One can spend over a month discovering Vietnam. If you, like us, want to touch on the primary toursist sites, a week should suffice. You can cover the country from N-S or S-N and book flights either into Hanoi and out of HCMC or vice versa, saving both time and money.
The currency is grossly depreciated to the dollar, so you will have to re-align yourself. We ate many a meal costing over 5 million Vietnamese dong for 3 people ;)
Overall, tourism is very affordable, as are meals and getting around. If you choose to stay in luxury hotels, needless to say, you have to pay a price.
Hanoi
We stayed at intercontinental west lake - standard upscale business hotel. As the name suggest, it was, well, "located on the lake". We walked to the pagoda and the Ho Chin mausoleum- stopped at a temple long the way. Honestly, wasn’t over whelmed by any of the sights.. the vibe is relaxed since we didn’t encounter many tourists so there is no major hustle bustle at the spots.
Lunch was the highlight in Hanoi - we went to a pure veg ReachIvy in the French quarter called Uu Dam Chay. This was a really high end place - super fancy, extensive menu, superb service and delicious food - we ordered the hot pot which was yummy!!! We paid $20 for 3 people and were left wondering if they made a mistake given the superlative experience :)
Post lunch, we took a taxi to the Sofitel metropole Hotel (supposedly the best hotel, located adjacent to the old city -‘d the Opera house) and had a Vietnamese coffee at their poolside. The vibe was relaxed and the coffee super delicious (strong coffee served with condensed milk - add a tea spoon full and enjoy!). The Vietnamese coffee became my daily staple - delicious both god and cold.
We then asked the concierge for a map of the old city and he suggested a tour for 2 hours on a rickshaw. The old city is a maze of many many lanes and we really wouldn’t have been able to navigate it. The recommendation was fabulous - we spent the next 2 hours exploring the old city and stopped at shopping spots along the way.
We ended our richshaw ride at the lake in the Centre of the old town where there is a small bridge to see a temple - pleasant experience but again underwhelming.
We then walked over to the spa, just 2-3 minutes walk away. We were recommended the SF Spa from two hotel concierges - honestly, very poor from entrance, spa room to the overall experience - I would give it a skip or go with very low expectations. The Massage Room was a common area with beds in a row - felt like a Massage dormitory. The masseuse was good but given the overall atmosphere, we didn’t enjoy this experience at all.
Our dinner reservation was at the Red Bean, 1 minute walk from the spa. We sat on the terrace and enjoyed the experience. Staff was friendly and food good and very reasonably priced again.
Post dinner, we took a taxi back to our hotel and retired to bed given our early start for the next morning.
Halong Bay-
Most tourists visit Hanoi since it is the primary port city to visit Halong bay. If taking private transportation, estimate 3.5 hours one way to reach the check in point of your cruise.
I recommend doing a 1 night cruise to soak in the beauty of the bay and partake in kayaking and the cave visit etc.
The cruise liners are small (8 or 16 rooms only) and are NOT akin to the large Alaska / Bahamas cruise liners - so pls adjust your expectations. There are also literally hundred cruise liners leaving each day so expect crowds at the main stops.
We took the grayline cruise (very last minute booking - was over priced and really very basic). The luxury liners are Emperor cruises and Alisa Premier cruises- but book in advance of going over a popular holiday (we went Easter weekend and had a rough time getting bookings).
The scenery was gorgeous! The first stop at a Tip Top island was not great. The place is filled with tourists and the water too cold to swim in. You can opt to hike up to a view point but we just waded In the water instead.
Next stop was the highlight for us. We were given life jackets and kayaks and directed toward a small opening. As we kayaked through the opening we entered a closed lagoon - absolutely stunning! Pls do not opt for the bamboo boat option here - you go through the same lagoon but not as close to the edges as you can go on the kayak.
Back on the boat, dinner is served at 7 and by 8:30 most people retire to their rooms. We could hear loud music blaring from some other boats around us, so I guess the “nightlife” is very boat specific.
We joined the Tai chi session at 6:30 am on the upper deck of our ship. The same person who was our English speaking guide doubled up as the instructor. The lesson was quite silly since he didn’t really demo anything but was overall still a relaxing start to the morning.
Post a quick breakfast we headed to see limestone caves dating back to 1901. Expect to climb up and down over 200 steps here but it’s well worth the visit. The caves are phenomenal and the path is really well carved out, making for a comfortable visit. Once again, it was very crowded but well organized so we didn’t feel pushed or rushed in any manner.
