Todd, James and I were up before 6am (poor Todd, still jetlagged after 30 hours of travel to get here!) in order to travel cross-country to Kuala Besut, the mainland gateway to the Perhentian islands. Our driver was a wannabe Michael Schumacher, and we travelled on increasingly winding roads, never below about 70kph. At times it was a white-knuckle ride, but he got us there safely, half an hour ahead of schedule. He also seemed to know all the best stops for photo opportunities, so we were able to capture the morning mist rising over the forest, which was pretty spectacular.


Once at Kuala Besut, we caught a speedboat across to the Perhentian islands – Perhentian Besa and Perhentian Kecil (literally, 'Big Island' and 'Small Island'). The speedboat itself was fantastic – 45 mins cutting through waves at high speeds. Our destination was Long Beach on Kecil, but as this was the last stop we had a great mini-tour of the other beaches and the town on Kecil island. The town was the destination of a couple of engineers who had joined us on the boat with a couple of trip switches ready-mounted on plywood, some copper wire, and a lot of tools. Clearly this is the practical side of island living.

This was the first time we hadn't pre-booked accommodation, and so we joined the hordes of backpackers trudging from hostel to hostel along the beach, trying to find the best deal. In the heat of the day, still wearing our backpacks, this was not a pleasant task, and we quickly wised up to the fact that leaving one person with the bags, whilst the other two scouted for somewhere to stay, was a lot easier! Unbeknownst to us before we arrived in Malaysia, our visit coincided with the Malay school holiday, and as a result, rooms were few and far between. We had a bit of a race against two other British couples who'd arrived on the same boat as us, and whilst we managed to bag the last two air-conditioned rooms on the beach, it did mean that Todd and Zub had to cosy up in a double bed for the first night. Not that they seemed to mind too much.

We quickly found Bubu, the best place on the island for food and to watch the football – at nearly £100 a room per night it was too pricey for us to stay at, but we certainly made the most of its facilities, becoming regular customers over our 3 days there. The boys were very happy about being able to enjoy so many matches, and even I came around to it, although I did manage to fall asleep sitting upright about 10 mins into the USA-Slovenia game.

The weather was a bit hit and miss, and so we missed out on any real sunbathing on the first day. That said, there's something about tropical rainstorms that makes them fascinating to watch – at least for the first few hours. The novelty starts to wear off a bit after that. Fortunately on our second day we awoke to glorious sunshine, and baking heat even at 9am. We made the most of the weather and the crystal clear warm water – some would say a little too much, as we were all burnt by the end of the day. The boys had decided a midday swim was a great idea, and so all sported various shades of red on their backs. As a native, Zubin had eschewed any kind of suntan cream and so was more sunburnt than the rest of us put together – so much so that by the time he went back to work, people wondered what on earth had happened to him on his few days off!

James and I also put our new PADI qualifications to good use and did our first 'fun' dive, whilst Todd and Zub came snorkelling. This was a particular achievement for Todd, who had only the previous morning overcome his fear of open water and allowed Zub to teach him how to snorkel. James and I were the only two divers in our group, and had a great dive where we saw blue-spotted stingrays, more triggerfish, some parrot fish and a couple of little Nemos (technical name: anemone fish. I prefer Nemo myself). It was fantastic to just be able to enjoy the experience of diving, and it's starting to feel a lot more 'normal' being underwater now. It also gave me the chance to try out the underwater camera (thanks Jo Fitz!) which was a lot of fun, although more challenging than photography above the water, as everything seems much closer and larger than it actually is.
We also had another Gap Yah encounter, this time at 5am, when our drunken neighbour staggered home and woke up her room-mate and half the island shouting:

“Harriet? Harriet! I've lost my Blaaackberry Harriet.”
Pause.
“My Blaaaackberry, yah! On the beach! The BEACH! I lost it on the beach. I need you to help me look for it.”
Pause.
“So I'll meet you there ok? No there, ok? There! OK?” (This continued for about 5 mins).

Eventually Todd went outside to tell her to shut up, only to find her semi-naked and being pulled into clothes by a tired cabana boy. We have no idea whether she met her friend Harriet, or if she found her Blackberry, nor do we care. Kind-hearted, forgiving citizens that we are, we made sure we made as much noise as possible as we were leaving at 7.30 the next morning.

We arrived on Ko Tao bright and early, filled with nervous anticipation about the 3 days of diving that lay ahead of us. We were picked up at the catamaran pier by our dive school and were whisked straight off to Sairee Beach (our home for the next 4 days) for a quick review of the theory we'd done some 7 months ago. Astoundingly enough of the diving knowledge seemed to have stuck for our instructor to be happy for us to continue. We then had a quick 45 min break for lunch before we were off on the boat. We'd already done all of the theory and the pool dives back in the UK last Halloween, but we opted to do a 'refresher' dive before we started on our underwater dives proper.

