LowCountryIslander's South East Asia Adventure
May 22nd, 2011, 08:46 AM
#21
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LCI- SO happy you made it to Dac Kim and it sounds like the food (and prices) have not changed since we were there in 2009. I've said this since we went, I would go back to Hanoi just to eat there again.
May 22nd, 2011, 05:18 PM
#22
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Kristina...I really liked Dac Kim! So glad I was able to find it! Thanks to your recommendation! 
Here's the next installment...enjoy!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The breakfast buffet at the Movenpick has a very large variety of items to choose from. Everything from an eggs to order station to a pho to order station, bread, fruit, cheeses, we definitely didn’t lack for choices to start our day!
It was another gray day, but the temperature was much cooler. Today our group met our Hanoi guide, Nam. He would be our guide for the rest of the time in Hanoi and for our day visit to Halong Bay.
We left the hotel at 8:30am and went directly to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. No cameras or bags are allowed inside, and make sure you don’t put your hands in your pockets either! We filed through to get a peak at the body of “Uncle Ho”. The mausoleum visit took about 15 minutes and then we were on our way to Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house and the one pillar pagoda by way of the Presidential Palace. The leafy area surrounding the house and palace was teeming with school children very eager to practice their English. We heard a lot of “Hello” and “Where are you from”, and not only were the children eager to talk but their teachers too.
At 10:30am we were whisked to the Ethnology museum. I really enjoyed the time spent here, and could have easily spent twice as much as the allotted one hour. Here’s where a drawback to group tours comes in, I found myself very interested in this museum and wanting to stay longer to explore more only to be faced with the ticking second hand of my watch telling me it’s time to meet back up with the tour group. My favorite parts of this museum were the replicas of homes of the various ethnic minorities.
After leaving the museum and before stopping for lunch we made a brief stop at a lacquerware shop, and although interesting to see how this work is done, I would have much preferred to have spent the additional 30 minutes in the museum.
Lunch was a group event included in the tour and it was at Indochine Vietnamese Restaurant at 16 Nam Ngu Street in the Hoan Kiem District. Lunch here was very good, it was a 7 course meal and I neglected to write down the menu items, but I recall all seemed to be good, but nothing that stands our in my memory. I did decide to try a Hanoi Beer, which wasn’t a favorite of mine, but I’m not a beer enthusiast.
Once finished with lunch we took a stroll around Turtle Island at Hoan Kiem Lake and then to a Water Puppet Theater performance. The Water Puppets were fun to watch, well, what I could see of it, since the couple seated in front of me leaned forward for the whole performance (Grrrr!). However, I got the gist of the stories being told and it was entertaining to see. I was actually more curious about how the mechanics of it all works, so was keeping an eye more on the comings and goings of the puppeteers I could see rather than the puppets!
After the water puppets we did a cyclo tour of the Old Quarter, yes it was touristy, but it was a fun way to see the “action” of the city. It was quite a feeling being in the midst of all the traffic! My cyclo driver was at the front of our group in the beginning but about half way through he stopped to get a bun from a sidewalk vendor. I made a mental note to try and remember where the vendor was, since I figured if the driver was stopping to eat here it might be pretty good, alas, my time in Hanoi was too short, I never got back to that area and frankly, I’m not so sure I’d be able to find that vendor again!
The cyclo tour ended right back at the Movenpick hotel and we had plenty of time to relax before dinner. What eventually became an evening ritual throughout the trip CL & I met B & V at the lobby lounge for pre-dinner drinks and we met the rest of our group at 6:30pm for dinner.
Tonight’s dinner was arranged through Nam our guide at Ha Hoi Restaurant at 4 Ha Hoi Street. This was even better than lunch. The meal started with an excellent cream of pumpkin soup and according to my notes from that evening “too many courses to remember, but definitely a solid meal”. One of the things I do clearly remember was that we had an first-rate Chilean sauvignon blanc wine for dinner…of course I can’t remember the name of that either, darn, I knew I should have taken a picture of the label!
Here's the next installment...enjoy!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The breakfast buffet at the Movenpick has a very large variety of items to choose from. Everything from an eggs to order station to a pho to order station, bread, fruit, cheeses, we definitely didn’t lack for choices to start our day!
It was another gray day, but the temperature was much cooler. Today our group met our Hanoi guide, Nam. He would be our guide for the rest of the time in Hanoi and for our day visit to Halong Bay.
