It's been a rainy day here in Hanoi so we've had a welcomed day chilling whilst it's not so sunny, without much to report now's a good a time as any to tell you about the food. Eating is just as much a social engagement as feeding your belly and it's customary in large groups to share dishes at the table, my favourite way of eating! Eating is also part of the language - "Ban an com chau?" is a common greeting meaning "have you eaten rice yet?". For the brave th...

OK, so today was meant to be the highlight of our holiday: an overnight stay on the luxurious Dragon Pearl junk boat as it took us around Halong Bay. Alas storms in the region meant that no ships were allowed to sail from the bay. Onwards to plan B. Two hours - but a mere 60km - out of Hanoi is Tam Coc. Known as 'Halong Bay on land', this is a stunning area of limestone rock formations. To explore this beautiful place, we took to bikes and pedalled off with th...

Like most cities in this part of the world, Hanoi transforms itself when the sun goes down. After another fantastic meal in the heart of the Old Quarter, we set off in search of a few bars. We succeeded. When local Hanoi and Halida beer costs 70p a bottle, it's likely I'm going to be a happy boy! Even Lynsey was enjoying a few beers; after all, a vodka and diet coke was a whopping £2, it just made sense! You can take the boy out of Yorkshire... Our first two ...

This is the temple of literature, it's an important site of educational history dedicated to sages and Confucian scholars and is over 1000 years old. It also looks a lot like Kung Fu Panda should be here, in all seriousness it's a beautiful place and a welcomed sanctuary from the buzz of Hanoi.

'Vietnam's not that far,' we said. After leaving York at 4am, it was mere 22 hours until we arrived at our hotel in the heart of the fascinating city that is Hanoi. First impressions? Apart from the mind blowing disregard for any fathomable road traffic laws (my job would be a touch more challenging over here!), we were immediately struck by the incredible heat and dripping sweat-inducing humidity. But we're getting stuck in and loving it so far. We've bought h...