The refresher lesson was...interesting. I think we were both a bit nervous and I tried to do everything far too quickly, to just get it over with! The salt water felt very different to the nice chlorinated pool water, particularly when it went up your nose, and it took some getting used to. I also struggled to trust that the little regulator in my mouth would keep me alive underwater, and had to come up to the surface several times after forgetting and breathing through my nose rather than my mouth, getting a nice taste of saltwater! It was at this point I began to think perhaps the diving wasn't for me after all.....

However, the first actual dive was much better. We got used to the feeling of swimming underwater, surrounded by brightly coloured fish who were surprisingly calm around divers for the most part – since Ko Tao is second only to Cairns in terms of the number of PADI certificates it gives out, I guess this is hardly surprising! We even spotted a massive puffer-fish resting under a rock, which was pretty cool.

We had 2 more days of diving ahead of us, during which we completed 3 more dives at some of the best dive sites around the island. I veered during this time between enjoying what I was doing and being pretty much terrified – those of you who've been skiing with me will know my reaction well.

The diving itself was amazing, it was all the skills you have to complete in order to be designated an open water diver [which means you're able to dive to 18m] which I didn't like so much. The worst of all was the mask removal, where you had to remove your mask fully underwater, put it back on again, and then clear all of the water which was now inside your mask, in your nose etc. This was one of the last skills we did, some 10m down, and I was completely terrified. I came so close to bolting back up to the surface, but my instructor grabbed on to my arm, looked me in the eye, and managed to make me calm down and complete the exercise. Such a relief!! And with this completed, we were officially qualified divers. I felt very proud of myself, I have to say.

We were offered the chance to do a further dive at the end of our course, but we opted instead to give our ears a chance to readjust to living on land, and instead explored the island a little bit – up until this point we'd seen more of the underwater life on Ko Tao than anything above ground. The island is mostly famous for being a diving destination, but we hired a bike and travelled down to very southernmost point, which seemed to be more of a beach and relaxation destination. We spent an afternoon on Freedom Beach, which was absolutely stunning and which, amazingly, we had almost to ourselves. As the heat went out of the day we headed back to Sairee Beach to watch the sunset.

By coincidence, James's American cousin Dani was also finishing up 6 months of travelling on Ko Tao, so we managed to meet up with her for a celebratory drink having completed our dive course. Was really lovely to see a familiar face so far from home, and she had the honour of being the first person to see us as an engaged couple!

It was also amazing to be able to enjoy a beer with her, our only one during our entire stay on Ko Tao. We're heading next to do a detox on Ko Phangan, and as part of the 'preparation' we've been eating nothing but salads and drinking nothing but fruit juice for the best part of a week. It's been pretty depressing, especially for two confirmed carnivores, staying on islands where burgers and steaks are on every menu. I guess soon we'll discover if it was worth it.....

Filled with excitement, we flew to the island of Phu Quoc for my birthday weekend, intent on sun, sea and relaxation after the hustle and bustle of Saigon. The flight there was simply stunning, as we soared over shimmering clear blue ocean and the verdant green north of the island's forests. It really felt like we were off on an adventure.

Apparently the government has big plans for turning Phu Quoc into a major tourist destination. Fortunately plans to execute this are clearly still in their very early stages, as we discovered pretty soon after arrival. The island remains an unspoilt paradise, with deserted beaches and an endless row of palm trees all the way down the west coast, pepper farms dotted through the middle.

For the most part, there is no road to speak of – small 500m patches of tarmac, seemingly randomly placed, break the monotony of bumpy rust-coloured dirt tracks. The signs of proper road construction are everywhere; but again, progress seems to be slow. Learning that the drive to our resort was the best part of an hour's journey from the airport, we rejected our motorbike pick up and opted for a taxi – thank God! I am astounded the car suspension survived the trip, so I think our experience on the back of a motorbike, laden down with 15kg rucksacks, would have been pretty hellish. Clearly someone has briefed the taxi drivers here on the sort of music that westerners like, and we spent the next hour or so enjoying instrumental versions of holiday classics including 'Guantanamera' and 'Careless Whisper,' as well as 'My Heart Will Go On,' just for James.

