Vietnam Airlines – safety first!
We were given great seats on our 1 hour flight VN 185 from Hanoi to Dnang (airport for Hoi An). They were by the emergency exits and had loads of extra leg room. The air steward came over to me and honestly said “please sir, don’t open emergency door in flight without asking one of…
Naturally cultured pearls on our way to Hanoi Airport
Well according to the pearl factory where we stopped, a natural one is when a grain of sand enters the oyster…
Clean toilet, no paper and a shower hose!
Ok so this is an image of a clean toilet, complete with loo paper on the right and a hose on…
Tai Chi from the East meets beech from the West
The morning started with Tai Chi on deck at around 7-45am Tai Chi is a very calm and controlled balance. Our…
Halong Bay – The 7th natural wonder of the world, a hammer and a torch
To get from Hanoi to Halong Bay for an overnight cruise requires an early departure around 7am. Mondays traffic was madness…
Good Bye Hanoi
As we leave Hanoi for the final time we head East to Halong Bay. Hanoi certainly leaves a memorable impression on…
Church Boutique Hotel, Hanoi – all good in the end
So this may seem confusing .. it was to us.. you see we stayed initially in Hang Trong Street our first…
Karaoke and silent Quang
As we finished our dinner last night our driver, Quang (pronounced Quaan), who until this moment had barely said a word…
Mai Chau Valley View Hotel, Vietnam – simple comfort and warm hospitality
In the middle of Mai Chau Valley stand a number of hotels.. they all have phenomenal views and offer warm Vietnamese…
And we think moving house is a challenge..
In the mountains above Mai Chau live the Hmong (pronounced hu-mum) people. They are farmers mainly but as a side line…
Mai Chau and it’s way of life
To the West of Hanoi, some 4 hours drive away, stands a most stunning valley called Mai Chau. The valley floor…
I’ve been told this bottle contains natural Viagra!
So we stopped by the side of the road where we stretched our legs and had a drink. The street vendor…
Communism is working .. it just doesn’t feel like it
In Hanoi stands an impressive mausoleum overlooking a huge parade ground. The smart soldiers guard the resting place of the father…
Hanoi Street Food Tour.. and the meaning of ‘sticky rice!’
Last night we took a walking tour in the old quarter streets of Hanoi. Visiting different authentic street food vendors was…
OMG guess who was on our plane to Hanoi from Hong Kong!
So this was a relatively straight forward flight. Adele actually commented that there appeared to be tight security at the gate…
