Change Forum
By way of introduction, Jeane and I are fairly seasoned travelers to Asia. Since 2000, we have visited Thailand, Bali (Indonesia), India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Typically we travel for 2 to 2-1/2 weeks once each year. When we travel, we try to plan enough time at each destination so that we don't feel rushed. Like most on this board, we avoid group tours whenever possible but we are not opposed to using locally based travel agencies to arrange hotels and transportation for our own private tour. We understand that guides are sometimes a necessary evil but would prefer to do without them.
With much help from the folks on this board we were able to craft a customized itinerary which would work well for our April timeframe. We planned 5 full days for Hanoi, 2 full days for the overnight trip to Halong Bay, 4 full days for the Sapa area (via overnight train both ways) and 2 full days (including travel time) for our home away from home, Bangkok, Thailand. We expected good weather in northern Vietnam as we would be there between the chilly, damp, overcast winter and the hot, humid, rainy summer.
Tonkin Travel, a Hanoi-based agency handled most of the arrangements for our Vietnam tour. Hien (pronounced HEE-en) was my e-mail contact there and she was wonderful. I first contacted Tonkin back in June just after we had set up our flights and exchanged many e-mails back and forth over the following 10 months. We did a bank transfer for a 20% deposit about 2 months prior to our trip and another transfer for the balance the week before we left.
The elimination of Thai Airways' direct New York to Bangkok flight due to high fuel costs was a huge disappointment. We had used this flight for our three previous trips to Asia. Business class ticket availability using United Mileage Plus ff miles was always pretty good and the flight reduced our overall travel time by several hours. We ended up flying to Hanoi from Hartford, Connecticut via Chicago, Tokyo and Seoul and returning to Hartford from Bangkok via Tokyo and Washington Dulles. Layovers were quite reasonable, ranging from 1-1/2 to 3 hours. The Hartford airport is only 20 minutes from our home, much better than the 2-1/2 hours it takes to get to JFK.
Our journey started when we left our home at 4:15 AM on the morning of Tuesday, April 7 to arrive at the airport 2 hours before our 6:41 AM United flight to Chicago. The flight arrived early so we had time to hit the Red Carpet lounge for a couple of hours. ANA's flight to Tokyo departs Chicago at 10:50 AM and arrives at Narita 13 hours later. We had not flown ANA before but I have to say it is the best airline I have ever flown – service, food, AVOD, lie-flat seats, cleanliness were all first rate. The plane however was about 20% full. We arrived at Narita with time to go through security and check out the ANA lounge. We had both slept a bit on the flight from Chicago so we were doing okay.
The next two flights were on Asiana and neither was anywhere near fully booked. This was also our first time on Asiana, which is the “other” Korean airline. The flight crews were really friendly to us. However we made such good use of the aircraft's lie-flat seats that we don't remember much else about the flights. From what I've heard the airline has a very good reputation. At Seoul, after going through security again(!), I stopped at one of several huge duty-free shops to pick up some booze while Jeane searched for a gift for her adopted niece who was born in South Korea. Liquor prices were about the same as home and there was also a selection of wines, which you don't usually find in duty-free shops. Jeane bought a very pretty business card case with a colorful enameled design on the cover. By the time we were done, our flight was boarding so we did not get a chance to use the Asiana lounge.
We arrived in Hanoi at 10 PM, a few minutes early. Immigration was quick and efficient. After a short wait for our bags, we were waved through customs, and met by our driver, arranged by Tonkin Travel. Before leaving, we went over to the bank of ATMs and withdrew some VN dong. After stopping at the currency exchange for some smaller bills, we were on our way.
As we drove to the Sofitel Metropole, I couldn't help but notice how dark it was – things just didn't seem to be as lit up as one would expect in a big city. We had reserved a room on the Club Floor of the Opera Wing of the Metropole. The driver dropped us off at the Classic Wing however so we had a long walk to our room for check-in. By this time it was nearing midnight (or 1 PM Connecticut time) so our time door-to-door time from home was just under 32 hours. We both took showers then lay down on our very comfortable king bed and slept on and off for about 5 hours.
We woke at about 6 AM, feeling refreshed in spite of it being a bit warm in our beds due to the thick duvets. We also hadn't figured out the thermostat yet. I took another quick shower (can't wake up without one) and headed to the Club Lounge to get on line and let our families know that we had arrived safely. Shortly thereafter, Jeane arrived and we settled down to the first of several excellent breakfasts at the Metropole. Breakfast at the Club Lounge is included the room rate and consists of a buffet of scrambled eggs, cheeses, pastries, breads, jams, a variety of cut fruit and a fruit salad(!), grilled tomatoes with mushrooms(!), smoked salmon, bacon, sausage etc. There is also a menu for eggs Benedict and other delights but there was always so much other food that we only ordered off of it once. The server brings your choice of strong delicious coffee, tea and a variety of juices when you place your order. I was also able to have a pot of coffee delivered to my room on one occasion (no charge) and one delivered to my seat at one of the Club Lounge computers before the breakfast service started (6:30 AM) on almost every day we were there.
The weather in Hanoi for our first two days was sometimes overcast, sometimes partly sunny. Temperatures were in the 70's or 80's, depending on whether the sun was shining or not.
After breakfast, we took some time to do some organizing and to get ready for our tour with Hanoikids. Hanoikids is a free service offered by Hanoian university students to improve their language skills and to promote the city of Hanoi. We headed down to the Classic Wing lobby as we had not informed the Hanoikids where in the hotel we were staying. After inquiring around, we finally met up with our tour guides, “Autumn” and Gaubong. After introductions, we reviewed our plan for the morning which was basically to tour around the Ho Chi Minh complex and then visit the Vietnam Military History Museum. We all piled into a taxi and 10 minutes later we arrived at the complex.
The first stop was the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where Uncle Ho's embalmed body has been on display since 1975 (he died in 1969). The students helped us check our cameras and other belongings before going in. While the experience was not particularly moving for us, it was interesting none-the-less to watch the other people, especially the Vietnamese as they slowly filed past the body. The corpse is enclosed in glass and the room where it is displayed is kept cool and comfortable. As we exited the Mausoleum and retrieved our cameras, we could see Ba Dinh Square where Uncle Ho read out the Declaration of Independence in 1945. From there, we walked past the magnificent Presidential Palace, built by the French in the yellow Colonial style that is still used today for government buildings in Vietnam. Further on were Ho Chi Minh's two modest residences: House #54 and the “Stilt House”. The final stop at the complex was the famous “One Pillar Pagoda” where we had a brief discussion of religion in Vietnam noting that while the majority of Vietnamese are Buddhist, they are not as active practitioners as those in other Asian countries.
One of our guides called for a taxi on her cell phone. I should mention that transportation with the Hanoikids is either by foot or by taxi and that the “customer” picks up the tab for taxis, museum admissions and meals. It was nice to have the guides call for the taxis to assure that we wouldn't get one with a rigged meter (or worse). Soon, a car showed up and we were whisked away to the Military History Museum. Unfortunately when we arrived, we were told it would be closing for lunch in 10 minutes. Our guides suggested we go grab a bite to eat and return after lunch. I could see that our “morning” tour was going to run a bit overtime – no problem though, these girls were fun to be with. For an idea of some of the conversations we had with them go here:
http://www.hanoikidsclub.org/component/option,com_fireboard/Itemid,90/func,view/id,24159/catid,68/
Note that the “wine bottle” Autumn refers to is actually a water bottle from the hotel. Because of their interesting shape (octagonal instead of round), the Metropole bottles attracted the attention of more than one Vietnamese. The Metropole provided 4 bottles of water in our room and replaced them twice daily – we never needed to purchase bottled water in Hanoi.
The Hanoikids asked whether we wanted to go to a popular but crowded restaurant or someplace more intimate and traditional. We opted for the later so another taxi was hailed and we headed for the New Day Restaurant, a two-story hole-in-the-wall on some side street in the Old Quarter (don't ask me where). We were shown to a private room on the 2nd floor. After we had removed our shoes, we were seated on cushions on the floor by a low table. The girls asked us if we wanted to order “family style” and we told them that would be fine. Several tasty dishes were brought out and we shared not only the tasty meal but great conversation as well. One of the questions that Autumn asked me was how much a room cost at the Metropole – I hesitated for a moment and then I told her: $200 and up. I think she was a bit floored by that and I explained that it was “tourist pricing”. Toward the end of the meal, Jeane and I were really stuffed. However, the girls kept on eating. They explained to us that lunch was the big meal of the day in Vietnam. The tab was ridiculously small – maybe the equivalent of $10US.
We headed back to the Military History Museum. Inside we viewed a couple of short films about successful Vietnamese military conquests which were pretty heavy on the propaganda. There was a pretty interesting assortment of weaponry on display and lots of photos showing the Vietnamese resourcefulness in combat. Behind the museum was a collection of assorted wrecked US B-52's which we photographed from the top of a tall flag tower. It was a bit of a climb but worth it as it also offered great views of the city. During our time at the museum, Autumn asked me how I felt about the war. I shared with her my mixed feelings. We also discussed the draft – she was surprised to learn that while Vietnamese men all have to serve their country for three years, the USA no longer requires National service.
By the time we got back to the Metropole it was almost 3 PM. Our guides came into the lobby with us and sat down. It was obvious that they were enjoying their surroundings. While it was tempting to sit and chat some more, we really wanted to get some shopping in before dinner. So we said our goodbyes. We loved our time with Autumn and Gaubong. The experience with the Hanoikids was exactly what I expected it to be and more. Having guides to help us get going on our very first day in Hanoi was invaluable.
