Halong Bay

We took a flight from Hoi An to Hanoi. At the airport we started chatting to an Aussie couple (Jess and Andy) about the World Cup. Australia had just lost to Germany and unfortunately Andy thought they were playing the next night so they were even more distraught when they saw the replay in the departure lounge.

The flight was easy and the four of us shared a minibus with a few others from the airport into the city. Kate and I had not yet booked a hotel so we tagged along with Jess and Andy to theirs. It was reasonably priced so we decided to stay. As we were waiting for our rooms we asked about Halong Bay trips and we were greeted by an enthusiastic salesman. After about an hour of debating what trip to choose we opted for the middle ground - not quite backpacker budget but not five star.

The next morning we were up early for our minibus to Halong Bay. Halfway we were ordered off to look around a tat factory disguised as a rest stop. We refrained from buying anything and were soon on our way again. We arrived at the dock/gateway to Halong bay and climbed aboard our launch to the Calypso Cruiser.

We had seen pictures in the brochure but I was still doubtful that it would actually be anything like the photos. We couldn't have been proved more wrong; it was delightful. We were invited to sit down in the dining area and were handed chilled towels and glasses of water. After a brief introduction and itinerary explanation we were shown our cabins with ensuite and AC. The bathroom was bigger than our whole cabin we shared in the Galapagos!

After a hour or so to cool down and relax it was time for lunch. We were sold the tour on the fact that the food would be top notch. Again my worst fears were put to rest as the food was amazing, I think every guest was pleasantly surprised.

After lunch we sailed to the Amazing Cave through stunning scenery. The limestone karsts are truly magnificent. The contrasts of the greenery and the blue sky makes it such a beautiful place.

The cave lived up to it's rather imaginative name, somewhat helped by the lighting. We entered down some slippery muddy steps into a small, dark, cold cave and were slightly disheartened by our lack of amazement but we were soon treated to a vast cave system that seemed to expand forever. Around each corner or through each arch way another cathedral like cavern would open up before us. Numerous and some oddly shaped stalactites and stalagmites hung and protruded from ceiling and floor. The cool of the cave was a sanctuary from the humid heat outside but it was soon time to head back to boat.

Once back on board we sailed to a lovely secluded spot surrounded by vast limestone cliffs to anchor for the night. We then had a chance to cool off again but this time in the sea. Once the all clear was given for jelly fish we all donned our trunks and enjoyed a brief dip. The current flowing past the boat was quite strong so it wasn't particularly relaxing, coupled with several false alarms of jellyfish also made it quite tense!

After swimming we had a brief masterclass on spring rolls where we all got to roll then eat our creations. They were very tasty but you will have to take our word for it.

Dinner for that evening was served (again more delicious food) and afterwards we had a choice of two activities; karaoke or squid fishing. Much to my delight the majority voted for squid fishing. I think it was a landslide victory. The amount of alcohol that is required to be consumed before any singing takes place was limited by the sky high price for booze. Luckily we had brought our own but not in the quantity required for either of us to stretch our vocal chords.

Unfortunately the fishing was not very successful. I had high hopes of landing monster squid but all "we" caught were eight small things that I would have normally used as bait. We had fun trying to catch the slimey cephlapods but the only people that had any success were the crew.

The next morning we opted to take kayaks out for a brief paddle. We left our boat behind and headed for a small tunnel under a huge limestone cliff that opened out into a lagoon. The acoustics were incredible and it would have been a serene spot if it wasn't for us shouting and whooping! As we paddled out our guide spotted a couple of monkeys watching us from the cliffs. We exchanged stares before both parties got bored and either paddled off or bounded up the cliffs.

It was then time to head back to the dock through more stunning scenery. We were very lucky to be blessed with partially blue skies as the majority of the time it is cloudy.

On the road back to Hanoi we stopped again at the tourist trap/rest point so we decided to head out onto the road to find some less extortionate refreshments. We managed to find a lady selling ice cream but there was no words or clues on the packets as to what flavours they might be. Out of all four of us Andy got the raw deal by choosing durian - nasty!