Post the caves, they serve you brunch as the cruises makes it way back to halong. We reached the port by 11:30 am and left directly for the airport. I recommend booking a 4:30 pm flight out of Hanoi to your next destination (again, contingent on having private transport in a SUV or similar).
Danang -
We reached Danang airport around 8 pm and took a local taxi to our hotel - the Intercontinental Danang - an outstanding property and our primary reason for visiting Danang.
Danang is a touristy beach town, similar to others so nothing really unique here. The 2 nights we spent here were mainly to experience the resort; it didn’t disappoint.
When checking in - Request a room right by the cable car since the hotel has 4 main levels all connected via a cable car.
If you get a club room, you have club access which is essentially 24/7 access to a terrific lounge that serves complimentary beverages, a high tea and evening cocktails.
The hotel has a host of complimentary activities which we thoroughly enjoyed - Yoga , Tai chi, kayaking, kite flying etc. just ensure you book in advance since they get filled up.
The dining options in the hotel for vegetarians are sufficient for a 2 night stay - beyond that you are better of leaving the hotel. The main city is about a 25 minute cab ride and full of hotels and bars.
On our second day, we visited Hoi An - an ancient village about 50 minutes drive from the hotel. There is a large pedestrian only zone, lots of small shops, great cafes and overall a fabulous vibe. I wrongly recommend visiting and planning to spend at least 5 hours here between browsing the stores and crowd watching from a cute cafe. The popular Vietnamese restaurant here is Morning Glory. There are indian options too - Baba’s Kitchen and Ganesha.
The Four Seasons Hotel in Hoi An also has excellent Indian Food but the restaurant is open for dinner only so plan accordingly!
We left Danang completely rejuvenated from the ocean, and pampering from the hotel staff. Last stop - HCMC.
HCMC
This is the commercial capital of the country. Compared to other Asian large cities (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila etc.), i didn’t find the traffic overwhelming. Neither was the city bursting at its seams. Drinking coffee in cafes or sipping beer in beer gardens seems like the “to do” thing for locals. Hundreds of tiny cafes and food joints are packed into District 1 (most tourist sights and hotels are also in here). Taxis are cheap and easily available - overall it’s a very easy city to get around. Again, English is not commonly spoken and most signs are not in English either so best to have the address of your location on a piece of paper to show your taxi Driver who can then ensure you get where you need to.
Main highlights:
Cu Chi tunnels- loved it! Don’t book a tour since the entrance ticket includes a guide. Definitely enter a tunnel to experience it!
Mekong river cruise - we didn’t do this but a lot of people do.
Ben Thien Market - local market for souvenirs, fruits, vegetables, clothing, luggage and more! We went back twice! It turns into a night Market later and is open till midnight daily.
Opera house - catch a show if you are into Culture. We saw the AO show, essentially acrobatics and good music. Do not expect broadway magic, Chinese level acrobatics or Russian ballet perfection. The show is average given the high ticket cost but won’t leave you disappointed.
Museums - all close at 5 so start early
Food:
Hum - pure vegetarian restaurant
Noir - eat in complete darkness served by a blind man. Pure vegan menu available - this is a 11 dish meal so go hungry and you will love the experience if you are open to different concepts!
There are Lebanese (Beirut), thai (Racha room), Mexican (Rico taco) and many many more restaurants to explore.
Bear in mind, these restaurants are small, fairly basic and not very expensive. Service in general was excellent every where we went and food was up to the mark as well.
Overall, you can eat well for not much money in HCMC.
Nightlife -
There are several lounges and bars in HCMC - the rooftop / terrace bars are what tourists frequent.
Rex Hotel - we visited because of the hype - very poorly maintained. Hotel was stinking when we entered. We left the bar in precisely 3 minutes.
SoHy - this is new (as of April 2018!) and swanky. When we entered there was a live DJ and the music was blaring. We left the bar in precisely 3 minutes as well!
Glow is another popular lounge.
Qui is a newish lounge and resto-bar.
General observations:
Speckles airport in Hanoi
Many immigration counters making it super easy to enter and leave
Very punctual interanational flight - we flew Thai Airways inbound.
English is uniformly poor - was actually quite harrowing. Most locals we met, could NOT speak more than 3 words if that.
Get a SIM card soon as you land - super cheap and then you have google maps and translate to assist you everywhere.
Cabs in Hanoi can cheat you - we got duped once despite knowing this! Always ask the Hotel or restaurant to book you a taxi.
Domestic flights were ALL delayed! They are very rigid about changing flights so best you check in and wait till flight is announced to go through security check. If the flight is delayed they will bump you up to the first available flight if you haven’t gone through security.