After a quick trip to the room, we headed out of the hotel and up the east side of Lake Hoan Kiem. This was our first experience with crossing streets on our own and we quickly got the hang of it. While just walking into heavy motorbike traffic would have been dangerous, there was always the occasional break where we could start crossing, moving at a steady pace so that the bikes would go around us. To help make our Hanoi shopping more efficient, I had made a list of shops, their locations and what they carried. This is not the way Jeane likes to shop (she likes to go into each and every store) but we only had so much time in Hanoi and I have only so much patience. We were mostly interested in paintings, silks and handicrafts. On this first day we planned more to look than to buy, spending most of our time walking from side to side on Hang Gai and Hang Bong streets. We hit most of the shops on my list but we knew we would definitely return to Khai Silk and to Thang Long Gallery (thanks, Patricia). I had set a two hour time limit on shopping so we returned to the Metropole via the west side of the lake.
After a stop at the room, we headed over to the Club Lounge. After the huge lunch, we weren't particularly hungry but the lure of free cocktails was definitely a draw. I settled in with a Macallen (single malt scotch whiskey) and Jeane with a non-alcoholic fruity drink. We decided to check out the hors d'oeuvres selection – it was awesome, lots of variety – western and Vietnamese, and some veggies , unlike many places we have been. We decided that this would be our dinner. Back to the room for a little TV and to sleep.
More to come...
Craig & Jeane's Vietnam Trip Report 2009: Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa
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How come it's always Craig and Jeane and never Jeane and Craig? I'm surprised you had the nerve to post after the disgraceful showing of the Bronx Bozos this weekend. Mariano blows a save, Burnett can't hang on to a 6 run lead and Petite lets Ellsbury steal home. Very nice.
The start of your report is great. I really like the Hanoi Kids adventure. Sounds super. As always, a timely report and no penalty applies. Rooting for the Yankees is penalty enough.
As always, a fascinating trip report. Can't wait for the rest.
Always love reading these post as I have been to Hanoi 2 different times. First time I had a private guide-I was not aware of the student guides. The 2nd time I was able to go around on my own except my first guide sent someone to meet me at the airport, and then he took me to eat pizza riding behid him on his motor scooter. He also helped me with a trip to Halong Bay thru Handspan and obtained the puppet theater tickets for me Also invited me to dinner with him and his tour group one evening. It was nice to make a friend who was so helpful to me on that 2nd trip.
Hanoi is my favorite Vietnamese city,
I am glad you enjoyed your trip. I feel about Vietnam as many of you feel about Thailand, and the reason is the friends I made in Vietnam.
Craig, great start to your report. As usual, it's full of fascinating and useful details. I look forward to the next installment.
Fantastic start and I am reading avidly as we will be going to Hanoi and Ha Long in November (as well as HCMC nad Mue nei). The above has convinced me to book Hanoi Kids. I also sent a request to Tonkin Travel yesterday after you mentioned it on your last thread so will be interested to see what they come up with!
Hi Craig, fabulous start! I can't get over the similarity between our travel styles,lol. Loving all of the details you always provide. Looking forward to the next installments.
Aloha!
dying to read but will wait until i get home.....assume the trip was A+...
we are in mendoza argentina after our 12+ hour lux bus ride which was very comfortable....
talk soon
B&K
Craig-Great job so far! Looking forward to more...
Question: You had to leave you camera when visiting the HCM Mausoleum? Did it seem safe?
I'm quite attached to my Nikon DSLR and hate to check it anywhere, but also don't want to leave it behind in the hotel when we go out.
Do they search your bags when you go in or do you have to leave everything behind (like they do at the Borghese museum in Rome-not even purses can be brought in).
Kristina - your camera will be safe and is checked separately from your personal items. You can hold onto your purse/wallet. We were not searched. It was nice to have the Hanoikids walk us through the process.
Delighted to read this much and very much look forward to more.
Thanks Gpanda (note that the season lasts for 162 games for a reason), Rob, Maryanne, Kathie, Smeagol, HT, Bob/Karen, Kristina and Mary.
Here's the next installment:
Up early Friday, April 10. Computer, coffee then another great Metropole breakfast with Jeane. Hanoikid shows up at 9 AM – she had a Vietnamese name which I forget but she told us that in English her name was Autumn (like the girl yesterday). She told us that the other Hanoikid would meet us at the Hoa Lo Museum (Hanoi Hilton). She reviewed the plan: Hanoi Hilton, Temple of Literature and the Fine Arts Museum. This time we walked. By the time we got there, it seemed that it would have been more sensible to take a taxi as it had taken us 20 minutes to get there. We met up with the other Hanoiguide, Dung. Autumn and Dung were first year university students, while the previous day's guides were juniors. We could immediately sense the difference in their maturity and language skills. While it was apparent that they took some time to prepare for our tour, we felt our guides were providing us with almost too much information. I think we could have done the Hanoi Hilton more easily on our own. We were surprised that the museum was dedicated much more to the French imprisonment of the Vietnamese than to the Vietnamese imprisonment of the Americans. However, there was a section dedicated to John McCain.
We headed to the Temple of Literature by taxi. We struggled to understand what our guides were saying but managed to get the gist of what this beautiful complex was all about. We posed for some photos at various points. On to the Fine Arts Museum – we walked again, a short distance. We were kind of taken aback that Autumn would touch the works of art while describing them. Much of the art was historical and war-oriented. The constant propaganda which appeared in the art and our guides' descriptions was starting to wear on us. This museum like all of the others was not air conditioned, so it wasn't particularly comfortable.
After an hour or so in the museum, we were all pretty tired. We wanted to go the Craft Link shop which was close by and I told our guides that we needed to go there. However, it was almost 1:30 PM by that time so it was also time to eat. After a bit of debate, we decided to stick close by – Koto, a teaching restaurant for the disadvantaged, turned out to be a good choice. We were all really hot so when the server offered to put us in a small room with a/c, we were thrilled. We had a nice meal and good conversation with our guides, the highlight of a somewhat disappointing day. Meal cost was $20 this time – still quite cheap.
Toward the end of the meal, we realized that Dund had to get to her 3 PM class, so we sent her on her way. After we settled our bill, Jeane and I headed a few doors down to Craft Link with Autumn. Craft Link is a non-profit shop that sells high quality handicrafts all made by ethnic minorities in Vietnam. There was some sort of parade going on outside and Autumn explained that it was a funeral procession. She offered to take my camera and go out and take photos. I let her go. When she returned we discussed the differences between the Christian concept of everlasting life and the Vietnamese belief that when life ends, it's over and how Christian funeral hymns are more upbeat than the sad Vietnamese funeral dirges.
Jeane saw some things that she liked but did not make any purchases. As we exited the shop, Autumn called for a taxi. The taxi arrived but Jeane remembered that there was an additional Craft Link shop a few doors down. Because the taxi was waiting, she only had a chance to peek inside – this one seemed to specialize in weavings while the other was more oriented towards home furnishings. We would have to come back another time. Jeane and I were dropped off at our hotel and we said our goodbyes. Autumn asked for our e-mail address and I gave mine to her.
It was about 4 PM – I was pretty beat and needed to chill for a while – perhaps it was jet lag catching up with me. I went to the lounge and did internet while Jeane explored the shops on the streets surrounding the Metropole. Jeane returned an hour or so later and because of our big lunch, we decided that dining on the Metropole's hors d'oeuvres (and free drinks) again would be just fine. There was a completely different selection of food in the lounge from the night before. Because our transfer to Halong Bay was expected to arrive early the next day, we returned to our room to reorganize, packing just a couple of small bags for the trip and leaving the rest of our stuff at the Metropole.
more later...
Great report. Looking forward to the rest, in particular if you felt 1 night on Halong Bay was enough ( if you had the time, would you have preferred 2 nights?). I love the idea of HanoiKids.
Can't wait for more...
Your report helps me relive lunch at Koto, CraftLink, Temple of Lit, Hanoi Hilton, etc.and other fond memories. So glad you're having a great time ....and as always, great planning. The opportunity with Hanoikids sounds priceless and a great win win.
AS usual, this is a great report. Love all the details.
I also love Autumn's tour report. Who knew that all it takes to be the "ideal Husband" is cooking spring rolls and washing the dishes?? So cute!
Keep it coming Craig. Your fond memories of VN may sustain you through a horrible baseball season. They lost to Detroit? The vaunted Y attack managed to score two runs.
We slept okay but not great – the time difference was stil making sleeping through the night difficult. Up at 5 AM – plenty of time for pushups, shower, internet, breakfast and check-out. While we were ready for our driver at 8 AM, we weren't sure which side of the hotel he would come to. As it turned out, he came to the Classic Wing 20 minutes late, but we were traveling light so no big deal. What was a big deal was that I had reserved a 7-seat SUV for all of our travels and while the car that showed up was spacious, it was not what we had paid for. We did not have enough time to organize a switch but I did ask our driver to get in touch with Tonkin so that we would be assured of having a large vehicle for the rough roads in the Sapa area a few days later. After a few calls back and forth, the driver handed me his cell so I could speak with Hien at Tonkin Travel who apologized for the confusion and told me that everything was all set for Sapa.
The driver made one stop along the way at a big souvenir emporium for tourists. We appreciated the bathroom break and Jeane browsed quickly. She saw a small red lacquerware vase that she really liked and I told her to buy it, since she might not see it again. Good call. 15 minutes later we were moving again. We arrived at the cruise waiting area just shortly before noon. I neglected to mention that we were originally booked in the single suite on the Valentine, a small ship with only 5 rooms, including the suite. Unfortunately, I had received an e-mail from Tonkin two days prior saying it was not to be and that Indochina Sails had offered an alternative, a suite on the brand new (but larger) Indochina Sails III. Tonkin felt that I should go for it only if we could do it at half price to compensate and I agreed. Indochina Sails also arranged for a bottle of Chilean Red in our suite for our troubles.
