Pattaya

The next leg of our journey was in Thailand; Pattaya and Bangkok to be specific.

We caught the cheap airport bus to Pattaya, walked in the hot weather for far too long with our luggage (a recurring occurrence on our trip) and finally made it to our nice hotel. Our accommodation up until that point had been on the budget side and it was definitely nice to have a great shower and a comfortable bed.

Hanoi

The main reason for our visit to Vietnam's capital - Hanoi - was to embark on the Ha Long Bay tour. Subsequently, we didn't have much time for the city itself; it was effectively a day combined.

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is one of the most iconic places in Vietnam. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and is also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. It is an enormous bay with dark turquoise water and thousands of limestone karsts covered with thick vegetation.

The name means 'descending dragon' and according to legend, the karsts were formed from the dragons who came to protect the Vietnamese people from enemies. They scattered emeralds and jade - which formed the karsts- into the ocean to form a natural barrier and prevent any future invasions.

Hội An

Hội An - the place that everyone seems to know and talk about. A historic port town active from 15th to 19th century, the town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. It has retained the original and traditional wooden architecture and street plan.

Warning: image heavy because I love all the photos of the yellow buildings.

Da Nang

Remember how I mentioned that we preferred to explore a city on foot? Continuing on with that idea, we decided to walk back to our hotel from Marble Mountains.

The good: It was one straight and - thankfully - flat road. Also, as it was approaching sunset, it was slightly cooler. Marginally.
The bad: It was 8 kilometres.

Marble Mountains

The coastal city of Da Nang has played an important role in Vietnam's history. During the 16th century, it was a key port for European and Asian merchants. It was where the French landed in the 19th century; the start of French colonisation and rule. Further, it was where US troops landed in 1965 to join the Republic of Vietnam's war efforts.

Fast forward to present day, the city is a bit of a strange place. But more on that later.

Ho Chi Minh City iii

After arriving back in Ho Chi Minh City from Củ Chi, we headed out for food.

Củ Chi Tunnels

During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong built an extensive network of underground tunnels which were used to transport supplies, house combatants and allow combatants to discretely move around during attacks.