We took the sleeper train from Hanoi to Dong Hoi which took 10 hours. We went during the day as we wanted to see the scenery but still chill out. The train was great although we did have to spend a fair bit of it sharing our 4 berth cabin with a couple of Vietnamese women who spoke no English. The countryside generally was lush with rice paddies and maintains rising like giants dotted amongst the jungle.

A 25 minute drive in a taxi took us to Phong Nha which is a small village in the Phong Nha National Park. The homestay we stayed at was next to the Son River which is just lovely. So peaceful with more of the spectacular karsts to admire while having our breakfast.

We booked a tour with Jungle Boss to the caves along with 20 odd other tourists. The first stop was the Paradise Caves which is part of a cave network 31km long. We walked the round trip 2km round trip. It is astoundingly high and wide over 100m high and 150m wide. The scale is breathtaking, as wooden staircases descend into a cathedral-like space with colossal stalagmites and glimmering stalactites. A massive amount of stairs to climb which seem to be the norm in Vietnam.

After that it was a stop at the Eight Ladies Cave and associated temple. According to the People's Army Newspaper (Quân Đội Nhân Dân) of 17 May, 2009, one day in 1972 eight young volunteers were clearing a road near Eight Lady Cave (Hang Tám Cô) when an air raid sounded. The volunteers ran into the cave. A bomb landed, lodging a 100-tonne rock across the entrance. Nine days later, people outside heard the volunteers for the last time. The war ended that year and a temple was built near the cave to honour the eight and others who died keeping the road, Road 20, open. In 1996 the Government used explosives to remove the rock and found bones and hair and also managed to block off the cave again.

Then it was a trek down a steep hill into the jungle followed by a delicious fresh BBQ spring roll (summer roll) lunch.

The real highlight of the day was the Hang Tra Ang. This cave was opened to the public in August 2016 and is unspoiled by any development. We donned life jackets and helmets with lights and struggled through the strong current in the river before clambering over boulders to the entrance of the cave. We then did a very long swim against the current in complete darkness in the cave followed by a swim back with the current and then the trek back. Quite exhausting but satisfying.

The next day we took a taxi back to the station and a three hour train ride to Hue.

Huế is a city in central Vietnam that was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802 to 1945. That afternoon we toured the 19th-century Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines; the Forbidden Purple City, once the emperor's home; and a replica of the Royal Theater. A little disappointing to only find history in Vietnam so far just back to the 19th century and very strongly of Chinese influence. Josh was particularly hoping to see more of the indigenous tribes prior to the recent history.

We stayed at an awesome family run hotel but after Josh complained of itching just after we had gone to bed to our horror we discovered his pillow was infested with bed bugs. Horrible big ones. We quickly changed rooms and then changed hotels the next day to a four star plus hotel as we felt yuck.

The next day we took a private car with a driver who took us around the Thien Mu Pagoda which is a Buddhist temple and three Royal tombs, Tomb of Tu Duc, Tomb of Minh Mang and Tomb of Khai Dinh. Again interesting but not amazing. The last tomb which had a strong French influence was the most appealing. The temple had quite a gruesome and amazing photo of a monk who set himself on fire. Quang Duc was protesting the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government led by Ngô Đình Diệm. Photographs of his self-immolation were circulated widely across the world and brought attention to the policies of the Diệm government. John F. Kennedy said in reference to a photograph of Đức on fire, "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one."

We used the same driver to take us to Da Nang via a fishing village, Lang Co Beach (a lovely beach with a long stretch of sand) and over the Hi Van Pass which shows a spectacular view at the summit of Lang Co Beach on one side and the modern sky scraper city of Da Nang on the other. The summit has the remains of a Vietnamese Watch Tower with multiple bullet holes.

The Hải Vân Pass crosses over a spur of the Trường Sơn (Annamite) Range that emerges from the west and juts into the South China Sea, forming the Hải Vân Peninsula and the adjoining Son Tra Island. The pass, which once formed the boundary between the kingdoms of Đại Việt and Champa, also forms a boundary between the climates of northern and southern Vietnam, sheltering the city of Da Nang from the "Chinese winds" that blow in from the northwest. During the winter months (November-March), for instance, weather on the north side of the pass might be wet and cold, while the south side might be warm and dry.

The pass is renowned for its scenic beauty. Top Gear, featured the pass during the show calling the road "a deserted ribbon of perfection—one of the best coast roads in the world." Personally l think New Zealand has just, if not more impressive roads.

Our final stop before staying in De Nang was the Marble Mountains which are just south of De Nang.

Marble Mountains is a cluster of five marble and limestone hills named after the five elements: Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth).

All of the mountains have cave entrances and numerous tunnels, and we visited the only public opened one on Thuy Son. The Caves were pretty cool and there are also several Buddhist sanctuaries. Quite a view of the city and the other mountains from the summit.