Halfway Trip Report - Vietnam
Mar 8th, 2010, 10:56 PM
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Halfway Trip Report - Vietnam
Hi Fodors’ folks,
Just arrived from Sapa on the overnight train this morning and are having the whole daytime back in Hanoi to ourselves before our flight to Hue at 5:30. Surprisingly it becomes pretty cold here now while it was really hot when we arrived a few days ago.
Just want to do a very quick report while the wife is having a shower before we’re out the Silk Street for some shopping.
We touched down the airport in Hanoi in the evening of the 26th Feb. Headed straight to the immigration counter, handed our passport, photos, the pre-approved letter and the required stamping fee. After reading of some delays in having passports stamped at the airport, we were a bit scared but all turned out just great - Pretty fast and no hassle at all. We prepared 2 passport sized photos for each of us but they required one only.
Met by our guide outside the exit terminal who had held a signboard with our names on it and then we were taken to our hotel for check-in.
We stayed at the Mercure La Gare and had an absolute deal with Vietnamstay.com. Initially we were booked a standard room but were later upgraded to a deluxe one. No extra cost was added. In addition, we stayed here for 2 nights but paid for 1.5 only as the hotel has a promotion going on at the moment.
Because it’s a very new hotel in town, everything is sleek, modern and comfortable. Food was good and service staff could not be more friendly and helpful. The bathroom was super clean and with modern facilities. Really loved the glass wall which, however, might not be that good if you’re sharing with someone you’re not intimate with. But I’m with my wife, so it’s very fine
The hotel is just opposite to the central railway station and within walking distance to the old quarter, so we walked whenever we were not on tours.
Well, that’s it all for now as the wife is back and we are ready for lunch and then shopping around town.
Will keep you updated soon.
Just arrived from Sapa on the overnight train this morning and are having the whole daytime back in Hanoi to ourselves before our flight to Hue at 5:30. Surprisingly it becomes pretty cold here now while it was really hot when we arrived a few days ago.
Just want to do a very quick report while the wife is having a shower before we’re out the Silk Street for some shopping.
We touched down the airport in Hanoi in the evening of the 26th Feb. Headed straight to the immigration counter, handed our passport, photos, the pre-approved letter and the required stamping fee. After reading of some delays in having passports stamped at the airport, we were a bit scared but all turned out just great - Pretty fast and no hassle at all. We prepared 2 passport sized photos for each of us but they required one only.
Met by our guide outside the exit terminal who had held a signboard with our names on it and then we were taken to our hotel for check-in.
We stayed at the Mercure La Gare and had an absolute deal with Vietnamstay.com. Initially we were booked a standard room but were later upgraded to a deluxe one. No extra cost was added. In addition, we stayed here for 2 nights but paid for 1.5 only as the hotel has a promotion going on at the moment.
Because it’s a very new hotel in town, everything is sleek, modern and comfortable. Food was good and service staff could not be more friendly and helpful. The bathroom was super clean and with modern facilities. Really loved the glass wall which, however, might not be that good if you’re sharing with someone you’re not intimate with. But I’m with my wife, so it’s very fine
The hotel is just opposite to the central railway station and within walking distance to the old quarter, so we walked whenever we were not on tours.
Well, that’s it all for now as the wife is back and we are ready for lunch and then shopping around town.
Will keep you updated soon.
Mar 10th, 2010, 01:41 AM
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Hi again, I forgot to mention that the airport in Hanoi is very tiny and getting the visa was a bit of fun as the little immigration officer didn’t seem to like westerners and kept telling some really tall Aussies to go to the back of the queue which everybody else found extremely funny. Anyone really tall out here should bother from now. LOL.
We just don’t want to write too much of the city as there have been loads of reviews here already, so will just sketch some highlights for your information. It was hot on the days we were there and we were pretty happy with that as it was great to chuck on shorts and flip flops. After checked in, we headed out the old quarter and both decided to grab a bowl of noodle soup (Pho), which is on top of our must-eat list, up by the lake from a street seller, and turned out to be quite an experience. The plastic stools were too small, plus we found it hard to eat as all the locals were watching us, but we thought they were impressed with our chopsticks skills. Cost only 20,000 Dong each. Dirt cheap.
