Hanoi. Where do i start.... A guy in the airport in Vientiane gave us a brochure for a guest house & it seemed ok. They would even collected us from the airport (about 25km away) for the small fee of $2 US. So we checked out the room & it seemed ok, up 5 flights of stairs but it was fairly cheap. Then it turned out to be $2 dollars each for the taxi & it went downhill from there! Hanoi has some great sights & places to visit, but we got the distinct impression that every single person there is attempting to rip you off. I will state that this is only our opinion of course & many people will have loved it! That said it's not without its charm & trying to cross the road in rush hour with 50 motorbikes heading straight for you is an experience i'll never forget. The accepted practice is to just go for it, walk across & don't stop - somehow they manage to avoid you! Fun though. We went to a few places around the city, but as we've messed around a bit in Thailand & Laos we're trying to claw back a few days here & there so we have plenty of time on the beaches!! Booked ourselves a trip to Ha Long Bay for a couple of days & really looking forward to it. We get the train to Hue almost as soon as we get back as neither of us are really enjoying the prospect of staying much longer.