When travelling, it’s important to embrace every moment. Even if that means sleeping on a 12 hour night train in a cabin with strangers. Our Hanoi hotel had kindly organised overnight train tickets for us to get to the next stop of our Vietnam tour – the old capital city of Hue.
Hue wasn’t even on our original agenda however, we decided to stopover for a couple of nights before reaching Hoi An. Vietnam is much larger than you’d expect as we were originally going to also explore the South. Sadly, we haven’t had enough time to do so and therefore we decided to stick to the north and middle of the country. The south of Vietnam is already on my next travel list, if we are lucky enough to return. I would say this is a country which defies expectations and you really do have to come here to see just how beautiful it actually is.
The night train was not as bad as we were initially expecting. We were in a 4 person sharer and paid slightly more for the privilege as the other option would have been a 6 person cabin. I can only imagine how little head room you would have on a three tier bunk. Our cabin was actually pretty nice and you had plenty of space to keep your luggage with you. It was also air conditioned and had a tv, reading light and plug sockets to charge your phone. The downside was the person above me was a snorer (which to me, is the worst way to be woken up) and the train was pretty bumpy as well. However, I did manage to get some sleep and woke up to the sun beaming through the window. It was a nice experience to wake up to the country side views, allowing us to see another part of the country, away from the concrete jungles of the cities.
Hue is an interesting little place as it used to be the formal capital of Vietnam during 1802 & 1945. It was the Imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last ruling family of Vietnam. Many of the pretty palaces and pagodas suffered considerable damage during the Vietnam war and were not restored afterwards. The city sits beside the famous perfume river, where apparently flowers from the orchards fall into the river and create a perfume-like aroma in the Autumn season.
There really isn’t a huge amount to see in this city so our two night stop over was a perfect amount of time for us. We spent a day roaming the old streets of Hue and decided to check out the ancient imperial city – known as the Citadel. The grounds of the city are protected by fortified ramparts and a moat. The walled fortress and palace was constructed in 1804 however, have since undergone major restoration after many buildings were destroyed during the Vietnamese war years. The battle of Hue was one of the longest and most deadly battles during the Vietnam War taking place in 1968. Over 5000 civilians were killed and the city was virtually destroyed.
One of the best things about staying in Hue for us, was making the decision to travel to our next destination, Hoi An by motorcycle – where we were able to see Vietnam how it should be seen. If you’re a fan of Top Gear, you’ll know exactly what I mean. After all, the country has so much more to offer than the reminders of its bloody past. We arranged to join a tour through a family company, funnily enough called Le Family Riders. This turned out to be one of the most amazing days of our travels so far. Our hotel had suggested we go by car to reach Hoi An however, we are so glad we choose not to. All you need to do is look up Le Family Rider reviews on TripAdvisor to see how wonderful these guys actually are. After doing so, we did not hesitate to book.
In the morning we were picked up by Uy (known to us as Captain) who took us to join the rest of the gang, who were also joining Gary and I on our trip South. You get a choice whether or not you want to go solo on a bike or sit on the back behind one of the family. I obviously choose the latter, as did Gary. The roads of Vietnam should not be taken lightly…
I was lucky to sit behind Uy all the way who was amazing and made me feel incredibly safe throughout. He had so much knowledge of Vietnam and told me about many different things as we passed, whilst driving through the breathtaking countryside of Hue.
Our first stop was a quaint little fishing village homed to only 300 people. Captain explained how many children lived in the village however, seldom went to school. The families lived for fishing and spent their evenings out on the lake catching supplies to sell to markets in order to make a living for their huge family. It turned out that the boats are actually made from scraps of aluminium, taken from shot down and crashed US planes from the war. It was great to see that they had gone to good use and something positive had come out of such a horrible period in history.
Carrying on through the villages, Uy pointed to the farmers working out in the fields by hand in order to harvest the crops. He explained how the villagers are so poor, yet they have such humble and happy lifestyles.
The scenery was just out of this world. From the crisp blue water, to the fresh green trees and right up to the amazing Vietnamese mountains, I was in awe. You really cannot fault Vietnam when seen from this perspective. I think motorcycles will become our new means of travel as you are given access to such fantastic roads where cars and other transportation are forbidden.