We arrived back in Hanoi and were dropped of at our hotel. We checked in and spent the rest of the evening watching the World Cup. We then had a few days to properly explore Hanoi.

Hoi An

We left the Central Highlands behind us and struck out once more for the coast. We decided to give the beach resort of Nha Trang a miss and carry on further north until we reached Hoi An, where the ancient town has been declared a World Heritage Site. We arrived via a 'sleeper' night bus and I felt quite refreshed but poor old lanky Dave had resorted to lying in the aisle as he couldn't fit his enormous frame into the seat/bed and consequently was feeling a bit worse for wear. We found the guesthouse which had been recommended to us by some fellow travellers, dumped our bags and then headed out to have a look around. The old town is very unspoilt and best of all traffic is kept to a minimum so it is possible to enjoy the sights without the threat of being mown down by a moto or tuk tuk.

After eating breakfast we continued with our sightseeing and slipped between historical houses, temples and finally the Japanese covered bridge which is the piece de resistance of Hoi An, a unique covered structure built in the 16th century by, you guessed it, the Japanese. It is the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist Pagoda attached to one side of it.

By now we were both flagging due to the combination of the searing heat and lack of sleep. We retreated to our room and only reappeared when the sun had started to dip in the sky and we could walk around without the threat of sizzling.

Hoi An is not only famous for its beautiful ancient streets but also for the hundreds of tailors who have set up shop here and offer hand made clothing for a fraction of the price you might expect to pay back at home. Who are we to buck the trend of tourists pinging large amounts of money on such goods? We checked out a few places and eventually settled on a place which had received good reviews and where the sales girls weren't too pushy. We chose our designs and materials and were then measured from head to foot to ensure that the suits we had ordered fit like a glove (or hopefully like really good suits!) To celebrate us getting wonderful clothing which will no doubt help us to get fantastic jobs when we finally make it back to England we found ourselves a bar overlooking the river and drank a few glasses of Vietnam's Bia Hoi. Bumped into a friend from our Mekong trip eating at one of the pavement restaurants on our way back to the hotel so we grabbed a plastic stool and indulged in the fare which the lady was cooking up, no idea what it was but it was very tasty!

Spent the next day on cycles exploring the outskirts of the town, the banks of the river and then back to the tailors for a second fitting; all hot work in this climate.

By day three our suits were completed and we were both extremely happy with our final products, we packaged them up and sent them home ready for those high-powered interviews when we return.

Dave, his tailor and his 'casual' suit - someone had better get married next year!

It was hard not to notice that the World Cup had kicked off as although Vietnam doesn't have a team in the competition they are huge football fans and every doorway which we passed we could here the honking of the vuvuzelas escaping from the TV screens. The night of the first England match we found the huge screen in one of the town's squares, bought some extremely cheap beer and settled down for some shouting and screaming. We watched the Argentina V Nigeria match surrounded by Vietnamese egging the Argies on and then watched with dismay when at the end of the match the screen was shut down and everyone shuffled off home.

What about the England match?? After trying a few other bars in town we realised that everywhere would be shut by the 1.30am kick off and we would have to watch the match in our room. It then became a battle to stay awake as we had no choice but to lie on the bed to watch. I watched the players coming out onto the field and then the next thing I knew the match clock said 18 minutes and England were one-nil up. Argggghhh, I shook Dave awake and we consoled ourselves that at least we were winning. Maybe we should have just stayed asleep as we all know what followed!

Spent our final day in Hoi An discovering the market and the even cheaper tailors located in its environs.

I couldn't resist the bargain basement prices and had a dress, a top and some shorts knocked up in an amazingly short amount of time. That evening we wandered for the last time over the lantern lit bridges and through the sparkling streets and concluded that Hoi An was our favorite place so far in the land of the dragon.

Dalat

After a while on the beach it was time to escape the heat and head for the hills. The journey from Mui Ne was extremely slow going as the road was appalling. We arrived in Dalat and immediately the change in temperature was apparent. Although the sun was out there was a distinct but welcome chill to the air. We checked in at a hotel near to where we were dropped off and explored the town.

