A day of two halves.

The morning travelling by bus through coastal rice paddies and the spectacular Hai Ann Pass.

This afternoon exploring the beautifully preserved town of Hoi An, which retains a feel of centuries past.

On the drive over we had a number of photo stops to register the amazing scenery and structures that Vietnam is now famous for.

The lake sits in a stunning spot, with mountains behind and unspoilt views.

As it was still early, we were able to see the fishing boats before they headed off into the lake to check their nets and the days catch.

The view was so serene and peaceful, we felt honoured to be able to see it with so few people around.

The drive through the hills took us across a railway track just at the moment a train was passing. Whilst Andy rushed out to take a photo, Michelle kept the seats warm on the coach!

Whilst we watched the train go by, across the road was a spectacular view of a nearby village sitting on a sandy bay, accessed via a giant bridge link.

Our next photo stop was in the coastal city of Da Nang, voted the No. 1 place to live in Vietnam. The growing city sits on the River Han, with the newest link being the Dragon bridge.

Dragons are seen as good luck in Vietnam and so they don’t just have them as part of a bridge link but also on monuments.

There is another famous structure close-by called the Love Bridge and is adorned with love locks.

A short drive on from the bridges we stopped at a local cafe, for a French inspired baguette sandwich called the Banh. They add their own take on sandwich filling with spicy sauce alongside the traditional ham and lettuce.

The food stop proved to be a big success with Michelle.

By early afternoon we had arrived at our hotel on the outskirts of Hoi An. It’s a beautiful little boutique place with a pool, which we soon jumped into to cool off.

Next stop Hoi An centre, via a cool little buggy with the rest of the travel group.

The town of Hoi An has influences from China, Portugal, France and Thailand as a result of their trading history from the 17th century onwards.

The temple is adorned with long spirary incense sticks that will burn for as long as 3 weeks at a time. They make the temple take on a whole different dimension and perspective.

The centre is awash with lanterns which when lit in the evening create this colourful unforgettable scene.

Wherever you look the lanterns appear and we were excited to see them lit once darkness fell.

We’ve just had a fabulous evening enjoying the special and wonderful town with some lovely people, Marc and Shaun.

We are sold on Vietnam it’s a great country and one we are loving spending time in!