We flew into Noi Bai International Airport and this is where we received our visa (three-month multiple entry). To save time make sure you fill out the visa application form before you arrive and bring USD with you (the visa desk is cash only but there is an ATM for VND if you need). You will also need one passport size photo to hand in with your application. We applied for the visa on arrival (VOA) online in advance but we’re not sure if this was just a scam or if it’s required (they did ask for this when we handed in our application but make sure you do your research beforehand).

Once we got through customs we took the #86 bus into Hanoi Old Quarter. This leaves from outside the main exit, just cross the road and head left. You buy your bus ticket from an assistant who will come to collect the cash from you during the trip (only $1 each). You can also arrange transfers with your hotel for around $10, we did this when we flew to Laos.

We stayed a total of four nights in Hanoi. This was across three different stays in between our trip to Bai Tu Long Bay and Laos (we left our checked in bag at the hotel and just took carry on with us). We would recommend 2-3 days here to explore the city and get the motorbike administration sorted.

We stayed at a couple of different hotels here but this one was our favourite. Very central, comfortable beds and breakfast included. We don’t recommend the other place we stayed so we are not including it here. There’s alot of accommodation options in Hanoi so feel free to do your own research here based on your budget.

Banh Mi 25 – a trip to Hanoi wouldn’t be complete without hitting up this place famous for Banh Mi. Hayley’s favourite in Hanoi.

Bún Bò Nam Bộ – this place was on our recommended list and were lucky to get a table straight away. We’re not even sure if there is a menu, two minutes after sitting down we were served Bun Bo (beef) without asking. It was delicious!

Giang Coffee – head here to try the famous egg-coffee. You will have a choice of hot or cold. Hayley tried hot and it tasted like sweet meringue.

Lantern Lounge – head to the upstairs balcony overlooking the street for a beer or cocktail and great people watching.

Beard Papa’s – just a shop window on a busy street selling custard-filled pastries…need we say more? We noticed this place after seeing a long line of locals. They close early evening so go during the day.

Bread Street – opposite the Hanoi Gratitude Hotel on the corner is a great Banh Mi place, takeaway only. This was Brendon’s favourite in Hanoi.

Kafeville – if you’re looking for a decent western style coffee (flat white, pour over etc.) then this is your place. A cute little cafe located in a quiet area, it’s a nice spot to sit down and relax.

Hanoi is a great place to just wander and look for Pho or Bun Bo. Our trick was to find spots with a lot of locals and it really paid off. Some of the best Pho or Bun Bo we had was at these places (bear in mind that it’s not usually somewhere you would normally pick based on decor…but we’ve learnt these are usually the best spots).

The Caffinet, Gau Coffee Roaster and The Note Coffee are all cafes we had pinned but didn’t make it to. Let us know if you get to any!

Tigit Motorbike Rental – head here before your departure date to sort some administration. Check out our separate blog on getting motorbike ready.

Walk the narrow streets organised by trade. Need a backpack? Head to the street with a dozen backpack stores on it. Need a mattress? Find a mattress store and you will see five of them in a row. And yes, we actually did need a mattress store…if you followed our stories you will know we got a giant piece of mattress sponge for our bike to sit on (don’t laugh…it helped ALOT and made for some very envious looks when we turned up to homestays with other bikers). This layout makes for excellent haggling power, just start walking out of the shop to go next door and they will start yelling prices that get less and less. This came in handy when we were getting bike gear. Hawkers weren’t that bad in Hanoi, they don’t tend to push you to buy until you’re inside the store and start asking for the price.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake – located in the middle of Hanoi, its hard to miss if you’re wandering the streets. Take the bridge across to the Ngoc Son Temple.

Visit the train tracks running through the city with residents either side. We actually stumbled across this walking back to our hotel and decided to take some cool photos, only to realise that everyone else that’s visited Hanoi has done the exact same thing! Head there in the afternoon (from around 2pm) to watch the train go past.

Do an overnight cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay (details below).

