Halong Bay

5 - 8 April

We arrived in Hanoi from Hue on the 5th. It was an uncomfortable ride up on the soft seat (next time we will splurge on a sleeper) but we made it in one piece. Its a lot cooler here and overcast. I think it had been raining.

Anyway we made our way to the hotel to get settled in for the night. Hanoi is Vietnam's capital, but its smaller feeling and quieter than Ho Chi Minh. Our hotel in the Old Town was hidden in a maze of tiny streets all selling different wares. We passed shoe street, aluminium street, tops street. We were on selotape and stationary street!

We weren't going to be here for long so we didn't plan on seeing many sites, but we did walk along the lakeside to see the Turtle Tower and get some lunch. On the way, there was a wedding taking place at one of the restaurants. It brought the whole street to a standstill as onlookers crowded the road trying to see the bride (I presumed).

The following day we were picked up at 8 to start our trip to Halong Bay. It was a 4 hour journey to the harbour a long another road-in-progress.

Halong Bay is a magnificent collection of over 1000 limestone cliffs and islands. It was one of the top experiences on our wish list for Vietnam and we'd booked a night on board a traditional junk boat to make the most of it.

We boarded and checked into our cabin, which was surprisingly lovely, before being served lunch as we cruised into the archipelago. The food in amazing. Fresh seafood, vegetables, meats and rice with fresh fruit. Its a good job we ate as much as we did as we needed our strength for our first activity, kayaking!

We wore ourselves out paddling through the caves in the calm bay waters then sat on deck to watch the islands float by as we sailed deeper into the bay. I remembered how much I enjoyed cruising down the Nile a few years ago with my family. There was a new view behind every cliff and island and we were away from the rest of the boats giving the illusion we were alone in the bay. It was beautiful.

A little later we climbed one of the islands peaks for a wonderful view in the evening sun, and we watched the sun set wrapped up on deck. In the evening we enjoyed another wonderful meal and sat up chatting with our crew mates from Belgium, Holland and the United States (the Vietnamese couple went to bed early).

We were up at 7 for breakfast before paying a visit to "the amazing cave". None of us knew why it was meant to be amazing! On approaching, our guide Tony tells us the rock is called elephant rock. Sure enough from the right angle it did look like the entrance to the cave was the eye of a semi-submerged  elephant who is poking his trunk out of the water to breathe.

Inside were three caves, each one larger than the last which is pretty amazing. They were cool but not wet like other caves I've been too, and the ceiling looked like sand on the beach. In the largest cave there was a rock called turtle rock (it did look like a turtle). People had left money on his back which our guide told us had something to do with praying for patience, which the turtle symbolises.

Back on board we made traditional Vietnamese spring rolls to be enjoyed with lunch as we sailed back to the harbour. We made it through lunch, but then we were forced to stop sailing as a horrendous storm passed over us. We passed the time playing Uno, as you do!

We got back to Hanoi eventually, after a bit of a chaotic ride home, with just enough time for dinner and bag packing as we are off to Cambodia tomorrow!

Hue

3 - 4 April

We caught the sleeper bus from Hoi An the Hue in the morning. It was strange to be travelling whilst led down, but it was a good excuse for a little extra sleep. The road up was lovely and coastal.

In Hue we dodged a rogue taxi driver for a legit metered taxi to our hotel. The rogue gave us a price of 50,000 and and we ended up paying just 16,000 with the meter so it pays to check, kids!

As normal, we dumped our bags and headed for the main sight, the citadel, imperial enclosure and forbidden city. A citadel, within a citadel, within a citadel. Confusing yes, but much easier to understand when you are there. It was largely destroyed during the American War and there is a lot of restoration work taking place that offered a glimpse of the former glory of the Emperors home. At times though the destruction is so devastating it's hard to imagine so much damage could be done so recently.

In one corner of a temple was an exhibition with images taken from French colonial times showing the citadel in action hosting meetings and ceremonies. Its wonderful to see the story behind the building. So often in historical sights we must use our imagination and art to form an image in our mind, never truly knowing what things were like. It was refreshing to see what it would have truly been like. Though this is fairly recent history, the change in culture and continent makes it all feel as though it could be thousands of years old.

Due to time restrictions we only got the day in Hue, but I feel like it was enough to get to grips with the citadel, and eat some yummy Bun Bo Hue, a beef noodle soup with chilli!

We spent the next day making travel arrangements before boarding the overnight train to Hanoi for the last of our Vietnam adventures!

Hoi An

1 - 3 April

It was the earliest start yet. The alarm pounded my ears at 4.30am. We were up to get the train from Nha Trang to Danang, from where we would catch a bus to Hoi An, the ancient city that I had high hopes for. The whole town is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site, so you know it's got to be good!

The sun was just coming up as we left the station and the scenery was beautiful. Trains are a great way to travel (even though my tray got stuck and the toilets were a little scary)!

Once we arrived in Hoi An, we were quick to drop our bags and head into the town to get our bearings. I had so much anticipation that Hoi An would be good, but I was in no way prepared for what we found.

We knew we were onto a winner as we passed signs for 5,000 vnd beers (that's 15p) but then, like the opening of a dam, Hoi An overwhelmed us. The lanterns were bright like gemstones and the houses were all shades of honey and yellow. The whole town glowed in the evening light. Finally we were finding the Asia I'd been dreaming of.

Something around every corner!

We fell immediately in love.