We left the hotel at 8:30am and went directly to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. No cameras or bags are allowed inside, and make sure you don’t put your hands in your pockets either! We filed through to get a peak at the body of “Uncle Ho”. The mausoleum visit took about 15 minutes and then we were on our way to Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house and the one pillar pagoda by way of the Presidential Palace. The leafy area surrounding the house and palace was teeming with school children very eager to practice their English. We heard a lot of “Hello” and “Where are you from”, and not only were the children eager to talk but their teachers too.
At 10:30am we were whisked to the Ethnology museum. I really enjoyed the time spent here, and could have easily spent twice as much as the allotted one hour. Here’s where a drawback to group tours comes in, I found myself very interested in this museum and wanting to stay longer to explore more only to be faced with the ticking second hand of my watch telling me it’s time to meet back up with the tour group. My favorite parts of this museum were the replicas of homes of the various ethnic minorities.
After leaving the museum and before stopping for lunch we made a brief stop at a lacquerware shop, and although interesting to see how this work is done, I would have much preferred to have spent the additional 30 minutes in the museum.
Lunch was a group event included in the tour and it was at Indochine Vietnamese Restaurant at 16 Nam Ngu Street in the Hoan Kiem District. Lunch here was very good, it was a 7 course meal and I neglected to write down the menu items, but I recall all seemed to be good, but nothing that stands our in my memory. I did decide to try a Hanoi Beer, which wasn’t a favorite of mine, but I’m not a beer enthusiast.
Once finished with lunch we took a stroll around Turtle Island at Hoan Kiem Lake and then to a Water Puppet Theater performance. The Water Puppets were fun to watch, well, what I could see of it, since the couple seated in front of me leaned forward for the whole performance (Grrrr!). However, I got the gist of the stories being told and it was entertaining to see. I was actually more curious about how the mechanics of it all works, so was keeping an eye more on the comings and goings of the puppeteers I could see rather than the puppets!
After the water puppets we did a cyclo tour of the Old Quarter, yes it was touristy, but it was a fun way to see the “action” of the city. It was quite a feeling being in the midst of all the traffic! My cyclo driver was at the front of our group in the beginning but about half way through he stopped to get a bun from a sidewalk vendor. I made a mental note to try and remember where the vendor was, since I figured if the driver was stopping to eat here it might be pretty good, alas, my time in Hanoi was too short, I never got back to that area and frankly, I’m not so sure I’d be able to find that vendor again!
The cyclo tour ended right back at the Movenpick hotel and we had plenty of time to relax before dinner. What eventually became an evening ritual throughout the trip CL & I met B & V at the lobby lounge for pre-dinner drinks and we met the rest of our group at 6:30pm for dinner.
Tonight’s dinner was arranged through Nam our guide at Ha Hoi Restaurant at 4 Ha Hoi Street. This was even better than lunch. The meal started with an excellent cream of pumpkin soup and according to my notes from that evening “too many courses to remember, but definitely a solid meal”. One of the things I do clearly remember was that we had an first-rate Chilean sauvignon blanc wine for dinner…of course I can’t remember the name of that either, darn, I knew I should have taken a picture of the label!
May 23rd, 2011, 10:21 AM
#24
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i think you have mentioned one of the things that bothers many of us non-tour types: time spent at any one venue is regulated by the tour organizers rather than by you according to your interests... a huge negetive...
May 23rd, 2011, 07:01 PM
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Thursday, March 3, 2011
Today was a long day with an 8am start and a 4 hour drive to (and from) Halong Bay on a highway that went through what seemed to be every town between Hanoi and Halong Bay. It was interesting to see the country-side with the farmers working in the rice paddies. The weather was gray and very cloudy and by the time we reached the dock in Halong Bay at 12:30pm the rain had started.
We boarded a private junk for the trip around the bay and a visit to a cave. Even though I was disappointed with the gloomy weather in retrospect it worked out really well, I was able to take some ethereal pictures, with boats moving through the foggy, cloudy, rainy surroundings.
On the junk we had a huge seafood lunch including fresh fish, shrimp, and calamari. All was good, but nothing outstanding or remarkable. The boat ride lasted just under four hours and by 4pm we were back at the dock and on the bus for the four hour ride back to Hanoi. On the ride to Hanoi we saw an awful head-on collision between a truck and a public bus. Road conditions seem a bit harrowing.
