After our trip from Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An, we’ve headed further north in Vietnam. First stop, was Hue, to visit the incredible Imperial City. Thousands of workers built the beautiful walled city, surrounded by a huge moat, in 1804. Many of the buildings have been destroyed since but there are still many standing and others being restored. It includes temples, royal quarters, a reading room, theatre and gardens. We were really blown away by how much there was to see there and how few tourists appeared to be visiting.

Next we spent a few days in Ninh Binh, a town surrounded by miles and miles of beautiful countryside. We hired bikes, climbed mountains, hiked through the countryside, visited temples and took a boat ride through ‘Halong Bay in-land’. We spent three hours drifting through lakes, caves and past cast mountains. A very big highlight of our trip.

Our last stop in Vietnam has been Hanoi. We’re not always museum people but the Ethnology Museum, Temple of Literature and Women’s Museums in Hanoi are all fascinating. We’ve visited Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, walked around the city’s scenic lakes and watched the country’s best water puppet show – a traditional form of entertainment in Vietnam. Hanoi also has many great cafes and restaurants where you can get vegetarian versions of the country’s favourite foods – so we’ve been well fed!

Next stop, Laos! See all of our photos from the rest of our trip to Vietnam below: