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...