Lonely Planet

VIETNAM BY TRAINOctober 2017 Lonely Planet Traveller 691Check into the Silk Path HotelHanoi, which has business-stylerooms with hand-printed wallpaperand tall windows. Many havebalconies and views over the historic,lakeside Hoan Kiem district (from£40; silkpathhotel.com).2Tour the Temple of Literature(above, middle) and head to theHo Chi Minh Mausoleum complex:its sites – including the PresidentialPalace, a mausoleum and botanicalgardens – are a place of pilgrimage(mausoleum free; bqllang.gov.vn).For dinner, stroll the narrow streets ofthe Old Quarter, the city’s historic,hectic heart, where street vendorsrustle up some of Hanoi’s best dishes.3From nearby Ga Hanoi, it’s justover two hours on the train southto Ninh Binh. From here, catch a taxito Van Long Nature Reserve, thelargest wetlands in northern Vietnam(admission 50p; 00 84 303 658 333).``````Its rare birdlife and toweringlimestone pinnacles are highlightsof a 90-minute row-boat trip (£3).Returning to Ninh Banh, board thetrain for the 10-plus hour trip to Hue.4Your hotel for the night is EMMHotel in Hue. Its stylish roomshave parquet floors and balconiesoverlooking the city. Residents candig into the restaurant’s local dishes,take a dip in the outdoor pool or relaxin the poolside lounge (from £25;emmhotels.com).5In Hue, explore the ImperialEnclosure, housing the emperor’sresidence, temples and palaces(admission £5). A 10-minute driveaway is Tha Om Garden House,imperial official Pham Ba Pho’sformer residence (00 84 543 527810). Set in peaceful gardens, itsdining room serves Hue specialities,such as banh khoai: shrimp- and porkbelly-stuffed crepes (book ahead).6Get back on the train for thefinal leg to Ho Chi Minh City,a journey of 19–23 hours. The sceneryis particularly impressive in the firstfew hours, as the train winds byjungle-swathed cliffs, beaches andislands, then heads via the Hai VanPass into the mountains.7Liberty Central Saigon CentreHotel has spacious rooms plus apleasant street-side café, restaurants,a spa and rooftop pool with viewsof the Saigon River (from £55;odysseahotels.com).8In Ho Chi Minh City, see oldSaigon in the French colonial-era city hall (above, right), 19th-century Notre Dame Cathedral andthe Gustave Eiffel-designed CentralPost Office. Dine on Vietnamese-French cuisine at Mandarine(orientalsaigon.com.vn) then headto the 52nd-floor EON Heli Barfor cocktails (eon51.com).``````Outside Hue’s 200-year-old Dong ThuyenConvent, a pair ofhigh-spirited nuns ranoff with photographerMatt Munro’s Canon 5D.Writer Marcel Therouxreports: ‘The nuns cookvegetarian meals forvisitors, but they alsoclearly nurture asuppressed vocation forphotography. Matt wassurprisingly calm aboutthe experience.’``````BEHIND THE SCENESYOUR ITINERARYPHOTOGRAPHS: MATT MUNROPassing ricepaddies betweenHue and Hoi An