From the waiting area there is a shuttle boat to take passengers to the ship. We departed just before 12:30. After boarding the ship, orientation and check-in were relatively quick and painless. While the ship was bigger than we would have liked, our a/c suite was very nice – king size bed, rain forest shower, plus a jacuzzi bath and a small private deck. There was also a safe and a minibar in the room. Lunch was the first activity of the cruise and it was an international/Vietnamese set menu, not a buffet. Very nice. The price of the cruise was all inclusive, except for drinks and kayaking. Wine by the bottle was pricey but normal drinks and wine by the glass were reasonable.
There were two afternoon activities – first, a trip to Titop Island, named after a Soviet astronaut who visited there with Ho Chi Minh and second, kayaking at the Hang Doi Bat Cave area. It was pretty overcast with a few rain drops as we climbed the several hundred steps to the top of the mountain on Titop Island. In spite of the haze, the views were pretty good so we took some photos. The late afternoon kayaking was better – the ship's guide was helpful, we were in a good group and the skies had cleared somewhat. The lagoon and surrounding waters are very quiet – it was nice to get away from it all as Halong Bay had been very busy. Our guide took some great photos of Jeane and I in our kayak. Kayaking cost $10US extra per person.
Back on the ship, we relaxed with our own cocktails in the room as we cruised toward our anchoring destination for the night. Afterward, we enjoyed a food carving demonstration, followed by a nice buffet dinner. We skipped the movie afterward, "The Quiet American" (I have it on DVD at home) and turned in early.
We awoke at about 5:30 the next morning (Sunday, 4/12), showered and got ready for the day. The ship pulled up its anchor shortly thereafter and we headed towards our next destination, a small fishing village and the Surprise Cave. Coffee and pastries were put out at 6:45. Jeane and I entertained ourselves by photographing the fishing village while we waited for the 8 AM transfer to the Cave. We spent about an hour at the cave, which is actually a series of 3 large caves with the “surprise” being the size and scope of it all. The caves were enhanced with artificial lighting. Steps and handrails were in place where it was necessary to climb. The ship's guide gave us some history of the caves and pointed out the various formations inside.
We returned to the ship for our final meal, a buffet breakfast which included omelets made to order – not as good as the Metropole's buffet but fine none-the-less. The ship's crew requested that we put out our larger bags before breakfast for transfer to the pier. After breakfast we returned to our room to find that housekeeping was already starting to clean it. We used the public facilities instead and retired to the sundeck to relax and settle our bill while we approached the pier.
Our driver was waiting for us at the pier and the ship's guide helped us with our bags. I gave him a tip and bid him farewell. The one-night, two day cruise had been just perfect. We would not have wanted to stay an additional night. The return drive was fairly quick and uneventful. We made the obligatory stop at the overpriced souvenir place but did not linger. I think Jeane would have liked to have spent more time there but I just don't care for these places on principle.
At the Metropole, the staff at the Club Floor desk welcomed us back. Our bags were retrieved from storage and waiting for us in our room when we arrived. I asked our butler to make a 6 PM dinner reservation for us at Wild Lotus. We spent the remainder of the afternoon settling in, doing internet and enjoying cocktails in the Club Lounge. Wild Lotus was great. We enjoyed Chili Shrimp Cakes, Seafood Salad with Pineapple and Crab Meat Soup in a beautiful setting. The tab with two beers and a bottle of water came to $22US. We asked the restaurant call us a taxi and returned to the hotel for the evening.
Great report Craig! Looking forward to seeing your photo of the trip.
Craig
I love the details and am interested in why the trip on Valetine was cancelled, as i was looking at that too last night. I am torn bewteen Ginger, Bhaya, Valentine and have also been recommended one of the indochine sails (am getting myself confused)
I will see what Tonkin come back with too?
Smeagol, Indochina Sails owns the Valentine as well as the Indo 1,2 and 3. Our suite on the Valentine was mistakenly booked with someone else. I was given a choice of staying in a deluxe non-suite room on the Valentine or in a suite on Indo 3, the newest and most luxurious of Indochina Sails ships. We wanted the suite so we went with the Indo 3.
http://www.indochinasails.com/
Ginger/Jasmine/Violet are very nice too - I think they have bigger private decks off some of the rooms:
http://www.cruisehalong.com/
From what I've heard, the Bhaya ships are a step below:
http://www.bhayacruises.com/
Craig
That is super helpful (as i will discount Bhaya) but now still confused about the others!! too many choices. I like the look of valentine as it looks quite small, would you recommend the Indochina Sales ones (as they are a bit cheaper than Ginger et al and am trying to reign some costs in!!!!)
Smeagol
We were quite happy with Indo 3.
Craig, I am really enjoying your report. The detail is great -- this will be immensely helpful to those of us who are thinking of traveling to VN in the future. Thanks so much for posting. I am looking forward to the rest, especially the bit on Sapa.
I am enjoying both the reliving of experiences and the level of detail that you provide about negotiations on switched and substituted vehicles and suites, etc. -- very helpful to those planning trips. So glad that you enjoyed Wild Lotus which was one of my favorites. Always disappointed to hit the end of an entry -- looking forward to more.
Wild lotus is also added to our (ever growing) list! looking forward to hearing more.
Craig, I'm sorry your second day with Hanoi Kids was not as good as the first. You are able to give us a balanced perspective on your time with Hanoi Kids.
The Temple of Literature was one of my favorite places in Hanoi. I think we spent a whole day at the Temple of Literature, Art Museum, CraftLink and lunch at Koto.
Craig
I am trying to resist asking too many questions and hogging this thread but may i ask were Tonkin competative on Hotel prices? i have had some details back from them and whilst the itinerary looks good, some of the hotel prices are a lot more than i have found!
Smeagol
After we had placed our initial 20% deposit with Tonkin, I found a promotion on the Metropole's website that was substantially lower than the price I was quoted. I e-mailed Tonkin and asked if they could "renegotiate" our rate. Hien e-mailed back and said that there was a local promotion - stay two nights, get the third night free. With early check-ins and late checkouts, we had 7-1/2 nights reserved at the Metropole. So we received 2 free nights, which ended up being even more savings than the promotion.
Bottom line is it doesn't hurt to ask if Tonkin can negotiate a better price for you. Alternatively, just use your other source for your reservation - Tonkin won't mind.
Thanks Craig
Will let them know the rates i have found and see if they can do it. if not, no problem.
So far of the three companies i have contacted, they are definately the hot favourites (should i choose to go with a TA).
Anyway i think your audience awaits you!!!
For Monday, April 13 we had prearranged a driver and a guide through Tonkin Travel for an excursion to some traditional crafts villages on the outskirts of Hanoi. Our guide and driver met us promptly at 9 AM with a 7-seat Toyota Innova on the correct side of the hotel (Opera Wing). We had enjoyed another great Metropole breakfast and were ready to go.
Originally, my plan had called for us to visit three villages as recommended in the “Insight Pocket Guide to Hanoi and Northern Vietnam”: Chuong Village for conical hats, Vac Village for bird cages and paper fans and Duyen Trong for lacquerware. We also planned to check out an interesting pagoda along the way. This was intended to be more of a sightseeing and photography tour than a shopping expedition. Jeane, however was not finding the silks that she wanted in Hanoi so we asked the guide if we could stop at the Van Phuc silk village first, since it was on the way. It was no problem – about 45 minutes later we rolled into one of the family-owned workshops. Apparently it was a pretty famous one as both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had visited before us. We took a few photos of the shop and then headed into the small showroom. Jeane did well – she was looking for fabric for pillows for the waiting area in her new dental office and found exactly what she wanted. Our timing was good too – we finished up just as a huge tour bus pulled in.
Our next stop was the conical hat village. Our guide told us that nobody wants to go there but we thought it was great – not a tourist in sight. The conical hat business is dying because nobody wears them anymore except in the rice fields. In the cities, the hats have been replaced by motor bike helmets. and there's not much of an export business. So, needless-to-say, Chuong Village was kind of quiet. We did see the hats being made by hand at a couple of family homes. We were able to take several photos and to purchase a couple of hats as souvenirs for a dollar each.
It was now mid-day. We had informed our guide that we did not need to eat lunch and had brought along some snacks in case we got hungry. Our guide told us that this is pretty common and that he had eaten a big breakfast. We headed to the village where they make bird cages and paper fans – not much going on as most of the families were enjoying their big meal of the day. We were able to see some bamboo birdcages outside a home in various stages of manufacture – apparently they command quite a premium in the export market. We also stopped into another home of a paper fan making family and took a couple of photos of the interior.
We spent maybe 15 minutes in this small village. The driver barely had a chance to get a bite to eat. We left Vac Village via the back roads, stopping from time-to-time for photo opps. It was amazing that this completely isolated rural area was only about 10 miles outside of Hanoi. We drove around for a while. It started to seem like we were going in a big circle when the driver suddenly decided to turn the car around and head back in the direction we had come from. It turned out that the driver was trying to find the pagoda I had mentioned previously. Shortly thereafter, we came upon it.
Dau Pagoda dates back to the 12th century. It is located in a very pretty setting between a lake and a river. In one of the rear buildings, the lacquered skeletal remains of two 17th century monks are on display in glass cases. In spite of it's obscurity, Dau Pagoda presented us with an excellent opportunity to learn from our guide about the harmonies of Vietnamese pagoda architecture and the differences between Buddhism practiced in northern Vietnam versus Buddhism practiced elsewhere in Asia.
The remainder of our tour was not very productive. Our guide felt that since we had already seen the lacquerware process on previous trips to SE Asia, we would find a better selection of lacquerware at a shop he knew of in Hanoi than at Duyen Trong Village. He also felt we had time to visit a large showroom in the pottery village on the other side of Hanoi, if we wanted to. Jeane thought that was a good idea. So we headed to Bat Trang to check it out. The ceramic pieces were just not to our tastes – we could say we were glad to have seen what it was all about though. The lacquerware shop in Hanoi was also a disappointment. While it was a place that supported those that were disadvantaged and not some tourist emporium, the selection just wasn't that great. It was time to head back to the hotel. Our guide asked us where we were going for dinner. I didn't really have any idea. I told him we really liked Wild Lotus and we talked about some options. He recommended Au Lac House (not Au Lac Cafe) which was on Tran Hung Dao, walking distance from our hotel. We thought it might be worth trying out. Our guide was very enthusiastic about making a reservation for us but I was just not ready to commit to a time.
