See Monkey Travel: Vietnam: On the train from Da Nang to Hue

There's a lot of talk about the trains in Vietnam when you're traveling in southeast Asia. We knew we wanted to take it for some leg of the journey and had heard that the portion between Da Nang and Hue was the most beautiful. Conveniently, it is also the shortest/cheapest leg at 2 hours/$4USD. We bought our tickets the night before and crossed our fingers for good viewing weather the next day.

"Foreigner" train ticket.

We had breakfast at the train station and were surprised when we went to board and the train was there on time. Even more shocking: the train moved out of the station at exactly 11:55. We rolled out of Da Nang listening to a short pre-recorded monologue (in English) about the wonderful leaders of Vietnam and the treasures of their country.

Ca phe sua Saigon (ice coffee) and com ga (chicken/rice)

The train.

Hearing so much hype about how gorgeous the journey would be, I had to make a real effort to keep my expectations at a moderate level so I could appreciate whatever was to come. Fortunately, it was an absolutely spectacular ride. Not only because of the scenery, but also because I made friends with two locals and had great conversations with them most of the way. Trains are much better for socializing than buses and I was reminded of why I love train travel - the interactions with passengers on board are some of my favorite travel memories.

Inside the "soft seat" car.

Wanting to see the sights (and take pictures) without the window glass in the way, I posted up in the area between cars where there were some open windows. From here, I could smell the sea air as we cruised along the coast for the first leg. Then the tracks dipped a bit inland and we were cutting through open fields and looking into the backs of peoples' homes. Then the fields became smaller and gradually more homes were in each neighborhood cluster. We were in the outskirts of Hue city. It was a quick ride, and definitely the most beautiful I've been on. Is it the most scenic in the world? I'll be happy to test that hypothesis and get back to you.