Blogs from Vietnam, Asia - page 1325

So after a little bit of a rough time with the buses, we arrived in Hue Vietnam after 26 hours. We ended up at a great guesthouse with the cutest little old lady running it. She took quite a liking to kristen and I and was very concerned for our saftey at night. Before we left she always made sure to give us a hug and a pat on the bum, it was pretty funny. Because of our time constraints we only stayed in Hue one night and one day. Most of the day there was spent walking around and checking out the town. after coming from Laos that is not very developed it was great to be in the bright lights of a city. The next day we hopped on another bus, and were starting ... read more

After wading through a number of tour companies with an unbelievable range of prices for Halong Bay tours (going upto over $200) I decided to reject the recommendations I had received for some expensive agencies and take a gamble on a $35 3-day all inclusive trip to Halong Bay. The next few days that followed were some of the best of my trip thus far. After a cramped bus journey to the coast we boarded our boat and settled down as we set sail. By the time we had eaten a delicious buffet lunch the boat had reached possibly the most spectacular scenery I've seen so far - huge limestone rocks jutting somewhat randomly out of the emerald waters interspersed with floating villages and fishing boats, under a pefectly blue sky. No photo could possibly do ... read more

I'm rather scruffily dressed, and I carry a backpack, so I guess that makes me a backpacker. And backpackers rough it. They waste hours shopping around to save a single dollar on accommodation (seen it done...), haggle about every price no matter how reasonable and generally buy the cheapest of everything they can with no appreciation of comfort or practicality. Which I guess is why I feel out of place sitting in the Business Class section of this flight from Danang to Ha Noi. To be honest, Vietnam Airlines is hardly a flying ritz, but I still feel pretty pampered. Metal cutlery, glass glasses and flashy finger food - totally unneccessary, but who cares. Id rather pay business and fly today than take an overnight bus or wait a few days for the next available economy ... read more

We're almost donoe our two weeks of travel before I (Brian) start working in Hanoi. We're in Hoi An these days. It is a very charming city full of tailors. We went to town a bit on shopping, including two wool coats - which are completely useless on our trip and we'll be hauling them around for the next two months. Stupid! The best story we have thus far is from an island tour we took, based out of Nha Trang. It inlcuded snorkling, a floating bar, and some on-boat entertainment. The guy playing guitar was the designated singer for english songs. It was possibly the worst singing we have ever hear. Try to picture this: a middle-aged man, with a very rasping voice, screaming at the top of his lungs "If you're going to San ... read more

This morning we roared around Cat Ba Island (as passengers) on little 250cc Honda motorbikes. We visited a cave which had been converted into a field hospital by the Viet Kong during the war & our guide was a former soldier who still dresses in uniform & proudly shows the tourists around. Another relaxing afternoon & then a Vietnamese dinner at the Bamboo restaurant on the Esplanade. Not finished with the evening, we headed back to the Koala Bar for a beverage & a few games of pool.... read more