During my trip in Vietnam, one day I met a rather eccentric French man, Michel Desmarquet. I spent a good few hours chatting to him, while Laura and him played a few games of chess. He was a very interesting character, who says he was abducted by aliens in the late 80’s, and has had a spiritual awakening through this. Continue reading The Mysterious Michel Desmarquet
Category Archives: Vietnam
The Mekong Delta Region, Vietnam
18th – 21st September 2014
The Mekong Delta region was a vast area of rivers, floating villages and markets. I spent the last few days of Vietnam in this area, before getting a boat over the border into Cambodia.
Here are a few photos from the area:
Rach Gia and Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
12th – 18th September 2014
We decided to take a trip to the small island of Phu Quoc, just off the South West coast of Vietnam. This required an overnight stay in an obviously ‘seldom visited by tourists’ town, called Rach Gia. I say this because we were like local celebrities as we walked through the town and the local market, everyone from children to adults were either giggling, waving or shouting hello at us, or a combination of all three! It was insane! The local market had some very fine delicacies on display though, and as usual I got photos of some of the oddities….
Hoi An, Vietnam. Beaches, bike rides and tailor’s shops!
26th August – 3rd September 2014
Now, after the full on couple of months, and not getting the chill time I really wanted in Hanoi, this was my next planned chill out point. If riding a bicycle to the beaches, lazing by my lovely hotel pool, eating a massive delicious breakfast spread every morning, and buying dress after dress, all made to measure, constitutes chilling out, then I did a lot of it in the seven days I was in Hoi An! It was perfect!
Continue reading Hoi An, Vietnam. Beaches, bike rides and tailor’s shops!
The small city of Hue, Vietnam.
24th – 26th August 2014
I only spent one night in Hue, but it was quite a small city. I hired a motorbike for a day and rode around in the blistering heat, in the hunt for the tombs in the local area, which were more like palaces than what you’d expect of a tomb!
Phong Nha National Park and Caves
22nd – 25th August 2014
Now, I never knew how much I liked caves. I mean, I’ve been to Wookey Hole and Cheddar Caves, and they are great, but Phong Nha caves, wow, simply wow! I never thought I could be blown away by a cave but these were something else. Phong Nha cave was an experience itself. You take a boat which chugs along the river to the large entrance of the cave, and then once inside the gaping entrance, the engines are switched off, and the boat drivers get out their paddles.
Mai Chau, a pretty rural district in Vietnam
14th – 16th August 2014
I booked a three day trip in the rural district of Mai Chau. It was, once again, lovely to get out of the hustle and bustle of Hanoi!
On the way at a pit stop, we could have opted for some snake/lizard wine!
Yes, I passed on that one!
Continue reading Mai Chau, a pretty rural district in Vietnam
An unexpected arrival…
The worst thing about the overnight trip from Sapa back to Hanoi? Arriving in Hanoi unexpectedly at 3.30am, and nobody had anything booked because we all were told the bus would get in at 6-7am. Hanoi is a city where everything has to close by midnight, and this is enforced. So, arriving at this time, was not ideal. Far from it!
Whilst still on the bus, we were all woken abruptly by a guy who was shouting and coming round handing out bits of paper that read ‘Do not get the taxi from here, they will drive round and round and charge you lots of money, it is not far to walk to the Old Quarter, do not get a taxi! No taxi!’ Continue reading An unexpected arrival…
Trekking through the rice terraces of Sapa
9th – 12th August 2014
After my trip to Halong Bay, I had one hour to change my stuff over from the luggage storage and then to set off on my overnight bus for Sapa. Not sure if me and sleeper buses are going to get on…they are extremely uncomfortable, slightly claustrophobic, and only allowed for about 3 hours sleep! I have been poshing it upon trains for too long obviously!
Vietnam – Halong Bay
7th-9th August 2014
My three day trip to Halong Bay was lovely. Halong Bay is an area of beautiful limestone mountains (called karst here, similar to those I saw in Guilin) rising out from the sea. I met a great group of people on this trip.
The area is very pretty, although the sun didn’t want to play so the pictures are a bit drab. It was similar to Guilin in China, except the karst mountains were jutting out of the sea, and not out of the river.
Continue reading Vietnam – Halong Bay
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