Ho Chi Minh City was our last stop in Vietnam, we stayed in a Cheerful Home in Siagon that’s listed on AirBnB for 1 week and our hosts made us feel very much at home. Most days we spent walking around the city, eating good food, and gathering last bit’s of souvenirs of Vietnam before we leave. Busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City formally named Siagon is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of over 8 million residents. Continue Reading

I am immensely proud to have visited the country of Vietnam, I never would have seen myself going Vietnam if I was not challenging South East Asia overland. The plan set out is to travel from the north of Vietnam Hanoi, to Singapore using only land transport (mostly to keep costs down from Air Fair). After spending 2 complete months in Vietnam we crossed the border into Cambodia on Wednesday 8th October 2014 - More about Cambodia later. Continue Reading

As there are many high rise buildings around a visit to view the city scape in the night could not go a miss. I decided to go Chill Skybar (Ranked #14 of 207 Nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City on Tripadvisor) . Thinking I would not be allowed to enter with a my traveling t-shirt and shorts, I was not questioned once. The staff treated us with quality service, like we’re celebrities. Continue Reading

Recommended by our hosts, Pizza 4P’s (Ranked #57 of 4,118 Restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City on Tripadvisor) is undoubtedly the best independent place I have been for pizza that is cooked in a traditional clay oven. We ordered two pizza’s one pepperoni & salami, and half/half tuna & sweetcorn and Teriyaki Chicken. We sat at the circle bar next to the clay oven and where the pizza’s are prepared. Continue Reading

While in Ho Chi Minh City, we invited our hosts out for an evening of cocktails and music at Sax n Art Jazz Club (Ranked #6 of 22 Concerts & Shows in Ho Chi Minh City on Tripadvisor) . We arrived just in time to get a table, order some drinks and listen to the live Jazz performances. The layout is interesting with the side-on stage, and cool lighting. I had high expectations to have a breathtaking experience of beautiful, unique, exciting, energising music. Continue Reading

The tunnels of Củ Chi (Ranked #1 of 234 things to do in Ho Chi Minh City on Tripadvisor) are a network of connecting underground tunnels used during the Vietnam war. The locals would live under group and defend their land. I booked the tour via TheSinhTourist at the same time as booking onward tickets to Cambodia. The Củ Chi Tunnels cost 109,000VND for half a day with a tour guide and entry. Continue Reading

Ichiban Sushi (Ranked #110 of 4,118 Restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City on Tripadvisor) rightfully ranked #1 for its attention to detail. We stat at the bar and ordered form the wide array of delicious looking dishes, Shrimp, and Salmon Nigiri. As we waited for our dishes to arrive, we watched the skilled Sushi chef’s carefully prepare the the many dishes that are printed up on a large LCD screen above. Continue Reading

Mui Ne is a quiet sandy town with plenty of sun, sand and a beach not really something to rave about. We stayed at WindFlower Boutique Hotel (Ranked #79 of 172 hotels in Phan Thiet on Tripadvisor) for 2 nights spending most the the time relaxing in the pool and watching the sun set over the South China Sea. WindFlower Beach Boutique Hotel - Mui Ne 76 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, Mũi Né, Thành phố Phan Thiết Address: 76 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, Mũi Né, Tp. Continue Reading

We visited Đà Lạt the capital of Lâm Đồng Province in Vietnam. Dalat with an altitude of 1500 it is much cooler than other towns and cities we visited in Vietnam. Its a popular off-track tourist destination that requires a small bus to twist and turn around tight Mountains roads and uneven surfaces. We stayed at Tulip Xanh Dalat Hotel, which the staff are nice but the sleep quality is not so good due to light and noise. Continue Reading

The is the beach capital of Vietnam, with a long beach span that makes watching the morning sunrise magical. Many travel goers flock to this beach with its high-rise resorts right along the coast line, most residents are within a short walk from the busy beach. We arrived via Train from Da Nang, the journey was very painless and not as eventful as the Journey from Hanoi to Hue. Upon arriving we took a taxi (as always with Maylin) to our hotel Golden Sea Hotel, unfortunately we was met with friendly staff which turned hostile when they insisted we pay before staying or forfeit out passport (something we have not had to do in the North of Vietnam). Continue Reading

