On our last morning in Hanoi we enjoyed a nice breakfast in our hotel before nipping outside to catch the bus which would take us to Halong Bay. We were soon picked up and on our way in a large minibus. After stopping to pick up some other people, including a group of the most annoying English idiots I have ever encountered, we set off from Hanoi. Once on the motorway the guide accompanying us gave us a bit of commentary, getting off to a mediocre start by t...

Our flight from Vientiane, despite leaving a whole minute late, was another blessedly short and uneventful one, and we soon found ourselves in Hanoi airport. We were able to pass through security in the relatively quickly as we already had our visas in place after our eventful application in Bangkok. At least something good came of the whole affair. We had booked a hotel for the night in advance from Vientiane, and thought to avoid any hassle that we'd bo...