Orchid’s Spa – Hayley needed her toes to be in top shape before getting on the motorbike. Make sure you get the Spa Pedicure, it’s 90 minutes and it was so good that Hayley nearly fell asleep.

DAY 1
Drive to Thanh Hoa for a stopover only
Distance: 150km, 3-4 hours
Roads: QL21B, Ho Chi Minh Highway, QL12B, QL1

DAY 2
Drive to Vinh for a stopover only
Distance: 150km, 3-4 hours
Roads: combination to avoid QL1

DAY 3
Drive to Phong Nha National Park
Distance: 200km, 4 hours
Road: QL15, Ho Chi Minh Highway

DAY 1
Find a Nha Nghi or Guesthouse along the way for an overnight stopover only. We stayed at F5 Hotel for $10 but the beds were rock hard. If you are already in Ninh Binh then carry onto Vinh and skip Thanh Hoa.

DAY 2
Find a Nha Nghi or Guesthouse along the way for an overnight stopover only. We stayed at Muong Thanh Grand Cua Dong Hotel which cost $20 for the best sleep. This is where we realised we were willing to pay $10 extra a night to stay in comfort (we’re really not the hostel type…)

Name: Muong Thanh Grand Cua Dong Hotel
Price per night: USD 20
Link: http://www.booking.com/hotel/vn/muong-thanh-grand-cua-dong-vinh.html?aid=1478530&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1

DAY 3 – 5
Make sure you stay in the Phong Nha National Park itself. We read that its common to stay in Dong Hoi and then take the trip into the park for the day, but this takes an hour and makes no sense when you have a motorbike. We stayed in a lovely Guesthouse overlooking the river in a very quiet part of the town. The rooms are comfortable and we loved the location, the only fault we have was ants getting into the sideboards! Apart from that we had an awesome stay and loved lying in the hammocks admiring the view over the river. Tip: if you are the party hostel type then we’ve heard Tiger Hostel is the way to go.

Name: Phong Nha Coco House
Price: USD20
Link: hhttp://www.booking.com/hotel/vn/phong-nha-coco-house.html?aid=1478530&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1ttp://www.booking.com/Share-iqk1PD
Laundry: don’t use the hotel laundry (it came back damp and still dirty)

While you’re on the road there is limited choice of places to eat. Hardly any of the spots are on Google Maps and if they are, the reviews usually have no comments or are in Vietnamese language.

Breakfast is usually served at hotels or guesthouses, and while some of them don’t offer a lot of choices, most places have an egg station so our daily breakfast was an omelette, bread with jam and a coffee (for Hayley).

Lunch and dinner proved to be a bit harder, often we just chose places with lots of locals or at the guesthouse itself (many of them offer dinner and the locals can cook!). Tip: if you’re looking for Banh Mi then make sure you go right at lunchtime. If you turn up after 1 pm then chances are they won’t have anything to offer except one very large plain baguette. When we were in Phong Nha we mostly ate at our guesthouse (Brendon was a fan of their Pho and Hayley was eating bread and fries after her stomach bug).

One of the most popular things to do here is rent a motorbike and drive the loop through the national park and explore. Having a bike already meant that we could visit the sights ourselves on our own schedule. We took off to explore the epic roads and views this park has to offer.

Paradise Cave – there are a couple of main caves that are on the must-see list and we were told if you only have time to visit one then make it the Paradise Cave. It certainly is worth the trip and definitely the largest and most incredible cave either of us had ever seen. There’s a boardwalk for the first km into the cave for you to walk (don’t worry about being claustrophobic, it’s very open and lit up). Once you park your bike in the parking lot it’s about a 20-minute walk to the entrance (or you can take a golf cart to the bottom of the climb for a small fee).

Phong Nha Cave is also popular, as you get to float on a little wooden boat through an underground river.

Dark Cave as it suggests is for the more adventurous as it involves heading into an unlit cave and taking a giant mud bath. You can also zip line/kayak into this one! Probably one for the summer months.

