We arrived into Hue about 11:30am. John had a driver waiting at the station who took us to the Jade Hotel. This is our cheapest accommodation on the trip at $21 CAD per room per night including breakfast. The staff are super friendly offering fresh juice and fruit when we arrived. After a quick clean, we were ready to see the sights.
Unfortunately it was raining, but still we headed towards the Citadel, stopping for lunch along the way. There were some interesting store displays along the way.
The motorbikes were out in full force, drivers all clad in rain ponchos, specifically designed for motorbikers. The ponchos are worn and the front is thrown over the bike. There is an area of clear plastic at the front so the motorbikes headlight can still shine through, The back of the poncho is either sat on or thrown over the head and body of any passengers behind the driver.
After lunch we explored the walled and moated Citadel including the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City. The Citadel was occupied by a series of kings as part of the Nguyen dynasty. It was all so exquisite but the rain did put a damper on walking around the complex which is quite large.
After the Citadel we were feeling chilly so we stopped for Vietnamese coffee and ginger tea before heading to Hanh’s Restaurant, which was highly recommended on TripAdvisor and is frequented by both locals and tourists. The place was packed despite the weather. With everyone sitting on long tables. Our meals including a can of the local beer called Huda was $3.00 CAD each. We then returned to our hotel.