After the visit of the citadel in Hué it was time to take the bus for Hanoi, one of the most uncomfortable trip so far. Finally arrived in the early morning in Hanoi and the battle of prices started; as they want to charge you 4 to 10 times the normal price, you have to fight for anything. We managed to find a taxi for 12 time cheaper than what they were all asking for.
Little Hanoi, our hotel was lovely. Nothing special but the people working there were kind and very helpful. On the first day we managed to book our trip for Halong bay and Sapa. Budget prices of course, so we do not expect 5 * hotels and great service.

Saigon is a city like an ants colony, thousands of people and motorbikes, an organisation well orchestrated, everybody knows their job to make it efficient. In the other way Hanoi is ANARCHY, a place that at the moment you enter you want to leave. A place that makes London feels like a calm little village.

When we planned our trip to Vietnam, our star destination has always been Halong Bay. We have seen so many magnificent pictures with the crystal clear water and the old wooden jonk navigating around tiny green islands. The place is beautiful, even with the bad weather we had (1 to 2 deg). But what is missing from the picture is hordes of tourists and the way the business is run. It' a disaster for such a place, it feels like taking the tube at rush hour. It's all about the money without respect of the environment and the tourists.