Hue: an ancient city and a Hai Van day

A few hours down the road from Hoi An is Hue. The two are joined by the Hai Van Pass- Vietnam’s answer to California’s Pacific Coast Highway- and you can bike it one way... it’d be rude not to...

Hai Van Pass

Hai Van pass runs along the coast between Hoi An and Hue. Motorvina are a company that rent mopeds one way, so that you can ride from Hoi An to Hue or visa versa. They take your large luggage so you don’t have to, and they even set up google maps on your phone with all the points of interest on the way so you don’t get lost. We had great fun spending the day riding to Hue via some fun stops and it absolutely beats sitting on a cramped minibus for hours. You can stop at the old war lookout posts and see the bullet holes in the walls- a stark reminder of Vietnam’s recent history-you stop at a beautiful beach for lunch, and we’d made it to the fishing lagoon by 4, which looked beautiful in golden hour. Han and I had only learnt to ride mopeds a couple of months earlier in Laos, so we can absolutely vouch for the journey being perfect for beginners.

Imperial City

Once we’d arrived in Hue we set out to explore the Imperial city. From 1802-1945 Vietnam was ruled by the Nguyen Dynasty- the last ruling family of their kind in Vietnam. The sprawling complex that is the Imperial Citadel is where the Emperors and their entourage would have lived conducted their business. Though much of the citadel was destroyed during the war, some of the buildings still stand and there are efforts to restore others. You can see the palace, temples and other residences- the grounds are lovely and you can absolutely spend a couple of hours exploring here.

Minh Mang Tomb

Emperor Minh Mang reigned from 1820-1840 and the construction of his tomb began on the year of his reign, though it still wasn’t finished by his death. When someone says tomb, I immediately think one stone building, but this is so much more than that. About 40 monuments comprise Minh Mang’s royal tomb, all on an oval 44-acre lot with reflective ponds and fringed by pine trees- he’s chosen a really peaceful spot for his soul to rest.

Khai Dinh Tomb

While Minh Mang’s tomb was expansive and peaceful, Khai Dinh built his final resting place to be impressive and ornate. In fact, he grew increasingly unpopular amongst his people as he heavily taxed the peasants to finance the construction of his tomb. 127 steps lead up from the street to an honour guard of stone bodyguards, mandarins, elephants, and horses. Inside, the walls are decorated with porcelain and glass, and dragons flying amongst the clouds are painted onto the ceiling. It’s definitely worth the visit and is a complete contrast to Minh Mang’s tomb a short ride away.

Sleep: MaiLy- clean rooms, hot water (once it was fixed), air con, great breakfast included in the price and the loveliest family- they booked a bus for us, showed us where everything was on the map, and even gave me a plate of ice when I’d hurt my back.

Eat:

Madam Thu- the menu here is a taste sensation, get lots of little bits and try them all!

Cozy Restaurant and Cafe- friendly staff and a darn tasty yellow curry. Free creme caramel desert too if you’re into that kind of thing.

Drink: there’s so many bars to choose from in the centre of Hue, just stroll around and take your pick

Thanks for having us Hue, it was short but sweet. Next stop: Phong Nha