The next day up early and headed over to see Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, palace and museum. The traffic was crazy, and the noise from the bikes and cars was something to be experienced as all Vietnamese seemed to have a fear that if they didn’t press their horn every 3 seconds they may die. Seeing Ho Chi Minh’s corpse was a strange experience, and you are closely watched over by dozens of army guards making sure no photos are taken. The museum and palace was nice, from where we took a cab to Ngon restaurant for lunch which was as good as it had been raved about. Next up, we worked our way down to the Literature museum, which was built in 1018 and interesting all the same. Then headed to the lake and to see some markets etc, grabbed some Pho again, and yet again had the same experience as before, and then on to the Puppet Theatre for a show which was great fun. All located within an easy walking distance from the lake.
On the following day we took a day trip to Tam Coc which wasn’t very spectacular but the surrounding countryside surely was. The primary feature of the area is an abundance of rice paddies, which are sprinkled with thousands of karst peaks in all kinds of shapes and sizes. A shallow river flows through the rice paddies and through three caves. We were supposed to visit the caves in the morning and took a short biking session in the afternoon but we did it in the reverse order since it was pretty hot that day. We got our bicycles and biked through the villages and countryside, which was really nice. There weren't any other tourists biking with us, probably because it was really hot. We stopped at times on the way for photos and the fresh air of the rural area. After lunch we boarded a rowboat manned by 2 women down the river amongst the limestone mountains jutting randomly out of the flat terrain. They didn't speak much English, and were very nice and friendly. We went down 3km down the river, about 40 mins each way, through 3 caves. The wife raved about the scenery and we were very glad as the guide rented a smaller boat, so we were able to get much closer to the mountains. All in all, we did really enjoy the cycling and boat ride through Tam Coc. What also gave us a kick was watching the rowers who actually used their feet to row the boats when they got tired and were experienced enough finding the way in and out without hitting anything.
We just don’t want to write too much of the city as there have been loads of reviews here already, so will just sketch some highlights for your information. It was hot on the days we were there and we were pretty happy with that as it was great to chuck on shorts and flip flops. After checked in, we headed out the old quarter and both decided to grab a bowl of noodle soup (Pho), which is on top of our must-eat list, up by the lake from a street seller, and turned out to be quite an experience. The plastic stools were too small, plus we found it hard to eat as all the locals were watching us, but we thought they were impressed with our chopsticks skills. Cost only 20,000 Dong each. Dirt cheap.
The next day up early and headed over to see Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, palace and museum. The traffic was crazy, and the noise from the bikes and cars was something to be experienced as all Vietnamese seemed to have a fear that if they didn’t press their horn every 3 seconds they may die. Seeing Ho Chi Minh’s corpse was a strange experience, and you are closely watched over by dozens of army guards making sure no photos are taken. The museum and palace was nice, from where we took a cab to Ngon restaurant for lunch which was as good as it had been raved about. Next up, we worked our way down to the Literature museum, which was built in 1018 and interesting all the same. Then headed to the lake and to see some markets etc, grabbed some Pho again, and yet again had the same experience as before, and then on to the Puppet Theatre for a show which was great fun. All located within an easy walking distance from the lake.
On the following day we took a day trip to Tam Coc which wasn’t very spectacular but the surrounding countryside surely was. The primary feature of the area is an abundance of rice paddies, which are sprinkled with thousands of karst peaks in all kinds of shapes and sizes. A shallow river flows through the rice paddies and through three caves. We were supposed to visit the caves in the morning and took a short biking session in the afternoon but we did it in the reverse order since it was pretty hot that day. We got our bicycles and biked through the villages and countryside, which was really nice. There weren't any other tourists biking with us, probably because it was really hot. We stopped at times on the way for photos and the fresh air of the rural area. After lunch we boarded a rowboat manned by 2 women down the river amongst the limestone mountains jutting randomly out of the flat terrain. They didn't speak much English, and were very nice and friendly. We went down 3km down the river, about 40 mins each way, through 3 caves. The wife raved about the scenery and we were very glad as the guide rented a smaller boat, so we were able to get much closer to the mountains. All in all, we did really enjoy the cycling and boat ride through Tam Coc. What also gave us a kick was watching the rowers who actually used their feet to row the boats when they got tired and were experienced enough finding the way in and out without hitting anything.
