Have a pair of shoes with good grip!
If you plan to visit Hue between Dec and Mar, do expect that the grounds to be wet as this is also the monsoon season. Not to worry too much, you won't be totally drenched as the rain is light. However, do note that the ground would be wet. Hue is unlike the major cities like Singapore or Bangkok, the grounds are generally made of soil where it would turn muddy after a downpour. You need to be cautious if you are cruising along the Perfume Pagoda as you need to do a bit of "jumping" at the moorings. In addition, the grounds at the royal tombs are covered with moss too. So, it may be slippery for walking. Hence, it does help if you have a pair of walking shoes with good grip. One thing to note, the weather is cooling - which makes the visit pleasant!

It will make you all wet!
Hue is a great place but the rain will all of you. It’s best to be psychologically prepared for this. Good rain gear is easily acquired in town for a nominal price. Word of advice, go for the good stuff. The cheap rain coats will be more trouble than they are worth. Go for the heavy duty rain gear. It’s worth the extra dollar. Also, you might want to think about getting a good hotel so you have somewhere nice to be if you don’t feel like going out.

Beware of Hue taxis
I had spent about a week in Saigon and Hoi An before heading up to Hue, and until then had no need for a taxi. But when I arrived in Hue by bus, I was staying north of the river, and foolishly thought I needed a taxi instead of just taking a motorbike. I got in the taxi, and asked to have the meter on. I was too dumb and was only slightly suspicious, as at that point, but the meter started at 80,000dong!! I guess I was converting it in my head, and coming from Japan, it seemed normal to start around $6. Well, the fare ended up coming out to 300,000dong, for a xe om ride that I took for 10,000-20,000dong later during my sta. I couldn't believe it and still can't, but despite my own stupidity, the meter was rigged and in hindsight I remember the smug satisfaction of the driver as I handed him the money in disbelief. So beware regular taxis, and you should probably just negotiate a price without using the meter!!!!

I had spent about a week in Saigon and Hoi An before heading up to Hue, and until then had no need for a taxi. But when I arrived in Hue by bus, I was staying north of the river, and foolishly thought I needed a taxi instead of just taking a motorbike. I got in the taxi, and asked to have the meter on. I was too dumb and was only slightly suspicious, as at that point, but the meter started at 80,000dong!! I guess I was converting it in my head, and coming from Japan, it seemed normal to start around $6. Well, the fare ended up coming out to 300,000dong. I couldn't believe it and still can't, but despite my own stupidity, the meter was rigged and in hindsight I remember the smug satisfaction of the driver as I handed him the money in disbelief. So beware regular taxis, and you should probably just negotiate a price without using the meter!!!!

The rain in Vietnam falls mainly in Hue
Hue is one of the wettest cities in Vietnam, with annual rainfall of around 3,000mm. The wettest months are September and October, when there can be flooding. The best time to go, if you want to stay dry, is from February to April.

When they make tourist wear a fools hat
We arrived at our beautiful old hotel in the riverbank late in the evening with the rains of a taifun going down, wo we could not even take a walk,. We returend to the hotel bar and ordered some plate of snacks, beautiful snacks they do have here!!!. We watched a group of french and a group of american and a group of japanese tourist being made fools, dressed in shorts and tennisshoes(very appropriate for dinner!!!) then wrapoped in kimonos and and yellow silk hats then being served a so called imperial dinner. We asked for the menu, tghe same delicate stuff was ebing served to us wothout hats, but seemingly people llike to be fools. At the end they had to make something we call polonaise through the restaurant, the bar and the hotellobby. I would have died of shame....

At least : do not do the final polonaise parade, it is so ridiculous, Everybody sitting in that bar and lobby area was joking about them....

If you're with a group, if you can afford it, take that dinner off and go out for dinner, unless you like that stuff...

Is everyone here waiting to annoy you?
Hue is a hard place for those of you who do not want to be bothered by cyclo drivers, beggars, pimps... I don't know why, but in no other place in Vietnam the people are as importunate! Best to close your ears and walk by quickly. Moreover, the prices seem to be somewhat out of range: I was actually asked to pay 10.000 VND for parking my motobike - that's ten times as much as in Hanoi!
Haggle over every single Dong!

Take care on the ferry
It's only 5 minutes to cross the Perfume River from the West Bank to the other side but the boat operator charged us 20000 dong per person It's a shame but we only knew it when aboard. Stupid we didn't ask him first. I felt like throwing all his goods in the water