Fortunately we also managed a bit of escapism on a 3 day tour to Halong Bay, a beautiful archipelago of islands and islets (small islands, I discovered) to the east of Hanoi. We were a little nervous having booked our tour through the internet and heard a fair few horror stories about other people's experiences, but our fears proved to be unfounded. Our boat, the Dragon Pearl, was a gorgeous 2 storey craft, complete with a sun deck and newly-furnished rooms, and fresh seafood served at every meal.

During our 3 day tour, we visited the (literally translated) 'Amazing Caves', boasting stalagmites and stalagtites which have naturally formed into everything from buddhas to bears to giant 'happy sticks' (penises), and also went kayaking around some of the islands – which I am a lot better at now than I was 6 years ago, I must say! After this there was still plenty of time for sunning ourselves on the deck and swimming in crystal clear waters, with jellyfish (just about) far enough away not to pose a concern. James persuaded me to overcome my naturally nervous disposition and we jumped together off the top of the boat (sorry mum). It was a long way down but an exhilarating feeling!

We spent our first night sleeping on the boat and the next morning we woke ourselves up with an early morning swim in a deserted bay where we'd lain anchor overnight. If only every morning could be like this! We then sailed on towards Cat Ba island, with a stop at Monkey Island – a beautiful beach where we were the only people, yellow sand and clear blue water all that the eye could see. Thankfully the monkeys for which the island is named stayed beyond the treeline, content to lie in the shade while we burned ourselves to a crisp. Cat Ba island itself, where we stayed the second night, has unfortunately turned into a bit of a tourist trap, but we consoled ourselves in a few of the local bars with some super-cool Dutch guys from our group.

All in all a fantastic way to chill out after 2 months of hectic sightseeing, and a welcome relief from the intensity of Hanoi. We're looking forward to more little breaks like this over the next couple of months.