Page 2 of Jamie and Yasmin Travel Blog Posts


Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Hanoi July 31st 2010

Due to an error it turns out we had an extra day in Hanoi than we thought and were left with a bit more time to explore Hanoi. Since I last wrote we went to the museum of Literature yesterday which was made up of grand, chinese looking buildings in honour of old scholars and kings at the site which used to be Vietnams first University built 1000 AD which is amazing given that Oxford and Cambridge came much later. We then went to the famous water puppet show, a vietnamese tradition. Although very confusing it was ceverly done and entertained us for an hour! After a stroll back through the bustling streets of Old Town Hanoi we came back to the hotel and then out for our last group meal. We then went to a ... read more

Asia » Vietnam July 29th 2010

So since i last posted we embarked on a mamoth 14 hour night train journey from Hue up to hanoi and then a coach to Halong bay which we reached at about 10AM on wednesday morning. Our room was nice and overlooked Halong bay which was incredible! After breakfast and a shower we left for a boat trip around Halong Bay. We had our own bot which was called a "junk boat" but looked like a gallion ship! Our first stop was to some caves in Halong Bay...i literally cannot describe them without doing an injustice....they were the size of a football stadium inside and all lit up with stairs made all the way through. The pictures go some way to showing how incredible they were... After this we went back on the boat for seafood ... read more

Asia July 27th 2010

Our last evening in Hoi An was great. We went to a cooking class with 5 others from the group taught by a local chef. We cooked spring rolls, fish, squid and sweet chilli sauce and wontons and were then able to enjoy our hard work by eating the food! Was a lot of fun and got some recipes to try for when we're back home! We then walked along the river and bought a lantern from one of the many street sellers who were selling them for 3000 (5pence). On full moon night all electricity in the town is turned off and you can buy a lantern and let it off down the river to celebrate the full moon. Just as we were buying our second lantern it started chucking it down so we went ... read more

Asia July 25th 2010

From when I last posted we made our way to the beautiful Hoi An. This was after a 13 hour night train from Nha Trang, our last stopping point! Luckily, Yasmin and I slept most of the way so wasn't too bad. We arrived in Hoi An after a short coach journey from the station at about half one and headed straight into town. This riverside town is beautiful and best known for it's tailors who can whip up a suit tailor made in 2 hours! The scenery is very different from the last two stops with a strong japanese and chinese influence in the architecture and buildings with lanterns hanging from most. It's also a lot quiter than Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh with a lot less hassle from shop owners than in other ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » South Central Coast » Khanh Hoa » Nha Trang July 23rd 2010

Hello! So we had our first experience of the night train from Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang which was more pleasent than expected. Yasmin and I shared a room with a couple from Cardiff and found the room comfortable and cool. The room has four beds, two either side on top of eachother. We spent the evening chatting and getting to know two Australian couples who are also on the trip with us. Was interesting hearing of the differences in our cultures and what they do...we drink tea whilst they hunt crocs! Yasmin and I got a good nights sleep before waking up at about 5 for our scheduled station, unfortunately the train was delayed a couple of hours so didnt arrive in till nearer 7 which gave us a chance to take in the ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 July 21st 2010

We have now spent 2 full days in Vietnam after a relatively stress free flight from Heathrow to Ho Chi Minh via Bombay and Bangkok! Arriving Monday afternoon we were jetlagged and tired so opted for a 2 hour power nap before walking into town for food, still wearyfrom our journey. The streets of Ho Chi Minh are crazy with so many moptorcycles and mopeds to dodge every time you cross a road! We eventually stumbed across a restaurant for our first full meal. Yasmin had chicken curry and I went for beef (buffalo) noodles...after making our way back to the hotel we had a massive 14 hour sleep to overcome the jetlag! The following morning we started with a coffee before exploring more of the city. First we went to one of the main markets ... read more




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