Hanoi 3 One of my favourite things about travelling is when you click instantly with people you meet. We met a group of English travellers in our room and they had lots in common with us. Similar unis/age and had mutual friends. They were planning to live in melbourne after their travels so of course I got babbling away to them about my experience there. Emma, will and Ferg were an interesting group travelling together. Will was uber laid back and was often out ...

Hanoi 2 We were very much in need of a recovery day. We revisited an area in the main square which was set alongside a lake. We liked this area because despite the manic roundabout which appeared to have no rules there was more space than many of the streets and there were a number of nice bars and restaurants set around the square, many of them were on rooftops. We tried a couple during the day and got some awesome views of the lake. We then went to a cafe rec...

Hanoi We arrived early in the morning but for us it felt like the middle of the night. We were picked up from the airport by a driver from the hostel and we had a surreal journey absorbing the new environment. Not to mention the rave Vietnamese music the driver was playing. Many motorbikes sped past, cheaply made buildings and metallic signs lined the sides of the road. Our hostel was in the heart of Hanoi and just walking from the car to the hostel we thought w...