Day Three - Hanoi to Phong Na - Vietnam

We arrived back in Hanoi after our minibus ride from Halong Bay. We just about managed to survive the journey if a little cramped! Once we arrived back in the city it felt hotter and busier than ever but it was still easy and hassle free to move around and sunny.

We went back to the Elite Hotel where we stayed our first night who had kept our big bags safe so we didn't have to take them on board the boat! Like usual, we were warmly welcomed back by the staff, sat down and given a much needed ice cold glass of water. This hotel couldn't be more hospitable if they tried. While we had been away they had also sorted our train tickets for that night down to Dong Hoi. The travel agent that booked our train tickets had made them purchase a ticket that took us two stations further to Hue which cost us a little extra and added a lot more time to the journey. However, the staff at the Elite Hotel then insisted on getting us a refund for this part of the journey at the station saying it wasn't necessary to travel to Hue, we could just get off at Dong Hoi as we planned. It was obviously a pre bought ticket from the agent who didn't want to loose money. One of the hotel staff then took us in a taxi to the station, got us a refund for the extra part of the journey and took us straight into our train cabin. I honestly can't recommend this hotel and their staff enough. They went well out of their way to make us feel welcomed and our journey as easy and comfortable as possible way beyond the time we stayed with them.

Before we headed to the station we nipped back to the first small backpackers bar for some 'refreshments' before choosing a place to eat.


Jamie picked a restaurant just opposite called the Green Tangerine. It was not the cheapest place to eat coming in at about £60 (you can get a very very decent meal in Hanoi for less than £20 with wine). However, it's a highly rated restaurant that served excellent food and great wine (the wine put up the price) It's a French restaurant so it was nice for Jamie to have some meat! It was a lovely last meal in Hanoi and I would definitely recommend it but you can get lovely local food for a fifth of the price.

Sadly we didn't get much time to explore any more of the city before we had to get the night train but maybe another time. We returned to the Elite Hotel to get the taxi they arranged for us. They again gave us water and also towels so we could use their shower room. We got our taxi to the station through rush hour and saw the modern part of town lined with banks, sky scrapers and lots of French designer boutiques before we arrived at the bustling Hanoi Ga.

We were taken by one of the guys from the hotel to our sleeper carriage. We walked alongside a train I assumed was ours but after passing the end of the train and towards the end of the station I began to wonder what was happening. Then we were guided over three of the tracks to our train three lines over! It made me laugh, you wouldn't dream of doing a thing like this at home - I guess you would be spending the night in a cell if you did! We boarded the train and were in a snug cabin with two bunks that slept four which we shared with a lovely and friendly Vietnamese couple and their young daughter.

The train departed exactly on time at five past eight. We sat up a bit talking to our cabin buddies before trying to get some sleep around nine. It's worth mentioning that when I first met Jamie four years ago he dropper into a number of conversations that he 'only stayed in five star hotels and got drivers most of the time and hated trains and busses' - lucky him! Oh well things change and he didn't seem too distressed!








Our cabin was supposed to be air conditioned but it was like a furnace. I sensibly took top bunk and left Jamie at the bottom so I couldn't hear his complaints or see him pouting (I put ear plugs in too just in case!) Plus the top bunk was only held on by a couple of hinges and I didn't want any accidents. By about 1am the air con kicked in and I managed to get some sleep. The cabin was immaculate and clean and the bed was comfortable and fresh clean bedding and pillows were supplied.

I set my alarm for 5am so I could see the sun rise and managed to wake most of the other people up too! I looked out and we were going through miles and miles of rural jungle. How they built this railway I do not know I will research into this over the next few days. The views were spectacular and as we approached nearer our destination the jungle opened out into rivers, lakes and of course rice paddies already busy with workers.























Jamie survived the night only with a slight comment about how I made him spend the night in a 'hell box!' I was very proud of him and look forward to how he squares up once we arrive at our destination and he realises we are going on a 22km bike ride on bikes with pedals NOT motors!

We pulled into Dong Hoi at 8am and were welcomed by our driver who was to take us to Phong Na village where we will be staying for the next few day. I'm really excited about this as there is so much to see here - keep posted!

