Ancient city
Now more than half way through our Vietnam trip, it was time to make our way to Hue, which was the capital city of Vietnam up until 1945.
We drove from Hoi An to Hue via Danang and took the scenic route around the mountain, rather than through it. This allowed us to drive the Hai Van Pass and take some photos of the view overlooking the mountains and ocean.
Hai Van Pass stop
Photo stop between Hoi An and Hue
When we arrived in Hue, we stopped at a local Vietnamese French restaurant and I enjoyed a crepe.
It was still so humid in Vietnam so we checked into our hotel before embarking on our afternoon of sightseeing. As Hue was the former capital of Vietnam, there were a lot of historical sights to see.
First up we visited the Imperial Citadel, which was the residence of the Nguyen dynasty. Inside the thick stone walls is the forbidden city with the Emperor’s Palace, pagodas, pavilions, courtyards, gardens and gates.
Imperial Citadel
We then explored the grounds of Tu Duc Tomb where former Emperor Tu Duc was buried. The tomb, built in the 60s, was design by Tu Duc himself and is considered one of the most impressive royal mausoleums.
Emperor Tu Duc’s Tomb
Tomb gardens
For our only night in Hue we went to dinner at Les Garden restaurant, which was a nice alfresco like restaurant with a massive menu. After dinner we had a drink and game of pool at DMZ bar and then went to Brown Eyes nightclub for a dance.
Dinner view
Our flaming drink the waiters made us at Brown Eyes
Next week we sail to the beautiful Halong Bay.
LWL xxx