The journey to Hue may have been a short one but it definitely one of the most spectacular. The bus ride took us over the Hai Van Pass where you climbed and climbed up into the clouds, until you could no longer see the stunning lagoons and coves below you. Down the other side and back out of the clouds we drew alongside the Reunification Express (train) and followed this all the way into Hue.

Hue is situated on the bank of the Perfume River and is famous for it's 'architectural masterpieces', including the Citadel, royal palaces and pagodas. One of the highlights of the stay here was a motorbike tour around the local area. With a local guide and his trusty team of moto men we headed off into the unknown. And our day served up some memorable sights, including another Japanese bridge (like the one in Hoi An) although this one has it's own resident fortune teller, who will predict your future should you choose to cross her palm for 10,000 dong (that's about 25p to you and me!). We also went to the Tu Hieu Pagoda and listened to the monks doing their morning chant; American bunker hill, which offers fantastic views over the Perfume River; saw local cottage industries such as how to make the famous vietnamese conical hat and incense sticks and an old elephant and tiger fighting arena, although luckily we were a few decades too late to witness any live action. To break the busy day up we had an amazing Buddhist vegetarian lunch at a nunnery that experimented with tofu in ways you could never imagine. And the life of a busy traveller wouldn't be complete without the required afternoon siesta (just to fit in with the locals you understand!). So we were shown to a room where we were able to cool off and rest on the marble floor with just a small pillow for comfort...

The Citadel is also worth a visit. It's a self contained city built in the 19th century, enclosed within a 7m high, 21m thick brick wall and encircled by a moat. It was used to house the imperial family and boasts Vietnam's longest flag tower along the 10km perimeter. I imagine it's something similar to the Vatican in Rome - maybe I'll take that one in on my next trip..!