Just before 8pm we were back at the Movenpick Hotel in Hanoi and had dinner at the hotel. They provided a huge selection on a pre-fix menu of Vietnamese dishes, all were good, but the green papaya and beef salad “sang” to me on this night. It was delicious.
It had to be an early night because it would be a very early departure the next morning. We would be leaving Hanoi and flying to Danang and we were booked on a flight departing at 8am. This meant we had to leave the hotel at 6am.
As much as I really enjoyed seeing Halong Bay I wouldn’t do it as a day trip from Hanoi again. It just felt like a much too rushed day.
I noted a few impressions and observations about Hanoi in my journal and they were:
1.) Motorbikes are everywhere
2.) The cars I did see were larger than I thought they would be, much larger than typical cars I see when traveling in Europe.
3.) Life really does take place out on the streets
4.) Prices are VERY reasonable by my Western standards
5.) The food was excellent
6.) The people were extremely friendly
Today was a long day with an 8am start and a 4 hour drive to (and from) Halong Bay on a highway that went through what seemed to be every town between Hanoi and Halong Bay. It was interesting to see the country-side with the farmers working in the rice paddies. The weather was gray and very cloudy and by the time we reached the dock in Halong Bay at 12:30pm the rain had started.
We boarded a private junk for the trip around the bay and a visit to a cave. Even though I was disappointed with the gloomy weather in retrospect it worked out really well, I was able to take some ethereal pictures, with boats moving through the foggy, cloudy, rainy surroundings.
On the junk we had a huge seafood lunch including fresh fish, shrimp, and calamari. All was good, but nothing outstanding or remarkable. The boat ride lasted just under four hours and by 4pm we were back at the dock and on the bus for the four hour ride back to Hanoi. On the ride to Hanoi we saw an awful head-on collision between a truck and a public bus. Road conditions seem a bit harrowing.
Just before 8pm we were back at the Movenpick Hotel in Hanoi and had dinner at the hotel. They provided a huge selection on a pre-fix menu of Vietnamese dishes, all were good, but the green papaya and beef salad “sang” to me on this night. It was delicious.
It had to be an early night because it would be a very early departure the next morning. We would be leaving Hanoi and flying to Danang and we were booked on a flight departing at 8am. This meant we had to leave the hotel at 6am.
As much as I really enjoyed seeing Halong Bay I wouldn’t do it as a day trip from Hanoi again. It just felt like a much too rushed day.
I noted a few impressions and observations about Hanoi in my journal and they were:
1.) Motorbikes are everywhere
2.) The cars I did see were larger than I thought they would be, much larger than typical cars I see when traveling in Europe.
3.) Life really does take place out on the streets
4.) Prices are VERY reasonable by my Western standards
5.) The food was excellent
6.) The people were extremely friendly
May 24th, 2011, 04:18 AM
#27
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rhkkmk...
I agree with your points, and believe me, I weighed these situations in my mind prior to going on this trip. As I mentioned in the beginning of the report I was a fair bit intimidated by planning an "on my own" trip to this part of the world having not been there before and not really knowing what to expect, in spite of reading all the great trip reports here! So I was willing to accept the group tour dynamics for my own piece of mind at the time. And I do believe there is a time and place for group tours. Now, having been to these countries I have seen for myself how I could have planned the trip on my own, live and learn!
I agree with your points, and believe me, I weighed these situations in my mind prior to going on this trip. As I mentioned in the beginning of the report I was a fair bit intimidated by planning an "on my own" trip to this part of the world having not been there before and not really knowing what to expect, in spite of reading all the great trip reports here! So I was willing to accept the group tour dynamics for my own piece of mind at the time. And I do believe there is a time and place for group tours. Now, having been to these countries I have seen for myself how I could have planned the trip on my own, live and learn!
May 24th, 2011, 04:41 AM
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LCI-I took an 18 day tour of VN around the same time you were there. I do not regret doing the tour, although I know I could have visited VN on my own. Yes, there were a few things that I could have done better (maybe) . But all in all, it was the most efficient use of time time that I could get. I saw and experienced far more than I could have on my own in the same number of days. I'd rate my experience on tour as a 8.5 out of 10. Pretty good, IMO.
I'd like to hear about the rest of your trip.
I'd like to hear about the rest of your trip.
May 24th, 2011, 06:02 AM
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Shelleyk...
Did you write a trip report? I seem to recall reading one recently about a Fodorite on an OAT tour/trip to Veitnam. If that was you, I believe we were in the same restaurant (Goda) in Hoi An for lunch one day...small world!