Mar 11th, 2010, 01:35 AM
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Good afternoon,
After Tam Coc, we spent 2 days in Halong Bay aboard the Indochina sail which was arranged by Vietnamstay with private transfers. The ride took over 3 hours each way and went pretty quick. The landscape was mostly agriculture and industrial buildings. We stopped halfway at a restaurant for fresh air and photos. Soon enough we arrived at Halong city. We passed a busy pier which had a lot of tourists waiting around outside. Our guide took us to the place where we were greeted by a staff member of the Indochina sail. We were taken inside a building to wait for our boat to be ready and were given cold towels at the door. You know you are entering luxury when you get a towel to freshen up. We waited for about half an hour while our luggage was taken to the ship. We were then put on a small boat (the tender) and taken to the ship. Once aboard, we were greeted by the staff members and brought to the dining room on the second floor. We were given the safety speech and told a bit about our itinerary. Then we were given our key and told to settle in a bit then return to the dining room for lunch. We were assigned to a room on the second floor which we thought would have been better than the first level. We had a fantastic view of the bay and our room was amazing. It was like a 5 star hotel room. We settled in and looked at our itinerary a bit closer and then headed back to the dining room. We’d a set lunch which included cream of pumpkin soup, papaya salad, prawns, fish, chicken, spring rolls and fruit salad. Overall it was really delicious. The prices for drinks weren’t really too bad and they had a really good selection.
After lunch we were told we would cruise to a floating fishing village which was quite interesting. We saw the locals living and small kids rowing their little boats around the bay selling things. The village is supported by the government these days and the people are provided with basic education and healthcare within the village. There was a squid fishing boat, a pearl farm and a primary school. We also saw a collection team that is paid to collect waste on the waters everyday. It seems that the local authorities attach great importance to the preservation of this heritage’s environment.
We then headed back to the boat and doubled back to Ti Tov beach and kayaked quite a ways to the east of the boat which was great fun, hard work though. There were strong currents and we had to pause at times on the way back. Eventually we made it back and were taken by the tender to the beach. Next up, some of the other fellows climbed up to the top of the island while we thought kayaking was enough for us. So we swam around for some minutes before being herded back to the tender to the ship.
Dinner was a set menu again and was as good as lunch. We had vegetable soup, shrimp and grapefruit salad, calamari and beef with potatoes and veggies. We had a chocolate cake for dessert. After dinner we opted to try some squid fishing with the crew but were unsuccessful while the other people caught a couple. Then we went up to the top deck and sat in the lounge chairs. It was incredibly peaceful. There were just about 3 other boats around us.
The following day we visited the Surprise Cave which was spectacular and huge with some great examples of stalagmites and stalactites, including some that have taken on shape on the mind of the locals. We then enjoyed an enormous buffet breakfast whilst sailing back to the shore.
To sum up, the trip was great and we both enjoyed it immensely.
Dgunbug: We went with Hoa from Vietnamstay who also accompanied us on the tour to Halong bay. The professionalism and enthusiasm displayed by him and the driver during the trip was excellent. He also has a great sense of humour and speaks very good English.
After Tam Coc, we spent 2 days in Halong Bay aboard the Indochina sail which was arranged by Vietnamstay with private transfers. The ride took over 3 hours each way and went pretty quick. The landscape was mostly agriculture and industrial buildings. We stopped halfway at a restaurant for fresh air and photos. Soon enough we arrived at Halong city. We passed a busy pier which had a lot of tourists waiting around outside. Our guide took us to the place where we were greeted by a staff member of the Indochina sail. We were taken inside a building to wait for our boat to be ready and were given cold towels at the door. You know you are entering luxury when you get a towel to freshen up. We waited for about half an hour while our luggage was taken to the ship. We were then put on a small boat (the tender) and taken to the ship. Once aboard, we were greeted by the staff members and brought to the dining room on the second floor. We were given the safety speech and told a bit about our itinerary. Then we were given our key and told to settle in a bit then return to the dining room for lunch. We were assigned to a room on the second floor which we thought would have been better than the first level. We had a fantastic view of the bay and our room was amazing. It was like a 5 star hotel room. We settled in and looked at our itinerary a bit closer and then headed back to the dining room. We’d a set lunch which included cream of pumpkin soup, papaya salad, prawns, fish, chicken, spring rolls and fruit salad. Overall it was really delicious. The prices for drinks weren’t really too bad and they had a really good selection.
