Dong Tam Impression Hotel Hue

We h*d *nother e*rly st*rt *fter the shen*****ns in Finneg*ns the night before. We h*d to check out of the dorm in the hostel *t 11*m which we did with *bout * minute to sp*re. We h*d booked * sleeper bus down to Hue for 7pm so we h*d * good few hours to kill. We found the tv room in the hostel *nd w*tched * few movies to p*ss the time. Around 7pm * fleet of minibuses c*me *long to pick up *ll the people from the hostel who h*d booked the night bus. They brought us to the bus st*tion where th...

Though I was reluctant to leave the beach, I decided I should hit one more coastal city before flying out to Hong Kong and wrapping up my travels. Hue is yet another UNESCO world heritage site and is home to the former Emperor's Palace, back before the Vietnamese Communists came into power. The city is one of the largest in Vietnam but with much more manageable traffic than what you encounter in Hanoi or Saigon (see former entry). My last day I was brave enough to hire a bike and head into tr...

23rd Jan 2009 We arrived in Hue at approx 8.30 (1hr 30mins later than expected), and got a taxi to Le Loi where we found a hostel for the night. We all had a well earned shower before heading out to explore Hue. We decided the best way to explore Hue in the time we had would be to hire motorbike taxi's to take us where we wanted and to show us any sights we might not get to see by foot or car. Laura and Zoe were rather apprehensive to start but decided to give it a go and it turned out to be ...

Its New Years Eve and Hue is in Party mode. The festival for Lunar New Year lasts a week, its a time when families get together to celebrate renewal and hope for the new year, when ancestral spirits are welcomed back into the household and when everyone in Vietnam becomes a year older. Tet is all about starting the year fresh with a clean slate and good intentions. The house is scrubbed clean and all debts are paid off. Those that can afford it get a haircut and buy new clothes. Its good luck...

This morning I followed the really lound drumming and banging of cymbols that I could hear from my hotel and stumbled across a blessing ceremony being performed on a shop around the corner. Was a lot of fun, not sure of the full meaning behind it but jist is to ward off evil, wondering if i can book them when i open, if nothing else the noise would scare off any resident vermin, I've seen more than a few very large mice on the street at night, but maybe they are used in the spring rolls .....

Tet - New Year celebrations are still in full swing here, the parties go for 7-10 days after new year. My vietnamese is improving, I have loads of willing tutors as they get to practice english in return, this weeks most used phrases are - Chuc Mung Nam Moi! - Happy New Year! Mot Hai Ba Ruou! (say - mon hi baa yo) - One, Two, Three, Drink! The owners of my Hotel must have about a thousand relatives and they are entertaining them round the clock in groups of 20 or so at a time. I am upstairs i...

Hi All, Been back in Hue a week now. Decided to travel back from Dalat by Bus, as its the fastest way back and thats what my drivers will do when they finish a one way tour.I was a little apprehensive as my last and only long bus trip in Vietnam when i was here with Jeremy last year, was an absolute nightmare and the most uncomfortable 12hrs of my life. We were getting a first class coach from Dalat to Danang - 16hrs - and then riding the bike the last 100km to Hue.Tam booked the bus for us o...

The family at my hotel invited me to a cousins wedding with them. I was excited to get a look inside a traditional Vietnamese wedding, as i have driven past many in my travels here and they look like fun. We were going to lunch at a fancy coffee house inside the Forbidden City. Earlier in the morning the Bride and Groom had a traditional Buddhist ceremony with immediate family, then they got done up in western wedding dress for lunch with the extended family, 300 of them! I was reminded a lot...

The oldest Son of the Family that owns my Hotel is a Buddhist Monk. He has several names but the one I like to use is his title "The Venerable One", partly because its the easiest to pronounce and also because I have never had a friend with such a cool name. I first met The Venerable One a few weeks back when he came to the hotel to visit his family. He was driving a beat up old hatchback and was attempting to turn it around at the end of the driveway. After a hilarious 37 point turn that saw...