If you all hang in with me I'll eventually finish this report, it's a slow go, but I'm persistent and will get it done!
Did you write a trip report? I seem to recall reading one recently about a Fodorite on an OAT tour/trip to Veitnam. If that was you, I believe we were in the same restaurant (Goda) in Hoi An for lunch one day...small world!
If you all hang in with me I'll eventually finish this report, it's a slow go, but I'm persistent and will get it done!
May 24th, 2011, 08:59 AM
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I did write a TR about my tour with OAT, but I have not finished it, so I completely understand about TRs being a slow go for some of us. I will patiently wait for the rest of your report, and hopefully I'll get mine finished before my next trip. lol
May 25th, 2011, 02:23 AM
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"...most efficient use of time..." that is exactly why we would book a tour for certain places--this being one of them! Agree, LCI, that there is a time and place for them.
Really great report! Take your time, I'm not going anywhere
Really great report! Take your time, I'm not going anywhere
May 25th, 2011, 06:03 PM
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Friday, March 4, 2011
There was a 4:30am wake-up call and our whole group was in the hotel lobby by 6am, a pretty amazing achievement for 9 women! Our guide Nam was there and ready with boxed breakfasts for the ride to the airport. Let me say that after 3 guides in Vietnam, 1 in Siem Reap and 2 in Thailand, Nam was the best we had. He was funny, knowledgeable and was able to keep all of us fascinated and engaged. His “story” was interesting too. He is educated as a lawyer and taught English to other Vietnamese, but he soon realized practicing law was not as profitable as being a tour guide, so he went to school for 2 more years to become a licensed guide. Its stories about people’s lives that I love to hear while traveling and Nam was a terrific ambassador for us.
We arrived at the airport around 7am and check-in for the Vietnam Airlines flight to Danang was easy. The flight left on time at 8:10am and I was impressed with Vietnam Airlines. The planes seemed new, the flight attendants were friendly and we had smooth (and short) flights with them.
At 9am we arrived in Danang and all our bags arrived with us. After collecting our luggage we walked to the arrivals area and met our guide for Hoi An and Hue, her name was Tien. She took us to the Cham Museum in Danang and maybe because I had been up since the crack of dawn, I found this museum just mildly interesting and honestly I can’t remember much about it. After the museum we stopped at Marble Mountain and about half of the group, including me, “hiked” up the 100 steps to the temple, cave and pagoda at the top of the mountain.
By noon we were driving to Hoi An with a quick stop at China Beach and lunch at Goda Restaurant in Hoi An. The food at Goda was very good and there was a lot of variety and I got to try a new beer here. This time is was La Rue beer; I liked it more than Hanoi beer.
When we were finished with lunch it was time to check in at the Palm Garden Resort. This was a lush ocean-side resort with lovely facilities. The only drawback in my mind was that it was 4km from the center of Hoi An. There was a resort shuttle but the times were inconvenient for us, but taxis were not too expensive.
The pool here was the perfect answer to our hot, sweaty bodies, so after getting to our room and changing into swimsuits it was time for a little relaxation. I could tell the temperature was higher than in Hanoi and the cool water was refreshing after a day of travel.
At 6pm CL and I met some of our travel companions at the hotel lounge for cocktails and then dinner at the resort’s seafood barbeque buffet. The selection was enormous and all the seafood looked very fresh and the local specialty, Cao Lau was being made to order. I gave the Cao Lau a try and put the hot sauce on this noodle and pork dish. I should have known better since I’m really not a spicy food lover, but I really wanted to try it and one of my promises to myself was to make sure I tried new things all the time on this trip. One bite and YAWOW! Its was SPICY! But it was good! Part way through our cocktail hour I started to develop a headache and after trying the Cao Lau and trying to be good company, I could barely hold my head up anymore, so I excused myself, and slid out back to the room. Boy did I sleep well, I think I was asleep before 9pm, but it had been a long day.
There was a 4:30am wake-up call and our whole group was in the hotel lobby by 6am, a pretty amazing achievement for 9 women! Our guide Nam was there and ready with boxed breakfasts for the ride to the airport. Let me say that after 3 guides in Vietnam, 1 in Siem Reap and 2 in Thailand, Nam was the best we had. He was funny, knowledgeable and was able to keep all of us fascinated and engaged. His “story” was interesting too. He is educated as a lawyer and taught English to other Vietnamese, but he soon realized practicing law was not as profitable as being a tour guide, so he went to school for 2 more years to become a licensed guide. Its stories about people’s lives that I love to hear while traveling and Nam was a terrific ambassador for us.
