Hue Nightlife

On thu wheels is really a combination of a small hole in the wall bar and a local travel agency doing excusions by motorbike around Hue.

I have never taken the motorbike tours they do around Hue, so i will leave it to other to talk about that, but i really like this little cosy bar with lot´s of graffitti on the walls for a few beers in the evening while chatting to other travellers who hang out there aswell.

This bar is one of those good old fasjioned backpacker bars where you an meet travellers from around the globe every night and talk in to the wee hours about your travels around the world while drinking cheap beer and listening to Bob Marley.

sent a couple of nights drinking here in sept08 its not very big and there is a pool table in the middle of bar but you can sit outside and people watch if you like but the main plus is the friendly staff they will sit and talk to you if you are on your own like i was i would recommend to anyone staying in hue

Dress Code: no dress code

1 more image

These two bars are located at either end of the main tourist drag called Pham Ngu Lao St in Hue where you'll find restaurants as well as tourist shops, hotels and guesthouses. The Why Not? Bar is located on the corner of Vo Thi Sau and is the more chilled out and smaller place of the two. It's popular with expats and slightly older clientele and features some good food and steady music. The DMZ Cafe is at the other end of Pham Ngu Lao St on the corner with Le Loi and is larger with a pool table and lots of seating outside on the street. The ambiance is far more aimed at the young and even though I'm not so young these days, I preferred it over the Why Not? Bar.

A motorbike picks you up from your Hotel. On the dragon boat, you head out to the centre of the river, where they drop anchor. Five women sing, and there are 3 people playing instruments. I found the singing to be very harsh and didn't enjoy it at all. I have vietnamese music cds, and like them. Also, the lead lady introduced the songs in vietnamese to all the tourists, so we didn't know what they were singing about. Everybody puts a lighted candle which is a paper container in the river, its not 100's like advertised. At the end, you have to find your own way back to the Hotel. It cost $5us for approx 11/2hours, not worth it at all.
Would not recommend.

Dress Code: Casual

1 more image

Forget the happy hour bars... take a walk by the river in the new part of town... you'll mingle wiht locals and enjoy your night out with them... the farther you go from the hotel zone, the better. There will be plenty of street vendors selling food and the usual junk (basically just like at home) and you'll see hundreds of families just hanging about... sometimes sitting down for a drink in small bars... all very friendly.

No real action, just relaxing... unless the police comes along... within seconds every street vendor vanishes - and those who are not quick can see their merchandise or motorbike "taken" by the police.

Dress Code: Casual

Thu’s café (Tue is pronounced two) might be a little hard to find at first but its well worth the effort. The bar itself is a tiny place, but it works well with Thu’s style, which is ultra outgoing. You’ll be sure to make lots of friends here and Tue will make sure you’re with a great group if you come alone. I’m not usually a regular at any bar when I travel, but Tue had me back night after night, as I’m sure you’ll be. Make sure you drink a lot of the 50 cent Hue original beers and the food is great as well, so load up of some snakes. There are also lots of board games around the bar. Tue also organizes tours around the city, but I don’t how good they are.

Dress Code: None

Two words: Pool table. Also this is a decent place to kick back and have a couple of wobbly pops while munching on something. The place gets pretty lively by 11pm and is open until 2am. Beer runs between 8,000 - 15,000 dong.

Hue is one of the best places to enjoy the Vietnamese New Year celebrations of Tet. One of the highlights is a midnight firework display. The fireworks are set off in front of the citadel on the north bank of the Perfume river, but best viewed from the Trang Tien Bridge or the south bank of the river, near the end of the bridge.

Dress Code: Wear what you like, but many of the locals are wearing their best new clothes because it is Tet.