I'm not sure what time we actually returned to the Metropole but we did cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and then asked the helpful folks at the Club Lounge desk to make a reservation for us at Au Lac House for 6:30 PM. We walked over, grateful for the exercise after being driven around all day. The restaurant was in an old home. We had the choice of sitting outside but opted for an indoor table with a/c as it was still quite hot out. In fact, since we had returned from Halong Bay, daytime temperatures had been in the 90's+. Dinner was fantastic. We ordered Fried Rice with Pineapple, Roast Duck with Mandarin Sauce and Banana Flower Salad with Chiles. With 2 beers and a bottle of water, the meal was again just $20US.
We returned to the hotel and organized a bit, knowing that we would be taking the train to Sapa the following evening.
We had originally scheduled a full day on Tuesday with Hanoikids but I had e-mailed them the Sunday before to cancel. We wanted to tour on our own time at that point. Also, a full day seemed to be more than we could handle. Our mission was to do the Museum of Ethnology, Craft Link (another branch nearby) and the Botanical Gardens, which would leave time for shopping in the Old Quarter in the afternoon. We set out early. The museum opened at 8:30 and we asked the concierge desk to arrange a taxi. We also discussed late check-out beyond the 6 PM time we had arranged through Tonkin. Fortunately I was dealing directly with the Metropole's General Manager. While he was reluctant to extend our time, he finally gave in to an 8 PM departure. This was in spite of having a big group from JP Morgan staying there that evening. Being an employee of Citigroup, a competitor, I had no qualms about keeping someone from JP Morgan waiting for their room. The GM accompanied us to the lobby and personally gave instructions to the taxi driver to wait for us at each location and return us to the hotel. What service!
The Museum of Ethnology is world-class - lots of explanations in English and a comphehensive outdoor display of various tribal homes. The indoor exhibits were less interesting to us but were still of high quality. We spent about 2-1/2 hours at the museum. Just outside was another branch of Craft Link. Each shop seemed to have a different selection of handicrafts, so we were glad that we could visit all three.
Our driver was waiting for us in the shade just outside the entrance to the museum. It was going to be another very hot day. He drove us over to the Botanical Gardens. While there was some confusion over where he should be dropping us off and where he should park, we worked it out. There was a small admission fee as there is most any place you visit in Hanoi. There is not much to the Botanical Gardens – trees, a lake but not much gardens. A wedding had taken place (it was Tuesday!) and the bride and groom were posing for photos. The groom did not look happy with his tux in the heat but we took advantage and snapped a few photos ourselves. There had been another wedding couple posing for photos outside the Museum of Ethnology – must have been a lucky day for weddings in Hanoi.
After about a half hour at the Botanical Gardens, our driver returned us to the Metropole. There was some confusion over the cost of the waiting time – the GM had told us that it was 15000 VN dong per hour but the driver wanted 35000. I just wanted to do what was right and the doorman at the Metropole helped clear it all up. Apparently the correct rate was 35000 ($2US) so certainly not worth quibbling over.
That afternoon, we headed back to the old quarter. Our first stop was Thang Long Gallery to look at a painting that we had admired on our last visit – the colors weren't quite right for Jeane's office but the painting might work at home...we decided to think about it some more. We headed farther north in the old quarter to look for some pens or balloons for the children in Sapa. Our guide on the handicraft village tour had made some suggestions on where to go and what to buy. After wandering around for quite some time we found some cool-looking pens being sold in bulk - very inexpensive. It was not only hot but it was starting to drizzle so we decided to return to the hotel. We walked past the east side of the lake this time. Since the rain had let up, we decided to visit the Ngoc Son island temple on the lake. While the footbridge to the temple is impressive, the temple itself was not worth the small admission. We didn't stay there long.
At the hotel we inquired about options for an early dinner prior to our train trip to Sapa. Unfortunately there weren't any attractive options so we opted to have dinner in the Le Club Bar at the Metropole. We split a hamburger and french fries. We even asked our server for extra ketchup. With a glass of red wine, the burger really hit the spot.
The same guide we had the previous day showed up with a new driver to take us to the train station. The station was only 5 minutes from the hotel. Tonkin had reconfirmed our reservation so boarding went smoothly. We were on Fanxifan Express car on the 9:15 PM train. Tonkin told us that a 4-berth private cabin in the center of the a car would be quieter than the 2-berth cabin at the end of the car and we took their advice. While not luxurious, our car was new and clean. The WC's at each end of the car stayed pretty clean for most of the trip. Our beds were hard but comfortable with a mattress sheet, a comforter, and a pillow in a pillow case. The a/c worked fairly well and the cabin door lock was solid. For some reason there were smoking cabins and non-smoking cabins on the same car so we could smell cigarettes from the smoking cabins, especially when the train wasn't moving. Once the train got going, there wasn't much to do but go to bed, so that's what we did. The train was noisy and made several stops along the way. However, we managed to get a decent night's sleep before the wake-up knock on our cabin door ½ hour before our 6 AM arrival.
How sweet is it that your employer gives money for the naming rights to the Mets' stadium? True justice. Think of it as a form of reparations.
So now i have Auc Lac House on my list too!! at this rate i will have to spend the entire 16 days in Hanoi
We managed to use the WC and brush our teeth with bottled water before we arrived at the station at Lao Cai. It was a bit of a project getting all of our stuff off the train even though we had stored two small bags at the Metropole. Once off the train and out of the station, we were met by our guide, Hii and our driver. It took us about 45 minutes to drive to Sapa. I guess Hii didn't get the memo that we wanted to spend some time in Sapa before heading out to Topas Ecolodge. It seems he and the driver had another tour to do. So Hii asked us if we could leave our bags at his agency in town and come back later to meet up with another driver to take us to the Ecolodge. That was no problem for us. After we dropped off our bags, our driver took us up the hill to a small cafe called Baguette & Chocolat where we had a simple breakfast of eggs, toast, coffee and juice.
After breakfast, we had about 2 hours to wander around Sapa. We started along an alley off the main square that was lined with vendors selling clothing, accessories and jewelry. We stopped at one that was selling some very attractive silk pashminas from China. Jeane decided she liked what she saw and picked out 4 of them with the help of the Hmong sales lady. I bargained with her for a price in VN dong that worked out to about $5 a piece.
As we walked away, heading toward the main market, a couple of Hmong sisters latched onto us. I asked if we could take their photo and they obliged. Now of course, we had to make a purchase – they were selling these junky little purses that we really didn't want to buy. The street near the market is lined with shops. We went in one – the sisters were waiting for us when we came out. I decided that we needed bite the bullet and make a purchase. I asked what they wanted for 2 purses – It wasn't much but I knew it was too high. I gave them my own figure and they shook their heads. We walked into the next shop – they were again waiting for us when we came out and named a lower price. I countered and walked away again. This went on for a couple more shops until we finally settled on a figure that made us both happy. All-in-all, kind of a fun ordeal. We knew that we would not be bothered for the rest of our time in Sapa.
We had set a time to return to the agency but because we arrived and departed from it by car, we weren't quite sure where it was. Sapa is a small town but it still took us about 25 minutes to locate the agency. When we arrived, they told us that the driver had gone out to look for us. We gathered up our bags and freshened up a bit. By the time we were done, the driver had returned, ready to take us to Topas Ecolodge.
The mountain road to the Ecolodge seemed to get worse and worse as we progressed. The trip took about 45 minutes passing some pretty stunning scenery. It was obvious that the road had been blocked by landslides in several places during the winter rains. We arrived at the Ecolodge at about 11:30 AM and were informed that our room was not quite ready (check-in is 1 PM). Lunch wasn't to be served until 12:30 so we sat down at one of the tables on the patio by reception and relaxed. The day had turned out to be sunny and quite warm. Jeane spotted a very pretty butterfly and chased it around the patio, attempting to take a photograph. I returned to reception and asked that they confirm the two hikes that I had set up prior to our trip.
Shortly, we were escorted to our bungalow. Our room was large but spartan. I noticed that the floor lamp was similar to one I'd seen for sale at Craft Link in Hanoi. From our spacious deck we had spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and Ban Ho village in the valley below. We both badly needed showers after the overnight train ride and morning in Sapa. As part of the hotel's “Eco” mission, each bungalow was equipped with a solar hot water heater with an electric back-up for cloudy days. The hot water pressure was weak but we never ran out. Cold water pressure was strong so by carefully adjusting the two, we were able to take serviceable showers. We were only provided with one tiny bar of soap but we had the forethought to bring our own soap and shampoo. There was no hair dryer.
After showering, we were ready to have lunch. All meals at the Ecolodge were served buffet-style. A server would come to our table to take our drink orders. We were able to buy a big bottle of water which was brought out for each meal. Wine was available by the glass and reasonably-priced. Beer and spirits were also available. Lunches and Dinners generally consisted of rice, a couple of Vietnamese meat dishes, a soup, a Vietnamese salad, and fruit for desert. The food was basically bland and repetitive. Custom-made omelets were available at breakfast, making it our favorite meal of the day. The servers spoke little English and confused our drink orders on more than one occasion. Part of the “Eco” philosophy was to hire local people – commendable for sure, but it didn't work out very well. Getting anything from the housekeeping staff was also a challenge.