We were looking for deserted island paradise, and it's fair to say we found it. We were staying in an isolated resort to the north-west of Phu Quoc, which lay directly on the beach, complete with shaded hammocks that we spent many hours dozing in and cute little beach huts. It was a proper island getaway. However, with hindsight Phu Quoc seems to be the kind of place where money talks, and so our backpacker budget meant the accommodation was pretty 'rustic' – no air conditioning (which came at a $20 a night premium), no hot water and no electricity during daylight hours. Despite this, we actually really enjoyed the experience – even though James nearly expired part-way through the middle of the first night as a result of the heat!

We arrived at lunchtime and by 2.30pm we were settled on our own private beach, enjoying the sea breeze after the stifling heat of Saigon. Later we watched the sunset with only a couple of local fishermen and some cows for company. It was bliss.

My birthday itself was more adventurous than previous years: in the absence of public transport, we opted to hire a motorbike for the day (again, sorry mums, we promise we're not about to make a habit of it) and explore our surroundings. More by luck than judgement we made it all the way down the west coast to the port of An Thoi in the very southern tip, passing beautiful beaches and yet also some of the poorest Vietnamese homes we've encountered on the whole trip – huts literally fashioned from wood, palm leaves and, in a few cases, odd pieces of tarpaulin and corrugated metal. Despite this, most homes still (of course) have TV aerials. We had a slap-up lunch at one of the many resorts along Long Beach, along with a celebratory birthday beer.

Unfortunately, on the way home, disaster struck, and we managed to get a puncture, resulting in a massively flat tyre (even I noticed it was flat, which shows how bad it was). Through the wonders of sign language we tried to get a local mechanic to pump up the air, but to no avail – the tyre was well and truly dead. After a phone call to the resort owner, Mr Phuong, he agreed, somewhat bemusedly, to come and rescue us. There was nothing for it but to head back to our lunchtime restaurant and have another beer. Some 45 minutes later, we realised why he'd sounded bemused: he thought we were lost and couldn't find our way home again! We quickly put him right and so I found myself, on my birthday, watching the same mechanic from earlier performing a tyre change. Fortunately it was a quick job and we were soon chasing the sunset back to the resort. And I've learnt a lot about tyres as a result!

Hoi An is fast becoming a popular tourist destination – the old town was designated a World Heritage Site some years ago, and the tourist industry here has since exploded. There are many excellent cafes and restaurants, and even a wine bar with decent (foreign) wine. Down by the beach, new 4* hotels are being constructed with alarming rapidity. Coupled with the fact that Hoi An is the premier destination in Vietnam for cheap tailored clothes, I am sure it won't be long before this becomes another Thailand for week-long getaways from Europe. For the moment, it's still a place in transition.

We spent a day visiting Cham Island, actually a series of islands about an hour off the coast of Hoi An. This was one of my favourite days of the Tour so far – it's a relatively pricey trip ($40 each!), which means there were next to no tourists in the bay, just local fishermen. We did a spot of snorkelling, a chance for me to see the underwater world for the first time. Visibility was pretty good, and we spotted shoals of brightly-coloured fish and a couple of angel fish, as well as blue starfish and lots of coral. One of the women saw a sea snake, which apparently carries enough venom in a single bite to poison 50 people. Very glad we all emerged unscathed. We then whiled away the afternoon on our very own desert island, lunching on the beach and napping in hammocks, avoiding the 41 degree heat.

We also decided to spend a morning doing a cookery course, where we learnt to make 4 traditional Vietnamese dishes, which we then get to eat. A delicious way to spend a morning. At the end of it we were presented with the recipes, so hopefully we can put our new-found skills to good practice when we return to the UK. Food was definitely a focus of our stay here – we sampled so much delicious seafood, including our first-ever king prawns which were caught that very day by the restaurant owner's dad.

There are not masses of sights here, and so we gladly use the rest of our time to relax and soak up some sunshine. We headed to Cua Dai beach for a late afternoon swim, passing lots of burnt-to-a-crisp westerners who spent the day in the sun (mad dogs and Englishmen...) Whilst we were there, the beach was transformed from a western sun-seeker's resort to a local paradise – apparently (and very sensibly) the Vietnamese avoid swimming during the day at all, heading to the beach either between 5 and 8am or 4 and 7pm. Even then, many of the kids are still made to swim fully clothed, just in case.

We also made time for a bit of shopping (at last!), although we had to ignore most of the tailored stuff – the world of work seems far too far away to contemplate ordering a suit or a shift dress right now. James was also further put off when he discovered that the Next catalogue provides the basis for most of the male tailoring! Instead, we opted for a bit of traveller wear, although avoided the baggy harem pants which appear to be this year's gap-year item of choice.

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.