HANOI & HALONG BAY...

I've been very lucky to have been able to explore this side of the world lots since I moved here nearly two years ago. And having friends come to visit means that I am able to explore even more! My most recent guest, Betsy, joined me at the end of June and we decided that we would head away for two long weekends. One to Bali. One to Hanoi, Vietnam, with another friend Sarah.

As I've not been to Vietnam before I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, I had heard from Paul and Joe that Halong Bay was a must. So after landing in the middle of the day our trip began with an afternoon wandering the streets of Hanoi, taking in the atmosphere and of course tasting the local cuisine. Our first meal, Bun Cha. A simple dish originating in Hanoi itself. A combination of grilled pork and vermicelli noodles and herbs in a steamy broth of fish sauce. Before heading to Vietnam the only Vietnamese cuisine I have really tasted has been Chicken Pho (a favorite hangover cure of mine) and rice paper spring rolls so this was such a different taste to experience.

Hanoi itself is in the capital of Vietnam and the country's largest city with a population estimated at 2.6 million (but that was back in 2009!) For me I found it super noisy! So many scooters. It's slightly frantic and trying to cross the road is an experience in itself. Motorists don't seem to understand zebra crossings and you just have to hold your head up and power walk as fast as you can, as confidently as you can to be able to cross from one side tot he other! 

On a recommendation we reserved a table at The Green Tangerine for dinner (http://greentangerinehanoi.com/). What an incredible restaurant. I would highly recommend. 

"Welcome to Green Tangerine, a peaceful oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. Conveniently located in the city's famous Old Quarter, the restaurant offers French food with a Vietnamese twist made from the freshest ingredients, accompanied by service that is comparable to European and American Standards. One of the finest French restaurants in town."

Our second day was "adventure day" to Halong Bay. Lucky enough to have a mini bus to ourselves, we managed to catch some sleep on the way there (with an early 6am start it was needed!) and by the time we reached Halong Bay (about a 3 hour drive) we were refreshed and ready to go! We had found a boat trip through the Jetstar website and were amazed to discover we had the whole boat to ourselves with our own private tour guide (Tom) and chefs to cook us lunch. 

Apart from cruising around the area (which covers 1,553 square km and includes 1960 - 2000 islets) mostly made from limestone we got to discover the Halong caves. A natural wonder. Breathtaking. 

A few people had told me that I couldn't visit Hanoi without trying Cha Ca La Vong. It's a restaurant that serves only one dish. Cha Ca ... or grilled fish. This place has certainly earned its place on the map. It was delicious. Cooked in a pan on the table in front of you on a charcoal burner and served with different herbs, rice vermicelli (again!), nuoc cham dipping sauce, sliced chillies and roasted peanuts. 

A short but very sweet trip to experience a small taster of Vietnam. Still plenty more to see! But of course I am sure that we will be heading back there very soon. So many more places to see and so much to do! It seems like I've spent a lot of time in the air recently. I thought it would be quite interesting to figure out how many miles I travelled this year just between May and July: 

Singapore - Brazil : 10555 miles

Singapore - UK : 6739 miles

Singapore - Bali : 1050 miles

Singapore - Vietnam : 1363 miles

Singapore - Sydney : 3925 miles

Three months and a whopping 47,264 miles in the air! I firmly have my feet on the ground for a few months before my trip home to the UK in November!