Along the Perfume River
Trip Start
Unknown
1
3
Trip End
Ongoing
Hoi An and Hue,
Vietnam
Thursday, February 22, 2007
This year, last month, I had a break from my work and I thought that was another time to travel to Vietnam. Fortunately, we had got a bonus from the work, which of course, convince us to have Vietnam trip in a more comfortable way. We searched for a travel company which could give us a tailor- made package. We found an interesting one. The name was Exotissimo Travel. Ah, I saw the office once during my trip in Hanoi. And then, I came up to know that Exotissimo also has an office in Bangkok. That was great. So my friend and I went to Exotissimo Bangkok office and asked them to arrange a trip in Vietnam for us. Finally, we got one: Hoi An & the Last Imperial Citadel. It was a 5 days- 4 nights trip to Hoi An and Hue. The trip was very interesting and appealing, catching my interest and reminding me the words about Hue that it was "a masterpiece of urban poetry", proclaimed by the UNESCO........"
After a visit in 1981, the then Director General of UNESCO proclaimed Hue to be "a masterpiece of urban poetry". Famous for school girls in their white Áo Dài - Vietnamese national dress, and Nón Bài Tho - a conical straw hat hiding a secret poem, to the Vietnamese, Hue has ever been synonymous with romance and all that's beautiful.
Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hué was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. Today the majestic Perfume River meanders past the remains of the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Inner City, as well as the tombs of several former emperors.
The stunning Tu Duc Mausoleum with its triple arched gateways, lotus filled ponds and pavilions, reflects perhaps the somewhat whimsical character of its host. Emperor Tu Duc was by all accounts a self-absorbed and romantic ruler, preferring to hide away amongst the tranquil gardens and pine trees of the Imperial grounds.
He also apparently partook of a delicately fragrant tea made from the dew of lotus blossoms and penned no less than four thousand poems, perhaps to amuse his one hundred wives and harem of concubines.
Harems and wives notwithstanding, Tu Duc's tomb is just one impressive relic of Hué's Imperial past to be found along the Perfume River.
Discover the ancient tombs, pagodas and forbidden citadels of Hué and the quaint, old town of Hoi An in this five day
Hoi An & the Last Imperial Citadel trip was very appreciating and so the Exotissimo service was. This is another recommended trip you should never miss. Find some free time and travel with Exotissimo. Memorable...
You can see the itinerary from this link
Hoi An & The Last Imperial Citadel - 5 Days / 4 Nights
Contact: go.vietnam@exotissimo.com
