I arrived in Da Nang on Friday, where I’ll be staying for two weeks to volunteer at a small school and café called Tipi, helping teach English. After a lot of moving around recently, it’s been nice to stay somewhere for a bit and have more of a routine.

After hearing great things about Phong Nha from other travellers, I decided to stop off there on my way south through Vietnam. Phong Nha is a small town in central Vietnam, best known for its massive national park and incredible cave systems - some of the largest and most impressive in the world.

After finishing the Ha Giang Loop, I caught an overnight sleeper bus back to Hanoi, arriving around 2am. It wasn’t the smoothest return - I was tired, slightly sick from a few too many drinks over the past few days, and running on little sleep.

The Ha Giang Loop is one of those things that every traveller I’ve met seems to recommend. I half expected it to be overhyped, but it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of my trip.

I arrived in Hanoi just after midnight, following a delayed flight from Ho Chi Minh City. I checked into my hostel, tired and a bit disoriented, and went straight to bed. I had two nights in the city - not long, but enough for a glimpse of northern Vietnam’s capital.

Vietnam time!!!

We arrived in Siem Reap after a 3 hour minibus ride - made more interesting by a couple of chickens travelling behind us. The heat hit us as soon as we stepped off the bus, so we spent the afternoon by the pool cooling off and settle in. That evening, we wandered to the local food market for dinner and made the most of the $1 mojitos. Cambodia uses both US dollars and riel, which was a bit confusing at first but you get the hang of it.

After leaving Kampot, we made our way to Koh Rong Sanloem and Koh Rong - two islands that couldn’t be more different, but both offered their own kind of experience.

From Phnom Penh, we took a minibus to Kampot. Kampot is a laid-back town in southern Cambodia, known for its relaxed atmosphere, riverside views, and nearby pepper farms.

Cambodia time!!!

Hi everyone !!