After lunch, I relaxed on our deck with a book. Earlier, as we arrived at the Ecolodge, there was a group of Red Dao ladies outside the property at the entrance to greet us (and sell us their wares). I suggested to Jeane that she go back there with her camera and make some friends. Jeane returned a couple of hours later with several nice photos and a couple of small purchases. She said she had a bit of difficulty taking pictures because the ladies would surround her, all vying for attention. She was eventually was able to convince a couple to pose individually and the rest to pose as a group for her.
Toward the end of the afternoon, I set out with my own camera to take photos of the property and it's surroundings. One of the managers spotted me with my camera and pointed me toward a hill by the entry path that provided an excellent vantage point for photos. With the sun lower in the sky, the lighting was perfect.
Dinner is served every night from 6:30 to 8:30. We showed up at about 7. Afterwards we perused the items for sale in the small gift shop in the dining area. There was a selection of the same pashminas Jeane had purchased earlier that day – they were going for $7US so we figured was had gotten a good deal. Jeane suggested that even at $7 it might be worth picking up a couple for my assistants at the office – we picked two that I knew the ladies would enjoy.
We returned to our room along a pathway illuminated by the kerosene lamps outside each bungalow. Since it was about 8 PM and really dark, it was helpful that Jeane had her flashlight. We tried to read for a while but our bungalow was poorly lit and we were tired. The bungalows are equipped with dehumidifiers but not a/c so it was a bit warm in the room but not uncomfortable. The dehumidifier was kind of noisy so I turned it off for the night. The manager had suggested we shut our windows at night to keep out the insects and we followed his advice. When we were in the room during the heat of the day, we kept the windows open to capture a nice cross-breeze but it was not necessary to do so at night. We slept well on the hard but not uncomfortable king bed.
At 5 AM on Thursday, April 16 we were ready to rise, even though breakfast would not be served until 7:30. Fortunately, I have a travel coffee-maker so I was able to brew a big cup for myself (Jeane doesn't drink coffee). I did push-ups in the dark outside on the deck and waited for the sun to come up. We showed up for the breakfast buffet right at 7:30. In addition to the aforementioned omelets, there was a selection of fruit juices, plus cornflakes, bread (no toaster) and jam , yogurt, coffee and tea.
Our hike was to start at 9 AM and our guide from Topas Travel in Sapa arrived promptly. He asked us if we had slept well and gave us each a bottle of water. Our guide put the box lunch that the Ecolodge had provided for us in his backpack. While it had been overcast on previous mornings in Vietnam, the sun was shining brightly today. I wasn't completely clear on where we were going but I knew it was supposed to be an all-day hike to Ban Ho village in the valley and that we would have a tour of the village, lunch and transportation back up the mountain to the Ecolodge – about 6 hours altogether.
The first two hours of the hike were fantastic, gently descending on a trail with amazing views of the terraced ricefields and the mountains beyond. The third hour was not nearly as pleasant. We began a steep descent on a relatively thin and slippery trail. Our guide provided assistance to Jeane several times on the way down. We finally reached the Muong Bo River and crossed at a pedestrian suspension bridge. Far above us in the distance we could see the Ecolodge from where we had hiked, perched upon the edge of the mountain. It was hot and the sun was beating down on us as we continued through green ricefields and past native homes. By the time we reached the outskirts of Ban Ho, we were tired, sweaty and concerned about prolonged exposure to the sun. Our guide was also not communicating well what lay ahead. He said we were going to take a break, then walk some more and then have lunch. I told him that our only priorities were to get out of the sun for a while and to have something to eat.
About 10 minutes later, we arrived at a homestay which was actually a Tay stilt house. Fortunately we were able to sit down at a table in a shady area outside. There was an oscillating electric fan to help us cool off. After about 20 minutes we were feeling better and our guide asked us if we wanted to walk around the village for a while before returning to the homestay for lunch. While resting, we had applied sunscreen to our faces, necks and arms so with that along with our hats, we felt better protected. We were ready to go especially since we now understood that we were done with strenuous walking for the day.
As walked around the village, it became obvious that it was a popular trekking stop-off point with numerous homestays. We did get off the beaten track a little bit and entered a private home to see the fabric dying process that turns the Tay and other tribal ladies' hands blue. After wandering for about a half hour, we returned to the homestay for lunch. The Ecolodge had offered us the option of the guide preparing lunch at the homestay using the “local” utensils but we wanted no part of that for hygiene reasons. So instead they had prepared a picnic lunch of bread, cheese, cucumber and some fruit which was fine. I ordered a large beer and Jeane ordered a cola.
We discussed the next day's plan with the guide. It was to be a shorter walk along the main road to a smaller village. He suggested starting at 8:30 AM so we could be back in time for the 11:30 Ecolodge shuttle to Sapa (Jeane didn't think she had had enough time there). We thought that sounded great and agreed to be ready at 8:30. After lunch, the guide gave us a short tour of the stilt house before taking us to an SUV that was waiting to return us to the Ecolodge. We were glad not to have to hike back up. The road from Ban Ho was a direct route back and was not particularly scenic. Along the way we had to stop and switch to a big van because a truck had gotten stuck and was completely blocking the road. I was amazed that Topas Travel had been able to arrange the second vehicle so that when we arrived at the roadblock there would be no wait.
We arrived back at the Ecolodge at just about 3 PM. As we walked down the path from the entrance, I realized I had left my hat in one of the vehicles. I went back to the entrance. Our guide was still there waiting for his ride back to Sapa, but the van had departed. I explained about my hat. The guide made some calls on his cell and told me that we could pick up the hat at his agency in Sapa the next day – perfect.
I had thought I had a second hat with but unfortunately it was in storage at the Metropole. So, I went to reception to see what they had. The Ecolodge had a high quality logo hat for $4US, a great price. I told the manager he could charge up to $20 for the same hat in the USA.
The remainder of the day was low-key – shower, cocktails, dinner, bedtime.
Friday, April 17 was a good day – we rose early again, I had my coffee in the room and we had breakfast at 7:30 so we could be ready at 8:30 for our morning hike to Than Kim, a Red Dau village about 45 minutes from the Ecolodge. Early in the morning the valley had been completely fogged in. However, the fog had lifted and the sun was shining intermittently. It was an easy walk on the mostly flat main dirt road. I found out later that we could have done a slightly longer walk to the village through the ricefields but there was plenty see from the road so it didn't matter. The village was up a small hill from the road. When we arrived, we could tell that this village didn't get many visits from tourists. We had the place to ourselves. Our first stop was at a small 4-room primary school. School was in session but the kids were having recess. We had the pens we had purchased in Hanoi and offered them to some of the children if they would pose for pictures. Then we went into one of the classrooms to see what it was like. A big group of kids followed us in. Jeane got up at the front of the room and started writing on the blackboard English words like “Hello” and “Thank you” and prompting the kids to say them. It was a great spontaneous moment.
After that we waved goodbye to the schoolchildren and headed further into the village to see a couple of Red Dau homes, which were pretty basic. At one home, there was what seemed to be a grandmother and 4 children. Jeane wanted the grandmother to pose for her. Since the guide did not speak her language, he had to get the kids to translate for him from Vietnamese. Jeane was able to get some really good photos of her and she seemed to really appreciate the 20,000 VN dong I handed to her for modeling. We spent a total of about 45 minutes in the village and then had a relaxing walk back to the Ecolodge, arriving in time for the 11:30 shuttle to Sapa.
Some thoughts on the hikes:
We opted for private hikes because we didn't want to be on anyone else's schedule. The standard hikes which can be arranged through the Ecolodge on arrival are group hikes. Private hikes are more expensive and should be arranged in advance with Topas Travel. I recommend confirming about a week before you go and reconfirming when you arrive. We had to pay in advance with a credit card. There were some other hikes that we would have considered had we known about them. Getting information in advance was quite difficult. When we arrived at the Ecolodge, we were given a list of options for the group hikes, some of which sounded more worthwhile than our Ban Ho trip. Any of the group hikes could certainly be done as private hikes.
After our walk, I was content to stay behind and spend a few hours reading on our deck while Jeane went shopping. She returned at about 4:15 (the shuttle leaves from Topas Travel in Sapa at 3:30 PM). She had my hat with her and some more pashminas from the vendor we had been to previously. Jeane told me that she had been on another street with several nice shops, including an art gallery that had a painting that she really liked. It was about half the price of the one we had liked in Hanoi so I asked her why she didn't just buy it – I think she would have if I had been with her. In any case, we have the shop's e-mail address and a photo of the painting if we want to purchase it later. Jeane mentioned that she tried to get some VN dong with her MasterCard at all three of the ATM's in town but had no luck.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon/early evening taking it easy and preparing for an early start the next day.
Minor question. Curious about what you mean by a "travel coffee-maker."
Minor question welcomed - travel coffee maker no longer available but basically a German-made plastic self-contained compact percolator in a soft synthetic case.
Thanks.
So did you brew Vietnamese beans or bring along a supply from home that was pre-ground for the travel percolator? (I am a keen coffee drinker who would always much rather start the day with a good cup.)
I brought along a pre-ground supply from home. This was strictly for "emergencies" like this one.
Still enjoying your report.
Topas Ecolodge is run by a husband and wife team. I had asked the wife if we could get some breakfast at 6 AM as we intended to depart at 7. She told us that it would be no problem since there was a group leaving even earlier than we were. As it turned out, the main lodge was deserted at 6 AM. Breakfast was not ready until 6:40 so we were not able to get going until 7:20. Hii, our guide had arrived before 7. It was important to get an early start as we were heading on a 3 hour drive to the Can Cau market which starts to slow down at around 11. Needless to say, I was pissed and let the husband know it (the woman that committed to the 6 AM breakfast was not there when we left) – there was no explanation for the late breakfast as quite honestly, the husband is kind of an introverted dork. Now to be fair, I think that while they do try to be helpful, this couple is completely overwhelmed by the constant turnover of guests at all hours of the day. I don't agree with the Ecolodge's business model of catering to so many guests that stay for just one night and then head somewhere else the next day. But maybe that's what the Sapa area is all about.
