Vietnam: Hue

We booked into a rather fancy hotel via booking.com, which involved us having our bags brought to our room and the elevator button being pressed for us. Slight too fancy for our liking - but it was only £2 more than 2 dorm beds so why not?

We visited the Imperial city, a walled palace within the citadel. This former site of the old capital has a moat and ten ornate gates guarding a palace, temples, gardens and tombs.

We enjoyed wandering around the gardens but the information was a bit hit and miss - lots about old documents written by past emperors but it was lacking in other parts which we had more interest in.

The following day we rented a scooter and drove along the river to the Pagoda of the Celestial Lady (Thien Mu Pagoda). This seven story pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the city. 

The recognizable landmark contains numerous living and working buildings for its resident monks, a bell tower and the seven-tiered monument in front. There was no charge for entry, which was a nice change, although we did have to pay 10,000 VND for parking.  

After the pagoda we drove to the Tomb of Tu Duc. Again, a nice walk around but it was lacking some information - worth having a guide or doing a bit more research before going! It is divided into a Temple Area and a Tomb Area and it took three years to build from 1864–1867.

One of the main monuments was covered up (assuming for renovation) which was a shame.

This is where the emperor is buried - very large open space with his resting place in the center.

We also tried to visit the abandoned water park but it is now closed off to the public, so we headed back to get our evening bus to Phong Nha. 

Accommodation:

Gold Hotel, 2 nights, 380,000 VND per night for a deluxe double room. 

We had originally booked a slightly cheaper room, however there was a problem with our booking and there were no more of this room type left. It still worked out as only about £2 more than a dorm room so we went for it! Breakfast was included; a buffet of Vietnamese and Western options, and our room was very clean and comfortable. There was even a bath! 9/10. 

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