Kyoto
With loads of lovely clean clothes we packed ready to leave. Suitcases were taken to Yamato Luggage forwarding – a service widely used in Japan and known as Takkyubin – to be picked up at Narita Airport before we fly…
Osaka
Crack of dawn – taxi to the airport. Busy, busy – even at this time of the morning. I think this is the first time we’ve made it through security without one or other of our bags being flagged. An…
Bats, Birds & Goats
Today another short bike ride, this time to the Mua Cave https://www.ninhbinh-tour.com/post/mua-cave-steps … although there is a cave, the main attraction is the 486 step climb to the dragon at the top. But first breakfast … river-side chairs and a…
Trang An Boat Tour
Apparently, one cannot leave Ninh Bin without taking a boat tour, and as it’s only a 2 km bike ride from where we are staying, that’s what we did. At first, the sight of dozens of orange-jacketed tourists floating down…
Ninh Binh
Luxury overnight train into Sapa. Travel in style! Comfy berths, tray of snacks, bottled water, complimentary juices (not in sealed bottles … bit worrisome on a rocking train as there’s not much room on the tiny table!) … slippers too.…
Sapa
Decided to leave our suitcases with our landlady La and travel light to Sapa and Ninh Bin (6 days). The Grab cab dropped us at the location of her home in the Kiem Hoan lake area … but not quite…
For the Foodies
We seem to have eaten our way through Vietnam … from South to North. Tuan introduced us to the floating market’s Pho and the outstanding land market with every conceivable thing that lived, walked, swam or grew … and then…
Hanoi Potpourri
We’ve been to the infamous Train Street a couple of times now … during the day, standing at the gates as the train went by. Trains run periodically from 5:30 am until around 10:30pm … different lengths and directions. Originally,…
La Han Bay
Early breakfast this morning … we’re off for a boat ride. Same procedure as before … picking up people along the way. Total chaos appeared to be the order of the day at the dock as coaches and buses disgorged…
Cat Ba Island
We’re off to another home stay for two nights … leaving the suitcases at the Hanoi apartment and just taking backpacks. Pick up spot is the Circle K, no later than 7:10am, a guide will greet us. Arrived 2 minutes…