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surrounds of La Résidence Huế Hôtel and Spa, a gorgeous art deco building constructed in the 1930s that was once home to the local French governor. Complete with tiled floors, slowly whirring ceiling fans and grand rooms named ‘Voyage en Chine’ and ‘D´Ornithologue’, it doesn’t take much to imagine how colonials would once have strolled these ornate corridors, headed to the bar for an evening tipple while bemoaning the terrible heat of the tropics.

At the heart of Huế is the citadel, a vast complex surrounded by a 10km-long moat. At its centre sits the Purple Forbidden City (as the inner sanctum of the Imperial City was known), an area reserved exclusively for the emperor. Over several decades, the citadel was expanded to include hundreds of rooms and temples. All but 10 of the buildings were destroyed in early 1961 in the fierce fighting that took place between American and North Vietnamese forces. Today, a number of buildings are slowly being restored, part of an ambitious rebuilding project funded by the government.

A number of engaging day trips are possible from Huế. Scattered in the hillsides surrounding the city are the imperial tombs, of which the grandest is that of Emperor Minh Mang, a sprawling 44-acre site protected by statues of soldiers and animals, including horses and elephants, that took more than 20 years to complete. Several hours away there’s the cave system in

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park that you can explore by boat, and Mỹ Sơn, a miniature version of Angkor Wat. Catch a boat downstream to the historic Thiên Mụ temple, a scenic area that’s home to the tallest pagoda in Vietnam, and also famous as the former home of monk Thích Quảng Đức, whose self-immolation in 1963 was captured in Malcolm Browne’s famous photograph.

While you can arrange your own transportation and guides, the various sights do take some travelling and decent organisation to see. If you’re here on a short break it’s worth booking tours through your hotel or a travel agent. Food and drinkWhen you’ve had enough of sight-seeing and history, catch a cab for about $80 to Beach Bar Hue (Xuân An Rd, Phú Thuận, +84 54 3984 757; beachbarhue.com), an extremely chilled spot located some 14km northeast of Huế where you can relax with a beer and some affordable and fresh local seafood – we particularly recommend the clams.

Those looking for a quick bite should pick up a pastry at La Boulangerie Française (46 Nguyễn Tri Phương Rd; +84 54 3837 437; laboulangeriefrancaisehue.fr), a wonderful enterprise where disadvantaged youths are taught how to bake pastries and baguettes. Besides contributing to a good cause, it’s worth stopping here for the amazing sandwiches. For something more substantial, make a reservation at Le Parfum (5 Lê Lợi St, +84 54 3837 475; la-residence-hue.com), where the Vietnamese head chef combines local ingredients with classical French cuisine to create a highly memorable menu. It isn’t cheap, but for a truly amazing real of high-end Vietnamese-French fusion cuisine in authentic colonial surrounds, you can’t get much better.

Huế has a rich history and doesn’t lack for attractions, but sadly the city still seems to be used as a mere transit point from north to south, with tourists content to be bussed and flown from one end of the country to another. Only those that choose to stay longer can really appreciate its beauty.

TravelEdited by Mat Gallaghermat.gallagher@timeout.com.hk

Much like China before it, Vietnam – still officially a socialist republic – has

quietly embraced the capitalist ethos it once abhorred. The results have been an economic upswing, an increasing number of skyscrapers in the major cities and a huge surge in tourists.

Towards the centre of this long, spindly country on the eastern coast of Southeast Asia lies the ancient town of Hoi An. This Unesco world heritage site dates back to the 15th century and for more than 400 years was one of the region’s most important trading posts, with British, Dutch, Indian,

Chinese and Japanese merchants visiting and settling. When it was eventually usurped by the French-run city of Đà Nẵng, some 60 miles to the north, the port settled into a long stupor, which preserved its remarkable collection of architecture. On a warm autumn afternoon, when the sun reflects

off the water of the Perfume River and on to neighbouring buildings, it causes the structures to glow. The town is undeniably beautiful – it’s also packed to the gills with tourists.

Where once you could expect to find local craftsmen making ceramics, textiles, silks and fishing nets, there now stand neon-lit bars with fancy cocktail lists, boutique flashpacker guesthouses and cafés touting their imported Italian espresso machines. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Japanese bridge – a famous crossing built by Japanese residents in the 1590s – lies house after house filled with tacky souvenir shops doing a roaring trade with Chinese and Korean tourists. Like many world heritage sites before it, the very aspects Unesco was trying to preserve have largely disappeared in the face of mass tourism, leaving behind an hollow, though pretty, shell.

The imperial MarchA few hours drive to the north, albeit over a stomach-churning mountain road full of hairpin turns, lies the former imperial city of Huế (pronounced Hway). A much larger settlement than Hoi An ever was, the city is oddly much quieter, albeit still full of backpackers chowing down on banana pancakes.

For our lodgings we’ve forsaken humble dorms for the grander

Trav

elTravel

It doesn’t take much to imagine how

colonials would once have strolled these ornate corridors, bemoaning the

terrible heat of the tropics

Where to stayBudget: Hue Serene Shining Hotel With its sister hotel, the Hue Serene Palace, these hotels offer simple but desirable rooms and suites in the thick of the action. The Serene Shining is the slightly cheaper of the two and offers large rooms, some with views of the river, as well as an on-site restaurant, bar and spa. Rooms from $171 (inc tax) per night. 57/5 Nguyễn Công Trứ St, +84 54393 5887; sereneshininghotel.com.

Mid-range: Saigon Morin HotelBuilt in 1901 this was the first hotel of its kind in central Vietnam. Completely renovated and reopened in 1997, the hotel offers 180 rooms, four restaurants, an outdoor pool and spa facilities. The hotel is just one street back from the river and walking distance from all the main sights. Rooms from $590 (inc tax) per night. 30 Lê Lợi St, +84 54 3823526; morinhotel.com.vn.

Luxury: La Résidence Hue Hôtel & SpaIf you like to relax in style, look no further than La Résidence Hue Hôtel & Spa, a historic hotel that once housed the French governor, and has since been converted into the city’s only five-star hotel. Built in 1930, it’s one of the signature examples of art deco architecture in not only Huế, but all Vietnam. Rooms from $1,300 (inc tax) per night. 5 Lê Lợi St; +84 54 3837 475; la-residence-hue.com.

How to Get ThereVietnam Airlines (vietnam-airline.com) flies from Hong Kong to Huế via Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City from $2,300 (inc tax) return. Alternatively, you can fly direct from Hong Kong to the city of Đà Nẵng on HK Express (hkexpress.com) from $1,300 (inc tax) return, and then catch a taxi (around $500) or coach ($70) for the four to five-hour journey to Huế.

Having a Huế of a timeSimon Ostheimer drops off from the traditional tourist trail for an extended visit to Vietnam’s central region and former capital, Huế

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The cats’ meowThe Mieu Temple; (below) peaceful surrounds of Huế

Pagoda ponderings The Hai Van Pass; (below) Linh Mu pagoda; (left) local cuisine