Blogs from Hué, Thua Thien - Huế, North Central Coast, Vietnam, Asia - page 13

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Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué May 14th 2011

Up early and drove for 2 hours. First stop, everyone had ice cream and Vietnamese coffee! I had an ice coffee which was so yummy! Drove another 2 hours. It was a very scenic coastal drive with beautiful beaches and cliffs. Everyon stayed awake the whole time to take it all in. Got to our hotel and went for lunch across the street with the group. Emmo recommended a discount store for North Face stuff so I bought a rain coat for $20. In the afternoon we had Cyclo rides. You sit in a basket in the front and the guy pedals behind you. They took us on a tour of the city and took us to a citadel a pagoda and much more. We were in the Forbidden City! From there we had a dragon ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué May 13th 2011

A 5hour lay over, a 2hour flight and a 2hour drive, we finally arrived at our hotel in Hue to a grand reception. There were official looking cars and security everywhere we looked. Upon asking the hotel staff what was going on, we were informed that the Governor General of Australia was hosting a party at the hotel that night and our names had been left off the guest list (Rude, I know! Hehehe), After booking some tours, we stepped out into the Hue heat and began exploring. Later that night, sitting in the hotel bar, the Governor General walked past and I managed to snap a photo, I wasn’t the only one as there were obviously people who has been sitting in the bar waiting for her to walk past. Our first full day in ... read more
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Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué May 12th 2011

We took an over night sleeper bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An. This was surprisingly comfortable, with the added sleeping tablets that is! Our hotel was a bit out of town but provided a free shuttle bus on the hour, which came to dictate our movements a bit as we would either have to walk very slowly out of town or run to catch the bus. Hoi An is known for its old town as it used to be a large trading post for the Chinese and Japanese, and many of their clan houses and shops still remain. Also its known for its tailoring so now that we are coming towards the end of the trip we planned on having a couple of items tailor made and then carry them all the way home. I ... read more


Hello World! Greetings from Hue, Vietnam, where culture thrives and history is preserved. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get around to see much of it since I've been hit with another case of the Belly Bugs, which has kept me indoors (and close to the bathroom) for the past few days. So at least it's given me time to sit down and collect some pictures and videos from the past month and put together this blog to show you what it's like when you're actually feeling good on an adventure around the world. It's good for me too to remind myself I'll be back at it in a while, and that this attack on my insides won't keep me down for long! So like I said in my last blog I had taken a spontaneous ... read more
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!st View of the Harbour
Cycling Byron Bay-be!


I made my best purchase to date today. I have invested in a large, purple, painted silk fan. I can't think why I didn't do it before. It's marvellous. Some might say garish, but they are of course just jealous. What a fantastic invention. Instant breeze whenever I want it - and of course the chance to pretend I am a foxy 18th century concubine. Actually, today my motto was, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I don't know about all this dressing modestly so as not to offend the locals the LP guide was banging on about. The locals are the most indecently dressed of them all. In fact, I've had the most clothes on of anyone I've seen this holiday. Couldn't be bothered swathing myself in drapey linen today so pulled on my ... read more


Today I had a dream day. Successful and lovely in satisfying amounts. It got off to a cracking start as I got into bed last night and realised - on sweet joy - the pillows were soft, like at home! Like they SHOULD be...!!!! Up until now, they've been utterly solid, the consistency of rapid dry concrete and solely responsible for the permanent crick in my neck, Indeed as I made this discovery, I felt the urgent need to do a little dance of exultation, all by myself, next to the bed waving my soft pillows in the air. And it's not often you get a chance to write a sentence like THAT in all sincerity. I had a delicious sleep. This is a hotel where they really seem to care about you. Cold juices whenever ... read more


Have you ever seen the depictions of hell by Hieronymus Bosch? Go on - google them now and then come back to this... If you recall, today's plan was to catch the train to Hue. The Reunification Express (love those Communists!), the fastest and most modern of Vietnam's train services (I'd hate to go on one of the old ones), that snakes its way up the country's east coast. I arrrived at Da Nang station about 50 minutes early for the train. You weren't allowed on the platform, we were all held in a medium sized, non air-conditioned waiting room with a large television that played the same 3 kung fu sequences in a loop. A curiously violent choice for a group of people you want to keep calm and quiet in a hot confined space. ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué April 29th 2011

We got back to Hanoi from Ha Long Bay by bus, after the staying the night on the bus. It was so hot the next day, we just sat and relaxed. The bus journey isn't the most pleasant but its survivable! We waited around for a few hours and then got the sleeper train to Hue, it was pretty easy and comfortable. Something we'd never done before! I think it would be much better than a sleeper bus but we're getting one of them tomorrow night so I'll let you all know... Hue is nice, half way between Hanoi and Hoi An in terms of views and the hustle and bustle really. The citadel is the only must see really, but it is really cool and picturesque. The next day we did a tour of the ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué April 24th 2011

Hue..... We spent a couple of days here and it rained non stop! We arrived in the afternoon after spending the day traveling. We had read that the train ride between Danang and Hue is meant to be stunning so we got off the bus in Danang, caught a moto to the train station and booked the cheapest seats possible! The journey was fun, the carriage smelt of wee and the locals were all eating dried fish so the smell wasn't great but the views were impressive and we had a great time chatting to the Vietnamese family sat with us. It felt good to get off a tourist bus and travel the way the Vietnamese do, it turns a boring journey into an experience, we had been getting so bored of tourist buses so we ... read more
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Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué April 12th 2011

Day 3 in Hue and off to Ha Noi by nighttrain latertoday. Yesterday was sightseeing day and very interesting. Any doubts I had about the size and significance of the Emperor's were swept away afterseeing a few tombs - they were mangificient. I started with a visit to the Citadel and the Imperial City. These areas have a wide moat and high thick walls like a medieval city in Europe and on a similar scale. Many of the buildings inside the walls have been lost but thise that remain are in good repair and have outstanding architecture. I took a cyclo tour aroundthe Imperial City which was good way to do it - slow and easy with a guid who knew the best places to see. He showed some cannons from the American War - ... read more




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