Jade is so excited about our next stop as we are hitting the coastal town of Nha Trang! The next 5 days are spent sizzling in the blazing sun (which came out the first afternoon we arrived… Baxter Magic apparently), eating bowls of Noodle soup (with the odd bbq'd sweet potato thrown in there) and I have spent the majority of the time in the sea. The beautifully kept boulevard alongside the 3 mile stretch of white sand reminded me of holidays in Spain with my mum.

Next stop, Hoi An. Possibly our favourite place in Vietnam due to its pretty little charm, the buildings are more like Morocco or France than Asia. In the heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shop houses. Also there are many doughnut sellers as Jade and I tried many varieties from peanut to a strange shepherd's pie filling; we had so many as they were so delicious.

Riding a bike for the first time in years, Jade said she feels like her Mrs Sampson, wobbly. Luckily no bumpy hills on this trip though! We ride 5kms to Cui Dai, park our bikes and take a well-deserved rest. The beach boasts fine white sand and clear blue water. It was stunning. So peaceful! There were some small waves for me to swim in, whilst Jade soaked up the sun. Cycling back to Hoi An city centre was just amazing; cycling through the rice paddy fields, the views were just breath taking. I've got to mention our accommodation here too; it was fantastic, so cheap, there were French doors opening out on to a lovely balcony overlooking the street. We can't believe how much you get for your money here in Vietnam (we haven't paid above $10 a night)!! It was great, although rather chilly in the evenings.

A day bus to Hue meant that we got to see the coast towards the industrial town of Danang, which was lined with a 3km long white sand beach. Jade and I really enjoy the bus journeys. We arrive in Hue and it is getting even chillier the more north we get. Before we even check in there is a "helpful lady" asking us to book everything for Hanoi? So within minutes we had booked a tour to Halong Bay and our bus tickets to Hanoi, she even arranged our accommodation ($10 a night…cheap for the city) and a pick up from the bus station. Too good to be true? We will see!

Our room is big and very clean so this is a great start. Jade and I look at our map and are navigating our way to some of Hues free attractions. We cross the bridge over the huge river and it is not hard to miss the flag tower that is in front of the citadel. There is a huge moat that surrounds the Citadel too. We stop and have another delicious Vietnamese coffee, mmm so warm and tasty, just what the doctor ordered. Huế was the national capital until 1945 and is situated in the middle of the country. Inside the citadel was a forbidden city where only the emperors, concubines, and those close enough to them were granted access; the punishment for trespassing was death, So Jade and I opt for a lovely walk around the beautiful outside perimeter, just in case of punishment ha. The long walk had made us peckish so we head to the supermarket to get some super cheap baguettes, this is where we come across some truly scrumptious strawberry sweets, locally made from actual strawberries, and these have become our journey sweets (although we rarely make it to the bus without finishing them first)! Next stop Hanoi, a tiring 13hr bus journey to the Capital.