Rich and Rich

Monday 26 May 2014. It’s day two of our latest trip around South East Asia, and we’ve just landed in Hanoi. Hanoi’s current weather – a combination of high temperatures, high humidity and rain storms, ensures our flight somewhat bumpy. Some might prefer the term terrifying. Turbulence is a major factor as we fly over the north of the country, and poor visibility, thunder and lightning, ensured the trip was a test for even the most frequent of flyers. It’s been three and a half years since we were last in Hanoi, and on first impressions, it appears not much has changed. The traffic is chaotic and the temperatures are through the roof. Upon arrival at the Tu Linh Legend hotel, we are warmly welcomed by the staff, who immediately upgrade one of the three rooms ... read more

To end the trip, we’re finishing off where we started, with a few nights around the Khao San Road area of Bangkok. This time around, we’re booked into Lamphu Tree House hotel, which is a better than average place where we can spend the hottest part of the days either in the pool or in the shade on the terrace or roof garden. In the evening, we headed back to the Roof bar, where we were instantly recognised and welcomed by Nudh, a firm favourite and very funny member of staff, who proceeds to get us great seats in the busy bar (as usual), overlooking the street below. Bizarrely, we happened to be seated immediately next to a few people from Greater Moseley (that’s Kings Heath to the residents of B14), who had just got to ... read more

After the adventure to get there, the serenity of Dalat was very welcoming. Dalat is a town in the mountainous regions of South Central Vietnam, set amongst some of the most picturesque scenery and dotted with art deco buildings, and buildings of European style. The town features a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower, illustrating its strong French colonial roots. Although slowly opening up to tourism, Dalat is still on relatively few foreigners’ tourist trails – in fact, we saw hardly any other western travellers. It appears to cater for wealthy Vietnamese on weekend getaways. Having had a relaxing night the previous evening, unwinding in a couple of bars and enjoying some local food, we made an early start to explore the town. As most of the places we wanted to visit were fairly central we ... read more

A long train journey – then we find a beach party Yesterday’s 8am start did nothing to prepare us for today’s 5am wake up – thankfully I remembered to phone RD’s room otherwise I’d have been travelling to Nha Trang alone. We had chosen air-conditioned, soft seater tickets, which other than the soft sleeper tickets, are the best available, costing around £7.50 for the 7.5 hour trip. The journey allowed time to rest, and to take in some of Vietnam’s rural scenery, which is picturesque to say the least. I particularly liked how some villages working in the fields would give a friendly wave to the westerners watching on as we passed by. There were other aspects of the journey that I won’ t miss – neither of us was prepared for what lied behind the ... read more

To start off the day, we head to the Reunification Palace, the presidential palace that was the scene of the victory of the North over the South, as tanks ploughed through the gates and thus ending the Vietnam War. Replicas of the two tanks that first broke through the gates back in 1975 now adorn the lawns of the palace. The place was built in the 60s, which remains evident in the distinctive architectural style and décor of the place, which is almost a comedy combination of luxurious extravagance and 60’s kitsch. The basement offers a maze of preserved offices, war & comms rooms and bunkers, and our telecommunications expert (RD) appeared to be struggling to leave his work behind him – taking photo after photo of old phones and comms equipment! img=http://www.latenightcoldcoffee.co.uk/holiday2011... read more