Hanoi to Vientiane - Flight

We made the decision to fly from Hanoi to Vientiane instead of getting the bus. Our main reason for flying was it takes little under an hour whilst the bus would take 24 hours. Of course the flight cost quite a bit more but it was a nice change from long buses and trains.

We found Lao Airlines offered the cheapest flights for the day we were travelling with flights at £79 per person which included checked in luggage of 20kg. It was very simple to book online via there website and no online check is needed beforehand, simply print your e-tickets to take to the airport.

Hanoi airport is easy to reach via taxi, we paid for a taxi through our hotel which cost roughly $15 and took around 30 minutes from the old quarter. Check in at the airport didn't take long and they ask you for seat preference (aisle or window seat).

After that you go through passport and baggage control which doesn't take long. Hanoi airport has a range of small establishments to buy food, drink and duty free products. We personally found it quite expensive. They also have a lot of souvenir shops!

Boarding was swift and the plane itself offered plenty of leg room. During the flight you get a small snack box with a sandwich and carton of water for free. Try and get a window seat as some of the views are very impressive from high up!

Entering Laos you fill in a couple of forms for arrival and applying for a visa. It was straight forward and you need just one passport photo. For UK residents it cost $35, most countries seemed to be priced between $30-40. After this we picked up our backpacks and got a taxi to our hotel. If you arrive at Laos with no currency like us there are plenty of cash machines at Vientiane airport with the standard fees and rates.

Overall experience 5 out 5

Hanoi to Sapa - Train

After arriving in Hanoi we decided to get the daytime train to Sapa. We booked tickets online for the 06.10 train from Hanoi (LC3 Vietnam Railways) arriving at Lao Cai at 15.46 using website baolau.vn 

I found this website very easy and quick to use. The normal soft seats cost 144,000 VND each with a total processing and service fee of 107,000 VND coming to a total of 395,000 VND for two seats. You can't pick your seats however they will always put them together unless the train is nearly full. I would recommend booking a couple of days in advance. Shortly after I received the e-tickets via email which don't need printing out for Vietnam Railways.

The train itself was comfy with aircon however the train is very slow and you'll be counting down the final hours! It's best to take some drinks and food with you as the train trolley is limited and a jacket as it gets a bit cold after a while. 

Once you arrive at Lao Cao station you will see only a few minibuses getting offered to you as it is much busier if you get the night train! We read online that it should cost 50,000 VND each, they initially wanted 100,000 VND but we ended up settling for 75,000VND as not many minibuses were left and a taxi would cost a lot more. I'm sure if you push for the lower price they will give in.

The minibus itself was full but we had no issues with the hour drive to Sapa. The drivers are known for crazy driving so expect no difference here. The views on the drive are fantastic and really get you excited for your trip to Sapa! Finally they drop you off by the lake in Sapa and you can reach most hostels/hotels by foot in no more than 15 minutes.

A quick summary of our return trip to Hanoi on the night train. We left booking the train too late and no tickets for sleeper compartments were left. We had no choice but to get the 21.10 train from Sapa to Hanoi in the local carriage with only soft seats! It was a very uncomfortable trip, with lights staying on and people getting on and off. A 'local' experience but I would try and stay away from this and get a bed compartment. It also didn't help we got charged $15 each for tickets by our hotel (double the price).

3 out of 5

Hoi An to Hue - EasyRider

After a fantastic few days in Hoi An I planned to move onto Hue via the Hai Van Pass. At first, I thought about renting a motorbike and riding across myself- but with little experience and knowledge of motorbikes, I opted against this.

After this, I decided to go with an easy rider and looked around online. I decided on going with EasyRider Hoi An which had been recommended on TripAdvisor. I emailed the company and within a few hours, I had arranged to go with them for a fee of $55 with an 07.30am start the next day.

In the morning, they arrived on perfectly on time and after securely strapping my backpacks onto the bike, we set off for Hoi An.

• The first stop of the journey was Marble Mountain- not far away from Hoi An. This was fascinating to see and had some great views from the top. 

• We then rode through Danang and stopped on the beach front. My guide took a few photos of me on the bike with my phone, making it look like I was driving.

• Following this, we made our way onto the Hai Van pass- this was certainly the highlight of the ride! The views were phnemonal and we stopped at various points for photos and a drink, with the guide giving me loads of information. Of course they mentioned Top Gear!

• I hadn't expected much after this, however I had forgotten that we were stopping at Elephant Falls. Wow. It is a must on the way to Hue- the various fresh water pools and waterfalls make it very refreshing!

• With an hour to go, we stopped at a roadside cafe for some local food. I got given homemade soups, a mound of food including fish, shrimp, chicken & pork and an omelette. Not all to my taste but nevertheless great to try.

• Approaching Hue my driver stopped one final time for a drink and to try and get me onto another tour in Hue. I had no interest in going on another tour, however I spoke with him about them and took his number if I changed my mind. Sometimes this can change the mood however all was fine!

• Finally we arrived at my hotel in Hue at 14.00 on time and paid for the ride.

Overall the EasyRider experience and day was great, the fee included all entrance fees, drinks and food. I would recommend this journey to anyone travelling, whether you decide to either ride by yourself or go with an EasyRider.

5 out of 5

Travel Connoisseur Dan

Nha Trang to Hoi An - Sleeper Bus

Hello everyone, welcome to my blog 'Travel Connoisseur Dan'. As this is my first blog, I'll do quick introduction of myself; I'm currently travelling around South East Asia and have been here for over 2 months now. I have currently visited South Thailand, Cambodia and I am now in Vietnam.

My first blog is going to give you some information about travelling from Nha Trang to Hoi An. I had a look around at local deals for this trip but with it being an 11 hour sleeper bus I decided to travel with the more well known company called The Sinh Tourist. We located their office in Nha Trang and booked tickets for the sleeper bus.
They run one bus daily to Hoi An which leaves at 19.00 local time at a cost of 249,000 Vietnamese Dong. You only need to arrive at the office 30 minutes before arrival to check in.

Once I arrived at the bus it was a very smooth process of getting onto the bus and we left just before 19.00 with a full bus. With being 6ft 4 I had asked for a middle seat on the ground floor when booking to hopefully have enough leg room! Even though I couldn't stretch my legs out fully I could put them into either aisle easily.
After leaving we stopped a few times before 12 mainly for toilet breaks and the driver to have a smoke and drink. From 12 we didn't stop until 4 however most people seemed to be sleeping. If you do need the bathroom they will stop if you ask however most of the time it will be just on the side of the road.
After just 10 hours we arrived in Hoi An in the early hours of the morning at 5.15am. Taxi drivers are around if needs be however I  choose to walk to our accommodation with a nice cool morning stroll. Thankfully my accommodation had early check in!

Overall experience of this journey with The Sinh Tourist was very good. No thrills but we arrived on time with no problems.

4.5 out of 5