Hang En Cave is the third largest cave in the world and involves a two day, one night trek

DAY 5
Drive direct to Hue
Distance: 220km, 4 hours
Roads: Combination (including QL15) to avoid QL1

ALTERNATIVE MOUNTAIN PASS DRIVE:
DAY 5
Drive the mountain pass to Khe Sanh for a night stopover only
Distance: 230km, 7-8 hours
Roads: Ho Chi Minh Highway
Tip: there is one petrol station along the way, but take extra petrol with you

DAY 6
Carry onto Hue
Distance: 180km, 4 hours
Roads: Ho Chi Minh Highway/QL14, QL49

DAY 5-7
We stayed two nights in Hue at a homestay with a really lovely and helpful host. Fresh towels were brought straight to us (we looked like drowned rats when we arrived) as well as tea and fresh fruit. She even gave us the name of a great tailor that we used in Hoi An. We highly recommend this homestay, but again there is plenty of choice around the backpacker streets.

Breakfast was served at our homestay each morning. Eggs, bread and jam, fruit and a coffee to start the day.

Golden Rice – a delicious restaurant if you need a break from street food. Make sure you try the Spring Rolls (they had a promotion where these were free), they were delicious!

Banh mi trang tien – this was one of the best Banh Mi places we visited in Vietnam. It’s open from 8pm – 12am every evening and it’s literally two ladies who set up shop in a sidewalk pavilion. We watched locals come and go on scooters as they got bags and bags to take away for dinner. We sat down on tiny chairs and ordered three rounds (don’t judge, we were hungry and they only cost 50 cents each…)

The One Coffee & Bakery – a great place for coffee and shakes (not to mention a great place to escape the rain).

Hue Royal Palace – a walled palace within the citadel and now a UNESCO site. Cost: 150’000 Dong. We didn’t actually make it inside the walls. Hue had torrential rain for the entire three days we were there and as soon as we got out of the taxi we were drenched and very cold (as it is not a covered palace we decided to get back in the taxi and skip it).

Abandoned Water Park – a half finished park which was abandoned in 2004 due to insufficient investor funds and now sits as an overgrown park, very popular with tourists. Again this was one we had to skip but it’s on the list for when we return!

Gym – did we mention we stuck to rainy day activities during our time in Hue? For us, that usually involves a workout. We hit up “Fitness Club” near the Big C. An older, boxing gym but it did the trick.

BIg C – if you saw our stories on Instagram you’ll know that we usually hit up a supermarket as soon as we get to a bigger town to browse for snacks and anything else that we may need. If you’re in Vietnam then this is one of the largest supermarkets and you’ll find everything you need here.

There are many tombs and pagodas around Hue if you have the time to visit. Make sure you check out Travel Fish if you want to know more!

DAY 7
Drive to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass
Distance: 140km, 3-4 hours
Roads: QL1A, Hai Van Pass

DAY 7-10
We stayed three nights at the Hoi An Silk Boutique Hotel Villa & Spa, a very relaxing hotel with a pool, gym and spa. Make sure you get a room with a balcony (otherwise it’s an internal room with windows to the corridor). A bit above our average price but we really enjoyed our stay here and the beds were super comfortable. Hayley enjoyed an incredible massage and they serve great breakfast. Hoi An is a tourist town so there is plenty of choice. We recommend 3 nights, this means you get two full days in Hoi An (we faced a long driving day on the day we left).

Laundry: get your laundry done at the spa across the road!

Mr So’n – this was our favourite restaurant in Vietnam! Located across the bridge and away from the crowds, a husband and wife cook the most delicious, authentic Vietnamese food. We loved it so much that we went back every night. Make sure you try the Cao Lau, Pancake, White Rose, Wontons, Spring Rolls, Pho (yes over three nights we tried it all…)

The Bahn Mi Queen – the best Banh Mi we had in Hoi An, enough said.

Phi Banh Mi – head here for a more western style Banh Mi where you can choose fillings such as chicken, avocado etc.

The Espresso Station – if you’re looking for a decent flat white, head here!

