I have survived the 9 hours on the night train from Hanoi and arrived in Huế around 9.30am. It was ok, however after sharing the cabin (4 beds) with a loud snorer I didn’t sleep much. So I’d be happy to avoid night trains for a while. But you haven‘t done Vietnam without at least one night train trip. I can now tick it off the list.
Looking forward to explore Huế and the Imperial City next.
The Imperial City
The Imperial City is a walled enclosure within the citadel of the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. Now a UNESCO world heritage site it is quite impressive to see. It was funded by Gia Long, the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802. Amazingly the position of the Nguyen dynasties was held until 1945. Unfortunately by now most of the city has been destroyed, especially during the Vietnam War. A shame really!
Nonetheless the massive complex is still a very impressive sight. It features hundreds of monuments and ruins, such as the Forbidden Purple City which was once the residence of the royal family. So much history in one spot and the second grand sight I have seen after Angkor Wat! But without the tourists. It was definitely a picturesque area to see.
Hue
The city Hue in itself has really not much to offer. And after a near incident of food poisoning once again (due to the restaurant serving me very old and weird tasting meat) I was glad to leave Hue behind. However, if you liked Angkor Wat, then definitely make a stop here for the Imperial City.
With Christmas around the corner and with rain forecasted for a week I am on my way to Da Nang and Hoi An. Let‘s see what the next towns will bring. Have a lovely Christmas xx
