The bus from Den Bien Phu was a bit of an ordeal. The roads were better than Laos but unfortunately, we managed to run into some engine trouble in a remote village. After the driver had phones for a replacement vehicle to collect us, we assumed we would have to wait an hour or so.....3 hours later, after sitting on the edge of a busy lane with trucks whizzing by in the intense heat, we were finally rescued. We arrived into the beautiful hill town of Sapa, north east Vietnam.
After some reconicance we managed to find a decent hostel with far reaching views of tea plantations and mountains from its balcony. We took a walk through the surrounding countryside the next day which was beautiful.
We also took a stroll up to a vantage point situated at the far end of some well maintained gardens which commanded superb views over the town and hills.
The following night, after catching up with Sophie again (and enjoying a delicious snack at the Baguette and Chocolat Cafe), we caught an overnight sleeper bus to Hanoi. It wasn't nearly as bad as people had suggested on various blogs and was certainly much cheaper than the train! We managed to get some sleep, despite the windy roads. We arrived in Hanoi early in the morning and were transferred conveniently to a minibus which ferried us to the old quarter of town where we stumbled upon a lovely hostel, Rendezvous Hotel, with comfortable beds.