What would it be like retiring in Cebu? These were my thoughts as plane's wheels shuddered down onto the runway … a better lending than normal on Mactan island. 

We lived in Cebu for nearly three and a half years. What was the experience really like?

To wrap up our Asia trip we spent six days in Luang Prabang in Laos. It was the ideal place to end our Asian journey.

Luang Prabang like many towns in Asia is two very different places. With one section on the peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. With guest houses, hotels and restaurants and the odd temple. The rest spread over a large area. A hodge podge of residential, commercial and industrial buildings. 

With our 3-day pass to the Archaeological Park of Angkor we spent just over two days exploring the extensive ruins. With over 2 million visitors per year, Angor is a popular travel destination.

Arriving in Phnom Penh from Ho Chi Minh City we were determined to avoid the premium (rip off!) pricing of either the official airport taxi or the hotel arranged airport transfer. So it was buy a local SIM (always my first priority) and contact Grab  (my go to site for taxis in Asia).

No luck – no drivers available! I had read that there were problems with the introduction of both Grab and Uber in Cambodia and we were experiencing it.

Ho Chi Minh City or, as it was more romantically named, Saigon is an expanded version of Hanoi but somehow misses the soul. Bigger noisier more hectic but interesting.

A city of excess and indulgence. Which over the years has fermented resentment towards the government or powers in control.

We stayed in the Old Quarter of Hanoi … in an area that never sleeps. We were there for a few days before our Halong Bay cruise and Cat Ba adventure and a few days afterwards.

I enjoyed the city. A perfect example of liveable organised chaos.  

After leaving our Halong Bay cruise  we set off on the kilometre or so walk to the jetty and catch the ferry to Gia Luan ferry terminal on Cat Ba island.

Not realising that there's such an extensive choice of Halong Bay cruise options we selected the Glory Legend Cruise  based on their TripAdvisor rating (and the price we were prepared to pay!)

The tour was 3 days and 2 nights and was a great experience. It included visits to Ti Top Island, Fighting Cocks Islet, Dinh Huong Islet, Soi Sim Island, Cua Van Fishing Village, Me Cung Cave, Bai Tu Long Bay, Surprise Cave

Mandalay has an enchanting sounding name which bears no resemblance to the city.

Like most of Myanmar there is absolutely no consideration for foreign tourists who are targets for exorbitant demands. There are no metered taxis and the taxi app Grab does not work here.

We decided to take the ferry from Bagan to Mandalay. It was a good choice.

Sitting in an air-conditioned cabin on RV Panorama. The sun streaming in the window cruising up the Irrawaddy ... the start of a perfect morning. 

It started quite early with a taxi collecting us from the hotel and driving us to the jetty (the taxi transfer included as a bonus in the ticket we bought from Tun Tun’s Forever Travel).