Lanterns is a Vietnamese restaurant (Ranked #42 of 653 Restaurants in Nha Trang on Tripadvisor) , it serves a good choice of popular Vietnamese dishes, most impressive choice would be the BBQ. Choosing a choice of meats to be cooked on your very own BBQ at your table makes an interesting experience. The meat is nicely marinated before it is brought to the table. The food is of great quality and the service is friendly and talkative that complements a comfortable atmosphere. Continue Reading

Located down a quiet alley right behind The Summer Hotel is White Lion Hotel (Ranked #34 of 442 B&Bs / Inns in Nha Trang on Tripadvisor) . This little hotel is cheap and very very cheerful, we paid 300,000d per night half the price of a basic room in The Summer Hotel. This hotel does not provide food or breakfast, but there are plenty of places around to get food. Continue Reading

Pita is a Greek restaurant (Ranked #30 of 653 Restaurants in Nha Trang on Tripadvisor) with a simple menu the food is of great quality. I went here with my partner one evening as on occasion I do like the taste of Greek cuisine, Pita delivered! The gyros (meat, fries, tomato, onion, and teatziki sauc, is served and tastes just as it does in Greece. Such a pleasure to be treated to a nostalgic meal. Continue Reading

We stayed in Da Nang for a 2 nights in Olina Hotel before catching the next 14+ hour train to Nha Trang. The city is spacious with many roads built waiting for properties to be built on them (future fetched), the highly of Da Nang would be the colourful bridges at night. Each night the bridges would illuminate with colourful light displays. We took a quick walk to the beach but did not stay for long as a storm was working its way in. Continue Reading

Olina Hotel (Ranked #33 of 546 B&Bs / Inns in Da Nang on Tripadvisor) is a budget hotel, after checking reviews for all hotels within our price range this hotel yields less problems. The hotel is noisy by other guests and outside construction. The rooms are large with simple mini bar old CRT television and tiled bathroom. They look tired and would benefit painting, the desk is MDF and has water ring marks which is common for this type of wood. Continue Reading

We visited Quán Cơm Huế Ngon (Ranked #84 of 1,161 Restaurants in Da Nang on Tripadvisor) on a Friday night and luckily got a table. Very busy with locals no other westerners to be seen. The menu choice is extensive. We chose items familiar to us, chicken, prawns, beef, and pork. The portions are relatively small so many plates will need to be ordered to feel full enough (the chicken is just a wing chopped into 4 parts for 39,000 dong). Continue Reading

Prince Hotel (Ranked #45 of 346 hotels in Hoi An on Tripadvisor) is a fresh hotel 1km away from the city centre of Hội An. The hotel has a small swimming pool, bicycle rental and is located in a quiet area of Hội An. The staff are friendly and always willing to help guests with plans, they do ask a lot about your onward travel plans to see if they are able to help and book travel tickets. Continue Reading

Hoi An is recognised for the UNESCO heritage site Hội An Ancient Town. The ancient city is a designated area where most the properties are well maintained and occupied by trade. Many cloths shops, restaurants, souvenir stores and travel agents. Amongst this are a few museums and attractions. I was expecting the ancient city to look and feel really old, with beautiful detail and architecture, instead I was greeted with the same stores as outside the heritage site, just items selling at higher the price. Continue Reading

Namaste - Omar’s Indian Restaurant (Ranked #96 of 986 Restaurants in Hoi An on Tripadvisor) that serves a good selection of dishes from all over India. We walked in around 6pm and the place was empty, (but not for long) by time we ordered more customers were seated. The place was completely full within an hour and customers had to be turned away, there is a reason for this. Continue Reading

Hola Taco is a Mexican restaurant (Ranked #107 of 986 Restaurants in Hoi An on Tripadvisor) We could not be more satisfied with the food, service and price. The music and atmosphere is really relaxing, staff are friendly and food is just damn awesome! We tried the Chicken Taco, Pork Taco Guacamole with baked nachos and BBQ wings. Every flavour carefully balanced and subtly spiced. It’s rare for restaurants to serve cider so to see Magners on the menu it was hard not to have a drink. Continue Reading

Trip Nguyen Restaurant Cafe (Ranked #302 of 986 Restaurants in Hoi An on Tripadvisor) serves many Vietnamese dishes We walked into this place on a whim as we seen many other travellers eating and drinking there. Ordering a few plates for lunch we ordered White Rose, Cao Lầu, and Chicken Rice - all Hoi An’s specialities. This quick introduction into Hoi An’s flavours that are delivered very cheaply. The flavours and portions are very good instantly making me fall in love with Hoi An food. Continue Reading