CocoBox – serving the most delicious juices and smoothies with unique flavours. Try the double espresso and cacao smoothie…

Mia Coffee – another great cafe serving coffee if you’re around that side of town.

Other great options we were recommended:
Banh Mi Phuong – an Anthony Bourdain favourite so expect long lines here.

The Green Mango – as we ate at Mr So’n every evening we didn’t make it here but we heard its fantastic.

As this is a tourist hotspot, across the river you will find a bunch of western bars and restaurants, as well as night markets. We have heard mixed reviews about the quality of the food at the night markets so we didn’t make it here and we also skipped the bar scene. Irish pubs weren’t really the vibe we were after…

Once you drop your bags head straight to the tailor to get your orders in and fitted. That gives you maximum time for fittings and adjustments while you’re there. Make sure you have an idea of what you want before you go (it can be very overwhelming). We were recommended Canali Clothshop by our Hue homestay host and we HIGHLY RECOMMEND their service. Hayley literally just showed them a photo of a dress she liked and they perfected it, not to mention Brendon’s suits. Tips we were told, don’t go for a dirt cheap tailor, that usually means only 1-2 fittings and less time goes into the finished product. Brendon paid USD200 for a suit, Hayley paid USD50 for a dress and we had 3-4 fittings where everything was perfected. Secondly, (actually, this was something we figured out ourselves). If you try to cut corners on price, they will find a way to cut corners on your clothes. Given what we had made we ended up getting a discount. That goes for food too…don’t haggle for anything that requires a service, they can cut corners too easily (we saw a couple trying to haggle a banana crepe that cost $1).

As mentioned Hoi An is a charming town where you can just stroll the streets and take it all in. You are technically supposed to buy a ticket to visit the old town but tickets are only checked when you enter one of the points of interest. You can buy a ticket for 120’000 dong for 24 hours allowing five places of entrance, including the Tan Ky Museum, the Japanese bridge, museums and handicraft shops. We loved visiting all the little shops with beautiful artwork and handicrafts. In the evenings you can take a boat down the river and float candles.

Gym – if you’re feeling like a workout like we did, then head to Superfit Hoi An Fitness and get a three-day pass (this one is a lot nicer than the one in Hue). Lockers and towels provided.

Barber – Brendon was in need of a haircut and we found Shop Barber Shave Huy Bui for a full service: cut, beard trim, wash, massage. The service is amazing, there is a reason it’s rated 4.9 on Google.

Head to the Beach! Hue is a great beach destination, particularly for the summer months or even on a warm, sunny day. There are plenty of beach resorts to stay here too (just think of that Top Gear episode where they relax waiting for their tailor-made clothes). An Bang and Cua Dai are popular beaches.

Tip: if you are flexible with your visit then try and get to Hoi An during a Lantern Festival, they occur every full moon (google to get the exact dates).

Remember: as a tourist town, there is an annoyingly large amount of hawkers. You can’t walk down the main restaurant boardwalk without sellers yelling at you from inside their shops, or worse, walking with you to try to guide you into their stores. This was the first time we were overwhelmed with it all, and it was here where we realised we wanted to get off the beaten track and avoid the tourist areas.

DAY 10
Drive to Kon Tum
Distance: 280km, 6 hours
Roads: QL14, Ho Chi Minh Trail

DAY 11
Drive the Kon Tum loop
Distance: 110km, 3-4 hours
Roads: DT765, QL14E

DAY 10-13
We originally planned to only stay a night here and ended up staying three. This remains one of our favourite homestays of our entire stay. A family run place who make you feel right at home. Every night they host a shared dinner with the other guests (all on motorbikes like us), finished with tea and biscuits with the hosts inside. We felt so welcome and it was hard to leave at the end. They even teach maths to school children in the evenings at the homestay itself and you can help out.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND
P.s. Get your laundry done here!

