23 -25 February We had an early wake up call for our trip out to Halong Bay. At 7.30am we boarded the bus and headed to Halong City where we were due to get our boat. Our boat was wooden with three floors. The first floor consisted of half a dozen bedrooms complete with ensuite, the second floor was a restaurant and the third was the viewing deck, where we spent most of our time. The boat was fairly small enough to fit 15 tourists on board. We had one full day...

20 - 22 February Vietnam was mild and damp when we arrived, which was totally different to what we had experienced in China. As soon as we crossed the border you could see the difference between the two cultures and their people. They were far friendlier and they didn't stare as much. We arrived at our guesthouse but they didn't have any room, so they just put us in a different hotel. We spent the evening just getting to grips with the city. Our first full da...