After lunch we were told we would cruise to a floating fishing village which was quite interesting. We saw the locals living and small kids rowing their little boats around the bay selling things. The village is supported by the government these days and the people are provided with basic education and healthcare within the village. There was a squid fishing boat, a pearl farm and a primary school. We also saw a collection team that is paid to collect waste on the waters everyday. It seems that the local authorities attach great importance to the preservation of this heritage’s environment.
We then headed back to the boat and doubled back to Ti Tov beach and kayaked quite a ways to the east of the boat which was great fun, hard work though. There were strong currents and we had to pause at times on the way back. Eventually we made it back and were taken by the tender to the beach. Next up, some of the other fellows climbed up to the top of the island while we thought kayaking was enough for us. So we swam around for some minutes before being herded back to the tender to the ship.
Dinner was a set menu again and was as good as lunch. We had vegetable soup, shrimp and grapefruit salad, calamari and beef with potatoes and veggies. We had a chocolate cake for dessert. After dinner we opted to try some squid fishing with the crew but were unsuccessful while the other people caught a couple. Then we went up to the top deck and sat in the lounge chairs. It was incredibly peaceful. There were just about 3 other boats around us.
The following day we visited the Surprise Cave which was spectacular and huge with some great examples of stalagmites and stalactites, including some that have taken on shape on the mind of the locals. We then enjoyed an enormous buffet breakfast whilst sailing back to the shore.
To sum up, the trip was great and we both enjoyed it immensely.
Dgunbug: We went with Hoa from Vietnamstay who also accompanied us on the tour to Halong bay. The professionalism and enthusiasm displayed by him and the driver during the trip was excellent. He also has a great sense of humour and speaks very good English.
Mar 12th, 2010, 01:18 AM
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We arrived back in Hanoi that afternoon, had delectable dinner at the Green Tangerine in Hang Be street in the old quarter and then a place called Le Pub on the same street which is owned by an English man. We got surrounded by a group of English and a couple of Aussies and the owner of the bar which made it an amusing evening. Had a few beers which were lovely.
Got picked up the next morning again by Hoa for a 4 hr drive north into a mountainous village called Mai Chau. It was amazing and we stopped for lunch at a local family who lived in a house on stilts. The floor was thinnest bamboo and was a bit scary thinking people live on that thin wood so high off the ground. The lunch was amazing and we were served green tea and rice wine which is served in a shot glass. Each household produces their own wine and they seem very proud to serve foreign visitors. The host was the friendliest man we’d ever met. After lunch, we drove up to a mountain side and started our afternoon hike to the village we were going to stay in. We hiked through the most amazingly luscious green mountain areas. The hike wasn’t too bad, very up hilly and rough terrain. We reached the village of the Thai ethnic people just before the dark came. That night we went to a local school and had some tea and chat with the local teachers. In the morning we woke to the roosters crowing, ducks quaking, dogs barking and children screaming! Had breakfast and then started hiking for 4 hours. It was so amazing, exhausting though! After lunch, we continued for another 2 hours to our homestay in a stilted house. After that we had naps and chilled out. Then we headed off to our car for a drive back to Hanoi and overnight train to Sapa.
Got picked up the next morning again by Hoa for a 4 hr drive north into a mountainous village called Mai Chau. It was amazing and we stopped for lunch at a local family who lived in a house on stilts. The floor was thinnest bamboo and was a bit scary thinking people live on that thin wood so high off the ground. The lunch was amazing and we were served green tea and rice wine which is served in a shot glass. Each household produces their own wine and they seem very proud to serve foreign visitors. The host was the friendliest man we’d ever met. After lunch, we drove up to a mountain side and started our afternoon hike to the village we were going to stay in. We hiked through the most amazingly luscious green mountain areas. The hike wasn’t too bad, very up hilly and rough terrain. We reached the village of the Thai ethnic people just before the dark came. That night we went to a local school and had some tea and chat with the local teachers. In the morning we woke to the roosters crowing, ducks quaking, dogs barking and children screaming! Had breakfast and then started hiking for 4 hours. It was so amazing, exhausting though! After lunch, we continued for another 2 hours to our homestay in a stilted house. After that we had naps and chilled out. Then we headed off to our car for a drive back to Hanoi and overnight train to Sapa.