We actually ate at the homestay every chance we got, the food is so delicious! For breakfast the choice of delicious Pho or eggs, for lunch we made homemade summer rolls (think fresh spring rolls) and for dinner, they serve a range of delicious plates for everyone to share. You won’t go hungry!

Kon Tum is a great base to visit some of the Bahnar minority villages. Unlike Buon Ma Thot which require government officials to guide you around, here you are free to visit the villages yourselves, although without someone showing you around you may get a bit lost. Our homestay host was kind enough to take us on a half day trip around some of the villages where we got to visit a Rong (a longhouse at the centre of each village) and stroll through the villages with all the local families. It was here we learnt the local villages don’t speak Vietnamese (they have their own dialect!). This was one of the most special moments of our trip.

Another recommendation is to drive the Kontum Loop. A 110km loop that will take you on some country roads close to Cambodia and Laos, as well as past some of the Vietnam War memorials. Since a large portion of this drive is on unpaved roads, expect a half day trip for this loop. Take the road DT765 until it loops up to QL14E (main road). We only saw a couple of other motorbikes on the country roads, and it’s these types of roads where you have children running up to you yelling hello and admiring our bike as we drove past…

DAY 13
Drive to Buon Ma Thot
Distance: 220km, 4-5 hours
Roads: QL14

DAY 14
Drive to Dalat
Distance: 200km, 5 hours
Roads: QL27

DAY 13
Find a Nga Nhi or Guesthouse along the way for an overnight stopover. We stayed at Coffee Tour Resort for a comfortable nights sleep (which just happened to be next door to a coffee museum). This area is famous for coffee farms and more minority villages. Since we had visited the minority villages in Kon Tum we skipped them here (unlike Kon Tum you will need special permission to visit the villages in Buon Ma Thot) and therefore we decided to only stay one night. There’s not too much to see in the town that is why we decided to stay longer in Kon Tum. Bear in mind the drive from Kon Tum to Buon Ma Thot is long and boring (the drive to Dalat the next day is a lot more interesting).

Name: Coffee Tour Resort
Price per night: USD22
Link: http://www.booking.com/hotel/vn/coffee-tour-resort.html?aid=1478530&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1

DAY 14-16
We stayed two nights in Dalat, which was long enough given that we saw some of the sights along the way on our bike (there are some day trips you can do from Dalat so if you don’t have a bike then we would recommend you stay longer). We stayed at a small guesthouse which is very central and everywhere was walkable. The beds were very comfortable and we had a great stay, the only downside is that it’s in a neighbourhood with lots of ongoing construction, so don’t count on a sleep in.

Name: Villa Doc May Guesthouse
Price per night: USD20
Link: http://www.booking.com/hotel/vn/villa-doc-may.html?aid=1478530&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1

An Cafe – we ended up here several times over our three days and there’s a reason…the perfect flat white, delicious fresh strawberry smoothies and great brunch options! This place does get packed over peak times though, especially for the sought over swing tables (watch out for the many locals sitting at their table for hours with just a cup of coffee and their camera in selfie mode).

Bicycle up cafe – a great cafe to relax for coffee while wandering the streets.

Primavera – this is actually an Italian restaurant and we ended up eating here both evenings (after weeks of Pho and Banh Mi we felt like some western food). The restaurant is run by an Italian so you can’t go wrong. The pepperoni pizza was delicious!

Lien Hoa Bakery – we made it to a couple of these bakeries during our trip and this one didn’t disappoint. On the morning of our departure, we stopped by and packed a picnic of goodies to have for lunch on the road. Make sure you also try the Banh Mi here!

Trung Nguyen Coffee Village – this is the coffee museum next door to the hotel in Buon Ma Thot. Head here for a great coffee (Hayley had the affogato) and a slice of passionfruit cake.

Lak Lake – you will pass this lake on your drive from Buon Ma Thot to Dalat. We passed a floating fishing village and it’s a lovely lake to stop by and take in the view.

Coffee Weasel Farm – this area is famous for trying Kopi Luwat (the most expensive coffee in the world). We visited an organic farm where we learnt about the process and Hayley tried a cup. It was super smooth tasting, we understand why it’s so expensive. Tip: make sure you eat first, it won’t agree with a weak stomach!