We arrived at the airport around 7am and check-in for the Vietnam Airlines flight to Danang was easy. The flight left on time at 8:10am and I was impressed with Vietnam Airlines. The planes seemed new, the flight attendants were friendly and we had smooth (and short) flights with them.
At 9am we arrived in Danang and all our bags arrived with us. After collecting our luggage we walked to the arrivals area and met our guide for Hoi An and Hue, her name was Tien. She took us to the Cham Museum in Danang and maybe because I had been up since the crack of dawn, I found this museum just mildly interesting and honestly I can’t remember much about it. After the museum we stopped at Marble Mountain and about half of the group, including me, “hiked” up the 100 steps to the temple, cave and pagoda at the top of the mountain.
By noon we were driving to Hoi An with a quick stop at China Beach and lunch at Goda Restaurant in Hoi An. The food at Goda was very good and there was a lot of variety and I got to try a new beer here. This time is was La Rue beer; I liked it more than Hanoi beer.
When we were finished with lunch it was time to check in at the Palm Garden Resort. This was a lush ocean-side resort with lovely facilities. The only drawback in my mind was that it was 4km from the center of Hoi An. There was a resort shuttle but the times were inconvenient for us, but taxis were not too expensive.
The pool here was the perfect answer to our hot, sweaty bodies, so after getting to our room and changing into swimsuits it was time for a little relaxation. I could tell the temperature was higher than in Hanoi and the cool water was refreshing after a day of travel.
At 6pm CL and I met some of our travel companions at the hotel lounge for cocktails and then dinner at the resort’s seafood barbeque buffet. The selection was enormous and all the seafood looked very fresh and the local specialty, Cao Lau was being made to order. I gave the Cao Lau a try and put the hot sauce on this noodle and pork dish. I should have known better since I’m really not a spicy food lover, but I really wanted to try it and one of my promises to myself was to make sure I tried new things all the time on this trip. One bite and YAWOW! Its was SPICY! But it was good! Part way through our cocktail hour I started to develop a headache and after trying the Cao Lau and trying to be good company, I could barely hold my head up anymore, so I excused myself, and slid out back to the room. Boy did I sleep well, I think I was asleep before 9pm, but it had been a long day.
May 25th, 2011, 06:33 PM
#33
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Saturday, March 5, 2011
After some much needed sleep, I awoke refreshed and ready to go. The breakfast buffet was another huge affair with similar items to the breakfast buffets in Hanoi. Part of the dining room was outside on a covered porch and being early enough in the morning it was pleasant to have breakfast outside. By late morning the sun came out and the day was a near perfect weather day, except if you don’t like heat. I didn’t find it to be too terribly hot, but I live in coastal South Carolina where humidity in the summer can top 99%, some of the others traveling on this trip who were from other parts of the US were having trouble coping with the heat here in Hoi An.
The day began with a walking tour of Hoi An, where we saw the Chinese Temple, an ancient house, and the Japanese Bridge. We also walked through the market, which I thought was the most interesting part of the tour; it was very crowded and bustling. We had several hour of free time where we could wander about town checking things out ourselves. During this time I found Morning Glory Restaurant and stopped in to make a reservation for dinner later tonight.
By 1pm we met up with the rest of our group for lunch and as usual it was a pre-fix menu with lots of different foods to try. I neglected to write down the lunch menu and can’t recall any of the specifics, but I don’t remember anything that was inedible!
After lunch we boarded a boat to cruise the Thun Bo River and went to a local village to see wood carvers, and some other local artisans. We also got to see a lot of local fishermen. Being on the river was a great way to keep cool and see some of the life that goes on in and around the river.
By 4:30pm we were back at the hotel for a short rest. Dinner was on our own tonight and when I made the reservation earlier in the day I made it for 4. CL and I met B & V in the cocktail lounge at the resort for pre-dinner drinks and then took a taxi into Hoi An, the taxi fare was about the equivalent of $5.
I have to take a moment to thank Fodorites Kristina, EKscrunchy and Marilyn for the recommendation for Morning Glory…you were all spot on! We loved this meal. When I made the reservation I specially asked to be seated upstairs on the little balcony and I’m so glad I did, it was slightly cooler there than inside the restaurant.
