Arthur's Diary, Week 12: Ninh Binh & Halong Bay

Arthur is 65, retired, and spending three months travelling solo (with company when he wants it!) through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. These are his diary entries - an honest view from the first ever DECADES trip, written for anyone wondering whether to make the leap themselves.

A final dose of Hanoi

The last few days out here have been quite busy. Spent a bit of time seeing the last of a very busy Hanoi, even busier than usual due to a public holiday and the Independence / Reunification celebrations. But still a bit calmer than Saigon.

I finally worked out why there are so many craft beer places around the city. There's a huge independent brewery, and it makes the majority of the beers - many off "standard" recipes on a white label basis, and some on a bespoke basis. Mystery of last week's 95p bar bill solved.

Ninh Binh: foot-rowed boats, dragons and a 40km ride

I visited Ninh Binh, two hours west of the city, for a couple of days. The scenic boat trip along Tam Coc Lake was all the more fantastic as the boaters, mainly women, used their feet to power the oars. The afternoon was a 500-step climb up Mua Cave to the iconic dragon and pagoda. Harder than it sounds as the steps were haphazard and varied between 8" and 15" deep! The following day was a 40km cycle ride through the neighbouring countryside - all flat thankfully, but with great scenery.

Halong Bay

No trip to North Vietnam is complete without a visit to Halong Bay. It was stunningly beautiful, even without the sunshine. Its beauty makes it a very popular spot, and despite choosing one of the quieter bays, there were still so many other cruise boats. Ours was thankfully small with only 20 or so (very nice and spacious) berths, with a great external view and private balcony. It was fine dining all the way with some exceptionally tasty food and great service. A great final weekend to my 3-month journey. I even got to take a kayak out for the first time this trip.

Heading home - and one more dispatch to come

So that's about it. I've checked in for my flight to Kuala Lumpur and then from there back to Heathrow. All being well, I should land in London early Tuesday morning.

I've been asked many questions about favourite country, place, meal, activity, trip, etc. I'll probably do one final message to pull it all together and reflect on what has been a truly eclectic 95 days. Then start planning the next adventure...

And about the dog...

For those that are wondering, yes - I did go back with a view to seeing what dog tastes like. However, when I saw the carved animal, I couldn't bring myself to do it.