Mar 12th, 2010, 08:03 PM
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Hello,
The wife and I didn't intend to visit Mai Chau either, but after reading Crellston's reports and recommendation, we went and much enjoyed the scenery and the people. Thought Crellston has retired, hasn't him?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Our trip to Sapa was a great experience in general but a few things fell short of our expectations.
First, it was the train accommodations. We knew we would be sharing our soft sleeper compartment with two other people but we expected that the 4 of us would have our own attached bathroom which was not the case. The wife had a tummy and therefore had to make several trips to the toilet which was such an inconvenience bouncing back and forth off the walls of the train corridor!
After arriving in Sapa and having breakfast, we immediately went on a short 3-kilometer trek with our guide which exceeded our expectations. Most walking was downhill, the weather was pretty cold, perfect for walking, and the scenery was fantastic. We stopped for lunch at a village and it’s great fun watching the wife doing a little shopping with the indigenous women. It was indeed difficult driving a hard bargain with these women and the wife ended with buying a 2$ bracelet for 5$. Still she thought she made a good job.
Around 4pm we arrived at our homestay which unfortunately wasn’t up to our expectations. Actually it was primitive, authentic and we expected that. However, it was expanded to handle many of other travelers. In addition, the bedding didn’t look that clean. Our guide quickly dealt with our concerns, which exceeded our expectations. We were taken back to the hotel in Sapa and we slept so well eventually.
The next day we woke up to similar weather but not as cold. Trekked down 2 villages in the valley, rugged terrain and rice paddy fields again. It was really beautiful. The scenery was breathtaking, the views were amazing and to see the paddy fields without the rice in full bloom was still spectacular. Then the small villages you pass through with wooden shacks and children all over the place. We’d seen some kids who were absolutely filthy and their hands and faces were covered in muck. But they were still cute and seemed fascinated by foreigners.
As we had expected and been warned by our guide before the trip, we were mobbed by several enthusiastic touts along the treks. These women were lovely and they kept making little presents out of leaves and asking all the English questions they know like what’s your name? Where you from? How old are you? How many people in your family? We were all having a good time until at the end of the walk before lunch – the smiles stopped and they started touting for their produces which only included basic cotton bags and things we thought we would never use back home. We ended with purchasing 2 pencil cases from the little girl who had been following us.
All in all, it was a great experience and trekking was fantastic. Next up on agenda: Hue
The wife and I didn't intend to visit Mai Chau either, but after reading Crellston's reports and recommendation, we went and much enjoyed the scenery and the people. Thought Crellston has retired, hasn't him?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Our trip to Sapa was a great experience in general but a few things fell short of our expectations.
First, it was the train accommodations. We knew we would be sharing our soft sleeper compartment with two other people but we expected that the 4 of us would have our own attached bathroom which was not the case. The wife had a tummy and therefore had to make several trips to the toilet which was such an inconvenience bouncing back and forth off the walls of the train corridor!
After arriving in Sapa and having breakfast, we immediately went on a short 3-kilometer trek with our guide which exceeded our expectations. Most walking was downhill, the weather was pretty cold, perfect for walking, and the scenery was fantastic. We stopped for lunch at a village and it’s great fun watching the wife doing a little shopping with the indigenous women. It was indeed difficult driving a hard bargain with these women and the wife ended with buying a 2$ bracelet for 5$. Still she thought she made a good job.
Around 4pm we arrived at our homestay which unfortunately wasn’t up to our expectations. Actually it was primitive, authentic and we expected that. However, it was expanded to handle many of other travelers. In addition, the bedding didn’t look that clean. Our guide quickly dealt with our concerns, which exceeded our expectations. We were taken back to the hotel in Sapa and we slept so well eventually.
The next day we woke up to similar weather but not as cold. Trekked down 2 villages in the valley, rugged terrain and rice paddy fields again. It was really beautiful. The scenery was breathtaking, the views were amazing and to see the paddy fields without the rice in full bloom was still spectacular. Then the small villages you pass through with wooden shacks and children all over the place. We’d seen some kids who were absolutely filthy and their hands and faces were covered in muck. But they were still cute and seemed fascinated by foreigners.
As we had expected and been warned by our guide before the trip, we were mobbed by several enthusiastic touts along the treks. These women were lovely and they kept making little presents out of leaves and asking all the English questions they know like what’s your name? Where you from? How old are you? How many people in your family? We were all having a good time until at the end of the walk before lunch – the smiles stopped and they started touting for their produces which only included basic cotton bags and things we thought we would never use back home. We ended with purchasing 2 pencil cases from the little girl who had been following us.
