Halong Bay and Hue

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This is a bit delayed, but our plans changed a little. Claire got ill so we had to change our plans and put everything back 2 days, she is ok now though and we managed to do everything we wanted.
For the 2 days she was ill we obviously didn’t do too much, I had to run around town sorting out changing the trip to Halong Bay we had booked and arrange accommodation for the extra nights. This gave me a chance to explore the city more and take a few rides on the back of a motorbike, which was very scary darting through the busy traffic but a much nicer and easier way to get around. We will both really miss Hanoi we were there long enough to get to know it quite well and really enjoyed the busy, vibrant mature of the place. I would recommend it to anyone.
So two days late we set off for our trip to Halong Bay. It was a long 4 hour bus journey there but well worth it. Our boat was lovely, we had a nice private room with en-suit and there were sun decks and a restaurant section. Our tour guide was great and kept us entertained with lots of crazy (possibly made up) stories. On our first day we went Kayaking through some caves, we went through one called hidden cave which takes you through to a lagoon surrounded by steep islands, it was absolutely beautiful. The rest of the day was spent eating the huge meals, jumping off the boat into the sea and relaxing on deck. We then watched the sunset over the islands and lay on deck watching the stars. On our second day we went to amazing cave (they aren’t very inventive with the names) which was, well amazing. It was very touristy though which kind of ruined it. After that we went back to shore and got the bus back to Hanoi. (cheers for the tip Sam, Ocean tours were great). Halong Bay is difficult to describe, it is like nothing I have ever witnessed, it’s otherworldly and strange but also very beautiful and pretty. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget, I hope the photos give a good representation of just how incredible the place is.
So we eventually got back to Hanoi and got our train tickets to Hue. This meant I missed the football which from what a read is a good thing. Hopefully we will improve for the next match when I should be able to watch it properly. Anyway over to Claire for the last little bit.
So after spending so long mucking around in Hanoi we decided to head straight for Hue which is almost half way down Vietnam. To do this we opted for a sleeper train which would take us 14 hours! So after getting back from our halong bay tour we hung around in Hanoi for a couple of hours before heading to the train station. The train was a pretty amazing experience, we were in bunk beds and shared our cabin with 2 other Vietnamese people. There were the cutest kids running up and down who seemed to find Paul very entertaining (probably his massive beard). Weirdly we slept really well and woke up to some stunning countryside. We arrived in Hue about 10am and it is such a relief after the craziness of Hanoi. It is a much quieter town with not too much traffic and just seems more chilled out. We spent the afternoon at the Imperial enclosure exploring which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately the majority of the buildings were destroyed in the war and although they are trying to restore them it is just not the same. Our plan is to spend one more day in Hue and rent bicycles to explore. Cant believe we are only 1 week into our trip, it feels like we have been away forever. Vietnam is an amazing country, a complete culture shock but everyone is so friendly you quickly feel at home here. Missing you all.

Lots love
xxx

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Comments

[chaz la la ding a ding dong]

i'd rather have a bowl of coco pops!
hey guys! enjoying you blogging! vietnam looks absoltly incredible!! Glad you've settled into your epic travels well, you've had some pretty amazing adventures already!! me and louise are sending all our love, make sure you track down some beating snakes heart! :) timmy dinga lilly betty betty trouser press (fictional) sends his love as well!!

[Chris Thackray]

Wow
Looks like you guys are having an amazing trip. So jealous! Look forward to reading more. Love to you both x

[Mum]

Brilliant!!!
The photos look incredible. Its lovely to hear what you have been up. I feel like I am living the adventure with you both. It feels like you have been away for ages. Glad that you are both safe and well. Loads of love to you both. Love you Mum xxxxx

[Matt O'Neill]

Sounds like you're having an amazing time. It certainly beats my days, getting called an f'ing cockroach by a pissed up Gypsy at 8 O'clock in the morning. Enjoy and take care