We wanted to see the lake which is the centre piece of the settlement. It had however been drained and was now a big mud bath; not very attractive. To enhance the whole ambiance the weather decided to take a turn for the worse and we spent the next hour or so sheltering from the lashing rain under a pagoda with several locals.

Dalat isn't exactly brimming with high adrenaline activities so once we had booked our ticket out of there we gave ourselves a day to explore the area. Our first high octane outing was a ride on the Dalat Plateau Rail Road.

The train rattled and clacked its way through the surrounding terraced countryside and we soon arrived in Trai Mat. The only real thing of note here was the elaborate Buddhist temple of Chua Linh Phuoc. I seemed to be more of an attraction and was asked to pose for several Vietnamese tourists much to Kate's amusement.

Once back in town we made our way to the Hong Nga Crazy House; an eccentric mix of concrete and organically designed buildings.

That was all for Dalat really. They did possess a radio mast that looked like the Eiffel tower though...

Beach life - Mui Ne

We opted for the more interesting method of transport to take us out of Saigon, the hydrofoil.

Our destination was Vung Tau which our guidebook reliably informed us was 'a popular escape from the city, sitting on a peninsula jutting into the South China Sea. It remains blissfully quiet during the week as it has long been overlooked by travellers'. The views of the Saigon river weren't particularly picturesque as we sped towards the coast and things only got interesting when we hit the open ocean and the waves knocked our hydrofoil all over the place making for a nervous last 10 minutes of the journey. Alighted from our boat and decided to try and walk to 'Back beach' which is where all the guest houses are located in Vung Tau according to the trusty Lonely Planet. Unfortunately it failed to inform us that you really do need to take a taxi as the walk is quite a long one, especially in the midday sun with our bags on our backs! We finally gave in and hopped into one of the vulture-esque taxis waiting to scoop up flagging backpackers and arrived amongst the guesthouses 5 minutes later. We soon realised that Vung Tau wasn't going to be somewhere we wanted to spend much time after a walk on the dirty beach and the realisation that there was very little else to do. We soon realised why this place has long been overlooked by travellers, thanks Lonely Planet! Spent the next day trying to find the bus station, looking at a couple of the pagodas scattered around the town and eventually having a dip in a posh hotel's swimming pool in the afternoon.

All these activities were made more difficult due to the vast majority of the population in Vung Tau possessing no English whatsoever, something that we haven't had to deal with anywhere else in our South East Asia travels. This lack of English was particularly highlighted when Dave attempted to pay our bill at the guest house and even after wafting his Dong in front of our host's face she still couldn't comprehend his intentions!!! The next morning we thought we would never escape the place when having risen at 4.30am to catch a 5.30am bus we found ourselves locked inside the hotel with a dirty great padlock blocking our exit. We considered going back to bed and catching a later bus but we really wanted to leave so resorted to knocking on the owners bedroom door so she could let us out. As we boarded our bus bound for Mui Ne we breathed a sigh of relief and hoped for an improvement in our fortunes further north. 5 hours later we stepped off the bus in Mui Ne. We had already passed several gorgeous looking resorts on the last minutes of the bus journey and so set off in the opposite direction to try and locate something that didn't look like it would bust our budget completely. We always seem to manage to be walking vast distances in search of accommodation in the hottest part of the day and our arrival in Mui Ne was no different. After half an hours unsuccessful search we collapsed into a bar and got the laptop out to book ourselves into one of the resorts which lined the beach. We stretched our budget slightly and booked into Sunny Beach resort which turned out to be fantastic and even better they upgraded us to a beach front bungalow - result!

We spent the next couple of days soaking up the sun, splashing around in the resorts multiple pools, watching the kitesurfers on the beach and, just one negative, being eaten alive by the stealth sand flies of Mui Ne. Having spent far too much time lounging about we managed to separate ourselves from our sun beds and hired a moped to go and check out the sand dunes which sit on the outskirts of the town.

We took a fleeting glance at the 'red' dunes as we passed and dodged the kamikaze restaurant owners trying to flag us down as we sped by. These dunes didn't look impressive so we powered on towards the further afield 'white' dunes which promised Sahara like landscapes. We left the main road and then bounced our way to the dunes which were pretty spectacular, although Sahara-esque might be pushing it.

