Hue & Hoi An, Vietnam

After spending time in Hanoi and Halong Bay it was time for us to leave and catch the overnight sleeper train to Hue. After catching taxis across town we arrived in plenty of time for the train, found our six-berth cabins and crammed our rucksacks into any available space, ready to enjoy the twelve-hour journey.

The guys went off to find the drinks carriage, returning four hours later having sampled most of it. A couple of us explored the train and were amazed to see people crammed into every nook and cranny including in corridors, cupboards and behind doors. We had been warned off trying any of the food on the food trolley - a selection of unappetising rice or noodle dishes - and when the guys later told us they'd seen noodles being rinsed out on the floor in amongst the cockroaches, we knew we'd made a wise decision to avoid it!

Going to the loo was certainly an experience. There are Western style or Vietnamese 'squat' toilets on board. Thankfully we were near a Western one. Even so, the loos weren't particularly clean and over the course of the twelve-hour journey, the floor got progressively more wet through so you could never be entirely sure what you were standing in.

With the exception of the guys rolling in late, plus one of our party being escorted back by the train police after being involved in a fight, the journey was largely uneventful. I didn't sleep a wink though everyone else in the cabin said they slept well, no doubt being lulled by the motion of the train.

We arrived in Hue on a humid but overcast day. As we only had a day in Hue, after checking into the hotel, I decided to wander round and see some of the local sights. Wandering across the Perfume River, a local rickshaw driver started following me for a couple of blocks, pointing out some landmarks. I decided to pay him to bring me round Hue and, after paying him the princely sum of 120,000D or £3.50 spent a very pleasurable hour being shown the sites including the Imperial City, the Citadel and the Dong Ba market, including some sights not in the guidebooks - Ho Chi Minh's family home and a pagoda complete with monks in flowing, yellow robes.

Foolishly, I had gone out without sunscreen and ended up with sunburnt arms. Hot and bothered I decided to return to the hotel and relax for the remainder of the day and try to catch up on sleep. Dinner that night was at a local restaurant 'Ushi's' where we chowed down on local Hue specialities while Ushi herself, something of a local celebrity, mingled with her customers.

Our stay in Hue was short but sweet and was certainly quieter after the chaotic streets of Hanoi, but we had heard great things about Hoi An and were looking forward to moving on.

For the four hour trip to Hoi An we decided to hire our own private bus rather than take the public bus as it gave us the option to take a slightly different route through the stunning scenery via Làng Cò beach, Danang, Marble Mountain and the Hai Van Pass. Each twist on the mountain road and hairpin bend, threw up another stunning vision of the coast below.

Arriving in Hoi An, the distinctive yellow, colonial style buildings in the Old Quarter and lanterns hanging from the pink and purple bougainvillea draped across the front of the buildings, gave the town an immediate charm. Despite the abundance of motorbikes, Hoi An has a friendly, chilled out vibe. The people seem friendlier and the town is fully geared up for tourists with its many cocktail bars, restaurants and cafes.

Hoi An is known around the world for its tailors who make beautiful hand made, made-to-measure clothes and shoes and there are several hundred of them in Hoi An. We were also lucky enough to visit a silk factory to see how silk is extracted and came face to face with real, live silk worms.

While in Hoi An we ate, for me, one of the best meals in Vietnam so far. Streets is a restaurant that helps train disadvantaged kids to become chefs. While slightly more expensive than average Vietnamese prices, the food is delicious. I started with local speciality White Rose wontons (steamed shrimp wontons), followed by another speciality 'claypot' with caramelised aubergine and tofu and steamed rice. It was incredible. And still only about £8.

Hoi An was certainly one of my favourite places in Vietnam. We met some characters - like the lady who followed me around and wouldn't leave me alone until I'd visited her shop or the Canadian guy who came to Hoi An for a holiday, ended up staying and has now opened his own coffee shop doing great Western style coffee and cakes.

We left Hoi An wishing we could have stayed longer and secretly hoping that some day some of us might come back. Next up was a ten-hour train journey to Nha Trang on one of the busiest holidays in Vietnam - Reunification Day. We prepared ourselves for the ensuing chaos.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

After a couple of days in Hanoi, it was good to leave the city behind and travel the 3.5 hours to Halong Bay. Heading out of Hanoi we crossed the Red River and caught our first glimpse of the 'real' Vietnamese countryside; the lush, green rice fields being tended by women in their traditional conical hats and the rows of banana plants drooping in the stifling heat.

