Hoi An -> Hue; 9 hours north by bike

Day 9

Central Vietnam Motorbike Tours – Day Tours
Rather than doing our usual over night bus journey, we took an amazing one day motorbike trip from Hoi An to Hue. I will do my best to describe the experience, but I don’t think words will do it justice. Matt, who has travelled pretty much everywhere, said this is one of the best things he has ever done. I think I could say the same.

I will give you the contact details again at the end, but if you are in Hoi An or Hue, make sure you do this increadibale bike tour. You can either ride a bike on your own, or go on the back of Mr T and his team’s bikes, like I did.
Thuan Nguyen (Mr T)
Tel: 0084 905512065
Email: [email protected]

Mr T and his team arrived promptly at 08:20, leaving enough time for them to strap our bags to the bikes ready to set off at 08:30. By the way, these weren’t just our daily rucksacks but our actual travelling backpacks were strapped to those motor bikes. Crazy!
After a great breakfast at our hotel we were on the road and ready to roll. At first I didn’t think it was anything special as I had been on peds before in Thailand, but as we got further out of the city, I was in awe of my surroundings. The views left me speechless.

 

First Stop –  The Marble Mountain in Da Nang City
I loved the tranquil atmosphere in the Marble Mountain; pagodas surrounded by beautiful greenery and sculptures. There were several places of worship and a few water features too so I sat down  to enjoy the sound of trickling water. I felt so relaxed that I  managed to drop  my purse and passport in the pond! Clever!

 

Second stop – Hai van Pass (boarder between Da Nang City and Hue Province)
This was my second insight to the Vietnamese War. Mr T explained that the Americans started a blockade on the Hai Van Pass so that the Vietnamese could not transport their weapons and cargo. There is a bullet marked bunker at this stop off. Seeing this made the history seem so much more realistic, rather than just seeing everything through photos. Despite the sad story behind this stop off, the views were outstanding and it was another educational part of the trip.

 

Third stop – Lang Co Town Seafood Restaurant
Whilst driving through the mountains we stopped at a floating restaurant. It didn’t look anything fancy at all; a very simple wooden structure and plastic tables and chairs.
On entry, we walked past the freshly caught fish that were kept in tanks waiting to be cooked. This was great as in London we rarely see where out food comes from. Mr T and his team suggested certain dishes for us to try. We were brought garlic prawns, BBQ’d muscles, squid, rice and noodles. This was a great meal with great company and a picturesque backdrop of the mountains.

 

Fourth stop – Elephant waterfall
Another beautiful stop off on our amazing trip from Hoi An to Hue. The water here was clear blue and salt free. The current of the waterfall is so strong that it pushes you along the rocks!

 

 

Fifth Stop – Fishing Village
Our final stop was the fishing village. A very different experience compared to the one we visited on the Sand Dunes trip. The setting was mind-blowing and everyone seems at peace. Mr T mentioned that the fisherman life is a hard life. When looking more closely, I was able to understand why. The families live in fishing boats, and I was shocked to hear that between 5 and 10 people live in one of these tiny boats. This would have been everything that they owned. I guess I take having a roof over my head, a double bed and a hot shower for granted. This fishing village experience really put a lot of things into perspective for me and is a memory that will always stay with me.

 

After out final stop off, Mr T and the team drove us away from the rural areas and in to the city, heading to our hotel in Hue. Being on a motorbike in the city was crazy! No right of way, and no giving way – the funny thing about it is that it works! After starting the day at 08:30, we finished our day tour in Hue at 17:15. It was a long day, but worth every single second.

Thuan Nguyen (Mr T)
Tel: 0084 905512065
Email: [email protected]

 

Hue

Mandarin Café
The walls were covered from top to bottom in photography.  I didn’t think anything of it at first, until the owner told us they were his own. This really added a personal touch to the restaurant for me. I appreciate these things and the time and effort that the owner put in to displaying his work. He gave us a few photos for free, and the others bought a couple for keepsake.

Jade Hotel
This hotel was great, very comfy beds and very friendly staff. I had such a good sleep in a homely bed and woke up feeling refreshed. We were welcomed with drinks and fruit, which was very refreshing after our day of travelling and there was a wide variety available for breakfast too!