Enjoy a throw back into history and meet a modernising civilisation on this trip!
The currency is grossly depreciated to the dollar, so you will have to re-align yourself. We ate many a meal costing over 5 million Vietnamese dong for 3 people ;)
Overall, tourism is very affordable, as are meals and getting around. If you choose to stay in luxury hotels, needless to say, you have to pay a price.
Hanoi
We stayed at intercontinental west lake - standard upscale business hotel. As the name suggest, it was, well, "located on the lake". We walked to the pagoda and the Ho Chin mausoleum- stopped at a temple long the way. Honestly, wasn’t over whelmed by any of the sights.. the vibe is relaxed since we didn’t encounter many tourists so there is no major hustle bustle at the spots.
Lunch was the highlight in Hanoi - we went to a pure veg ReachIvy in the French quarter called Uu Dam Chay. This was a really high end place - super fancy, extensive menu, superb service and delicious food - we ordered the hot pot which was yummy!!! We paid $20 for 3 people and were left wondering if they made a mistake given the superlative experience :)
Post lunch, we took a taxi to the Sofitel metropole Hotel (supposedly the best hotel, located adjacent to the old city -‘d the Opera house) and had a Vietnamese coffee at their poolside. The vibe was relaxed and the coffee super delicious (strong coffee served with condensed milk - add a tea spoon full and enjoy!). The Vietnamese coffee became my daily staple - delicious both god and cold.
We then asked the concierge for a map of the old city and he suggested a tour for 2 hours on a rickshaw. The old city is a maze of many many lanes and we really wouldn’t have been able to navigate it. The recommendation was fabulous - we spent the next 2 hours exploring the old city and stopped at shopping spots along the way.
We ended our richshaw ride at the lake in the Centre of the old town where there is a small bridge to see a temple - pleasant experience but again underwhelming.
We then walked over to the spa, just 2-3 minutes walk away. We were recommended the SF Spa from two hotel concierges - honestly, very poor from entrance, spa room to the overall experience - I would give it a skip or go with very low expectations. The Massage Room was a common area with beds in a row - felt like a Massage dormitory. The masseuse was good but given the overall atmosphere, we didn’t enjoy this experience at all.
Our dinner reservation was at the Red Bean, 1 minute walk from the spa. We sat on the terrace and enjoyed the experience. Staff was friendly and food good and very reasonably priced again.
Post dinner, we took a taxi back to our hotel and retired to bed given our early start for the next morning.
Halong Bay-
Most tourists visit Hanoi since it is the primary port city to visit Halong bay. If taking private transportation, estimate 3.5 hours one way to reach the check in point of your cruise.
I recommend doing a 1 night cruise to soak in the beauty of the bay and partake in kayaking and the cave visit etc.
The cruise liners are small (8 or 16 rooms only) and are NOT akin to the large Alaska / Bahamas cruise liners - so pls adjust your expectations. There are also literally hundred cruise liners leaving each day so expect crowds at the main stops.
We took the grayline cruise (very last minute booking - was over priced and really very basic). The luxury liners are Emperor cruises and Alisa Premier cruises- but book in advance of going over a popular holiday (we went Easter weekend and had a rough time getting bookings).
The scenery was gorgeous! The first stop at a Tip Top island was not great. The place is filled with tourists and the water too cold to swim in. You can opt to hike up to a view point but we just waded In the water instead.
Next stop was the highlight for us. We were given life jackets and kayaks and directed toward a small opening. As we kayaked through the opening we entered a closed lagoon - absolutely stunning! Pls do not opt for the bamboo boat option here - you go through the same lagoon but not as close to the edges as you can go on the kayak.
Back on the boat, dinner is served at 7 and by 8:30 most people retire to their rooms. We could hear loud music blaring from some other boats around us, so I guess the “nightlife” is very boat specific.
We joined the Tai chi session at 6:30 am on the upper deck of our ship. The same person who was our English speaking guide doubled up as the instructor. The lesson was quite silly since he didn’t really demo anything but was overall still a relaxing start to the morning.
Post a quick breakfast we headed to see limestone caves dating back to 1901. Expect to climb up and down over 200 steps here but it’s well worth the visit. The caves are phenomenal and the path is really well carved out, making for a comfortable visit. Once again, it was very crowded but well organized so we didn’t feel pushed or rushed in any manner.
Post the caves, they serve you brunch as the cruises makes it way back to halong. We reached the port by 11:30 am and left directly for the airport. I recommend booking a 4:30 pm flight out of Hanoi to your next destination (again, contingent on having private transport in a SUV or similar).
