The first thing I need to say from Hanoi is sorry to all the people I promised Kim-cooked Vietnamese food to when I got home - I didn't manage to do the cooking course I'd planned on doing, due to all the course we founds being a) too expensive, b) too meaty, c) too undersubscribed or d) ideal in terms of price and dishes, but less promising when we ate lunch there and found the food to be a bit rubbish! Shah and I actually spent the best part of our first day in...

As reported last time, Hoi An is indeed very pretty, with lots of traditional Vietnamese buildings and lots of brightly coloured lanterns strung up across the streets and in trees, so aside from the fact that rain ruined our beach plans again, I'd say it was worth the horrendous journey. Shah and I are starting to think that we are cursed when it comes to beach time - or perhaps it's fate trying to save us from a horrible seaside-related death?! Most of Hoi An's...

Nha Trang is like the party zone of Vietnam's coastline - luckily the Shah and I arrived with just enough time to stroll down to the beach for a wander and a paddle before joining the fray! We met two lovely Canadian people and ended up drinking the night away with them in various bars, with lots of dancing and more air guitar to GNR. We accumulated quite a crowd by the end of the night, and when we went outside we were all shocked to discover it was raining - as...

Dalat is a honeymoon destination for Vietnamese couples, so everything is a bit on the romantic side - the restaurants were all about candle light and soft music and wine. Me and Selina liked it for its cooler weather, lack of mosquitoes and kitschy sights - although I have to admit we did seem very much like a couple one night, with me sat in bed reading and Selina watching the football! The best of the kitschy sights was the Crazy House, a bizarre guesthouse de...

They say bad luck happens in threes, and along with the laundry incident in Ho Chi Minh City, the start of our trip to the Mekong Delta proved 'them' right. First, my bank card got cancelled for no good reason (rage!), then Selina and I were ripped off on the bus to My Tho, which ended up with us overpaying for our ticket. Needless to say, we were both fuming when we realised what had happened, but as the guy who scammed us had scarpered within seconds, we had to...