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“S
taying with locals in their
house is a great experi-
ence and helps me un-
derstand more about my
fatherland and Vietnam’s culture,” says
Mai Lan, an overseas Vietnamese living
in Germany. Mai Lan always chooses a
homestay while travelling around the
country so she can enjoy daily life and
culture from the inside.
A homestay is an excellent way to
experience the true culture of local peo-
ple, whether it is in a rural setting or an
apartment in a bustling city.
Homestays are very popular in the
northern mountainous areas of Sapa
and Mai Chau as well as the ancient
town of Hoi An, but those in the ancient
capital of Hue are quite different.
Knowing that a stay in historic Hue
would be enhanced by the knowledge
and insight of a local family, I decided
to arrange a special homestay tour to
the city.
We spent the first day exploring the
Imperial Citadel, which is well-known
as the residence of the Nguyen Dynasty
(1802-1945), Vietnam’s last royal dy-
nasty. Then we visited the Hue Royal
Antiques Museum - a collection of rem-
nants from the Nguyen Dynasty. The
next day we booked a dragon boat tour
to Thien Mu Pagoda, Hon Chen Temple,
and the tombs of Emperors Minh Mang,
Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.
There are some local families in
the downtown area offering two or
three rooms for tourists in their hous-
es. These are genuine homestays and
the families are very friendly and help-
ful, at times offering extra services
such as breakfast, drinks or motor-
bikes for hire.
We hired bicycles to ride to Thanh
Toan village to see the Thanh Toan
Bridge and Tu Hieu Pagoda.
timeout
44
Hue Homestays
The best way to discover the ancient culture and lifestyle of Hue is to stay in an
ancient garden house for an amazing local experience, writes
Nhat Ha
THE HERITAGE JOURNEY