Location:Tỉnh Lộ 561,,Vietnam

Day Two - Ha Long Bay - Vietnam

Today we woke up in the Elite Hotel in Hanoi. We had breakfast and headed around the corner to the Hanspan office to catch our bus to Halong Bay. I arranged this back in England after seeing the tour company was highly recommended with various tour guides and travel books. Unlike most of the tours to Halong Bay, this one missed out the main part of the bay (that can see up to three hundred other boats anchored each night and is noisy and commercial) and went further south and anchored alone in a quiet bay.
We set off on the 140km drive to the bay at 8am. Shortly after getting onto the main road out of the city we were making our way along the road narrowly avoiding other vehicles and mopeds again. I was holding my breath the whole time and gasping at the amount of close shaves we were having! Then just like last year going from Ceuta to Meknes, over the Moroccan border, the same thing happened again - we were struck by another vehicle! This time it was in the middle of our guide explaining that thirty people die on these roads each day - it was like it was timed. He got a little distracted momentarily before proceeding with the story. Meanwhile, the other passengers were a little more in shock - so a fellow passenger tried to ease the distress by asking how these things are resolved over in Vietnam. It turns out the two drivers have a heated discussion then the one who wins gets cash and carries on!
We were off again in a matter of seconds on the road to the Bay (I guess we won!) Although the bay is only 130km away it took well over three hours to arrive passing fields upon fields of rice paddies and lotus flowers. Also, I feel quite large here, i'm just over five foot and about 60kg and tower over most of the locals in which the busses are designer for. I just about travelled comfortably as long as I didn't move too much but the other passengers that were taller or wider than me found it a bit of an uncomfortable journey! Jamie dreads the ride back!








Having grown up on a farm, one thing I noticed again passing through the agricultural land was the machinery or rather lack of it in most cases. Most of the fields were being cultivated and harvested by hand and mostly by women too. Our guide told us that most of the men go to the city for work leaving the women and children to work the land at home as their salary is only between one and two dollars a day. Sometimes you did see the odd water buffalo helping out with ploughing and in even rarer cases a tractor. These tractors Jamie pointed out were Kubota's and instead of wheels at the back they had a wide paddle like on the old steam ships.
We continued on the road and passed the train that goes to the Bay.




We thought the bus took a long time but apparently the train takes seven to eight hours and is full of livestock and food. There are plans in place to re-develop this track so that tourists will be able to take the train to the Bay from Hanoi in the near future.
We arrived at the bay at midday and were taken to our boat 'The Treasure Junk' where we were to spend the night. We were very warmly welcomed aboard and showed to our room which was small but very comfortable, modern and clean with beautiful views out to the islands. We were then taken upstairs to the restaurant for lunch. The food was amazing and there was lots of it. I initially read the menu and was struggling to make a choice ok the appetising menu. However, this wasn't a problem - I didn't have to make a choice as we were given everything - all seven courses! We started with hot and sour soup with shrimp followed by Chinese style salad, then came king prawns in chilli, then followed by spring rolls and dipping sauce and finally seasonal fruits. Our appetites were truly satisfied!
After lunch we were given some information about Halong Bay from our guide including that there are over 19,000 individual islands within the bay spanning over thousands of square kilometres. There are also twenty seven sea villages that people live on for months at a time instead of having to make the four hour trip out to the bay and back each day to fish. After this we were taken out in Kayaks to explore the bay visiting some caves in the limestone rock formations and finally to a beach for a swim. It was tiring work in 35 degree heat but worth it to take in the spectacular views of the bay more close up. We swam at the secluded beach in water that must have been at least twenty eight degrees, it was as warm, as a bath!



































After a few hours we returned to the Treasure Junk freshened up and had another amazing six course dinner with a much deserved beer and glass of wine. There were then the options to stay up and watch a film and go squid fishing but by nine o'clock tiredness had overcome us and we were asleep as soon as we hit the pillow!
Our alarm woke us at six in the morning and we went up on deck for a light breakfast of pastries and tea. After breakfast a couple of girls who were also staying on board alerted a couple of members of the crew to a snake that was downstairs. After hearing a few girly screams and a thump they came back upstairs. We shortly found out after that it was a male member of crew that cried the screams and apparently it was a small but very poisonous snake! We had been at sea all night so it must have spent the night with us. I'm just glad I didn't discover it - I'm not a fan of snakes especially the poisonous variety.
After the commotion we then boarded the tender boat and were taken to one of the floating villages nearby. We disembarked at what must have been their version of a village hall then groups of four boarded individual rowing boats provided by locals to tour the village. We were taken around the village and shown the school that was recently set up for children who no longer have regular access to the land and their usual education establishments. These children now study at the floating primary or secondary school that has permanent teachers.




























After touring the village we were taken to another large floating building where hybrid pearls are produced. We were explained the whole process and shown all the different pearl jewellery and souvenirs that they make.












We then returned to the boat for brunch as we headed back to the mainland and our dreaded bus trip back to Hanoi. Halong Bay has been an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend the Hanspan tour on the Treasure Junk to anyone.

Location:Ha Long,Vietnam

Day One - Hanoi - Vietnam

After two train journeys, an hour on the tube, a thirteen hour flight to Singapore (from Heathrow) and another three and a half hour flight to Hanoi, Jamie and I arrived in Vietnam - almost exactly 24 hours after leaving our front door in the UK!

