneven ones inside the caves, so the lift removes the worst of it rather than all of it. Shoes with grip help: the marble underfoot is polished by centuries of feet and is slippery when damp.

Am Phu is at the base rather than the top and needs its own ticket, which is why some tours include it and some do not.

It is a depiction of the Buddhist hell, laid out as a descent into the dark past scenes of judgment and punishment, with a climb back up towards the light. It is genuinely atmospheric and a little unnerving, and it is unlike anything else at the site.

It is dark and uneven. A phone torch is worth having, and it is not the right place for anyone unsteady on their feet.