Vietnam - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 870

4km southeast of the centre along Highway 1; northbound
buses for Hanoi and other destinations run from An Hoa
station, 4km northwest on Highway 1.
Destinations

included break fast an d the a/c doubles as a heater in
winter. Double $22.50
Sunny A Hotel 17/34 Nguyen Tri Phuong T 054
3829990, W binhduonghotel.com. The budget rooms in
this bright and friendly mini-hotel are outstanding value,
equipped with satellite TV and a/c, and all but the
cheapest have their own computer with internet access.
The Sunny C Hotel (4/34 Nguyen Tri Phuong; T 054
3830145; $15) ha s lar ger rooms, also equipped with all
mod cons. Double $12

Da Nang (3hr); Dong Ha (1hr 30min); Hanoi
(16-17hr); HCMC (22hr).
By train The train station lies 1.5km from the centre at
the far western end of Le Loi.
Destinations Da Nang (8 daily; 2hr 30min-4hr); Dong Hoi
(8 daily; 3hr-5hr 30min); Hanoi (5 daily; 12hr-16hr
30min); HCMC (4 daily; 19-22hr); Nha Trang (4 daily;
11hr-15hr 30min); Ninh Binh (5 daily; 10-13hr).

EATING
Hue is renowned for its imperial cuisine, thanks to the
fussy Emperor Tu Duc, and local specialities to try include
bun bo hue (a spicy rice noodle soup with lemongrass,
shrimp paste and plenty of fresh herbs), banh hoai (a
small, crispy yellow pancake, fried up with shrimp, pork
and bean sprouts, and served with peanut and sesame
sauce, star fruit, green banana, lettuce and mint), bahn
nam and bahn beo (steamed royal rice cakes), com hen (rice
with steamed clams, green banana, salted shredded meat
and chilli), and che (a sweet dessert soup). Find these
(from 7000VND) and more at the Dong Ba Market on Tran
Hung Dao (daily 6.30am-8pm), just north of the Trang
Tien Bridge.
Café on Thu Wheels 10/2 Nguyen Tri Phuong. This tiny
bar-café, run by the charmingly nutty Mrs Thu, has friendly
staff who run excellent motorbike tours - attested to
by the recommendations scribbled on the walls - and
serves a mix of Vietnamese and Western dishes. Daily
7.30am-10pm.
La Boulangerie Française 46 Nguyen Tri Phuong. Sells
fresh croissants, brown bread, pastries and cakes for
8000-30,000VND - perfect for that early bus departure.
Profits go to local charities. Daily 7am-8.30pm.
★

TOURS
Tour operators Sinh Tourist, 7 Nguyen Tri Phuong (daily
6.30am-10pm; T 054 3823309, W thesinhtourist.vn),
arranges Perfume River boat trips and DMZ tours, as well as
tickets for buses to Savannakhet in Laos. The Café on Thu
Wheels (see below) and the Stop & Go Café at 3 Hung Vuong
( T 054 3827051, W stopandgo-hue.com) are recommended
for their motorcycle tours around the area ($10-20) as well
as car tours of the DMZ (around $45 per person).

11

ACCOMMODATION
Canh Tien 9/66 Le Loi T 054 3822772. One of several
budget guesthouses on an alley leading off northern Le
Loi, this family-run place offers simply decorated,
spotlessly clean r oom s with all the amenities and free
breakfast. Double $15
Hue Backpackers Hostel 10 Pham Ngu Lao T 054
3826567, W hanoibackpackershostel.com. Branch of the
perennially popular Hanoian hostel (see p.845), with
simple yet smart a/c dorms, doubles and lots of activities
on offer - from the Top Gear motorbike tour to cooking
classes. Rates include breakfast, and the perpetually busy
bar d ow nstairs i s a g ood spot for happy hour (5-6pm).
Dorm $8 , double $20
Jade Hotel 17 Nguyen Thai Hoc T 054 3938849,
W jadehotelhue.com. Renovated by an artist, this hotel
combines classic architecture with modern features and its
rooms are spacious and clea n as a whistle, presided over by
attentive staff. Double $20
Phoenix Hotel Hue 66 Le Loi T 054 3826736.
Overlooking the Perfume River, this friendly spot has thirty
rooms in various configurations - goo d n ews fo r sin gle
travellers and groups of friends. Double $16 , triple $18
★

Lac Thien 6 Dinh Tien Hoang. This is one of Hue's more
interesting restaurants, run by a family with several deaf
members and popular both with locals and visitors. The
food is excellent, taking in the Hue staples, including
steamed fish (mains from 20,000VND). Order a beer to
get a special bottle opener made by the owner. The two
other similarly named restaurants along this street are
owned by the proprietor's brothers. Daily 11am-9pm.
Mandarin Café 24 Tran Cau Van. Popular backpacker
café serving Western breakfasts and Vietnamese dishes
(set menus from 120,000VND), and offering good travel
advice. The owner, Mr Cu, is an accomplished photo-
grapher, and prints of his photos depicting daily life
around Hue are on sale. Daily 8am-8pm.
Omar Khayyam's Indian Restaurant 34 Nguyen Tri
Phuong. This restaurant is deservedly popular for its north
Indian menu, which includes numerous vegetarian dishes,
biryanis, curries, naan and thali. Mains from 90,000VND,
thalis from 140,000VND. Daily noon-10pm.

Phong Lan (Wild Orchid) 12/66 Le Loi T 054
3826255, E [e-mail]. Tucked away at
the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, this cheerful guesthouse
offers pleasant, warmly decorated rooms, has the
friendliest, most helpful staff and prett y ba lconies hung
with orchids. Breakfast included. Double $15
Star City Hotel 2/36 Vo Thi Sau T 054 3831358,
W starcityhotelhue.com. Centrally located hotel with
clean, spacious rooms spread over seven floors. Rates