Hue was the old capital of Vietnam from 1802 – 1945 . It is a delightful city. Our guide met us at the airport, and whisked us off to view the Minh Manh tombs and a really informative tour of the market.. with tastings!
Then lunch of Hue speciality, Royal pancakes, at a very local restaurant, with a simple , but effective bottle opener!
Then on to the incredibly vast citadel, or imperial palace. First built in 1804 , it was caught in fierce fighting during the 1968 Tet offensive in the Vietnam war, but enough remains to be very impressive.
Lastly, the oldest pagoda in Hue, and a boat ride back down the river to the Scarlett hotel. The pagoda had a statue with a hair beard! At the boat we met this lovely group of “Ladies who lunch”. Our super guide from Bee Bee travel explained that Vietnamese traditional dress has the freedom of trousers under the tunic, as decreed by a Ngyuen emporer in the 19th century.
Unbelievably, we were peckish, and found a lovely riverside cafe in the vibrant, neon lit city.
