With HCMC behind us, we left Vietnam, finally our first Etihad flight. Those of you who have been with us from the start will be aware of the problems we have encountered getting out of the UK! The flight, all 7 hours of it, was ok. The food was mediocre although I didn't take part as I was suffering again with "Yellow Rain Syndrome" and my new best friend Mr Imodium was close by my side. The flight e box, as Etihad call it, their entertainment system for the f...

The rest of the week was just as relaxing with days by the pool, nights either in Hoi An or downtown Da Nang. This was a regular pattern during our stay at the Vinpearl resort which, as mentioned before, is way up there in quality. We trecked off one particular night.....following one of the usual 5 o'clock clubs, in a fleet of taxis to Hoi An. The idea being a mooch, a couple of beers and dinner for all. Whilst wondering around, Joanne and Dave checked out the...

The flight from Hanoi to Da Nang was only just over an hour and was very uneventful, as was the taxi ride to the hotel. We paid Charlie a ridiculous 200'000 dong, about £6 and he was on his way. We all checked into the Vinpearl Luxury Hotel which Dave assured me was 6 star...Immaculate. This hotel also featured in the Top Gear Vietnam Special, its nice to know the BBC licence fee is going to good use! All the travelling and the little mishaps along the way, now...

So, we all had breakfast on Thursday morning and checked out, and were picked up for our 4 hour transfer in a cosy minibus to the town of Ha Long. This is where the world famous Unesco Ha Long Bay is. For those of you who want to know all about Ha Long Bay take a look at Wikipedia if you have the time. If not its a big bay with lots of big rocks sticking out of the water. The journey was pretty boring, passing through various districts covered in either cement d...

Again, doing the tourist thing after breakfast. We didn't venture too far, just within a square mile of the hotel. It was interesting seeing locals do their thing, killing, plucking and eating within a swoop. You really can't get fresher than that. We all went for a walk around Hoan Kien Lake in the centre of town. Its a big lake, with water a murky green in colour but is supposed to be full of turtles. Dave being the fisherman, did claim he saw one. I was think...