All in all, it was a great experience and trekking was fantastic. Next up on agenda: Hue
Mar 14th, 2010, 10:56 PM
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Thank you very much for your honest opinion of the homestay in Sapa. Which hotel did you end up staying at? My friends and I are planning to visit Sapa on your own, on a budget you know, and are curious if, from your own experience, it's easy enough to hire a guide as soon as we arrive there?
Cheers
Cheers
Mar 15th, 2010, 02:26 AM
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Hi JM, the guide managed to book us at the Bamboo hotel, paid 40$ for the night which was fine eventually.
As we observed, many of the other travelers just traveled independently in Sapa which I guess was a nice experience working your way at your own space. There are quite a plenty of tourist offices in Sapa town that offer tour guides upon request and I believe you can try that way.
As we observed, many of the other travelers just traveled independently in Sapa which I guess was a nice experience working your way at your own space. There are quite a plenty of tourist offices in Sapa town that offer tour guides upon request and I believe you can try that way.
Mar 15th, 2010, 02:29 AM
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Hue:
- Flight and airport pick-up: Vietnam Air, departed at 5:30pm and arrived at about 6:40pm. Tickets and transfers were arranged by Vietnamstay. All went to plan.
- Hotel: Booked 2 nights at the Pilgrimage Village, got a deluxe room at 120$ per night and it was well worth every penny and even more! We chose to stay at this hotel for the fact that it’s out of the city center. The small entrance to the Pilgrimage Village resort didn’t seem like much in the beginning. But as we were led to our room, we were greeted by the sprawling green, luscious estate. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. It’s absolutely peaceful there. The pool and the lotus pond were a very nice sight since it was pretty warm there. We will definitely stay at the resort again when we’re back to Hue, without batting our eyelids.
- Restaurant: Had wonderful lunch at the Mandarin Café with fresh shrimp spring rolls, beef noodle, crispy rice flour pancake with seafood and peanut sauce and lemonade. All was delicious. Vegetarians are well catered too. The owner and the rest of the staff were extremely helpful. It’s a shame if you leave the restaurant without a print of one of their amazing photos.
In addition, we found an ice cream place that served cookies and cream sundaes with whipped cream having of coconut, cubes of fruit jelly and a cherry on top for one dollar. Incredible!
- Sightseeing: We took a half day city tour on the first morning which was really interesting. The city itself is much more laid back than Hanoi and certainly the traffic is less manic. The citadel is pretty impressive. The external walls are about 21 meters thick. Parts that were destroyed in the war are still now in the process of being restored, including a flood lit tennis course complete with spectacular seating. Following our visit to the Citadel, we went for a wander around the city which once you get off the main road has some impressive colonial style houses down narrow little lanes, with small children and dogs running around.
In the afternoon we took a private car ride to see the Heavenly Lady Pagoda and the Kings’ tombs. We got on a Dragon boat and cruised down the Perfume River to the Garden House then on to the Heavenly Lady pagoda where we saw, amongst the other things, the car that a Buddhist monk took to the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung street in 1963 in Saigon. As soon as he got out of the car, he sat down in the lotus position and burned himself to death in protest against the Ngo dinh Diem regime’s policies of discrimination against Buddhists and violating religious freedom. There’s a photo of him burning on the wall behind the car.
There were too many sights to see and most required an entrance fee.
We’d lunch on the boat then cruised to the Minh Mang Tomb and then Khai Dinh Tomb followed by a visit to the Tu Duc Tomb. We went in to see all of the 3 and were pretty impressed with what we were told about the life and reign of the kings.
On the way back we stopped to see how the locals make conical hats and incense which was pretty interesting but, because we were both a little tired of history and culture by then, we were longing for a quick return to our hotel.
- Cooking class: Had a fantastic experience cooking at the Tinh Gia Vien restaurant with madam Ha who is extremely gracious. We were much impressed with her presentation skill. All the food was elegantly and colorfully decorated, much in form of animals. We were told that the first owner of her villa was a princess and the ground house was a special apricot plant that is 150 years of age. We learnt to prepare the ‘Danse du Phoenix’ – a tender pork roll that melts in the mouth, vegetable spring rolls, spicy papaya salad in the form of a dragon and fried noodles with fresh fish and vegetables. Dessert came with sweet lychee fruit in pineapple. Heaven!