Hii helped us lug all of our bags along the long path to the Ecolodge entrance. We greeted the driver, loaded the SUV and were on our way. We stopped in Lao Cai to drop our bags at the restaurant that Hii had recommended for dinner, La Bordeaux. We had a timely WC break as well. Then on to Can Cau, which was actually a very scenic drive via winding roads and many rice fields. The weather had become sunny and hot.
The Can Cau market was fantastic. We did arrive early enough that there was plenty of activity. Can Cau is a small market that is only held on Saturdays. Jeane and I thought it was one of the more colorful markets we had ever been to, mostly because of (1) the colorful costumes of the Flower Hmong people and (2) the commerce in livestock, especially water buffaloes and horses. We had previously learned that one water buffalo can cost $1,000US. Our guide told us that there was no problem taking photos here. If the Flower Hmong didn't want their photo taken, they would turn away. That required a certain amount of stealth on our part and unfortunately, we were not the only Westerners there taking photos. I think we made out fairly well though and by noon we were ready to move on.
We had lunch in Bac Haa at some tourist place which was fine. Bac Haa has a huge market day on Sundays. From there we were supposed to head to a Tay Village for a short walk and then a river cruise on a local boat to kill time before our train left Lao Cai. While the Tay village was pretty with it's rice paddies and stilt houses, it was mid-afternoon and quite hot. Hii had tried to convince to do a ride through the village on a water buffalo cart for $20US but we saw that as a tourist rip-off and gave it a pass. After walking for a while, we stopped at a homestay where an elderly couple offered us green tea off of a filthy tray – we took but did not drink.
The guide took us upstairs to see the rest of the home and then we sat down again – I decided to be direct and told the guide that it was time to get going. From the expression on his face, it seemed he didn't appreciate that too much but we got moving and bid farewell to the couple at the homestay. Shortly thereafter, we boarded a long-tail boat for the most boring boat ride we've ever been on. There was practically nothing to see on the river. At the end of the "cruise" we stopped at a little restaurant where I ordered a large beer, mostly because we had time to kill.
We arrived at Lau Cai at about 4:30 – it was obvious that we would have a lot of idle time before our 7:45 departure. Jeane thinking out loud, said she would really like to take a shower as we were really sweaty after the hot day. Hii immediately picked up on it and said we could rent an air conditioned room with a shower above Le Bordeaux, the restaurant where our luggage was stored, for only $10US. We could have it until dinner – perfect! We made a dinner reservation for 6:30 and we were shown to our room. Our bags were quickly brought up from storage. It was great to feel clean again before the overnight train ride. Our dinner was inexpensive, but not memorable. I recall that there were many choices on a mostly continental menu.
At 7:15, Hii met us at the restaurant and we walked the short distance to the train station. He had reconfirmed our reservations when we arrived in Lao Cai. We were again on the Fanxifan Express car in a 4-berth private cabin near the center of the car. We could smell cigarette smoke until the train started to move. I slept solidly but Jeane did not. The noise and constant rocking and jerking of the train kept her from sleeping the whole night through. The wake-up knock on our cabin door came just a few minutes before our 5 AM arrival.
Craig, this is an excellent report. Would you return to Topas Ecolodge or recommend it, given the issues you experienced there?
Good question, travelaw - I would recommend Topas Ecolodge for its scenic location alone. With the exception of the constant turnover, we were well-informed about most of the issues from reviews on Trip Advisor and did not have particularly high expectations. Our decision to stay at Topas Ecolodge was based on a desire to be away from heavily-touristed Sapa and to stay in a place where we could avoid overnight treks to see some of the more isolated villages. Unfortunately, we did not find Ban Ho (on our first hike) to be very isolated. I wish we had been able to find out more about the hiking choices prior to arriving.
If we were ever to return to Sapa, we would probably stay at the Victoria. It is unlikely we will ever return however, as there are too many great places that we have not seen yet. Hope this helps.
Love all the details.
Our guide from the crafts village tour and driver were waiting for us at the Hanoi train station. We noticed that even at 5 AM, the weather was hot and humid. It was now Sunday, April 19. We were whisked to the Metropole and checked in right away since we had reserved for the previous night. After a shower and breakfast, we were ready to head over to the Old Quarter for last minute shopping. We inquired at the Club Floor desk whether the shops keep normal business hours on Sundays. They did, so we headed out at about 8:30 AM. Jeane wanted to go back to Khai Silk and Thang Long Gallery, both on the same side of Hang Gai.
When we arrived at Khai Silk the guard there told us they didn't open until 9:30 so we headed to Thang Long Gallery. Jeane had decided to buy the painting we had admired. I'll take a photo of it and post it when I put all of our other photos on line. The painter is Doan Thuy Hanh, a 35-year-old woman from Hanoi who specializes in the use of lacquerware in her artwork. After comparing the painting we liked to another by the same artist, we asked if we could have “our” painting with the other's frame – no problem. Shipping was relatively inexpensive via Fed Ex so we gave the lady (who was one of the Thang Long family) all of our information. The painting actually arrived at Jeane's office yesterday so I can assure my readers that this is a very reliable gallery.
We headed down a few doors to Khai Silk, which was now open. Khai Silk is probably the most upscale clothing store in the Old Quarter. It is actually a chain of stores with headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City. While Jeane was trying on various things, I checked out their excellent Bose sound system that was cranking out some really cool smooth jazz. I asked one of the staff if they could tell me what was playing (CD?) but they could not. Jeane, meanwhile was in the process of purchasing a couple of very pretty silk outfits, which she no doubt will be wearing at the next Boston GTG.
So, with Old Quarter shopping being completed we headed back along the west side of Lake Hoan Kiem. Now, no visit to Hanoi is complete without a stop at Fanny's Ice Cream which had been closed for renovations and had just reopened. While Fanny's has a great selection of well-presented high-profit designer ice cream dishes, we just went for the single scoop of delicious cinnamin ice cream at about $1US. After all, it was about 11 AM. Jeane did take note of the beautiful presentations illustrated in their extensive ice cream menu.
We returned to the Metropole and dropped off our purchases. We asked the folks at the Club Floor desk to arrange a taxi to the Craft Link stores near the Temple of Literature so Jeane could return there and make some purchases. Again, we were personally escorted to the lobby and a taxi was hailed with specific instructions to wait for us while we shopped at the two Craft Link branches. Jeane previously had not had enough time at the Craft Link branch that specialized in fabrics and she wanted to go back to the other one which was very close by. She had seen some stone boxes that she thought would be excellent small gifts for friends. Unfortunately, Craft Link didn't have 12 of them in stock at any of their locations. So, Jeane gave her e-mail address and asked for a price quote to have them shipped to her. A few days ago, we received an e-mail with the shipping price and bank transfer instructions. The transfer went through yesterday, so we should be seeing the boxes soon. In this case, the shipping cost as much as the 12 boxes.
It was getting very hot with temperatures expected to reach 102F so we decided to return to the hotel to do internet and relax during the mid-day heat. The Metropole had purchased our tickets to the Water Puppet Show and one of the staff brought them to me while we were working on the computers in the Club Lounge. I could see that the seats were excellent – front row center. At about 3:10 we set out for the 3:30 show. The Water Puppets were fun – we got great photos from our front row venue. The theater was modern and air conditioned. Jeane observed that 1000 years ago when the tradition began, the water puppet show would have been even more impressive. The show lasted just under an hour, which was just right.
We made a 6:30 reservation at La Badiane, which had been recommended in the New York Times Sunday travel section (“36 Hours in Hanoi”) just days before we departed. After enjoying our last happy hour at the Club Lounge, we arranged for a taxi to take us to dinner. The Head Chef at La Badiane is Benjamin Rascalou, formerly of the Green Tangerine so the French-inspired Vietnamese food was as wonderful as one would expect. What was amazing was that the total tab was only $50 and while it was the most expensive meal we had in Hanoi, it was clearly worth the money – fabulous setting, great service, and delicious food, nicely presented.
This was our last day in Vietnam so we returned to our room and made final preparations for our flight to Bangkok the next morning.
Craig, I'm loving your report! Your comments about Sapa and the Ecolodge are very helpful.
Thanks so much Craig. We're thinking of taking a similar trip in the future, so this is all really helpful. Thanks for your opinion on the Ecolodge. We will consider the Victoria.
Thanks a ton! I've been trying to plan a trip to Vietnam and travel there for a while. Do you think that you could maybe make a quick guide based on this last trip for me? Here is a pretty cool tool to do make it - http://www.ruba.com/vietnam_travel
Our driver was due at 8 AM to take us to the airport for our 10:35 AM flight, so we were up early for one last Metropole breakfast in the Club Lounge. We were kind of sad to leave after so many nights at this great hotel. I settled our bill and arranged for our bags to be taken to the downstairs lobby. While I was concerned that the driver would come to the wrong entrance of the hotel, he showed up at Opera Wing right on time. As we rode to the airport, I thought about how my impressions about this city and its people had changed during our stay. I found it interesting that the Vietnamese unlike most other Asian cultures, were not afraid to use the word “no”. This directness was refreshing in some ways but quite contradictory to what we had become accustomed in our travels in this part of the world.
It took about 45 minutes for us to arrive at the airport. Check-in for our Thai Airways flight went quickly. We breezed through immigration and a very lax security check then headed to a very quiet Business Class lounge on the next floor up. Our flight was a bit late boarding but took off pretty much on time for an arrival in Bangkok at 12:25, just under two hours. We had our usual very long walk from the gate at Suvarnabhumi but there was no waiting at immigration. Before retrieving our bags, I arranged for transportation to the hotel at the AOT Limo desk. Our bags were waiting for us on the carousel. We passed through customs and handed our receipt to the AOT representative on the other side. They had a London Cab for us – plenty of room for all of our stuff but at 1500 baht, a little steep (though tolls were included in the price). In the past, we had reserved ahead with AAC Limo. However, I wanted to give AOT a try this time because they are right there in the arrivals area and we didn't need a reservation.