Halong Bay, translated as the Bay of Descending Dragons, is a cluster of some 3,000 limestone islands, covered in thick vegetation, that rise majestically out of the Gulf of Tonkin. Many of them are hollow or contain amazing cave formations. The sight of them from the boat as you pass between them really is quite spectacular.

Later in the day, after an afternoon of exploring the aforementioned caves and swimming at a small tourist beach, we sailed into the secluded bay where we dropped anchor for the night and watched traditional fishermen trawling the water for fish and other crustaceans.

We were well looked after on the junk by our small crew of three and the food served on board was delicious: freshly baked whole fish cooked in ginger and chilli, scallops, squid and tiger prawns, spring rolls, rice, noodles and a wonderful array of simply prepared but delicious vegetables.

I don't think there's anything more idyllic than sailing across a beautiful bay whilst watching the sun go down. It was a marvellous introduction to the 'real' Vietnam and the wonders yet to come.

After a brief return to Hanoi, our next stop is the former capital of Vietnam, Hue. See you there.

Hanoi, Vietnam

So after three flights, various bus, train and taxi journeys, including an overnight stopover in Bangkok, I arrived in Hanoi yesterday, having travelled almost 7,000 miles. Vietnam, after the apparent serenity of my, albeit brief taste of Thailand, seems more chaotic and frenetic; the people a bit more surly and opportunistic if the experience of trying to get from the airport to the city is anything to go by. But also unexpected friendliness and generosity too, like the old man who smiled and waved at me from the bus going past mine or the young Vietnamese who wanted to talk to me to practice their English, who introduced me to their family then politely shook hands with me as they left.

But then there's always someone trying to sell you something be it a motorbike or rickshaw ride, a map, a guidebook, some toothpicks or even a pineapple. Or indeed your picture taken with a pineapple! Sadly it's unavoidable, but after a while you're almost always on your guard. Pickpockets are common and already I've heard stories of people having bags and wallets stolen.

Of the twenty-four hours I've spent in Hanoi it's been loud, brash, in your face and exhausting. There's the constant noise from car horns and revving motorbikes. It seems horns are used as a form of communication and as a way of giving out orders. Get out of my way! Move over! Police patrol the streets with loud hailers and microphones issuing commands to errant drivers parked illegally.

Then in the midst of all the chaos, there's the little things you notice. Like the exotic birds in cages hanging from the trees and the eaves of buildings; the people cooking food right out there on the street in amongst the exhaust fumes and open sewers and street dust; the piles of sandals and flip-flops at entrances to buildings; groups of Vietnamese huddled on low stools drinking coffee or iced tea whilst casting a curious look in your direction.

I spent some time at Hoàn Kiém Lake today, a little oasis of serenity in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city. I'm not too sure how I feel about Hanoi but I'm certainly glad to have had the opportunity to experience it.

Tonight I met the rest of my fellow travellers and the people I'll be spending the next seven weeks with. A mixed bunch of Australians, Kiwis, Americans and Brits. We went for dinner, we shared stories, we laughed and we got to know each other. Here's hoping we have an amazing trip.

So long, farewell...

Today was my last day at work and I was sad to leave, having been in my job with a leading UK cancer charity for seven years.  The fact that I was there for that length of time is indicative of the organisation I worked for and the people I worked with.  They were some of the best colleagues it has ever been my good fortune to work with. Truly lovely people. Working for a charity that helps people affected by cancer was hard work at times but it was also a privilege and an inspiration to be a part of such a great organisation.  I'll miss them.

I haven't been everywhere but it's on my list

Who doesn't enjoy travelling? God, I love travelling. I enjoy the planning, the anticipation, the hanging about airports, the arriving, trying to fathom the local language and transport networks, the sightseeing, the sampling of weird and wonderful foods and of course, the photos and memories once you're back. Due to work and personal commitments I've had to take my travel opportunities where I can but I'm still fortunate to have been to some pretty amazing places - I've trekked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, I've taken part, albeit unwittingly, in an anti-imperialist march in Havana and I've visited former KGB haunts in Estonia. But I've also been planning a big trip in my head for a while now, waiting for the right time to make it a reality.  Well now the opportunity has presented itself and so, in April this year, I'm leaving my job and taking a six-month career break, during which time I plan to travel to some of the places that have so far eluded me.

Top of the list is South-East Asia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore followed by trips to Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. Planning began in earnest in February and, barring the occasional outbreak of crushing procrastination, everything is pretty much organised. On 20 April I'll be on my way and this is the route (below) that I'll be taking. More updates from the road.