Off to Hoi An via the spectacles of Lan Co beach and the Hai Van pass. It's raining a bit as we reach Lan Co beach shame really but stop for a paddle and a drink. Back on the bus we start to climb steepley up the Hai Van pass with Lan Co beach getting ever distant some cracking veiws the driver shuts off air-con as he needs all the power.At the summit it is misty and now dropping down towards De Nang with each twist and hair pin the driver likes the middl...

Arrived in Hue hot and sticky weather and checked into our hotel- Gold 2. Quite a plush place. Hue is split into two parts, the Old part where the Citadel is on the other side of the river and New part where our Hotel is. We were feeling a bit shattered after two broken nights sleep in 'motion'- on a boat and train! But went straight out for lunch on our way to the Citadel. Lac Thien is a busy little Vietnamese restaurant run by a deaf mute family. Visitors sign ...

Breakfast with our group at a place called KOTO's a Jamie Oliver '15' style gaff that trains disadvantaged kids to work in the catering industry, only this place has been going since 1999! Off to Halong Bay. Four hour coach journey... broke down a couple of times and experienced our first monsoon downpour, but reached the tourist Wharf in the end. Wow! Cruised off into Halong Bay in a beautiful wooden motorised 'junk'. Sailed out to the distinctive limestone Ka...

After a good feed at the Green Tangerine restaurant and a sedate ride home in a cyclo, had to pinch a fan from reception as aircon had failed.Therefore a sweltering nights sleep! Up early for a sightseeing marathon.The ubiquitous PHO for breakfast with extra chilli (beef soup with rice noodles and spring onions) at 7 am. First of all the Temple of Literature, Hanoi's most revered temple. A calm place to go, it's a confusian sanctuary and Vietnam's oldest univers...

We arrived in Hanoi. Seven hours ahead of GMT here so we've missed out on a nights kip! Got a taxi from the airport easily dispite my panic as I'd cancelled the transfers before we left the UK. Standard $14. The traffic is mental! Never experienced anything quite like this before. People seem to transport anything and everything on their scooters and bicycles- however large! Passed a scooter on the main highway with two huge,4ft Ming style vases strapped to eithe...