The drive to the Peninsula Hotel was quick – about ½ hour. We were welcomed at the reception but noted that we were not presented with an arrival gift this time. This was our third stay at this amazing hotel. I was handed a fax from Pook (Hanuman) containing directions in Thai to his home. I gave it to the lady who was checking us in and asked how much it would cost to have one of the Penn Mercedes limos take us there – 2160 Baht one-way, about what I expected. We set it up for 5:30 PM. Our Grand Deluxe room was located on the 29th floor. They tried to put us on the 30th floor but the non-smoking room there reeked of cigarette smoke – completely unacceptable.
As soon as we arrived in the room, I called SJ International Jewelers to arrange for their van to come for us at the hotel. Even though Jeane had been there last year, I specifically asked for Lily and mentioned “Kathie from Seattle”. They said they could be at the Penn in half an hour. We settled in a bit while we waited. Jeane went down to the hotel boutique to order some flowers to bring with us that evening. The SJ driver arrived for us at about 2:45. Traffic on Sathorn Bridge was already starting to get heavy. Jeane said she would need some time to get ready to go to Pook's place when we returned so I knew we were squeezed for time. Somehow we pulled it off, even though it was almost 3:30 when we arrived at SJ. Jeane did some speed shopping with Lily – fortunately she knew exactly what she wanted, having seen some things on her last visit. She bought a set of gold elephant earrings, a gold elephant encrusted with various small gemstones to hang on one of her necklaces, plus an unplanned purchase: an enamel frog earring and bracelet set (way to go, Lily).
I asked Lily if she could tell our driver that we wanted to dropped off at the Peninsula pier on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River from the hotel – that would buy us an extra 15 minutes. We were back at the hotel by 4:30, giving us enough time for showers etc. before heading out again.
Dinner at Pook's was fabulous. He lives in a beautiful home in a gated community about 45 minutes outside of Bangkok towards Bang Pa In. While we missed Pook's wife who was out of town, his daughter prepared a feast for us. We were also joined by Pook's long time friend Terry. A very pleasant evening of great conversation and good company. We returned to the Penn with Terry and his driver. I think it was almost midnight before we got to bed.
We “slept in” until 7 AM and managed to get down for the Penn's fantastic buffet breakfast outside by the river by 9. It was already getting hot out as daytime temperatures had recently been exceeding 100F. Our meal was excellent as usual – the Penn always has crispy bacon which I had missed at the Metropole. We were on our way by 10, taking the Penn boat across the river to the Taksin skytrain station. We had a fairly light day planned – mostly shopping for home furnishings for Jeane's office at various skytrain stops. (Yes, I am a good sport.) Our first stop was the Promenade on Wireless Road north of Sukhumvit (Nana Station), a home decor mall oriented toward the diplomatic community in that area. She saw nothing worthwhile. We headed next to Narai Phand at it's new location beneath the Intercontinental (Chitlom Station) but found nothing. Last stop was Siam Paragon. We were amazed at the huge gourmet food store in the ground floor – if we lived here for any amount of time, this would be the place to buy our groceries – 2 liter bottles of EV olive oil, all kinds of teas (Jeane did purchase a few) and everything else under the sun at reasonable prices. We headed upstairs to look at the home furnishings on the 3rd and 4th floors. While we saw many very nice things, the prices were very, very high – US prices. Jeane did find some silk flowers, lotus blossoms that she had been looking for everywhere. She also picked up what she calls some “bling bling” shoes. Whatever...
So we finished up with that and caught the skytrain back to the hotel. Jeane wanted to purchase a spirit house and we had received an address from Bob and Karen (RHKKMK) where we could purchase one (I believe they found the place through Tong). We discussed our plan with the concierge at the Penn. While it would be no problem to take a taxi there, getting a spirit house home would be a challenge as they not only fragile, they are BIG. If we had lots of time we could have gone some place and had it packed and shipped but unfortunately after calling, the concierge informed us that this shop (and others nearby) would not provide these services for us.
So...we made dinner plans instead. We had heard great things about Kinnaree at Sukhumvit, Soi 8. We asked the concierge to make a reservation for when they opened at 6 PM. Since our limo to the airport was scheduled for 9:30, we got all of our things packed and ready to go as much as we could and headed downstairs to the Penn's shuttle to the skytrain at 5:15. Kinnaree was a fantastic Thai restaurant – good service, nice atmosphere, great food and not too pricey for Bangkok. On Soi 8, we passed by Adelphi Suites on the way to restaurant and paid homage to fellow Fodorite Carol, who would be arriving there a few hours later that evening.
Skytrain back to the hotel, showers and checkout. We took the Penn limo to the airport and enjoyed the personal service they provide in walking us through check-in etc. Once we were checked in on our ANA flights, we headed through immigration to the Thai Airways business class lounge that was closest to our gate. We slept solidly on the flight to Narita where we endured the 3-hour layover in an almost empty ANA lounge there. The long flight to Washington Dulles was uneventful – great service, good food, AVOD etc. At Dulles, immigration went smoothly. We had no problem at customs and redeposited our bags for transfer to Hartford. We went to the Red Carpet lounge but they would not admit us since we had arrived on a Star Alliance flight and not on United – I made a comment to the lounge caretaker about how inferior United was to any and all Asian airlines. I don't think he gave a sh--. No biggie – we only had about a half hour wait.
We boarded the United Express/Mesa Airlines plane. It was old and tired. There was little room even in business class for our stuff in the overhead compartments. It was obvious that Jeane would have to check something since she had lots of camera equipment. I was traveling light. Jeane ended up scrambling to rearrange things so that all of her camera stuff remained on board while one of her carry-ons was checked. The flight attendant for some reason, thought she could actually convince one of the passengers in the exit row to allow her to put one of Jeane's bags under the seat in front of them. It was no surprise to me that the FA was unsuccessful.
We arrived on time in the early afternoon at Bradley Airport, Hartford. Two of my bags didn't make it but came on the next flight and were delivered to our home later that evening.
All in all, a great trip. Please feel free to post questions.
Here's a question-How could the Yankees spend over $400 million dollars for a third place team? Does CC Sabbathia weigh more than an offensive tackle? How the hell could you be refused entry to the lounge at dulles? This makes no sense.
Thanks, Craig. Great information.
Brilliant report Craig and as previously said i have made loads of notes of places that sound just like our sort of thing in Hanoi when we are there in November. Thanks for all the really useful details, am REALLY looking forward to staying at the Metropole now!!
Craig, loved the report!
Did the Pen allow you a very late checkout on your 2nd day or did you have to book a second night? This will be our third stay with them as well, in July. I'm looking forward to it. Unfortuantely, we have an 8 AM flight on our last day, so no breakfast, and no late checkout.
It's too bad you couldn't buy a spirit house. I've wanted to do that too, but getting it home does pose a problem. Some of the smaller ones come apart I think. I saw them at the weekend market last time.
Kristina-on your last day, you may be able to get the Pen to pack you a box breakfast. No harm in asking.
Another question, will Joe Girardi be managing the Yankees for opening day 2010?
Sounds like a great time, Craig.
I did the same NRT-IAD-xxx trip on ANA, and they are a fantastic airline. The NRT-IAD flight was 10 minutes late, and ANA had an army of people reassuring people about their connecting flights. The bags were waiting when I got to the carousel -- all told, less than 25 minutes from the arriving aircraft parking at the gate until I had gone through customs & immigration and was in the terminal for my connecting flight. I can assure you that you missed nothing by not being admitted to the RCC.
Unfortunately, however, I must tell you that your eating bacon, no matter how crisp, at the Peninsula has given you swine flu.
Kristina, We did book a second night at the Penn as that is the only way we could check out as late as we did. We did not have breakfast included in the rate for the second night.
Andy - a box breakfast would in no way compensate for missing the Penn's fabulous al fresco buffet by the Chao Phraya River. Of course, Red Sox fans whose world begins and ends at the ROS would not know that.
Don - if I had caught the swine flu from eating the Penns' crispy bacon, I'd still be stuck in quarantine at Narita. I was also very impressed with ANA's assistance at IAD.
The first time we stayed there we also had an early departure. We asked for breakfast to be brought to the room instead. Simple continental, but nice to have as we were getting ready to leave. But Craig is right, it in no way compares to the fantasic spread they put out.
Hi Craig-I enjoyed reading your report. I have a question regarding your take on weather patterns in Vietnam. I want to do a tour of the country- at the very least Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, and Saigon. I want to try to avoid rain and the high temperatures you alluded to during your last few days in VN. Do you think that Feb. would be a good month to do my itinerary or would March be better. I can see by April it would be too hot.
Yes, questions.
1. You seem to have been delighted by the Sofitel Metropole. Was it a stand-out on this trip or exceptional in any context? I am wondering how your enjoyment of the Metropole compares with other high-end properties that you like (such as the Peninsula). Also, do you have a strong opinion about opera v. classic wing rooms? Finally, they were undergoing lots of renovations last summer but, since you didn't mention noise or disruptions, I assume that they are completed for now. True?
2. Can you say any more about the new La Badiane? Was it the NYT review that steered you towards it or the Metropole concierge, or something else? There are quite a number of exciting restaurants in Hanoi so I am curious.
3. Are you planning to visit other parts of Vietnam?
shelleyk - April is not ordinarily too hot for Hanoi but that is the way it is sometimes with weather patterns. Hanoi can be damp and somewhat chilly in February. In Saigon it is almost always hot.
marya - your questions:
1. The Metropole was exceptional in any context. However, we stayed on the Club Floor which is in the Opera Wing and I would say that put us on a different level in terms of service. The Penn is posher - more richly decorated and the rooms have a better layout but there is no Club Floor - everyone receives the same level of service - and it is a very big hotel. As for renovations, they were going on but we were not exposed to them at all. Recent comments on tripadvisor indicate that those located elsewhere in the hotel experienced some inconveniences.
