Hoi An to Hue via Danang

Motorbikes are the way to get around Vietnam. So far we've seen 3 pigs, a fridge and another motorbike being carried (not all on the same bike!) We decided to get involved and took a 2 day trip which includes the Hi Van pass, made famous by the bafoons from top gear.

On the first day we travelled to Danang via a few beaches and monkey mountain. The mountain used to be an American base and is on the peninsular of the bay and the city. We wound our way around the mountain on our bike, getting higher and higher up, just hoping that our bike would make it up the steep inclines. At the top the views were incredible! I hope the photos give youan idea.

We headed into Danang to experience riding in a major city, which was a lot easier than expected. Just forget everything you know about traffic rules, remember that priority is given purely on how big you are. The only problem was Sophie on the back, she continued to squeak at every passing bike!

We struggled to find somewhere to stay, it was fully booked with local Vietnamese on their holiday. During the day the beaches were empty but then at 5 o'clock it was jampacked with locals. Luckily we found a really cheap and clean room next door to a fab local street side restaurant. Beer was cheap and the seafood was amazing. We had jumbo prawns with chilli dip, BBQ fish with a chilli & lime dressing, rice crackers, salad and peanut clams. Delicious! Our table was the cleanest there; the Vietnamese etiquette seems to be to put all left over cans, shell, bones, food onto the floor around them. It was a tip by the time we left.

Day 2 was the highlight of our road trip. The Hi Van pass is a beautifully scenic stretch of road that winds its way around the coastal mountains between two cities. You pass plenty of other bikers all wanting to get a glimpse of the views; turquoise water, city scapes, beaches, mountains, it had the whole lot!

It was so hot! We got a little sunburnt from the last stretch of biking and Sophie's nose now resembles Rudolph! When we arrived in Hue we quickly found an air-con superstore to cool off a grab some food. Bliss!

There was more to Hue than we were expecting, but unfortunately we only had time for an afternoon there. We wandered around the old citadel that until recently housed Vietnamese royalty (but the war changed this) and took shelter from the sun in various temples and museums. There's a nice riverfront too lined with restaurants and bars. A nice afternoon was finished with a glass of local wine on the balcony of our room in the evening (a little rough in taste but nice nonetheless).