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Five Ways To Enjoy Hué
The Ta Pavilion, inside the Imperial Citadel
Visit the Citadel
of Hué
The Citadel was designed on ancient feng shui or geoman- tic principles, and planned around the natural elements in the area north of the Per- fume River (Huong Giang). The complex faces south- east, taking Mount Ngu Binh (Royal Screen Mountain) as a sighting point. Two small is- lands in the Perfume River, Ta Thanh Long (Left Green Drag- on) and Huu Bach Ho (Right White Tiger) serve as sentinels for the Citadel. The Emperor’s throne room stuns, with layer upon layer of lacquered splen- dour, in shades of cobalt blue, antique red, light purple and jade green.
Take a boat trip along Perfume River
This is cheap, fun and a great way to get a perspective of the sights of Hué. The US$2 fare covers the whole of the six-hour trip and many of the Imperial tombs. After sight- seeing, chill out with a cup of coffee at one of the cafés on the riverbanks. Some of the world’s finest Arabica coffees come from Banh Me Thuot, in the highlands south of Hué.
Visit the tombs of
Nguyen Dynasty emperors
All of them are set amongst a gardenscape of bridged lakes and ponds covered with lotus blooms, with the sweet fra- grances of frangipani and pine trees wafting in the breeze. You can visit the tombs as part of a boat trip (see above), al- though your time will be very limited.
The tomb of Emperor Tu Duc (1848-83), commemorat- ing the longest-resigning Em- peror of them all, is the most impressive of the mausole- ums.
Check out the
colourful entrance- way to Thúông Qùôc-Hôc High School
The gate, in vivid shades of maroon, is a landmark of Hué. This is a school for top achiev- ers of Hué Province. Former students include Ho Chi Minh, Pham Van Dong (the former long-ruling Prime Minister of North Vietnam), and veteran military strategist General Vo Nguyen Giap.
Thúông Qùôc-Hôc High School
Visit the biennial Festival Hué
The 2006 Hué Festival focus- es on reviving royal and folk performance arts, recalling the past glories of Hué. Cen- trepiece will be the Nam Giao procession, the re-enactment of a march honouring heaven and earth. An International Sculpture Symposium is also on the programme. Also, the spectacular Night in the Roy- al Palace festival, held in the Citadel, will be accentuated by the recent restoration of a crucial part of the Citadel.
While you may be too late for this year’s Festival Hué (June 3–11), mark the Festival in your notebook for May-June 2008. For exact dates, visit wwww.huefestival.com.
1Refers to the greater metropoli- tan area of Hué. The city itself has around 350,000 residents.
Need To Know
HOI AN & HUÉ
Visa Citizens of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand can visit Vietnam as tourists without a visa, for a stay of up to 15 days. Citizens from other countries and those who want to stay longer will need to apply for
a visa. Note that there is no such thing as a “visa on arrival” in Vietnam, so get yours from the Embassy of Vietnam in your home country. Visa forms may be downloaded from www.applyentryvisas.com.sg.
Currency The Vietnamese Dong (VND) is accepted everywhere. Banknotes come in denominations of 200, 500, 100, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 dong. Keep a stack of smaller bills handy.
Health Malaria tablets are highly recommended. In particular, take exceptional precaution against mosquito bites. Nearly 8,000 cases of dengue fever were reported from Vietnam in the first quarter of 2006, up more than 20 per cent from the same quarter in 2005. See your health professional for the most up-to-date advice. Also, vaccination against Hepatitis A is recommended.
Drinking Water Don’t drink unboiled water. It is also advisable to avoid uncooked food or any cooked food that has been left standing for some time.
HOI AN
Getting There
• By Air Major transport connections go through Danang. From there, it’s a short bus ride away.
• By Bus Hoi An is a major stop on all open-tour café buses. Connection with Danang is about US$3.
Getting Around Most hotels and guesthouses rent out bicycles for 5,000VND to 7,000VND a day. Motorbikes can be rented for US$3 to US$5 per day. Cyclos can get you anywhere within the city for about 10,000VND. For car rental, try Faifoo Travel.
Tourist Services The Hoi An Tourist Guiding Office (www.hoianworldheritage.org) sells entrance ticket to the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage. A one-ticket purchase offers limited admission to all the town’s museums, old houses and Chinese as- sembly halls. To book a tour of the city and surrounding areas, contact Hoi An Tourist Service Company (6 Tran Hung Dao Street).
HUÉ
Weather Even during the dry season (February to June), Hué’s weather is likely to be overcast or drizzling. The warmest months are June to August, with an average daily maximum temperature of 34oC. The wet season (September to December) is not the best time to visit Hué as average monthly rainfall is between 45 and 70cm.
What To Pack Bring a raincoat and/or umbrella. Apart from this, light tropical clothing should suffice unless you are planning to visit the nearby Annam Highlands (including Dalat). The nights here can get very chilly in the cooler months (November to February).
Getting There From Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, you can get to Hué either by train or air, or (if you’re a masochist) by bus.
• By Rail Trains from Hanoi take between 101⁄2 and 153⁄4 hours, costing US$23- 28 for a sleeper (recommended). From Ho Chi Minh City, the train journey is between 201⁄2 to 24 hours, costing US$29-39.
• By Air Regular air services (three or more flights a day) on Vietnam Airlines link Hué with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. If you are not flying via Vietnam Airlines, it’s best to buy your connecting flight ticket to Hué locally (cost – approximately US$50). Flight time is about one h our.
Getting Around The railways are comfortable and reliable, particular the luxury SE series trains. For full details and timetables, visit www.seat61.com/Vietnam. htm or www.vr.com.vn/english/index.html.
RCI Rentals
Hoi An
• Hoi An Pacific Hotel (from S$75 per room night)
Hué
• Abalone Resort and Spa (from S$89 per room night)
EnDLEss VACATIon 13
Photos: Graham Simmons