Flight number 5. We were well versed in the airport routine by now. Our flight was delayed by an hour and a half. Fortunately, this was the first time on our trip that had happened. The ancient city of Hue used to be the former capital of the country from 1802 to 1945 and is located in the middle of the country.
We stayed at Serene Shining Hotel & Spa next to the Perfume River for £19 a night. The hotel was in a great position. Bars and restaurants were within walking distance and the Old Citadel was only 20 minutes away. We had a little walk around then ate nearby at Nhà Hàng An Phước. We both ordered pasta which took 1 hour to arrive. When it finally arrived, it looked like cat food on a plate. Cold in places as well as looking unpleasant, it was the worst spaghetti bolognese I have ever eaten. I wasn’t feeling too well before the meal and this only added discomfort to my upset stomach. Awful!
The next day, we had a tour of the temples where previous kings were laid to rest. I barely managed any of the breakfast before heading out, so my plan was to take it slow. We first visited Thien Mu Pagoda (The Pagoda of the Celestial Lady). The seven-storey pagoda was built in 1601 and is recognised as the unofficial symbol of the city. There were prayer sessions underway when we arrived so we decided to stay around the outside not to disturb them. You could smell the steady burning of the incense sticks cutting through the air in tribute to Buddha. The garden area was quite compact with many uniform outer buildings that hosted a sea of bonsai trees that had their branches curved into shape by steel cables. The hours of work put into the maintenance of the garden must be countless.
We had a private car for the day that was really handy for getting around. The passing scenery looking out to the mountains and rice fields were really nice. Our next stop was at Minh Mang Tomb, around a 15-minute drive away from the previous temple. Emperor Minh Mang reigned between 1820 to 1840. The construction on his tomb began in the first year of his reign and was incomplete at the time of his death. It fell to his son and successor Thieu Tri to complete his final resting place, with the help of around ten thousand workers and artisans. The gardens and grounds were different from the temples in Thailand, having many bridges and waterways to cross. We spent over an hour there before moving onto the Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh.
We found a cafe at the bottom of the steps that I was very pleased about finding; my energy levels were near zero at this point. They had run out of most sandwiches so I opted for a bag of crisps to fuel my climb, not ideal. The Mausoleum sat on a steep hillside with dragon gargoyles guarding the entrance. In all honesty, I was starting to lose interest at this point but I knew I would regret not going inside. The Mausoleum is one of the last tombs built before the abdication of the Nguyen Dynasty who transferred power to the Republic of Vietnam. Most of the temples cost 150k Dong to get in, so you will need to factor that into your costs when organising a day trip.
On the route to our final tomb of the day, we stopped at a shop selling incense sticks. The lady who was making the sticks gestured towards Kristen to smell one of them. Lost in translation, she attempted to eat it which was hilarious. She had a go at making a cinnamon-scented one that looked great. A new career in the making perhaps.
The Tomb of Tu Duc was completed in 1867 and is 5km south of Hue. Emperor Tu Duc lived a life of luxury and excess, with 104 wives and had surprisingly no offspring. To keep the treasures that were buried in the tomb a secret from grave robbers, all 200 servants who buried Tu Duc were beheaded. I don’t think the work perks were very good in that era. My favourite part was the Koi Carp you can feed in the surrounding lake. For around 20p, you can grab a bag of pellets and see just how friendly they can be as they come right up to the steps to take them literally out of your hands. The day involved a lot of walking but was thoroughly enjoyable. No more temples for a week now, please!
We hired a private car to take us from Hue to Hoi An. We thought this would be a nice way to take in some sights on the way instead of getting another flight. Our journey took us along the Hai Van Pass. I’d heard of the road before when it was made famous in the UK by the Top Gear episode where they rode scooters across Vietnam. I wish we could have done it on bikes as the hairpins were amazing, but unfortunately, time was against us. The viewpoint from Lang Co Bay is iconic and most certainly worth parking up for a moment to take it in. Our driver took us to Da Nang where an unusual Lady Buddha (Tượng Phật Bà Quan Âm) stands at 67m high overlooking the city. The view is quite nice and there are meant to be monkeys that roam around the temple but we didn’t see any for the time we were there. It’s free to enter and worth the effort to see the skyline of the city in the distance.
Our final stop on the drive was at The Marble Mountains which are a cluster of five marble and limestone hills named after the five elements: Kim, Thuy, Moc, Hoa, and Tho. The cave system inside takes you down narrow passageways to numerous Buddhist statues. If you have a head for heights, you can climb up to the viewing platform that sits over 200 steps above you. The stairs are so steep that they require metal chains to support you. The entrance is around 150k Dong with most of the cave accessible on that ticket.
We were driving through the backstreets of Hoi An on the way to our hotel when I suddenly started to feel really unwell. Most hotels offer you a greeting drink and mention places to visit. I could have really done without that on this occasion. Once we checked into the room, within 30 seconds, I vomited quite badly. I’m not sure what started it but one of the most common culprits is ice cubes. I started to feel better after that episode and was excited to see what Hoi An is going to offer.
