Orchid Hotel Hue

Hue 7,8,9 January 2008. Orchid Hotel. Well, tripadvisor had this hotel as the number one in Hue and it was spot on. Great value for money. No advertised stars and the rooms and service were 4*. I guess it will never make a 4* rating, as it has no gym, spa, sauna, or 24 hour restaurant, but it was perfect. We arrived fairly early as we had caught the Sinh Cafe bus from Hoi An to Hue and it wasn't very far. The bus took us through the longest road tunnel I think I've ever been through - the Hai...

Upon arriving at Hue we were both prepared to not like the place, our only experience in Vietnam cities had so far been with Hanoi, where we either missed the entire point or it just is a bit disagreeable. Our original estimation of Hue didn't differ too far from Hanoi as the taxi driver we got from the airport spent the entirety of our journey telling us how we should spend our time in Hue which strangely seemed to fit in well with his plans of driving us everywhere. At one stage he told me...

Hello again dear read**, tis I, your tour correspondent back on the blogs again updating you about anoth** leg of our trip. This is actually a bit of a controv**sial one for Ratty and I as it is the first time that our opinions have really diff**ed about a place we have visited. Ratty claims that she liked Hue (pronounced Hway - but in the title please pronounce it Hooey), while I cannot see how she did. Seeing as how I am trying to give you a good ov**view of what we have been up to I will d...

In response to another reader comment which hoped we were staying in the room with the round bed, please see the photo below - remember: this is not for those of a weak disposition (although you have probably seen it by now).

After we escaped from the night train this morning, a nice man from our hotel collected us and brought us straight there so we were able to bypass the crowds of people outside shouting "i get you good hotel" etc. It was the first time I used my bag as a backpack on my back (I thought it would be easier to avoid people "helping" me to carry it) and it was quite heavy, I really don't know how Cait and Carloline can manage theirs, which are twice the size, but I am of course a total wimp so that...

Got up yesterday morning to more rain and cold, but we had got our clothes back from the laundry so I had nice clean long trousers to put on to go and see the Citadel in Hue which is a wrold heritage site. Now I am wondering why I didn't just put on the mucky old trousers from yesterday because we got destroyed again... Off we went, the girls in their raincoats and me with my brolly ( I have a bag full of shorts and vests like a fool so no raincoat for me). So we got as far as the old city wh...

From Hanoi we took an overnight sleeper train south to Hue. We were lucky enough to have the whole compartment of four bunk beds to ourselves and were quite surprised at how comfy it was. We had booked our hotel in Hue on the net and were shocked when we arrived at what luxury a small amount of money can get you in Vietnam. Our room was like the Sheraton complete with mini bar and cable TV. A buffet breakfast was also included as well as free internet. The staff were also hilarious and cracki...

NOTE: No blogging from Sapa because the Internet connection was archaicly slow....and we didn't have wireless on the boat in Ha Long Bay...so here's a brief catch up from our $30 a night hotel that includes a computer in our room with internet connection in Hue. (Check back to previous days.) The next morning I was up early (6am) and the guide asked if I wanted to go out and kayak by myself. So I hopped in a sit-on-top (we'd been using double sea kayaks) and took a 45 minute paddle in the ear...

We wake to cooler temps (not cool, just coolER) and much more humidity. We've come to Hue to see the Citadel & the Vietnamese version of China's Forbidden City. Since it was built in the 1820s, it's definitely a 'homage' to the Forbidden City. Since it was bombed during the "American War", it is being restored & rebuilt. It's lovely in it's crumbled state. Kind of sad to think it will be tarted up. We get a little drizzle that stops quickly. Then we grab a taxi out to one of the Emper...

Well, the folks have abandonned me so it's back to solo travelling for a while and back to the proper budget. We had a great time and I'm really pleased they came over. We had 3 days in Hoi An, which is a shopper's dream. Now, I'm not a big shopper as in trawling up and down the high street, but tailor shops are a different story. I DO like sitting down and flicking through a pile of catalogues, selecting items, getting measured and picking up my perfect-fit new clothes the next day. I didn't...