The next day we were up and out shortly after 9am. We went straight to the ticket stand to get our entry into some of the historic sites. 

The congressional buildings we visited were stunning pieces of architecture. Each corner is covered in colour and intricate designs. Inside there are spirals of incense that travellers have sponsored. Their smell fills the air.

Incense spirals in the Cantonese Congressional

Later we had traditional tea in a tea house run by deaf and speech impaired staff. It's so peaceful inside and we sip our tea from tiny bowls in near silence.

Tea at Reaching Out Tea House

The whole town is so charming, it's like a Disney version of itself! Everywhere you turn there is something delightful to catch your eye and it's such a relief after 3 weeks of searching to find something just like this.

Over the Japanese covered bridge

We grabbed a banh mi for lunch (even that was off the scale yummy) before heading back to the hotel to do a little flight booking.

At dinner, we tried the local dish 'white rose' which is a bit like an open Chinese dumpling in the shape of a flower. We eat overlooking the river and a girl selling candle lanterns to be floated down stream.

Perfect.  

Nha Trang

30 March - 1 April

Again, our trip to Nha Trang started the same as every other journey: with an early start. By 7:30 in the morning were rolling down from Dalat through beautiful scenery and simply stunning views.

Once we arrived (and eventually found our hotel) we grabbed a quick pizza before heading to the beach for a dip in the sea. It's immediately clear that Nha Trang is a true beach resort. There was a long promenade against the sand and helpful vendors offer you their sun beds.

We decided to set up camp under the shade of a palm tree on our towels and head for the ocean. The sea was a delight, cool and clear. There was a breeze too so a few kiteboarders were about to provide entertainment.

We dried off on the sand then headed back to the hotel when the afternoons clouds arrived for a nap.

The next day we remembered why hotels with breakfast included are so good! Banana pancakes are a great way to start the day!

We'd booked a boat trip today so we could see the islands around Nha Trang. From experience we also know a boat trip was a good excuse for some fun and this one didn't let us down.

We goggled (because the snorkel was rubbish) and saw lots of fish. At a floating fish market we saw lobsters, squid and various fish for sale. Whilst a squid was being caught we got to see the full force of its ink!

The day ended with karaoke and a happy hour drink in the sea, which I celebrated by jumping in from the top of the boat (after Mark, to make sure it was safe!).

We enjoyed cheap food and BOGOF cocktails that night before an early night as we were leaving for Hoi An at the most ungodly hour the next morning!

Dalat

27-30 March

We arrive in Dalat after 5pm, which is never ideal as it makes it so difficult to get your bearings. The journey into the mountains was slow but scenic, and not quite as scary as we had been told. On the way we pass a dam and a line of pipe which cuts through the forest lookimg like it's straight out of a bond movie.

Once in Dalat we check into our hotel (possibly the worst yet) and head into the town. Searching for somewhere nice to eat after a 5 hour journey, and having no idea where to go makes everything seem 10 times harder. We eventually find a cluster of places amongst the countless cafes and settle in.

We try to get some sleep through the inexplicable banging and crashing that goes on through the night.

In the morning we are ready to give Dalat a second chance, knowing places by day can be a totally different story to their nighttime versions. We start by getting our tickets for the bus out and grab a very tasty breakfast at the popular V Cafe. Eggs and bacon are on the menu, and the stereo is playing a mix of jazz and blues. Perhaps Dalat is Le Petite Paris after all?

Filled up we start the day walking to Crazy House, which deserves its name. Anyone who's been to the Antoni Gaudi house in Barcelona will have an idea of what its like. For those who haven't it's a house designed to break architectural rules. The stairs sometimes climb over the roof and there are niches which have been turned into rooms. Its exciting and we dive in happy to see a little character.

After, we walk back to the lake and try to find the famed flower gardens. Our map is'nt very good and we end up walking around a golf course, of which one of the roads is complete, the other a dusty work in progress. Eventually though we find the gardens. They end up being no more than nicely planted pots, and we decide not to go in. Instead we walk back along the lake instead, passing an ice cream bike, and man taking a nap in the middle of the pavement (and why wouldn't you).

All this time I havent realised how strong the sun has been on my shoulders; its about 10 degrees cooler here. By the end of the day im a bit worse for wear!

The following day we'd booked a trek with Groovy Gecko Tours. We are picked up at 9.30 and driven out into the countryside then we are off!

The trek starts with a very steep ascent to somewhere around 1600ft. Its a hard climb, and I start to realise how long its been since I did a strong cardio workout. Im definitely getting one now! At the top we get a stunning view of Dalat nestled between the surrounding hills. Jungle and forest spread as far as the eye can see, breaking only for the man made lake.

As we start our decent, the forest quickly turns to jungle. Its immediately cooler and wetter and we are told to watch out for leeches. We trek through listening to the sounds of the birds. As the jungle thins the route gets steeper, then suddenly we are on the banks of the lake. Walking through the last of the trees I spot something in the distance. I ask in shock if it's real and Mark assures me it is. Stood in front of me in an elephant! He is clearly there for tourist rides, and looks a little sad about it, but it's the last thing I was expecting to see!

Our guide prepares our lunch whilst we gaze at the lake, and I eat so much fresh mango I nearly pop. It was a great day and just what we needed after weeks of towns and city.

We dont have much trouble getting an early night after such an exhausting day. Good thing too, we've another early start in the morning as we travel to Nha Trang!