The first time I arrived in Asia, in Mumbai more specifically, I was 21 and had three hundred pound in my pocket to last me three weeks! Now a few years older, having promised myself for years to do this trip, I have finally arrived back. This time I am starting in Vietnam and we will be working our way back to Singapore meandering thought Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia along the way over the course of a month.

We landed on time in Hanoi at midday on Tuesday 9th July. The first thing that hits you here, as soon as you leave the plane, is the humidity. Like in most of the South East Asia Vietnam has a tropical climate and we arrived at the height of the wet season.

I remember when I first arrived in Mumbai seven years ago that there were people everywhere - you literally couldn't move an inch without someone trying to sell you something or offer a service of some kind (and that was before you had even gone through passport control!). At the time I was offered curry in the toilet, by the luggage hall, from a group of persuasive women who had set up camp there. They then expected me to tip each one of them for something I didn't end up even purchasing! I remember this being quite intimidating and was expecting (and slightly anxious) that Hanoi would be the same upon arrival but I was wrong. Instead the airport was calm, clean, relaxed, it's easy to get your visa and no problems with bureaucracy or ten people trying to do the same job confusing the hell out of you! It was easy and stress free!

To make life easier (and being on a slightly less tight budget than back in 2006) I arranged a driver to pick us up and take us to our hotel in Hanoi. I though there may have been some confusion with this as I first arranged it a few weeks back but even this was smooth and we got to our hotel easily with no fuss.

The journey took us from the outskirts of Hanoi, where the airport is, to the city centre's old quarter. The journey was fine but the driving is certainly different here! We made the trip to the hotel safely, navigating our way over both sides of the road (in fact if you didn't know which side of the road they drive on here - you wouldn't be able to guess by looking at which way the traffic flows!) People drive on either side dodging one another miraculously! Crossing the road as a pedestrian as we discovered later in the day is even more of a gamble.


We checked into Hanoi's Elite hotel for the night (which I can very highly recommend) and went out to explore the nearby sights before dark. After standing beside what we know of at home as a zebra crossing for a few minutes we realised none of the traffic was going to stop. Instead you have to just go for it and hope for the best - the more you do it the more you get used to it!






The streets are mazes of food stalls, clothing shops, moped repair centres, restaurants and pubs making it easy to get lost and discover things. However, I was surprise with how stress free it was, sure it's busy, but not like other foreign cities and no one stopped to bother us at all. Trees and street vendors line the way as well as lots of live wires! I stopped off and tried to withdraw some cash but after getting to the third digit of my pin code I had to give up as the electric shocks from the cash machine were too much and had disabled my elbow!





We only managed to make it down to the Hoam Kiem Lake before our journey and jet lag caught up with us so we decided to stop for a beer and some food. We nipped into a restaurant close to our hotel and were taken to the upstairs onto their balcony which was very cosy and sloping heavily downwards. We shared Hanoi special spring rolls to start and had noodles and soup for main. The food was amazing and I could easily eat it every day especially when it all came to about £12 with two beers and G and T's.











We headed back to our hotel and both fell asleep before 9pm and slept through until 3am when I was wide awake which brings me to now! Today we are off to Ha Long Bay to the east. We will return to Hanoi the following day to explore some more before getting the overnight train to Dong Hoi.

Location:Ha Long,Vietnam

Print Trend - 50's Inspired Kitchen Prints

While researching recently I have seen more and more 50's style kitchen utensil prints emerging - here is a board I created with some of my favourite finds.

Image Credits:

1. Not Empire 2. Equilibrium Art  3. Amber Sand Art Studio 4. Kintconte 5. Caroline Holm 6. Patrick Edgerly 7. Jenifer Judd Mcgee 8. Rachel Cave 9. We Heart It 10. Equilibrium Art 11. Liekeland

Petite Prairie - Autumn/Winter 2014/15 - Girls Trend

I have been massively neglecting my blog recently due to a massive workload which makes me sad - however, on Sunday I managed to find a spare few mins to put together this beautiful trend update for Autumn/Winter 2014/15 called Petite Prairie.  I think it pretty much self explanatory and Im sure I will have some updates on this soon!  

I am off traveling around South East Asia in July for a month where my blog will change into a travel blog for a while!  After that I hope to be regularly posting back to normal again! 

Image Credits:

1. Pure Home Blog 2. David Thompson Art 3. Lilly Edwards Gallery 4. Woven play 5. Justin Blakeney 6. Chinoiserie 7. All Things Bright and Beyootiful 8. Mod Cloth 9. Mirdinara 10. Zara 11. next 12. Zara 13. new Lok 14. Zara 15. Zara 16. Bergdoorf Goodman