The adventure outside of Vietnam’s capital begins with Hue, 14 hour day train took us from Hanoi to Huế and arrived in the evening after dark (20:20 PM). Maylin taxi (the green cars, heard to be the most reliable and honest) to deliver us to Than Thien Hotel. Exhausted from sitting on a train all day, we needed a filling meal before we can take Doxycycline (an anantimalarial antibiotic) - the antibiotic is rejected from the body if consumed on a empty stomach. Continue Reading

Than Thien Hotel - Friendly Hotel (Ranked #29 of 183 hotels in Hue on Tripadvisor) is a hotel in a great location allowing quiet getaway while still being in the City region. Pros: Spacious rooms Rooms have windows Staff are friendly Good quiet location Great breakfast selection Huge Window with view Cons: Air-conditioning units may fail. Rooms are spacious with a quality bathroom that has a glass separator for the shower. Continue Reading

After checking our Lonely Planet book and TripAdvisor we decided to eat at the Little Menu Restaurant (Ranked #104 of 986 Restaurants in Hoi An on Tripadvisor) for our first night in Hoi an. This place has a simple menu with an array of dishes ranging in price. There specials are written up on chalk boards, but they are only rotated seasonally instead of daily or weekly. We chose Rolls tasting platter, Chicken in banana leaf “special” and Banana Blossom salad with grilled chicken. Continue Reading

Zucca is a Italian, Vietnamese Restaurant (Ranked #17 of 382 Restaurants in Hue on Tripadvisor) . We did not try any Italian food instead trying the grilled selection, and was pleasantly impressed. We had grilled chicken lemon grass skewers that are wonderfully seasoned and prepared with fresh ingredients, seasoned beans, and noodles. You have to eat here. Zucca Restaurant 3 Đội Cung, Phú Hội, Thành phố Huế Address: 3 Đội Cung, Phú Hội, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam Phone: 0772 427 375 Continue Reading

We regularly go to Bò Nướng Xuân Xuân 47 Mã Mây  (Ranked #164 of 2,812 Restaurants in Hanoi on Tripadvisor) for a simple cheap evening dinner that we can cook to our own liking. You get given a BBQ griddle, a heap of meat and vegetables, a lime chilli & salt dipping sauce and can choose to add bread or rice. The BBQ grill’s use smokeless fuel that lasts about 10-15 minutes, we usually have to ask for more fire (at no extra charge). Continue Reading

Hanoi is the current capital of Vietnam and the second largest city in Vietnam with an estimated population of over 2.6 million residents. Hanoi is a popular city for tourists traveling to Sapa or Halong Bay, many tour operators and hotels will insist you book the tours. Many motorbikes taking up the sidewalk. The crowded streets make walking a test of the brave as sidewalks are mostly occupied by parked motorbikes. Continue Reading

The Moose and Roo Pub & Grill (Ranked #135 of 2,812 Restaurants in Hanoi on Tripadvisor) is a quality gastropub in the heart of the old quarter in Hanoi. We have visited twice and both times enjoyed the gluttonous food served. This restaurant serves, every good British and Australian dish you’ll miss from home. Beef and Bone Marrow Burgers, Fish and Chips, Pie and Mash, and much more. Both times I ordered the Beef Burger as they serve the best Beef Burger, on-par with burgers served in Manchester U. Continue Reading

We booked a soft seat train from Hanoi to Hué. There is only one soft seat carriage for the entire train, the rest are hard seats or sleeper carriages. In the soft sleeper 2 televisions play movies, food programmes, music, document about the rail line and a prank show. Sometimes the programmes are really long and boring and there is no escape as it is amplified though the carriage P.A. system. Continue Reading

Tu Linh Palace Hotel 2 is in a quiet area of Hàng Buồm - great to escape the night activities. You can walk (or run) anywhere within good time. The front of house staff Lilli, Ghang, Thian, and Ming at Tu Linh, every morning will greet with smiles saying “Hello, How are you? Did you sleep well?". They are seem genuinely are happy to see you and make the stay in Hanoi good, they are very knowledgeable about places to visit and eat. Continue Reading

I ordered the latest Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a shoestring book from Amazon.co.uk in hope it would arrive. Little to our despair the estimated delivery time came and gone, I started to worry that the book would not arrive in time for the next section of traveling.Luckily 2 days after the estimated date and 2 days we leave Hanoi, it arrives! Super happy, I now have something to study on the train to Hué on Saturday. Continue Reading

