Hanoi Star Hotel II

... had seen crazy driving before, but driving in Hanoi takes things to a whole new level!

Our driver weaved in and out of traffic at rapid speeds, tailgating one minute, and cutting off others the next – and honking the horn for the entire ride. And never once actually driving within a single lane. We came to a big intersection that was blocked with cars. Our driver cuts across 2 lanes behind a bus through the intersection ...

... van and headed to Halong Bay – a long 3.5 hour drive. We boarded our ship and were off for our overnight cruise of the area. The bay is characterized by the hundreds of limestone karsts and isles. There are just under 2,000 islets. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. We visited a cave, did some kayaking, hiked up to the top of one of the islands. It was a good time, but very hot, and I have to say I am glad to be on my way back – next stop, Ho Chi Minh.

... having a bang-up seafood meal followed by a cocktail on the beach. Once a sleepy, backpackers’ retreat, Phu Quoc has ramped up tourism significantly, and visitors can now choose between five-star resorts and rustic family-run bungalows. Plans are underway for developing the island even more heavily – a la Phuket style. If package tourism isn’t your bag, get there now before it happens.

... de pratiquer le golf .

Une excellente alternative pour passer d'agréables vacances. En outre, cette zone est riche en sites naturels, parfaits ...

... cave in the mountainside. I observe visitors quietly saying prayers, bowing with hands pressed together, palms clasping a long stick or red incense. The smell of the incense fills the air of the cave and again I feel humbled. I admire the Buddhist's quality of appreciating and finding solace in the natural settings of our Earth.

My final destination to check off my Vietnam to-do list was Halong Bay - the ...

... Chinatown . In the afternoon visit the
famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground tunnel network
constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle
for independence . Overnight in HCMC.
Day 3 - HCMC ...

... saw was just amazing. When we returned, Katie and I felt in need of a KFC so we found one then headed back to the hostel for a nap. I wasn't feeling very well by this point so in the evening I only ventured out for more food. On the 7th May we had booked another trip, this time a trek through the rice plains of Sapa, leaving on the night train. I still wasn't feeling very well so we wandered around the city for a while until I decided I needed to lie down. I had already ...

After Ha Long Bay we spent a couple more nights in Hanoi, on our first night back i met Spike and Ben for the first time and so the four of us spent the remaining nights going out and getting smashed. On our last night in Hanoi Sean and I went to see a traditional Vietnamese water puppetry show which was a little weird but it's supposed to be a traditional Vietnamese show so we thought we better go and see it, after the show we met Spike and Ben and got back on the boose.

Petite journée aujourd'hui, Annie étant fatiguée, moi et mon pote Yohan sommes partis a la recherche d'un musée a visiter. Le musée de la révolution Vietnamienne n'étant pas loin, on a sauté dessus. Bien que pas aussi impressionnant que le musée d'Ethnologie, ce fut une visite cool. C'est intéressant de voir la perspective Vietnamienne des choses. On pouvait souvent lire sur la description des photos de guerre........."....le résultat des ...