Next up, we were taken back to our hotel for check-out and boarded the afternoon train to Da Nang.
- Flight and airport pick-up: Vietnam Air, departed at 5:30pm and arrived at about 6:40pm. Tickets and transfers were arranged by Vietnamstay. All went to plan.
- Hotel: Booked 2 nights at the Pilgrimage Village, got a deluxe room at 120$ per night and it was well worth every penny and even more! We chose to stay at this hotel for the fact that it’s out of the city center. The small entrance to the Pilgrimage Village resort didn’t seem like much in the beginning. But as we were led to our room, we were greeted by the sprawling green, luscious estate. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. It’s absolutely peaceful there. The pool and the lotus pond were a very nice sight since it was pretty warm there. We will definitely stay at the resort again when we’re back to Hue, without batting our eyelids.
- Restaurant: Had wonderful lunch at the Mandarin Café with fresh shrimp spring rolls, beef noodle, crispy rice flour pancake with seafood and peanut sauce and lemonade. All was delicious. Vegetarians are well catered too. The owner and the rest of the staff were extremely helpful. It’s a shame if you leave the restaurant without a print of one of their amazing photos.
In addition, we found an ice cream place that served cookies and cream sundaes with whipped cream having of coconut, cubes of fruit jelly and a cherry on top for one dollar. Incredible!
- Sightseeing: We took a half day city tour on the first morning which was really interesting. The city itself is much more laid back than Hanoi and certainly the traffic is less manic. The citadel is pretty impressive. The external walls are about 21 meters thick. Parts that were destroyed in the war are still now in the process of being restored, including a flood lit tennis course complete with spectacular seating. Following our visit to the Citadel, we went for a wander around the city which once you get off the main road has some impressive colonial style houses down narrow little lanes, with small children and dogs running around.
In the afternoon we took a private car ride to see the Heavenly Lady Pagoda and the Kings’ tombs. We got on a Dragon boat and cruised down the Perfume River to the Garden House then on to the Heavenly Lady pagoda where we saw, amongst the other things, the car that a Buddhist monk took to the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung street in 1963 in Saigon. As soon as he got out of the car, he sat down in the lotus position and burned himself to death in protest against the Ngo dinh Diem regime’s policies of discrimination against Buddhists and violating religious freedom. There’s a photo of him burning on the wall behind the car.
There were too many sights to see and most required an entrance fee.
We’d lunch on the boat then cruised to the Minh Mang Tomb and then Khai Dinh Tomb followed by a visit to the Tu Duc Tomb. We went in to see all of the 3 and were pretty impressed with what we were told about the life and reign of the kings.
On the way back we stopped to see how the locals make conical hats and incense which was pretty interesting but, because we were both a little tired of history and culture by then, we were longing for a quick return to our hotel.
- Cooking class: Had a fantastic experience cooking at the Tinh Gia Vien restaurant with madam Ha who is extremely gracious. We were much impressed with her presentation skill. All the food was elegantly and colorfully decorated, much in form of animals. We were told that the first owner of her villa was a princess and the ground house was a special apricot plant that is 150 years of age. We learnt to prepare the ‘Danse du Phoenix’ – a tender pork roll that melts in the mouth, vegetable spring rolls, spicy papaya salad in the form of a dragon and fried noodles with fresh fish and vegetables. Dessert came with sweet lychee fruit in pineapple. Heaven!
Next up, we were taken back to our hotel for check-out and boarded the afternoon train to Da Nang.
Mar 16th, 2010, 02:33 AM
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Thanks for your kind words. Glad to know someone is interested in what we love to share.
We arrived at around 4pm at the station in Da nang. Got picked up and taken by our driver to the Furama Resort. We had 2 days here to ourselves. Neither tour nor guide since we wanted to chill out on the beach.
As I’d already mentioned somewhere on this forum, we opted to use Vietnamstay.com for hotel reservations since we noticed that they offered way lower prices than many of the other local companies. We’d emailed back and forth directly with the resort but ended getting nowhere since they insisted on charging 215$ per night. The same amount was quoted by one of the local tour companies whereas Mr. Pham at Vietnamstay offered 160$ only for the same room category which included complimentary airport pickup. We couldn’t expect more!