We had a bottle of house chardonnay and started with the white rose dumplings and the pork & shrimp pancakes. Both dishes were excellent. We also ordered the stir-fry morning glory with garlic, eggplant cooked in a clay pot, the local pork noodle dish and braised beef and peas. All the food was absolutely delicious. We ordered the Hoi An waffle with Hoi An ice cream for dessert. The waffle was great, lots of cinnamon flavor. I had the coffee with milk and it was served with the tin filter and dripped through at the table. It was delicious, but I paid for it by not being able to sleep well that night! For all this food the bill was about the equivalent of $50. A taxi back to the hotel and we called it a good night.
After some much needed sleep, I awoke refreshed and ready to go. The breakfast buffet was another huge affair with similar items to the breakfast buffets in Hanoi. Part of the dining room was outside on a covered porch and being early enough in the morning it was pleasant to have breakfast outside. By late morning the sun came out and the day was a near perfect weather day, except if you don’t like heat. I didn’t find it to be too terribly hot, but I live in coastal South Carolina where humidity in the summer can top 99%, some of the others traveling on this trip who were from other parts of the US were having trouble coping with the heat here in Hoi An.
The day began with a walking tour of Hoi An, where we saw the Chinese Temple, an ancient house, and the Japanese Bridge. We also walked through the market, which I thought was the most interesting part of the tour; it was very crowded and bustling. We had several hour of free time where we could wander about town checking things out ourselves. During this time I found Morning Glory Restaurant and stopped in to make a reservation for dinner later tonight.
By 1pm we met up with the rest of our group for lunch and as usual it was a pre-fix menu with lots of different foods to try. I neglected to write down the lunch menu and can’t recall any of the specifics, but I don’t remember anything that was inedible!
After lunch we boarded a boat to cruise the Thun Bo River and went to a local village to see wood carvers, and some other local artisans. We also got to see a lot of local fishermen. Being on the river was a great way to keep cool and see some of the life that goes on in and around the river.
By 4:30pm we were back at the hotel for a short rest. Dinner was on our own tonight and when I made the reservation earlier in the day I made it for 4. CL and I met B & V in the cocktail lounge at the resort for pre-dinner drinks and then took a taxi into Hoi An, the taxi fare was about the equivalent of $5.
I have to take a moment to thank Fodorites Kristina, EKscrunchy and Marilyn for the recommendation for Morning Glory…you were all spot on! We loved this meal. When I made the reservation I specially asked to be seated upstairs on the little balcony and I’m so glad I did, it was slightly cooler there than inside the restaurant.
We had a bottle of house chardonnay and started with the white rose dumplings and the pork & shrimp pancakes. Both dishes were excellent. We also ordered the stir-fry morning glory with garlic, eggplant cooked in a clay pot, the local pork noodle dish and braised beef and peas. All the food was absolutely delicious. We ordered the Hoi An waffle with Hoi An ice cream for dessert. The waffle was great, lots of cinnamon flavor. I had the coffee with milk and it was served with the tin filter and dripped through at the table. It was delicious, but I paid for it by not being able to sleep well that night! For all this food the bill was about the equivalent of $50. A taxi back to the hotel and we called it a good night.
May 26th, 2011, 10:53 AM
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Glad you enjoyed Morning Glory.
We too found Hoi An (and Hue) to be hotter than anywhere else, but then again, we were there in July!
I also found the Cham museum a bit of a let down. I think I've seen enough of the type of sculpture they have there that I didn't find it all that interesting.
I loved Marble Mountain and which we'd had more time to explore it more slowly. As it was, I ended up with dehydration and heat exhaustion after climbing to the top!
We too found Hoi An (and Hue) to be hotter than anywhere else, but then again, we were there in July!
I also found the Cham museum a bit of a let down. I think I've seen enough of the type of sculpture they have there that I didn't find it all that interesting.
I loved Marble Mountain and which we'd had more time to explore it more slowly. As it was, I ended up with dehydration and heat exhaustion after climbing to the top!
May 26th, 2011, 11:33 AM
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Kristina...
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who wasn't thrilled with the Cham museum. I was glad I hiked to the top of Marble Mountain too!
Morning Glory was really a highlight for us and I still can't believe the prices, $50 for 4 people and that was with wine and bottled water!
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who wasn't thrilled with the Cham museum. I was glad I hiked to the top of Marble Mountain too!
Morning Glory was really a highlight for us and I still can't believe the prices, $50 for 4 people and that was with wine and bottled water!
