TRANSPORT

Group tours from Hue are arranged on a by-demand basis, making it hard for the lone couple to find a cheap option. Sinh Café or Mandarin Café in Hue can arrange van tours for six to eight people for about US$30 per person.

A cheaper way to see Bach Ma is hiring a taxi in Hue, which can take you to the top and wait for you at various trail heads, before returning to Hue or going on to Danang or Hoi An. Travel agents in Hue can arrange a car with driver for about US$70 to US$80 (including petrol) for the day, and it’s possible to see Bach Ma, lunch at Lang Co Beach, see Hai Van Pass over Danang, then visit Danang’s Cham Museum or Marble Mountains, before pulling into your Hoi An hotel.

Also, buses and some trains between Danang and Hue stop at Cau Hai town on Hwy 1, where you can get out and walk 3km to the visitors center or get a ride with a motorcycle taxi.

If you’re going by motorbike – it’s only 40km from Hue, north on Hwy 1 – you’ll have to hire a jeep to get to the top of the mountain.