Stayed here just for one night but enjoyed it up to the handle. The service staff were nice and went their extra miles to make sure we’d everything we needed. The view from the pool over the China Beach is to die for and we loved lying by the pool and reading a bit and then off to lunch at the pool bar. The restaurant is great and the breakfast is more than one needs. The second pool is in a plush garden area and is ideal for kids and there is a lot of share and space. The wife loved the outdoor pavilions in the garden for her daily massage. Our favorite activity here was heading off to the China Beach which is considered the most beautiful in Vietnam and the 6th most beautiful in the world. This is the beach that was the inspiration for the TV show of the same name. We wandered along the beach, had a perfect view of the Lady Buddha statue that is more than 60 meters high and the Monkey Hill that has the radar on top. The locals call it the Heaven Eyes.
Danang itself is a business town so there didn’t seem to be any other tourists which was nice after Hue. It’s a great place to see white and colored marble, both raw in the mountains and carved in the shops. The major attraction here is the Marble Mountain. There are quite a few of them and the one on all the tourist brochures has a series of temples and caves at the top of it. Some of the temples were made of bricks and concrete and they’re really beautiful. In some of the caves there are no stairs to the statues, therefore you’ve to climb just a short way to see them. But the sights were worth the effort. You’ve got to watch the women working there too.
After lunch we took a cab to see the Cham Museum which was very interesting and helped us learn more about the gods the Chams worshipped. My favorite is the Holy Bird Garuda who has the body of a man and the head of a bird and is usually shown killing a snake called Naga. The Chama civilization bears the characteristics of India and the Hindu religion. They worshipped Shiva, the goddess of creation and destruction and there were some great sculptures of Ganesha who has the head of an elephant and the body of a man.
In short, even though Danang is more of an industrial hub than a tourist town, it still has its own specials to offer. In my opinion, it’s a very nice passing town en route to Hoi an.
We arrived at around 4pm at the station in Da nang. Got picked up and taken by our driver to the Furama Resort. We had 2 days here to ourselves. Neither tour nor guide since we wanted to chill out on the beach.
As I’d already mentioned somewhere on this forum, we opted to use Vietnamstay.com for hotel reservations since we noticed that they offered way lower prices than many of the other local companies. We’d emailed back and forth directly with the resort but ended getting nowhere since they insisted on charging 215$ per night. The same amount was quoted by one of the local tour companies whereas Mr. Pham at Vietnamstay offered 160$ only for the same room category which included complimentary airport pickup. We couldn’t expect more!
Stayed here just for one night but enjoyed it up to the handle. The service staff were nice and went their extra miles to make sure we’d everything we needed. The view from the pool over the China Beach is to die for and we loved lying by the pool and reading a bit and then off to lunch at the pool bar. The restaurant is great and the breakfast is more than one needs. The second pool is in a plush garden area and is ideal for kids and there is a lot of share and space. The wife loved the outdoor pavilions in the garden for her daily massage. Our favorite activity here was heading off to the China Beach which is considered the most beautiful in Vietnam and the 6th most beautiful in the world. This is the beach that was the inspiration for the TV show of the same name. We wandered along the beach, had a perfect view of the Lady Buddha statue that is more than 60 meters high and the Monkey Hill that has the radar on top. The locals call it the Heaven Eyes.
Danang itself is a business town so there didn’t seem to be any other tourists which was nice after Hue. It’s a great place to see white and colored marble, both raw in the mountains and carved in the shops. The major attraction here is the Marble Mountain. There are quite a few of them and the one on all the tourist brochures has a series of temples and caves at the top of it. Some of the temples were made of bricks and concrete and they’re really beautiful. In some of the caves there are no stairs to the statues, therefore you’ve to climb just a short way to see them. But the sights were worth the effort. You’ve got to watch the women working there too.
After lunch we took a cab to see the Cham Museum which was very interesting and helped us learn more about the gods the Chams worshipped. My favorite is the Holy Bird Garuda who has the body of a man and the head of a bird and is usually shown killing a snake called Naga. The Chama civilization bears the characteristics of India and the Hindu religion. They worshipped Shiva, the goddess of creation and destruction and there were some great sculptures of Ganesha who has the head of an elephant and the body of a man.
In short, even though Danang is more of an industrial hub than a tourist town, it still has its own specials to offer. In my opinion, it’s a very nice passing town en route to Hoi an.
