Day 1 -Friday So the journey begins
Oct 6–7, 2023 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Well this will be some journey, leave Heathrow at 11:25 am to Singapore, just the one change and on to Hanoi, expecting to arrive on saturday at 11:25 am ! (+7hr time) difference
Well left on timeRead more
Day 2
October 7, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 26 °C
Well a good night's sleep on flight to Singapore, probably helped by lots of alcohol and food 😜
Fifty minute stop for next flight to Hanoi and here we are in hanoi, cleared customs, met my guideRead more
Day 3 morning ho chi minh residence and
October 8, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
This morning visited the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum , queued up to walk past his body lying in state, very impressive, obviously no cameras inside.
Then it's was on to the two houses he actually lived inRead more
Day 3 discovering hanoi
Oct 8–11, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
Next was visit to Confucian temple of literature, its meant to be the oldest public school ? Lovely bonsai trees and loads of students celebrating their exams
Day 3 Lunch
Oct 8–11, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Restaurant for lunch,then to the Museum of ethnology
I must say the food has been really good, fragrant fresh and tasty and lunch was excellent , just enough for our walk around the museum.
Only aRead more
Day 7 return to hanoi
October 8, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Well today we travel back to Hanoi for one last night there, I'm in a bus with 4 Australians and a Geordie, and they are all mad as hatters!
Tonite is a free night so I think it's a wanDer into hanoiRead more
Day 3 tonight its a walking tour through
October 8, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Tonight's evening meal is with our guide introducing us to "safe street food", so we are off touring the delicacies.
Started at a place serving beef noodle soup, then moved on to try "properRead more
Day 4
October 9, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Today it's a long coach journey through the country to Northern Vietnam's rice terraces in Hoang Su Phi where we will be stopping in an ecolodge in panhou village before setting out for a hike theRead more
Day 4 travel after lunch
October 9, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Day 4 (pm) Panhou ecolodge retreat
October 9, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Well after a long drive we ended up at panhou retreat, not quite what I was expecting but as we are hiking tomorrow I'm pleasantly surprised 😎
The grounds are lovely with a spa, massage centre,Read more
Day 4 - Evening meal
October 9, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Slightly disappointed with the fish soup but everything else tasted fantastic , was shown how to make a fish roll as first attempt was a disaster lol
Day 5 - the hike
October 10, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Well today is the day I see if I can manage the first hike, our tour guide, Mr binh Nguyen (known as win win) has told us it's 3 hours up the mountain then we visit a farm where the farmer is going toRead more
Day 5 the hike part 2
October 10, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Well 18,000 steps between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. It's not the distance it's the bloody steepness of the mountains and then walking through the rice fields 🫠
Day 5 - recovery time
October 10, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Well pleased with today so now it's bar time, several people in the group are doing the spa and massage thing until tea tonight so it's relax time now
Pics from lunch in the farmhouse, including theRead more
Day 6 - glutton for punishment
October 11, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Well the second hike, I think we go through a village market before heading to a village called "Red Dao" where we get lunch, after that who knows
12000 steps and it's 11:00 and a beer stop.
Day 6 after beer break
October 11, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
After beer stop we headed to a farmhouse for dinner the headed higher up through the paddy fields before coming back down a different trail through bamboo woods and streams and then back to theRead more
Food glorious food
October 11, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
Just some pics of the food , which up to now has been delicious
Day 7 back to hanoi
October 12, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Well all packed and ready for road trip back to Hanoi for one night
Well we grounded the bus a few times on the rough roads, had to get out a few times 🤣
Great scenery coming down, stopped for aRead more
Day 8 overnight cruise
October 13, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Today we set off for an overnight cruise on ha long bay, apparently it's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from hanoi , again I've no idea what to expect.
Well we stopped for a break at a right tourist trap.Read more
Day 8 - the cruise - part 2
October 13, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Well a lovely boat, with a bar and sun deck plus yet again good food, we parked up at an island so we could climb to the top for a view.
400 steps up , 91.6 metres up, 15 mins up and 15 mins down thenRead more
Cruise to the caves
October 14, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Well up early to watch the sun rise as we move to see some sea caves, but first is meant to be a tai chi class on the sun deck.
Well, tai chi turned into a meditation class which was hard enough forRead more
Day 9 flight to
October 14, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 25 °C
Well that's the mountains of the north completed so it's now back to Hanoi for an internal flight to Da Nang which is only around 90 minutes by air, then we check into hotel to start our discovery ofRead more
Day 10 oh dear
October 15, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 27 °C
Well a tropical cyclone / typhoon hit the middle of Vietnam, woke up this morning and it's still here so no idea what we will be doing today 😕
Well rain stopped so it's onto the river to go in aRead more
TravelerGlad you’ve managed to be able to do the excursions planned! Looks such fun! Look at you master chef, lol.
Steve CatterallIt was brilliant it's 25° + so it's not too bad, very little rain then the heavens just open and drop rain, it was fun in the coracle, so too was the cycle to the herb farm, really enjoyed it , shame it's rained this afternoon as it's limited shopping time, but one person has gone to get a dress suit made to measure, she walked in the shop at 3 got measured, picked material and pattern and style.....and it will be made and delivered to our hotel by 7:00 am so she can check it's ok 😳
Day 10 continued
October 15, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 27 °C
Well back to hotel after a fun filled morning, a few of us are now going to walk into the old town for a quick look around (and a few beers) before our proper tour tomorrow
Day 10, evening walk about
October 15, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 25 °C
Well the rain stopped enough for a few of us to head down to the old town market.
It's a place so full of life and the sound and smells are amazing, luckily the river hasn't broke its bank yet so theRead more