2. La Badiane - former head chef at Green Tangerine teams up with other local restaurateurs with the result being a great place to eat. The Metropole concierge at the Club Floor desk was not familiar with it. I have little to compare it to. Right now, Bobby Chinn's is closed because they are moving to a new location. Vine, another restaurant in this league is a bit out of the way.
3. Our current plan is to spend more time exploring areas that we have not yet been to in countries in SE Asia that we have already visited - Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia. I'll post when we figure out exactly what that means.
Craig, great report as usual. I'm glad that Jeane had a good shopping trip to SJ.
I chuckled at your comments about the food store in Siam Paragon... it sounds like some of our conversations. Kinnaree is on our list for our November trip.
Craig,
I'm glad you and Jeane had a good time at our house and even though my wife was not there she thank you for the lovely flowers which was still fresh upon her return home.
Craig
Tonkin have come back with some revised rates for the Metropole (which are better than the rates i currently could get) and am thinking of the historic room now, do you know if these are worth the extra $$ over the opera rooms? (i have also now asked him to quote for the club rooms)
Thanks
Smeagol
Smeagol,
We stayed in the "classic" rooms and they were kind of small but with a nice balcony. If I return I would probably choose the opera rooms specifically the club rooms like Craig.
The room had wooden floors but they were very creaky and hardly any room for luggages.
While I didn't see the "classic" rooms, the only consistently good reviews for the Metropole on TA are for the club rooms in the Opera wing. Don't forget that breakfast is included in the rate for the club rooms. My understanding is that tourists are usually steered toward the older "classic" rooms - I wouldn't pay extra over the standard Opera wing rooms.
Thanks both, thats helped a lot. I'll see what Tonkin comes back with ref the Club room, if the rate isn't favourable (for my budget) i will stick with the Opera wing.
Am actually so far impressed with Tonkin, whilst they can't help me out on all the hotels i like the way they respond when they say they are going to and whilst i usually do things independantly i am getting a better deal on some things and without the aggrevation. (to be fair i pretty much knew what i wanted) anyway will let you know how its pans out, and it will be nice to have my transfers etc sorted from one place.
Smeagol-
I'm currently working with Tonkin too, for the Hue and Hoi An portion of the trip. They've been good so far with the emails, though each one takes about 24 hours for a reply.
One thing to keep in mind about their rates is that for hotels, they usually include breakfast AND service/tax (which is about 15%).
Kristina
I know its great isnt it and its encouraging to hear you are having a good experience too. I think my replies take about 24 hours too but i am ok with that due to the time difference etc. (and i have got a bit longer to wait till my hols!!!)
Another website i have found which i have emailed is www.hiddenhanoi.com.vn they do cookery schools and walking tours and due to some "hawker stall" disasters in previous SE Asia visits am thinking of doing their 2 hour street food tour to get David (and I ) trying food we may not otherwise!
Thanks Craig for writing such a detailed and interesting report! In the past I've typically only read reports when I was researching a trip, but now I'm finding I really enjoy reports from places I've been, because I can "see" what you're describing.
Craig/Hanuman - anyone else who has stayed at Metropole.
Tonkin have come back with a good rate for the club room but its $75 a night (we will be staying 4 nights) more than the Opera room (which also includes breakfast in the quoted rate) Is it worth the additional $300 in your opinion? are the rooms/Service/club lounge a lot nicer? This will be our firts port of call in Vietnam, i dont mind paying but if its not worth the extra $$???
Thanks
Smeagol
I'll let Craig answer as I only took a quick look at their club room lounge.
For the extra $75/day you get personalized service:
* Butler on call 24-7
* 24-7 access to Club Lounge including internet and non-alcoholic beverages
* Club Floor concierge desk (taxis, water puppets, restaurants, etc.)
* Free wi-fi in your room
* Express laundry service at no extra charge
* Free cocktails and good(!) hors d'oeuvres in the Club Lounge 5 - 8(?) PM
* Extended check-out until 4 PM (subject to room availability)
* Personal service at breakfast
(some on tripadvisor complain that the main dining room gets so crowded at breakfast that guests have to eat in the bar)
Hope this helps.
Thank you, Tonkin had sent me the details but in my mind i couldn't figure out if it was worth it. Muffin wants to stay in the club rooms i think and it would be a nice intro i guess to Vietnam... mmm need to try and save some money elsewhere!!! and i guess if the Hors are that good we may even save on dinner!!!!
They have also suggested the Red Dragon Junk (i am considering Valentine and Jasmine) it isn't as luxurious (its a tad cheaper) but she says it doesnt seem to follow the usual tourist trail and is quieter, maybe i will give that a bit more serious consideration!! Almost too many choices.
Craig i also think i know why your driver kept going to the Classic room i think Tonkin think the club rooms are in the classic wing (well tthats what she emailed me today!!!)
i've read about 1/2 and am loving the report....we will NOT be going to sapa--no marriott...
ttt
Craig...I finally got a chance to read your report. loved it, and it brought back memories of our trip to VN.
As to the spirit house...they packed it up by rolling newspaper and a whole roll of tape all over it. It came with a handle even. About 1 foot by 2 by 3 high. I just carried it a a piece of carry on and it fit in the overhead very easily. We did take it to the post office to get bubbly wrap on it, but I don't think it did much more to protect it. If I remember I had a big plastic bag from some shoppoing I tucked it in to . No one even looked twice at it. Being made of teak it was not overly heavy to carry.
Sounds like Jean found SOME thing for her office. We exspect a tour one of these days.
i loved the well written and well thought out report, as i expected...
please remind my wife that we went to the post office in bkk and had the spirit house wrapped there....it was cheap to do and they did a fantastic job....that was tong's suggestion..
We would have been in real trouble upon boarding the small plane for our DC flight to Hartford with a 1x2x3 carry-on in addition to all of our other stuff. Also, there was no time for us to have wrapping done as you did.
Jeane would be honored to give you a tour of her new office after it is completed. However, most of the great artwork including the painting we purchased in Vietnam, is on display in our home (where you are also welcome).
Great report and details. Thanks for sharing.
Craig and Jeane--what a great report. It sounds so much more adventurous then mine! I would love to see the painting you bought at the Thang Long gallery so make sure you post a link to a photo in Jeane's office. As you know, I love that gallery and trust them completely--I'm so pleased it worked out for you.
Hanoi kids sounds really interesting. I wish I had known about them. It would have been fun to do that for a day. I agree with you on the Craft Link shops. I love them and bought some wonderful gifts.
Thanks for sharing so much great detail.
BTW, I did get to Egypt and Jordan a in February. It was outstanding.
I'm thinking Craig should do a map of Hanoi in the same vein as Nancy Chandlers be a great help!!!
Wonderful report Craig. I usually do not read such long trip reports, but your's was very good! I am considering a trip to Vietnam with my family (2 children) and am hesitant to go anywhere that requires malaria medication. Did you take any for your trip?
Also, you did not mention any domestic travel in Vietnam by air, but did you get a sense as to whether or not it is safe? We are interested in traveling to Hoi An from Hanoi.
tourista, in most of SE Asia malaria meds are recommended. Most air travel in SE Asia is safe and I would have no problem flying to Hoi An from Hanoi.
WHERE ARE THOSE PICS????? !!!!!
Coming soon...
Photos are now on line:
http://craigandjeane.smugmug.com/gallery/8312483_XjsaT#544525214_kDK5e
Craig,
Just read the entire report...I'm just in the initial planning for trip to Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia next April so this is invaluable. I also am planning to go to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa, so the details were perfect. I plan to to stay at the Victoria and take their express train, but I read they only have 1 private cabin, so that's a concern.
I was looking at the Emeraude for the cruise on Halong Bay. Did you look into that ship and if so, why didn't you like it? Would appreciate your thoughts on that.
And, your photos are really wonderful...helped bring these places and people to life. This will be our first trip to Asia, so it's taking longer to figure everything out.
On the train to Sapa we reserved a cabin that slept 4 for the 2 of us. You may be able to do the same on the Victoria train.
Emeraude has a good reputation. We chose Indochina Sails (and specifically the Valentine which we did not get) because their junks are smaller. You should also consider the Halong Jasmine, Ginger and Violet junks which have private balconies.
Thanks for the compliments on the photos.
Hi Craig,
Thanks for your report. We are heading to Vietnam Dec. 20th and are using Tonkin Travel. I have a question about them. They want me to pay in cash upon arrival. I noticed you paid via bank transfers. Should I insist on doing bank transfers instead of paying in cash on Dec. 20th? I've never done such a thing before.
Thanks!
I am pretty sure they would be open to a bank transfer. They may or may not charge you a small fee to do it. Your own bank may also charge you a fee. I was glad to be able to pay in advance rather than to carry large sums of money and also to take time from my vacation to deal with it.
i just reread this and enjoyed it the 2nd time around just as well
bookmarking
Great report -- very helpful in my trip planning. Thanks for taking the time to share it.
Great report...I'll be going to Vietnam for the first time next March and I've picked up some great recommendations here!
I hope no one is 'annoyed' that I will be bringing this to the top. What a wonderful report. I'm in the early stages of planning our late March early April 2012 trip. This T/R has answered many many questions I would have asked on here.
Thanks for taking the time, I now have a full page of restaurant rec's & general info. PERFECT.
Cup of tea made, now to look at photos.
Thanks again,
AD
AD - I am glad this was helpful.
craig, do you still charge for advice?
Only for you, Bob. My bill for your upcoming India trip is in the mail.
And I would like to congratulate Craig and Jeane on reaching their 100th post!
Bells, whistles, muffled cheers from the crowd...
It only took 2 years+, nigel.