We started last week on Cat Ba Island, swapping the bikes for a kayak, and doing a boat tour of Cat Ba and Ha Long bays. It was pretty idyllic, we weaved between islands and tall stacks of rocks on a fishing boat, spotting white sandy coves and going past the floating villages. On kayak we explored some lagoons which were only reachable through small caves and tunnels. We saw Cat Ba Laguars, monkeys and all sorts of birds.

The next day we finished cycling across the island, enjoying the hills, views and quiet roads. After taking the ferry through Ha Long Bay we were back on the mainland, and had two days of fairly boring main roads into Hanoi.

In Hanoi we enjoyed a few days exploring the city, cleaning and packing the bikes, shopping and cooking. We also sampled a few of the city’s many bia hoi stalls, and found a new favourite snack – ginger sweets!

The rainy days in Hanoi went quickly, and we were soon landing in Hong Kong. Jim’s mum and brother, and their partners, had come to Hong Kong to meet us for a little holiday for Jim’s birthday. It’s been so lovely to see family, and they brought us over some great British goodies, as well as all the replacement parts we could need.

Hong Kong has been amazing so far, so many bakeries full of great cakes and buns, amazing food and drink, and it’s so easy to get around on ferry, metro, bus or tram. We took the ferry to Cheung Chau Island and Aberdeen, and have walked for miles exploring the streets of Hong Kong.

Jade

Jim’s words – Monkey, Vinmart, Parking, Ginger, Packing, Hong Kong and Bus.