Having whizzed through Ho Chi Minh City we were keen to get to the Mekong Delta to experience a bit of rural Vietnam. Tours run from HCMC to the delta on a regular basis but we wanted to travel independently and so decided to take the bus to Vinh Long, a smaller town. We had played with the idea of staying in a homestay but wanted to get there first and then decide. By chance, or more like good business sense, we were approached by a Mr Nam as soon as we got off...

Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) was our next stop. We decided to fly from Hanoi in order to save precious days on our itinerary. On the flight we sat next to a middle aged Vietnamese lady who we assumed hadn't flown before. We assumed this mainly because she was very anxious to bless the flight by giving the air hostess money. The embarrassed air hostess refused the money so the Vietnamese lady threw it on the floor. She was then satisfied and was able to sit back...

Right from the start Hanoi was a shock to the system. The pollution, the danger and chaos of thousands of near suicidal mopeds and the people living their lives out on the street. I thought that after South America, we wouldn't be too surprised by anything we saw, but Hanoi seemed an alien world, and a genuinely Asian experience. We had organised an airport pick-up through the hotel and it made a welcome change not to have to bargain with taxi drivers. Our hote...