Movenpick Hotel Hanoi, The

... in with the gifts on their shoulders and then the women join them and assist by putting the gifts on one of their shoulders also. They went into the house where they present the gifts to the brides parents. Then they all come out and sit at their special table. We all sit down at tables that are slowly being filled with mass quantities of homemade food, so much food that there is no room on the tables for all the food they are still bringing out and is waiting ...

... 4.30am and as per usual our 'free pick up' was no where to be seen. Despite phoning the hotel using some local man's phone (at my expense) nobody came, so we grabbed a taxi. It took ages to find the place as the address we had written was misunderstood by the driver and there was about eight Camellia hotels in Hanoi! When we finally arrived we banged on the locked glass door and woke up the boys who were sleeping on blankets all over the floor. They gave us ...

... more than an inch - usually they avoid accidents because they only drive about 30mph. We trekked around a cave, lounged on the roof of the junk and ate dinner and lunch - both of which included up to 10 different dishes ranging from fresh caught lemongrass clams with chili sauce to squid that we actually saw the guys catch off the edge of the boat using a net on a bamboo pole and a light which attracts little fish which in turn attract the squid. It tasted amazing - nothing ...

... moment of being on my own in unfamiliar territory. I am so thankful and blessed to have had this opportunity to travel across the world and be immersed in another country and culture. I've not only learned a great deal about Vietnamese and Cambodian culture, but have learned of many others through the people I have met and traveled with along this journey. Most importantly, I've had a great deal of time to just be ...

... I know that overall they loved it, but there were certainly some times along the way when Bishops Nympton seemed a very long way away. We packed a lot into their 2 weeks though and I’ll try not to ramble on to much when telling you. We spent a few days getting know Hanoi. We visited the Perfume Pagoda, (Pagoda is a temple) separate to my parents. It was another great trip. We were rowed up the river passed loads of limestone kasts, before walking up, for 45 minutes, to ...

... person per 3 course meal including drinks!) Perhaps most widely known dish is Ph&#7903;, a simple rice noodle soup often eaten as a breakfast dish in the home or at streetside cafes, but also served in restaurants as a meal. Two varieties dominate the Hanoi scene: Ph&#7903; Bò, containing beef, and Ph&#7903; Gà, containing chicken (my favourite).<br><br>One evening we went to see a traditional show at the famous (and unique ...

... which I was warned about) I;ve had a good time in Hanoi, visiting the sights and getting acclimatised to this new culture. I've visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex - seeing his embalmed body was brief (they usher you along quickly, and he looks very plasticy), more interesting were all the crowds also there, including all the tiny Vietnamese children. The museum was a bizzare mix of photos and modern art but there was ...

When we back to Hanoi we quickly booked train tickets to go to Sapa the next day. Blue Star hotel was not cheap for train tickets, they charge a big commission. Just go to another tour agent. Everyone tries to sell these "wooden cabins", we actually bought just the normal, cheaper 4 people cabin and got "upgraded" to the wooden cabin when we got to the train ...

... like the locals do, drivers just weave past you like it is the most normal thing in the world. The most annoying thing is the constant crescendo of horns. Above street level are mangled cobwebs of phone lines, the pollution is edible and the footpaths are hidden in the sea of parked bikes, leading you to have to force you way down the side of the road. But despite this I really like it. People cook in door ways and ...

... a random boat ride to some outlying villages - H got to drive the boat - so he was chuffed - Nic and I weren't offered - wrong sex obviously!! It's a mans world! Back on to bus and on to lunch at some drive in - proprietor was most upset we didn't have the special of the day - goat - sorry :-( A further 2 hours drive to Hanoi - nightmare ! Nic missed it all as she slept - again! We did a quick freshen up at the ...