Maze Bar – one of the most interesting bars we’ve visited, an old house which has been made into a dark maze with several floors. You buy a drink as your entrance fee, and your aim is to make it to the top bar for more drinks. A lot of fun!

Night Market – a lot of street food to try as well as fresh fruit (Dalat is strawberry farm central so you will see these everywhere!)

Elephant Waterfall – we visited this on our way into Dalat. There were a lot of bikes here and worth the visit if you have time, however we enjoyed the Pongour Waterfall a lot more (after spending a week in Iceland earlier this year we now have high waterfall expectations…)

DAY 16
Drive to Di Linh via Pongour Waterfall
Distance: 100km, 2 hours
Roads: QL20

DAY 16-18
We stayed for two nights at Juliet’s Villa Resort and this was one of our favourite stays in Vietnam. Three adorable puppies came running up to us on the bike as we drove in. We stayed in a bungalow overlooking their own private waterfall (you can even walk down to it). There are only a few bungalows meaning it is very peaceful and quiet. In fact, the other guests were only there for overnight stops so it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. There is a pool and the hosts prepare delicious food! We highly recommend this place to stay during your trip and make sure you stay longer than one night.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND
P.s. Great place for laundry!

We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at Juliets. As mentioned this place is well off the beaten track and therefore there isn’t much nearby. The food was so delicious that we looked forward to meals being prepared fresh for us, including BBQs!

Pongour Falls – head here on your way to Juliet’s for lunch. There is a parking spot for a small fee where you can safely leave your gear and walk down to the falls. It’s amazing how different these look during dry season; you can walk out onto rocks at the base. No chance of that for us!

Ho Kala – during our two days at Juliet’s we mostly relaxed in the sun at our bungalow with the puppies, however we did go for a small outing to the lake Ho Kala. It was a great drive passing through some local villages and we sat lakeside and admired the view.

DAY 18
Drive to Cat Tien National Park
Distance: 120km, 3.5 hours
Roads: QL20

DAY 18
We stayed at Spirit Garden Guesthouse for a whole USD8 and this is one we highly recommend. This was our choice over the famous Green Bamboo Lodge. You are paying very little for a very basic bungalow (think floor decking and mattresses with mosquito nets) but they are very clean, they’re located on a quiet, small river and the host is very friendly and helpful! After spending the afternoon at the park we came back to a fridge full of beers and hammocks on our balcony, it was the most relaxing afternoon! When we visited there had previously been a lot of rain and the driveway was one giant mud slush, meaning our shoes, socks and bike got destroyed (the owner had been waiting for government approval to get it paved and he was hoping it would be finished for new year).

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

We ate lunch, dinner and breakfast at the homestay, and it was delicious! That evening there was only us and one other couple as guests (also bikers) and our host made us his special BBQ pork. It was incredible and he kept refilling our plates until we were all in food comas. It ended up being his treat to us, we didn’t pay a thing (and with breakfast also included in the rate it made for a very cheap stay)!

The homestay has free bicycles for you to use to explore the town and park (the park entrance is a 5-minute drive away). We ended up taking the motorbike to the entrance (once you park you take a short ferry across the river) then you have 720km2 of the park to explore!

We ended up walking the small loop as we only had an afternoon, but there is a lot to see. The host will give you a map with some options based on how long you have. During our walk we saw monkeys swinging from the trees!

Tip: you have to wear covered pants and leech socks as the park is full of (small) leeches. The host has leech socks for you to borrow. To be honest the leeches did put us off a bit, especially as we saw some other visitors with their shoes off trying to get dozens of leeches out of their shoes at the park entrance (they are so small they are hard to see). Brendon ended up getting a couple in his shoes, we had to walk through a small river but the socks did their job!