We rode back through the original fishing village of Mui Ne which is somewhat different to the glistening resorts which fill the 'new' Mui Ne. The fishermen here still use the traditional Coracles to take to the waters and haul in their catch, many of these unusual boats can be seen bobbing around just off the coast creating quite a spectacle.

Having navigated our way through the maze of streets in the old town i.e we got lost again we returned to Sunny Beach and enjoyed a last couple of hours around the pool. We headed out for dinner on our last night in Mui Ne and not only got a very tasty Vietnamese meal but also got to play with possibly the cutest puppy of our travels so far.

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

We arrived in Saigon after dark and opted for the first hotel we found just a few meters away from where the bus dropped us off. We didn't venture out that night and relaxed in front of the TV and under the AC.

The next morning we went in search of a better place to stay as the hotel we were in was on a rather busy and noisy street. We found a little gem, grabbed our bags and checked in.

The rest of the day we explored HCMC, including the War Remnants museum which is full of exhibits from the American phase of the Vietnam war. The fact that this place used to be called the American War Crimes museum might give you a clue as to the tone of the majority of the items on show, shocking stuff!

After the traumas of the museum we wandered around the boulevards of Saigon discovering some lovely spots including the 'People's Committee building' and

rounded the day off with some of the incredibly cheap Bia Hoi, about 18p a glass!

After a day shopping in Saigon's markets purchasing items ranging from tea pots (winging its way back to England as we speak) to passion fruit we then took a trip out to the Cu-Chi tunnels the following day.

An early start took us out of Saigon through the madness of the morning rush hour and to the complex of tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war. We peeked into the hatches which led into the darkness and Dave even managed to squeeze himself into one of the openings!

The day just got better and better for Dave when he got a second chance to fire a large gun, this time a M1 Garand apparently.

The finale of the tour was a descent into the tunnels for those who could fit down inside them and then manage to shuffle along for the 30 metres or so to the exit. We emerged breathless and extremely hot after our short experience underground, amazing to think that the VC lived in these tunnels for large periods of time when they needed to; even more so when we found out that the tunnels have been widened to incorporate the western figures of the tourists who visit.

We left Saigon behind the next day and headed for the coast.

Cambodia to Vietnam via the Mekong Delta

Once we had collected our passports from the Indian High Commission we had a few extra days in Phnom Penh to sort our Vietnam Visas then it was off down the Mekong towards the Cambodian border.

Our first stop down the mighty Mekong was Chau Doc. On arrival I felt a little under the weather so missed out on any opportunity to explore the small town and we only saw the inside of our room of the floating hotel. We had opted for a two-night-three-day cruise taking in a variety of sights and the next day I felt a lot better.

In the morning we were shown around the local fish farms which were very stinky however the local cats loved the awful smelling fish food. After that we were given a tour of a small town in the An Giang province famed for its large Islamic mosque then had a chance to snoop around the houses of the locals. As we walked through the lanes nearly everyone smiled and waved or said hello. The people in this part of the world are so friendly and welcoming and their smiles are infectious.

Once the morning tour had finished it was time to continue down the river to Chan Tho where we were shown to our next hotel then had the rest of the day to explore the town. That evening we had a delicious table BBQ (little ceramic pots) on the riverside.

Another early start the next morning saw us wandering through the streets of Chan Tho to the dock and onto a small boat for a tour of the floating market. I managed to clean my teeth that morning in the hotel, the chap above decided the river water of the Mekong to be a better option.

The floating market of Cai Rang was quite a spectacle with boats as far as the eye could see each displaying the wares dangled from a vertical bamboo pole. We had to disembark onto a smaller launch to navigate the ever changing waterways through the market.

We stopped next to a boat piled high with freshly picked pineapples and had ours prepared for us to enjoy on our boat. So juicy and sweet; I think any pineapple from Tescos will now pale in comparison.

