🇻🇳 Vietnam: Hue – Travel and Backpacking Nov-Dec 2019

Disclaimer

The information in this blog is accurate as of November – December 2019.

CONTENTS

• 🤔 – What to Expect
• 🌅 – Activities
• 🍛 – Food
• 🚇 – Transport
• 🛌 – Accomodation

🤔 What to Expect

• Seems like a quieter city.
• Plenty of shops, restaurants and coffee shops.
• Perfume River runs through the city.
• A city of grey compared with other cities however we got positive vibes.
• 2 night stay but 1 day possible if you get there early.

🌅 Activities

Vincom Plaza

• Small variety of branded shops.
• Coffee shop and fast food restaurants.
• Cinema – An absolute steal at 40,000 VND (£1.51) per person.
• Nothing too exciting but with all the rain it kept us warm and dry.

So before we entered Vietnam we didn’t really have any trips planned bar one. Which unfortunately, due to the torrential down pour on the day we intended to visit, we didn’t get there. ☹️ But here’s for those who get better weather…

Thuy Tien Lake Abandoned Water Park

• No official entrance as the site is closed due to safety reasons… But if you hand the security guard 20,000 VND per person you shouldn’t have a problem getting in.
• However you get there (we planned on motorbiking) you will have to walk around 10 minutes through a woodland area to gain entrance to the site.
• Built in 2004 for around 70 billion VND (just over 23 million GBP) by Hue Tourism Company.
• Closed in 2014
• A graffiti covered dragon, ironically symbolic of prosperity and power in Vietnamese culture, stands tall watching over the lake.
• The dragon is over three floors high where marine animals were kept in tanks – crocodiles still roamed until they were re-homed a few years ago.
• Old, derelict water slides can also be found within the park – not to be slid down due to the murky, algae covered water.

Then pair this trip with a visit to…

Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King

• 15 minutes from Thuy Tien Lake
• 100,000 VND entrance fee per person.
• Tomb of the 12th Emperor Khai Dinh, also known as Ung Lang, of the Nguyen dynasty.
• Fuses architectural trends from Europe and Asia, both ancient and modern.

There are also other tombs which also cost 100,000 VND per person. I think there’s also a combination ticket but you’d have to double check!

Other Things To Do.

• Ho Chi Minh Museum
• Where doesn’t have a market!

🍛 Food

Cozy Restaurant and Cafe

• The food was so good here we ate 3 times in our 2 days in Hue!
• Cheap, scrumptious food with lots of Vietnamese variety.
• We spent between £5 and £13 for 2 people (the latter price included 3 cocktails, a glass of wine and 2 mains).
• You get a free caramel flan for dessert.
• The staff are really friendly and extremely polite. Best service in Vietnam by far.
• You can find this amazing eatery off the main road, down a little side street near Vinicom Plaza.
• Easy to find too – they have a sign!

Nook Eatery

• Great burgers! Aussie beef without any grissel!
• Cute little arty setting.
• Average price – 135,000 VND (£4.60) for Nook Burger with fries.

🚇 Transport

• Rent a scooter for the day, 100,000-150,000 VND depending on cc.
• Taxi’s – make sure you check the meter is on. A 10 minute journey from our accomodation to Hue train station cost 50,000 VND (1,70) although the meter said 34,000 VND (£1.20).
• No grab cars, only motorbikes.

🛌 Accommodation

Moon and Sun Hostel

• 225,000 VND (£8.35) per night for a standard double room with private bathroom and breakfast included.
• Nice hot showers with plenty of room so the toilet does not get wet (it’s the little things!).
• Breakfast is standard but tasty, choice of fried eggs with French baguette (not sweet!), Pancakes with fruit and noodles.
• Towels provided (even though they are the smallest bath towels ever – I’m tiny but these are miniscule).
• Refridgerator, aircon and fan in room.
• The most pleasant and sweet staff. Always trying their best to help.
• They let us check-in mega early for no extra fee! Great news after a horrendous night on a sleeper bus without any sleep possible.
• Good location near to some good restaurants.
• Motorbike hire available 100,000 VND 100cc bike or 150,000 VND for 150cc.
• We’d definitely stop here again!