DAY 19
Drive to HCM via Cu Chi Tunnels
Distance: 230km, 6 hours
Roads: QL14

DAY 20
Drive to Ben Tre Province
Distance: 90km, 2 hours
Roads: QL1A

DAY 18
We stayed at the Cajou Resort for a night stopover only. Brand new guesthouse with huge rooms and a pool, it was the perfect place to relax with a swim after climbing through those Cu Chi tunnels.

Name: Cajou Resort
Price per night: USD30
Link: http://www.booking.com/Share-VDLGrz

DAY 19-21
We stayed at the Quoc Phuong Riverside Homestay and this was another one of our top favourites. As mentioned the host himself took us in his own boat around the Mekong Delta where we chilled in hammocks on the boat with beers in hand. Very clean and comfortable rooms and the most delicious homecooked food, he even shared some of his rice wine with us! This was one of our most memorable stays and we will definitely return one day.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Name: Quoc Phuong Riverside Homestay
Price per night: USD22 (one bedroom chalet)
Link: http://www.booking.com/hotel/vn/quoc-phuong-riverside-homestay.html?aid=1478530&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1
Laundry: great place for laundry!

Again, we really enjoyed staying at homestays because the locals can really cook! Breakfast, lunch and dinner we ate at the homestay. At Ben Tre, the host actually served us up a selection of different dishes each night of his choice, they were so delicious and we went back to our rooms very full and sleepy!

Cu Chi Tunnels – make sure you go to the Ben Duoc tunnels (not the Ben Dinh). The Ben Dinh tunnels are where the tour buses go and many of the tunnels are fake or have been widened. At Ben Duoc they are all the original tunnels, the first couple you will climb through have been widened so everyone can fit through but at the end some of you will have the choice to crawl through 30m of original 250km tunnels (you need to listen to the instructions because if you make a wrong turn you will end up lost). Brendon was too tall for these, even Hayley was completely bent over and had to bum shuffle her way down parts of it.

Mekong Delta – take the full day tour with the host (we asked for a private tour for just us two, there are only three rooms at the guesthouse so chances are he will have the time). We paid 25USD each (50USD for the boat) and it was probably the best tour we’ve been on. We visited the local sights and trades, as mentioned the most memorable being able to visit a family’s home on a floating fishing village. They had one small bedroom (no bed just blankets on the wooden floor), a bathroom and a kitchen area. They even have power to most villages and some of them have a TV and washing machine (we learnt that the fishing villages are quite successful for families and they enjoy a simple, happy life).

DAY 21
Drive to Ho Chi Minh City
Distance: 90km, 2.5 hours
Roads: QL1A

We were recommended to stay away from the backpacker streets as they get extremely noisy at night. As we were planning to have a couple of chill days we opted for a hotel outside of this area but still super central. We stayed at Ohana Hotel which had very comfortable beds and we loved the location.

Pizza 4Ps Ben Thanh – a famous Japanese pizza restaurant with branches across Vietnam. A modern restaurant with a range of delicious classics and unique flavours. We ordered two half n half pizzas to share which meant we could try four flavours…Italian salami & chorizo, Margherita, Teriyaki Chicken and Four Cheeses. Make sure you make a reservation online in advance and choose your timeslot!

Ben Thanh Market – a great night market for local dishes.

SaiGon Coffee Roastery – head here for some of the best (western style) coffee we had in Vietnam. Every type of coffee you can think of is served here, the hard part is deciding what you want!

Takeaway Delivery – don’t judge but the first night we got here we felt like staying in. We ended up having McDonald’s delivered right to our hotel! Easy as to order online. There’s nothing like a night in with Deluxe Cheeseburgers and Netflix.

Backpacker Street – a great place for some food and drinks and to take in the atmosphere of the streets.

Saigon Skydeck – we didn’t make it here but it’s close to the hotel with a great lookout point.

Rooftop Bars – drinks with a view have become very popular in Ho Chi Minh with many bars popping up including Chill Sky Bar, Air 360 Sky Lounge and The View Rooftop Bar.

Fame Nails – just the place to get those toes in top shape before hitting up the islands for a week.