But to travel ...: Vietnam (5-16 April 2014)

We did not expect Vietnam to be so beautiful. The natural scenery is a sight to behold.

Our first stop in Vietnam was Hoi An, a picturesque town with quaint little shops, markets and beautiful temples. We stayed at the Hoi An Pacific Hotel and Spa. It looks a bit run down, but the staff made up for it. The hotel offers a free shuttle to the town and the beach, as well as a 5-minute complimentary foot massage.

At night homes and restaurants are lit up with colourful Chinese lanterns. There are a few restaurants across the road, which also double up as laundromats. There is a also a mini-supermarket next door, and a no-nonsense massage parlour down the road, which I took advantage off. The inexpensive massages are carried out by well-trained blind masseurs. It was one of the best massages I ever had.

Hoi An Pacific Hotel and Spa

Hoi An

Beach in Hoi An

Hoi An Blind Massage

Delicious ripe jack fruit

Hai Van Pass

The drive from Hoi An to Hue was spectacular, as we went via the Hai Van pass. Along the way we could see the ocean and quaint little farms tucked away in the mountains.

Park View Hotel

Yummy stir-fried jackfruit that we couldn't get enough of

Lemon drink with a salted apricot -yummy!!!

Hue was a bit disappointing. The Park View Hotel did not have an inviting lobby area, and the hotel was not in a good location. The roads were so busy that we could not even cross the streets. The Perfume River and shopping areas are not within walking distance. The restaurant attached to the hotel, the Tinh Quan restaurant, served the most delicious vegetarian meals and lemon drinks.

The cyclo driver took us to Dong Ba market, which is a maze of shops in a very crowded setting. Taking a cyclo was hair raising as we had to dodge a few buses and cars, and this was too much for the nerves. The driver could not understand us, neither could he understand him, and he assumed that we hired him for the day. This led to a bit of a confrontation and when we told him that we will catch a taxi back to the hotel, he became extremely angry and would not accept our money. Luckily a shopkeeper rescued us.

The Imperial city is worth a visit. What we found interesting were Hue's supermarkets, and we stocked up on local biscuits to take back home with us.

We wanted to take a cruise down the Perfume River, but the taxi driver took us to the train station, instead of to the harbour, and a persistent cruise tout put us off. Also nobody seemed to be taking any cruise while we were there.

Citadel

Angsana Lang Co is a beautifully, secluded beach resort. The resort is surrounded by the beach on one side and mountains on the other, and is very tastefully decorated.

Angsana Lang Co

In Hanoi, we stayed at the May De Ville City Centre Hotel at the French Quarter side. As our plane was delayed, we arrived here quite late. The first sight that greeted us when we stepped out of the hotel was one of women cutting meat and chicken. The smell lingered long after we left. The hotel itself was a bit scruffy. Our only regret was not staying in a hotel close to the Old Quarter with its myriads of shops, and with each street dedicated to a particular type of merchandise.

We did venture out into the Old Quarter, and what an amazing experience it turned out to be. Wish we had more time, and a map, and wish we could have went back to the street selling souvenirs. The roads in Vietnam are a maze of avenues and alleyways and it is very easy to get lost.