The blistering afternoon sun came around right at a perfect time as we then stopped off for a swim at the Elephant Waterfall. The fresh water was spectacular and we chilled for a good 2 hours before carrying on our way. The Family Riders were amazing and took control of our cameras, making sure they captured some brilliant photos for our memories. These guys were pro’s at taking photos first time as they mentioned they get plenty of practice. What really made that afternoon was Uy launching beers into the water for us to catch, where we then mingled with the rest of the group – swapping travel stories and getting to know one another.
After cooling down, we hopped back on the bikes and made our way to a floating restaurant right on the lakeside for lunch, just in time as the afternoon showers were about to hit us. For the money you pay for this trip ($58) the food we were given was outstanding. The seafood was probably the best I’ve ever tasted, obviously with it being some of the freshest. In fact, we walked past our dinner upon entering the restaurant, waiting to be prepared for us. We ate a feast and the plates just kept on coming. The mountains and lakes circling around us made for a pretty memorable lunch. I’m drooling over the thought of those prawns as I type up this blog.
The much anticipated Hai Van Pass exceeded all expectations, as we crossed over the historical boarder between the kingdoms of Champa and Vietnam. The twisting roads of the mountain boasted the most beautiful views and what’s best, traffic is minimal due to the completion of the Hai Van Tunnel. Interestingly, the weather can vary from the North side and South side as the mountain shelters the Southern city of Da Nang from the North-west winds. Therefore, the North side can be wet and chilly whist the South remains dry and warm.
Fortresses from the War still stand at the top of the pass, where you can see remnants of the disaster through the bullet holes scattered all around the bricks. We climbed up and Captain, with his fantastic photography skills, captured some great photos.
Reaching the city of Da Nang, the weather took a turn and the rain began to hit us hard however, the riders were fully prepared for anything and had rain coats at the ready. We stopped off multiple times during the day where we were given juice and refreshments. Safe to say these guys make sure you don’t go hungry or thirsty.
Our last stop before reaching Hoi An, was at Marble Mountain (also known as water mountain). This was by far one of the most memorable experiences so far. Uy and the rest of the riders decided not to join us and gave the 5 of us a map and sent us on our way to see the temples and caves inside the mountain. The rain was still pretty heavy however, we were given umbrellas and with our rain jackets and squelchy flip flops in tow, we were off.
Making our way up the dark staircase as the rain battered down, the 5 of us felt we were being led into a trap. We discussed the prospects of us being the cast of some horror film and anticipated how each of us would survive. What started off as a joke soon felt like reality as we struggled to read the soggy map we were given. The temples were so eerie and spooky as we genuinely were the only 5 souls in the mountain at that point. Thankfully spirits remained high as we all saw the funny side of our strange situation.
Finally, we reached the giant cave which was phenomenal. It felt even more extraordinary being the only ones to see it, as many will know the frustrations of being sandwiched into tourists traps, unable to appreciate the beauty of somewhere without the fear of being squashed or standing on someone else. The cave was astonishing and the eerie feel really made it so memorable and worth the ghostly tour to reach it. It was just a shame it was too dark to take more pictures of the pagodas.
Uy must have sent out the search party for us when we finally made it back to the group. By that time, night had fallen and we were still 30 minutes away from Hoi An. The final leg of the drive was unforgettable as a few of the bikes decided at that point to run out of fuel, 5 minutes away from Hoi An. Obviously, the riders are fully prepared for any situation and their methods are pretty surreal. The Captain and I pulled alongside another member of the group who had broken down at the side of the road. Captain, using somewhat unquestionable ways, managed to push the bike the rest of the way using one foot on the exhaust, whilst driving me and the other bike along. Talk about team work!
After reaching Hoi An and enjoying one final beer with the family, Uy took us to our hotels and we said our goodbyes. I can honestly say that day was some of the most fun we have had on our travels. The family are so friendly and welcoming and really create a lasting experiences for anyone who is lucky enough to ride with them. We made great friends along the way and lifelong memories to cherish forever. Please look them up if you ever do come to Vietnam and I can promise that you won’t regret it.
Thanks for reading and remember to keep checking in.
Lots of love,
Xx
