Hoi An to Hue by motorbike

Roisin O’Brien travels like a local from Hoi An to Hue in Vietnam.

Without a doubt the highlight of my stay in Vietnam was the few days we spent in Hoi An and in particular the motorbike journey we made from Hoi An to Hue afterwards. 

Hoi An is a quaint little town famous for its many tailors and incredible food selection. We had planned this to be the luxurious part of the trip so we booked a 5 star hotel staying at the Hoi An Historic hotel which was lovely and right in the centre of town. We spent a very lazy few days getting clothes made to take home, enjoying the beach and mostly trying out as many of the local restaurants as we could.

Two standout restaurants in particular were Hai Scout café for the buzzy atmosphere and great service, and Cargo Club where we had the best starter of the trip, Hoi An’s special White rose dumplings. These dumplings are called banh bao vac and made from translucent white dough filled with spiced minced pork or shrimp, and then they are presented to look like white roses.We ate so well the entire time we were in Vietnam but the food in Hoi An is another level of tastiness!

After 4 nights in Hoi An we really didn’t want to leave but the fact we weren’t getting on another bus made it more appealing! Based on a recommendation from other travellers we decided to travel to Hue by motorbike with Hue riders. There were 3 of us travelling together and each of us had a guide driving us as we weren’t too confident about driving ourselves. I’d recommend this option as I spent the whole day taking in the amazing scenery which I couldn’t have done if I was driving as the roads were very windy and nerve wracking even as a passenger!

When our guides arrived they were very friendly and quickly had our bags strapped onto the bikes and off we went! One guide Hieu had excellent English, the other two not so much but they tried their best! There’s not a huge amount of opportunity to chat while you’re on the bike so it wasn’t a problem and when we stopped our English speaking guide filled us in on each location.

The route they take is along the coast and then you go over the Hai Van pass that was famously featured on Top Gear. The trip costs $50 per person and takes a full day from about 9am until 4pm but you do stop off at sites along the way and for lunch so there’s plenty of rest time. The view the whole way is pretty spectacular but there are some key points where you stop off along the way.

Marble Mountain was one of my favourite stop offs and completely unexpected, we just pulled off a main road and suddenly we were climbing up this steep rock. At the top is a temple and a hilly garden of multiple levels featuring unusual marble statues and caves. The monks in the temple were happy to show us around and pose for photos with us and really seemed to enjoy the tourists.

Travelling over the Hai Van pass was exhilarating and at times terrifying as we overtook trucks and cars on sharp turns but the drivers seemed to be in complete control so you get used to it and start to enjoy the view. As you get higher and higher the views only improve and you get to see some of the most incredible beaches I’ve ever seen.

We stopped off for a quick lunch by the beach and then we were off again stopping at the elephant pools for a swim which was great fun and much needed after a hot day on the bike. One thing I’d recommend is to make sure you are well dressed for the trip. Light layers are great but nothing too baggy as you really catch the wind. Our pale Irish skin struggled with the full day in the sun and wind so keep lots of suncream handy for the trip! 

The novelty of being on the bike combined with local company and incredible views made this easily the best day of our trip. As we rode into Hue we were exhausted but we had taken in more Vietnamese culture in one day than in the whole first week. I’d recommend travelling part of your journey by motorbike if you can when travelling around Vietnam – a definite must do!

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