Danang -
We reached Danang airport around 8 pm and took a local taxi to our hotel - the Intercontinental Danang - an outstanding property and our primary reason for visiting Danang.
Danang is a touristy beach town, similar to others so nothing really unique here. The 2 nights we spent here were mainly to experience the resort; it didn’t disappoint.
When checking in - Request a room right by the cable car since the hotel has 4 main levels all connected via a cable car.
If you get a club room, you have club access which is essentially 24/7 access to a terrific lounge that serves complimentary beverages, a high tea and evening cocktails.
The hotel has a host of complimentary activities which we thoroughly enjoyed - Yoga , Tai chi, kayaking, kite flying etc. just ensure you book in advance since they get filled up.
The dining options in the hotel for vegetarians are sufficient for a 2 night stay - beyond that you are better of leaving the hotel. The main city is about a 25 minute cab ride and full of hotels and bars.
On our second day, we visited Hoi An - an ancient village about 50 minutes drive from the hotel. There is a large pedestrian only zone, lots of small shops, great cafes and overall a fabulous vibe. I wrongly recommend visiting and planning to spend at least 5 hours here between browsing the stores and crowd watching from a cute cafe. The popular Vietnamese restaurant here is Morning Glory. There are indian options too - Baba’s Kitchen and Ganesha.
The Four Seasons Hotel in Hoi An also has excellent Indian Food but the restaurant is open for dinner only so plan accordingly!
We left Danang completely rejuvenated from the ocean, and pampering from the hotel staff. Last stop - HCMC.
HCMC
This is the commercial capital of the country. Compared to other Asian large cities (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila etc.), i didn’t find the traffic overwhelming. Neither was the city bursting at its seams. Drinking coffee in cafes or sipping beer in beer gardens seems like the “to do” thing for locals. Hundreds of tiny cafes and food joints are packed into District 1 (most tourist sights and hotels are also in here). Taxis are cheap and easily available - overall it’s a very easy city to get around. Again, English is not commonly spoken and most signs are not in English either so best to have the address of your location on a piece of paper to show your taxi Driver who can then ensure you get where you need to.
Main highlights:
Cu Chi tunnels- loved it! Don’t book a tour since the entrance ticket includes a guide. Definitely enter a tunnel to experience it!
Mekong river cruise - we didn’t do this but a lot of people do.
Ben Thien Market - local market for souvenirs, fruits, vegetables, clothing, luggage and more! We went back twice! It turns into a night Market later and is open till midnight daily.
Opera house - catch a show if you are into Culture. We saw the AO show, essentially acrobatics and good music. Do not expect broadway magic, Chinese level acrobatics or Russian ballet perfection. The show is average given the high ticket cost but won’t leave you disappointed.
Museums - all close at 5 so start early
Food:
Hum - pure vegetarian restaurant
Noir - eat in complete darkness served by a blind man. Pure vegan menu available - this is a 11 dish meal so go hungry and you will love the experience if you are open to different concepts!
There are Lebanese (Beirut), thai (Racha room), Mexican (Rico taco) and many many more restaurants to explore.
Bear in mind, these restaurants are small, fairly basic and not very expensive. Service in general was excellent every where we went and food was up to the mark as well.
Overall, you can eat well for not much money in HCMC.
Nightlife -
There are several lounges and bars in HCMC - the rooftop / terrace bars are what tourists frequent.
Rex Hotel - we visited because of the hype - very poorly maintained. Hotel was stinking when we entered. We left the bar in precisely 3 minutes.
SoHy - this is new (as of April 2018!) and swanky. When we entered there was a live DJ and the music was blaring. We left the bar in precisely 3 minutes as well!
Glow is another popular lounge.
Qui is a newish lounge and resto-bar.
General observations:
Speckles airport in Hanoi
Many immigration counters making it super easy to enter and leave
Very punctual interanational flight - we flew Thai Airways inbound.
English is uniformly poor - was actually quite harrowing. Most locals we met, could NOT speak more than 3 words if that.
Get a SIM card soon as you land - super cheap and then you have google maps and translate to assist you everywhere.
Cabs in Hanoi can cheat you - we got duped once despite knowing this! Always ask the Hotel or restaurant to book you a taxi.
Domestic flights were ALL delayed! They are very rigid about changing flights so best you check in and wait till flight is announced to go through security check. If the flight is delayed they will bump you up to the first available flight if you haven’t gone through security.
Enjoy a throw back into history and meet a modernising civilisation on this trip!
Comments
Post a Comment