Our last part of the tour took us around a rice paper/noodle factory then onto a rice husking plant. After a very busy morning we chugged back upstream into town and waited for our bus to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Sihanoukville and Kampot

While our passports were being made ready for India we decided to hit the beach in Sihanoukville. We spent just one and a half days here, the half a day being mainly spent on one of Dave's missions to find cheaper food and drink away from the tourist hotels. We walked into the town of Sihanoukville in blazing hot conditions, discovered that the town was quite unpleasant, that a bottle of coke costs about 10p cheaper in town and that I really don't like walking for miles, in flip flops, in the sun - grrrrr!

The next day I was determined to venture no further than the beach so we enjoyed breakfast at one of the places on the sand and then flopped onto a sun lounger. I'd love to tell you that we then spent a glorious day relaxing and topping up our tans but we were hounded constantly by the various beach sellers touting their wares, kids with bracelets, women giving pedicures and massages, limbless beggars, blind men singing and a whole array of others. By the time I had newly painted nails and we both had bits of string around our wrists the clouds had gathered and it had started to rain - humpphhh! We retreated into one of the beach bars and enjoyed a beer, read our books and chatted to a couple who now live in Goa and told us that we would hate India in August because of the monsoon and not to bother going!!

Despite not being in our 20's (I know, I know, it's a surprise to you all that we no longer fall into this age bracket) we ventured back to the beach bars that night for dinner and drinks and enjoyed a meal listening to the lapping of the water on the shore and watching the kids swing fire around their heads. We were early enough that we could actually hear the sea over the 'boom boom' music that pumps out of these places later on into the night (oh dear I really sound like my Dad now)!

With not a lot else to hold us in Sihanoukville the next day we boarded a bus for the riverside destination of Kampot.

Arrived in Kampot and pushed our way through the usual crowd of tuk-tuk drivers to find ourselves a very pleasant spot on the riverside. Spent the afternoon having a nosey around and somehow getting lost in this very small place. Booked ourselves onto a trek into Bokor national park the next day and then went in search of a restaurant called 'The Rusty Keyhole' which had been pointed out as a must by Mr. Strachan after his visit to Kampot about 9 months ago. We soon found out that the place had recently moved out of town and we would need to hire a tuk-tuk to get out there. Not put off by this inconvenience we jumped into said vehicle and bumped and screeched our way out of town and into the rural surroundings of Kampot. Our journey did not go unrewarded as we were greeted with unrivalled hospitality and the best plate of ribs you could ever imagine.

After our monster meal the night before if was a good job that we had some activity planned the next day and we were picked up just after breakfast and whisked away up into the hills of Cambodia, the Bokor National park to be exact. We soon transferred out of our minibus and into the back of a pick up truck to take us onto the unfinished road higher up the hill. We all bounced around in the back and were glad to hop out when we reached the beginning of the jungle trail. The conditions were hot and humid and unfortunately we didn't see any signs of the promised wildlife, probably due to the road building going on in very close proximity to our trail. Our final destination was the old French hill station on top of the hill which we explored for a few hours after lunch.

All the buildings are abandoned now including the church, hotel and post office and have more recently been used as hide outs for the Khymer Rouge during their skirmishes with the Vietnamese. The cloud and rain rolled in scarily quickly while we were up there and obscured the previously magnificent views over to the coast.

We piled back into the pick up truck, scampered back down the jungle trail with the threat of thunder looming and were then deposited back in town for our sunset cruise along the river. By this time we were all feeling whacked and would have happily swapped our wooden boat for a wooden bed. We cruised for about an hour up river taking in the sights and sounds of river life, as well as the snores of some of our fellow passengers and were rewarded at journey's end with a fabulous sunset.

We took to two wheels the next day and ventured out into the surrounding countryside which is a mixture of rice paddies and salt pans. Spent a very enjoyable few hours pedalling about and generally enjoying being under our own steam.

Dropped into the 'Rusty Keyhole' again but managed to resist the huge plate of ribs this time. Visited the original fishing village of Kampot on the way back and got told off by a Cambodian official for pedalling on the newly completed Promenade on the riverfront. We were rather proud of that achievement in a country where red lights count for nothing, driving on the right side of the road is optional and road sense is generally non-existent!

The next day it was time to leave the tranquil Kampot and head back to the madness of Phnom Penh.