Luang PraBang

We made it to Luang PraBang after enduring another uncomfortable journey. Luang PraBang is a UNESCO World Heritage City, and the former capital of Laos. If you're into temples and monks, Luang PraBang lacks neither.

We visited the former royal palace, which is now The National Museum. 

Former Royal Palace/National Museum.

We also made the short hike up Chomsy Hill, which gave us a good view of the city.

We were greeted by many Buddhas on our journey up Chomsy Hill.

At the top.

 My favorite attraction, by far, however, were the Kuang Si Waterfalls. They were gorgeous and provided a nice relief from Luang PraBang's notorious heat. We spent an afternoon swimming, and enjoying the surroundings.

Yea, I jumped from that tree.

Waterfall selfie:)

La Pistoche, a swimming pool/bar, is another great place to visit if you're in Luang PraBang. Zoe and I spent an afternoon there relaxing. Just be prepared to be transported back to 2005. They were blasting classics such as Nelly's "AF1s" and "Laffy Taffy."

At La Pistoche

I enjoyed my time in the former capital of Laos, and I am happy that they seem to take their UNESCO status a bit more seriously than Hoi An.

Hue

After Hoi An we moved on to Hue, the base for the Nguyễn Dynasty, which ruled from 1802, until 1945, when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated in favor of Ho Chi Minh.

There wasn't anything in particular that we were interested in doing or seeing in Hue. Hue does have the Imperial Citadel, which they fancy as a smaller version of the Great Wall/Forbidden City, but I've been to Beijing twice and once you've seen one wall you've seen them all. Our first day we rented a motorbike and lazed about on the beach. The next day we decided to join a tour and go see Phong Nha Cave.

It was a long, (about 8 hours travel round trip) but rewarding experience. The caves were a bit touristy with their wooden walkways and lit up rocks, but our guide was hilarious and we met some cool folks.

We rested up the next day, celebrated the Jewish New Year, and I finally found a torrent of the On the Run HBO Special. The next day we headed to Dong Hoi, in what was to be our last stop before Hanoi.

Hoi An

After our time in Da Nang came to an end we continued on to Hoi An. Hoi An was a short 45 minute bus ride from Da Nang, but had its share of shenanigans. Hoi An is a bit touristy, but quaint. The whole city is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The main attraction here is the Old Town. Unfortunately as I mentioned, tourism has changed Hoi An. It's now full of restaurants, art galleries, and tailors selling low quality cheap suits. Zoe and I biked through the old town, and enjoyed visiting all the historical sites in town.

We spent the next day lounging on the beach. Hoi An was nice and definitely worth a visit if you're traveling Vietnam, but after two nights we decided that it was time to move on.