Jun 3rd, 2011, 06:34 PM
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Sunday, March 6, 2011
We had an early-ish departure from Hoi An today and left the hotel at 8:30am to drive to Hue. The drive took about 4 hours and we drove over the Hai Van Pass. It was a beautiful clear day and the views from the pass were fantastic.
By 12:30 we arrived in Hue and had lunch at the Tropical Restaurant, it was another multi-course meal and I had my first glass of Vietnamese iced tea with lemon and sugar, it was delicious, not too sweet.
After lunch we toured the Citadel. Tien, our guide, is from Hue and along with guiding tours of central Vietnam she is also a guide at the Citadel, and she was very informative. While touring the Citadel complex we visited the theater there and got to see a traditional dance show, yes, a bit touristy, but it was cooler inside the theater.
When we were finished at the Citadel we went to the Thien Mu Pagoda and were able to see many of the monks and novices studying at the pagoda. Then we took a much anticipated to dragon boat ride on the Perfume River, finally a cool breeze! It had been stifling hot.
By 6pm we were ready to check into the Pilgrimage Village, a resort about 7 kilometers from the center of Hue. This was a beautiful property with great amenities, the swimming pool was gigantic and well maintained, and the spa was very relaxing. The room was huge with a luxurious bathroom, sleeping and sitting areas and a balcony. And the free wi-fi was another plus!
This evening was my least favorite meal of the whole trip. The tour guide had arranged our meal to be a kitschy “Royal Dinner” including wanting us to dress in empress costumes. I am so not a “joiner” and this was not anything I would have planned myself, but I went along with it and after entering the private dining room the “costume” (a coat/dress “get-up”) came off. There were local musicians playing throughout the meal, and they were pretty good. The food was also the weakest of the trip, except for the fried calamari which was very good.
After this “entertaining” meal, I was ready to call it a night and we were back at the hotel by 10pm.
We had an early-ish departure from Hoi An today and left the hotel at 8:30am to drive to Hue. The drive took about 4 hours and we drove over the Hai Van Pass. It was a beautiful clear day and the views from the pass were fantastic.
By 12:30 we arrived in Hue and had lunch at the Tropical Restaurant, it was another multi-course meal and I had my first glass of Vietnamese iced tea with lemon and sugar, it was delicious, not too sweet.
After lunch we toured the Citadel. Tien, our guide, is from Hue and along with guiding tours of central Vietnam she is also a guide at the Citadel, and she was very informative. While touring the Citadel complex we visited the theater there and got to see a traditional dance show, yes, a bit touristy, but it was cooler inside the theater.
When we were finished at the Citadel we went to the Thien Mu Pagoda and were able to see many of the monks and novices studying at the pagoda. Then we took a much anticipated to dragon boat ride on the Perfume River, finally a cool breeze! It had been stifling hot.
By 6pm we were ready to check into the Pilgrimage Village, a resort about 7 kilometers from the center of Hue. This was a beautiful property with great amenities, the swimming pool was gigantic and well maintained, and the spa was very relaxing. The room was huge with a luxurious bathroom, sleeping and sitting areas and a balcony. And the free wi-fi was another plus!
This evening was my least favorite meal of the whole trip. The tour guide had arranged our meal to be a kitschy “Royal Dinner” including wanting us to dress in empress costumes. I am so not a “joiner” and this was not anything I would have planned myself, but I went along with it and after entering the private dining room the “costume” (a coat/dress “get-up”) came off. There were local musicians playing throughout the meal, and they were pretty good. The food was also the weakest of the trip, except for the fried calamari which was very good.
After this “entertaining” meal, I was ready to call it a night and we were back at the hotel by 10pm.
Jun 4th, 2011, 06:35 PM
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Monday, March 7, 2011
It was a leisurely morning and the best way to start the day was with a spa treatment, well, after breakfast of course!
Breakfast was in the beautiful resort restaurant with large windows so the resort surroundings could be seen from every table. The breakfast buffet was similar to the others we’ve had so far, a big variety of both eastern and western choices.
At 9am I was ready for my spa treatment. I arrived at the spa about 30 minutes before the treatment and used the hot and cold tubs, the steam room and sauna. The tubs were outside under a thatched roof structure, the whole spa area was outdoor luxurious. Before I knew it the therapist came to get me and took me for a coffee rejuvenation exfoliation massage. Wow! It was the first time I’d had such a treatment and at first the coffee exfoliant felt odd, but after a few minutes the coarseness felt good against my skin. After showering off the coffee exfoliant my skin felt incredibly soft, ok and I smelled like my favorite coffee drink too!