New Day Restaurant on the corner of Mã Mây a few properties away from our hotel, which is really convenient. This popular place to eat offers a great choice of delicious cheap food until late in the evening - we went most nights we could not bother searching for something new. Most main dishes are between 65,000₫ - 110,000₫ and are plentiful and come with steamed rice which is very filling. Continue Reading

Bánh Mỳ (Bánh Mì) Doner Kebab on the intersection of Hàng Bạc and Hàng Bè. It serves seasoned pork cooked on a rotary for 30,000₫ a sandwich. Really popular as a “drive-thru”, many motorcycles will pull up and ask a take-away. Highly recommended for a quick-lunch or sandwich on the go. Bánh Mỳ Đức Long Kebab 6 Lương Ngọc Quyến, Hàng Buồm Address: 6 Lương Ngọc Quyến, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam Phone: 024 3926 2726 Continue Reading

Joma Bakery Cafe (Ranked #9 of 157 Dessert in Hanoi on Tripadvisor) is a quality reliable café and bakery in Hanoi. We regally went to work, or chat with family on Skype as they have very reliable internet, great coffee and yummy pies and cakes. It’s calm atmosphere allows the creative to work, complementary glasses filtered water is continuously filled and Caffè Americano coffee includes a free refill. Continue Reading

A visit to Vietnam can not be complete without visiting the UNESCO world heritage site Hạ Long Bay. A collection over 1960 limestone islands and islets in the Gulf of Tonkin are divided into three sections, Hạ Long, Bái Tử Long and Lan Ha Bay. Ha Long Bay is the most popular section to visit for tourists, Bái Tử Long Bay is a protected national park and requires permission to take tourists to this part of Hạ Long Bay. Continue Reading

Our hotel Tu Linh Palace Hotel 2 recommended us a trip to Sa Pa, the northernmost town in Vietnam. Sa Pa and sounding villages sit 1300m above sea level. One of the hotel staff Lilli claimed she is from the area of Sa Pa and visits regularly, and the staff at the hotel are nice and trustworthy. They book many tours directly with locals and friends for the adventurous tourists. Friends Anna and Chris recently visited Sa Pa and highly recommended it as it allows the traveler to experience a real simple living culture, even helping the locals with their crops and chores. Continue Reading

While in Vietnam, we applied for our Thailand Tourist Visa so we can stay up-to 60 consecutive days in Thailand. The Thailand Embassy in Hanoi are very accommodating and friendly when it comes to applying for a Visa. They speak good english and did not make unexpected requests. We applied on a whim that we may need to give more information such as, (printed bank statements, hotel booking proof, transportation in and out) non of this information was demanded. Continue Reading

While in the area near to the Embassy of Kingdom of Thailand, we went for an quick walk around the Temple of Literature. The architecture of this historical landmark is remarkable, if only I studies a little more into its meaning. A guide would have been a benefit, printed guide books are chargeable (we did not opt for). Still a nice place to visit. Entrance fee is ₫20,000 Temple Of Literature 58 Quốc Tử Giám, Văn Miếu Address: 58 Quốc Tử Giám, Văn Miếu, Đống Đa, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam Website: vanmieu. Continue Reading

To get a crash course into Vietnamese food we could not turn down Hanoi Street Food Tour (Ranked #21 of 405 Food & Drink in Hanoi on Tripadvisor) . Reservation was made via email and we attended the tour the next day, starting at Kim building we visited many delights around Hanoi all accessible by foot. We were in a group of 8, who have traveled from England, and Australia. Continue Reading

We visited Tamarind Cafe which is next door to Tu Linh Palace Hotel 2. Tamarind Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant with a relaxed couch atmosphere. We order spring rolls, both fresh and fried, the food tastes bland. I don’t think this place is good value. We stayed for a while as the place has many plug sockets, good WiFi and relaxed atmosphere.  Restaurant Front Coffee Fresh Spring Rolls Continue Reading

Simple, cheap, delicious. A pleasant walk around Hoan Kiem Lake you will find Pho 24 at the southern point with colourful green signage. Greeted with big smiles and welcomes, and a simple menu, ordering food is easy. A choice of beef or chicken Pho. Price is really reasonable at ₫49,000 (about £1.37) per person and you get a decent serving. I would recommend you try this place while in Vietnam. Continue Reading