Day 6 has absolutely been a highlight for this tour! After Brekky we put our stuff into a shared room – it was check out day for this hotel- and then met the group in the lobby. We met our intrepid guides for the day and then hopped onto the back of motor cycles to explore the city!

I was a bit nervous for this one… I have only ever been on the back of a bike once before, and was told I probably shouldn’t again (apparently I was leaning in all the wrong directions!) But it was a super fun day, and I would absolutely recommend this as an activity if you ever find yourself here.

Our first stop was at the wet markets, and there were so many things to look at. I was expecting the experience to be much more confrontational than it was (especially the meat section) … the worst part that I found tho, was how tightly everyone is packed in… claustrophobia was a real thing for me!

Stop number two was at a Buddhist temple…. It was a really beautiful spot overlooking the river, and was originally built in the 1600s. Our lovely guide gave us a run down on the Buddhist religion and then we were free to have a look around.

Back onto the bikes, and off to our next stop. This one took us through some back streets and into a village that specialises in Incense… we were shown how to make it, and those that were keen, got to have a turn. To make incense you need ground up agar wood, rubber tree sap and essential oils… those ingredients get mixed together to make a stick paste which is then rolled onto bamboo sticks. It was interesting to watch – the lady showing us can make around 2000 per day – and the place smelled pretty good too!

Next on the must see list of places to stop was the kings look out – a quiet spot in the Forrest that overlooked the river, and then his tomb. Both were really lovely spots to walk through and admire. We finished the day with lunch at a Buddhist temple, all vegetarian/vegan and absolutely delicious! … then back on the bikes to the hotel and our shared room for showers and last minute packing, and then off to the train station!

Our visit in Hue finished with a trip on the overnight train to Hanoi. The group was split into smaller groups for the night. Each carriage was designed for 4 people, two in the top bunk and two in the bottom. I was kind of nervous about this one too – I get really bad motion sickness (think of a moving vehicle and I will have vomited on it) so I pre-loaded all of the medications that I had with me!

The bunks were surprisingly comfortable,…at the start of the journey, and the room initially was quite cold with the air conditioning set very low. We were advised to bring food – pot noodles was the recommendation – rather than ordering anything from the on board dining cart. By the time we got through the night and needed to get ourselves ready to disembark, I was feeling much less positive about the experience! I’m pretty sure that an overnight train is not something I will need to repeat in a hurry haha… I did not sleep particularly well, the bed became less and less comfortable as the night went on, and venturing out to the toilet was definitely an adventure!

We got to Hanoi at around 6am. We had a shared room for a quick shower and then off for Brekky which absolutely hit the spot… a few in the group tried the local delicacy – egg coffee! Our hotel is just around the corner of a very famous street… an absolute must do here! Train street is an alley that has the train track running through it. A couple of times a day, the trains will come through and it is an adventure. It is so close that you can touch it… and it does not go slowly!

Next came a walking tour of the city including the temple of literature – the first university started 1000 years ago, and then the Mausoleum contains the body of Ho Chi Min, founder of the Vietnamese communist party and responsible for the independence and reunification of Vietnam. We were not able to actually go into the mausoleum due to a foreign president being here for a visit, but the site is very impressive!

By the time we finished the tour and got to check into the hotel properly, we were all exhausted! We had a couple of hours free time and I am pretty sure that most of us used the time for a nap! At 5.30pm some of us met a new tour guide (Jerry, brother of Tom) and did a walking food tour of the city!

We went to 5 different vendors to try the foods that Hanoi is famous for… and they were all delicious! This city is something else! it was an absolute sensory overload. So many people and colours, all kinds of smells and sounds… it was hard to know where to look and exactly how to feel about any of it!…

We started our food journey with Bun Cha… a kind of vermicelli soup that has grilled pork in it. This one was probably my favourite for the night… the broth was unbelievably tasty! Next came Bahn Tran trong… Vietnamese pizza… it is a fried rice paper round topped with all kinds of meat and chilli sauce. Also very yummy! Then came Pho – Hanoi style without the broth, followed by sticky rice and ice cream, and finishing up with egg coffee.

Day 8 had us checking out of our hotel and getting on a bus to head three hours out of Hanoi to Ha Long Bay for a night. We made a couple of stops one for the Happy Room (the local way of saying the bathroom), and another at a recycling facility. One disappointing thing about traveling in Asia is how much rubbish there is everywhere! It’s pretty sad to see, because it does spoil some amazing scenery. It’s nice to see that the idea of recycling is starting to be a thing here, but there is a long way to go!

Ha Long bay is home to 1969 islands, with only 900 having names. The islands are limestone and are phenomenal to see and float past. There are a whole lot of tourist boats which is not entirely what I was expecting, but it is definitely worth doing! There were a couple of activities included in this part of the trip… a visit to one of the caves, and a kayaking tour. I opted out of the paddling, but did go to the cave. It was pretty impressive (but also very very crowded!)

Our night in the Bay was super fun! Those that had clothes made in Hoi Anh got to model them for us as most of us got a little bit dressed up. Dinner was several courses of deliciousness, and cocktails, followed by a birthday cake and singing (organised by our beautiful guide) for me! It was an incredibly sweet gesture which I loved! Rounding out of evening was a Karaoke Party…. Very fitting as a birthday celebration!

I’m truly amazed that I not only made it through the night on a boat without throwing up (I get horrendous motion sickness), but actually slept really well! Who knows… maybe there will be a cruise in my future!

Our ninth (and last) day on the tour started with a sneaky trip up to the sun deck to do ‘that photo’. Tiptoeing past the staff who were sleeping on mats on the floor in the dining area, and then an early coffee before heading off for a hike and a swim in the bay! The hike was incredibly steep, and I have to confess I didn’t make it anywhere near the top because my knees were complaining! The water in the bay was brisk, but refreshing… and breakfast when we got back to the ship was delicious.

After breakfast it was time to check out, and as soon as the boat came back to the doc, we all piled back onto the bus to head back to Hanoi. We did make one stop and that was at an employment facility for disabled people. It was started after the war to give veterans and victims a way of earning money. They do a whole lot of silk embroidery, stone carving and Lacquer work… and I did spend a chunk of money with them!

Back in Hanoi, and once we checked back into our rooms, J and I hit the streets to do some souvenir shopping… it is an absolute adventure roaming the city. I do not have a very good sense of direction and got hopelessly confused… thank goodness for international roaming and google maps! The traffic is beyond description, and you kind of just have to close your eyes and go! Shopping done and time for a shower and a lay down before getting ready for our farewell dinner!

Dinner was at KOTO restaurant … a social concept based on the ‘pay it forward’ concept. They train disadvantaged youth to give them employment opportunities and improve their self confidence. The food was phenomenal and the company was fun!

Our tour guide has been the very best! She has all kinds of information about all kinds of things, and nothing has been too hard for her. She gifted each of us a personalised pair of chopsticks, which was incredibly sweet of her! Hopefully she will come and visit us one day and we can return the favour!

I can’t believe how quickly the tour went and just how much fun it was! J and I have an extra day in the city before heading home and we will be pampering ourselves completely… getting our nails done and full body massages! I am not looking forward to getting back to the real world… and I am already thinking about where to go next!