Vietnam: A must see destination - Images from my trip.

From the hustle and bustle of Hanoi to the tranquility of Halong Bay, this travel destination is one you should not miss. The people are warm and friendly and will do their utmost to ensure your stay is enjoyable. The country is just now embracing the tourist industry so things are not as well set up as some destinations however they make up for it with enthusiasm.

The view from our balcony aboard the Junk we sailed Halong Bay on. The crew were amazingly friendly and welcoming and the food...Spectacular! Halong bay is a popular spot for scuba diving, rock climbing and hiking.

These people live and work on the water. Some will never visit a major city, or even a large town in their lives.

We rode in a small boat like this one. It's amazing how easily the ladies maneuver them around. It's peaceful just meandering about.

Much of this village's income comes from tourism. They also fish and make products to sell and trade.

The ship was a Junk (traditional Chinese vessel) and was well-appointed.

We spent a lot of our time aboard up here relaxing and in the mornings would join in for Tai Chi. What a great way to start the day even though I was monumentally bad at it.

I couldn't resist a swim. The water was fantastic after a day of...Well, relaxing. :) It was so peaceful and thoughts of getting devoured by a shark were far from my mind. (Not that far really)

After our swim we went topside to watch the sunset and reflect on the day. I was probably more interested in what was for dinner though. (Always thinking of food)

Saying goodbye to the floating village

Back in Hanoi we visited Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. It's pretty-much always full of school kids and Vietnamese visitors as well as overseas tourists. There may be a line up to get in but it move's pretty smoothly. Oh, and when in the mausoleum itself don't have your hands in your pockets or crossed in any way. The soldier with the machine gun will tell you. Sternly. :)

We rode one of these upriver to a temple. It was serene being on the river watching locals going about their day. We received loads of waves and finger pointing. Remember tourism is quite new to this part of Vietnam.

One of the images from the temple. I avoided taking internal shots out of respect.

I hope you have enjoyed my post and images. I urge you to check it out if you're keen for something a little different. One can also head to Saigon further south for a more mainstream experience. Laos and Cambodia are only a stones-throw away also.

Thanks for reading.