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Before we left the UK, one major excursion we planned was to spend some of the journey up Vietnam on the back of motorbikes. A particularly scenic stretch of the country that a lot of people choose to motorbike up is between Hoi An and Hué, roughly midway up the side of the country.
We set off with all of our luggage safely strapped to the motorbikes at around 8am. Although I suffered from some discomfort with my legs cramped by the size of the bikes, this was probably my favourite day in Vietnam. We were not harnessed to the bikes in any way but everyone felt very at ease and secure, driven by our Vietnamese guides and there is arguably no better way to experience this journey than by on motorbike in my opinion.
Our first stop was at a pagoda and cave system situated at the top of a mountain. The shrine and structures up there were interesting and the view from the top of the steep climb was breath taking, even if the work to get up there in the heat left me sweltering.
Next, we made a few short stops along the road that followed the coast. The water was clear and the weather favoured us as we made our way up the mountain. Top Gear famously made the journey along the same road and every scene shot in the episode was replicated through our drive. It had truly spectacular views of the coast and surrounding mountains from the road. Apart from a few hairy overtakes of oil tankers and farm animals seemingly making journeys on their own onus, the road was pretty empty thanks to a tunnel constructed under the mountains to cut journey times.
Lunch was had at a very uncommercial fish restaurant on a bay, where fish are kept alive for the buyers to choose which they want to eat and so the fish was extremely fresh. At one point in the next stretch the monsoon season struck again and we were stalled in a tunnel while we waited out the rain but luckily it passed very quickly.
After lunch we journeyed to a waterfall in the mountains where a natural cascade has been utilised to build wooden huts and platforms for children and families to enjoy the natural water feature. The boulders and wooden planks made for an interesting if a little dangerous waterpark and the water was extremely clear and refreshing.
Our final stop before Hue was at a small fishing village in the very rural countryside where we were given a rest and a brief history of the area. I was sad to get off the bikes for the final time in Hué but excited for the next leg of the journey.
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