By noon we were packed up and ready to move onto our next destination, but first we’d make a stop for lunch and to see the Imperial Tomb of Minh Mang, a complex of courtyards, pavilions and temples. By the time we arrived at the tomb a light rain started and had to see the tomb complex through some rain drops, but it was a lovely natural setting with lots of trees and lakes.
3pm came quickly and we were back on the bus for the ride to the Hue airport. We had a 5pm flight to Saigon on Vietnam Airlines and just as we entered the airport the skies opened and the rain started pouring sideways. We say our good-byes to Tien, our guide and go through security to the waiting area. Due to the weather there was a 30 minute delay.
We land in Saigon at 6:30pm make our way to baggage claim and find our Saigon guide, Kai within 30 minutes and then we are off to the Renaissance Riverside Hotel. The hotel is lovely, similar to the Movenpick in Hanoi, it has a business/corporate feel to it, but the staff is very friendly and quick to assist with any request.
Dinner was on our own tonight, but RM had the name of a restaurant I really wanted to try, nha hang ngon, and she had the guide make a reservation for us there. Six of us went and really enjoyed the meal. The restaurant was not very far from the hotel, about a 10 minute taxi ride. The restaurant is an indoor/outdoor set-up with food stalls around a center courtyard. In hindsight we should have walked around and looked at everything available. The menu, although in English, is gigantic and it was little difficult to decipher everything on it. We did end up with some pretty tasty food, fried squid, chicken skewers, stir fried spinach and fried spring rolls. 3 in our group had the local beer. I really wanted to try the Dalat wine so the other 3 in our group had a bottle. It wasn’t too bad.
After dinner we all piled into a tax and went back to the hotel, the taxi fare, was just over $1. CL and I decided to stop for an after dinner drink at the 5th floor atrium lounge before calling it a night.
It was a leisurely morning and the best way to start the day was with a spa treatment, well, after breakfast of course!
Breakfast was in the beautiful resort restaurant with large windows so the resort surroundings could be seen from every table. The breakfast buffet was similar to the others we’ve had so far, a big variety of both eastern and western choices.
At 9am I was ready for my spa treatment. I arrived at the spa about 30 minutes before the treatment and used the hot and cold tubs, the steam room and sauna. The tubs were outside under a thatched roof structure, the whole spa area was outdoor luxurious. Before I knew it the therapist came to get me and took me for a coffee rejuvenation exfoliation massage. Wow! It was the first time I’d had such a treatment and at first the coffee exfoliant felt odd, but after a few minutes the coarseness felt good against my skin. After showering off the coffee exfoliant my skin felt incredibly soft, ok and I smelled like my favorite coffee drink too!
By noon we were packed up and ready to move onto our next destination, but first we’d make a stop for lunch and to see the Imperial Tomb of Minh Mang, a complex of courtyards, pavilions and temples. By the time we arrived at the tomb a light rain started and had to see the tomb complex through some rain drops, but it was a lovely natural setting with lots of trees and lakes.
3pm came quickly and we were back on the bus for the ride to the Hue airport. We had a 5pm flight to Saigon on Vietnam Airlines and just as we entered the airport the skies opened and the rain started pouring sideways. We say our good-byes to Tien, our guide and go through security to the waiting area. Due to the weather there was a 30 minute delay.
We land in Saigon at 6:30pm make our way to baggage claim and find our Saigon guide, Kai within 30 minutes and then we are off to the Renaissance Riverside Hotel. The hotel is lovely, similar to the Movenpick in Hanoi, it has a business/corporate feel to it, but the staff is very friendly and quick to assist with any request.
Dinner was on our own tonight, but RM had the name of a restaurant I really wanted to try, nha hang ngon, and she had the guide make a reservation for us there. Six of us went and really enjoyed the meal. The restaurant was not very far from the hotel, about a 10 minute taxi ride. The restaurant is an indoor/outdoor set-up with food stalls around a center courtyard. In hindsight we should have walked around and looked at everything available. The menu, although in English, is gigantic and it was little difficult to decipher everything on it. We did end up with some pretty tasty food, fried squid, chicken skewers, stir fried spinach and fried spring rolls. 3 in our group had the local beer. I really wanted to try the Dalat wine so the other 3 in our group had a bottle. It wasn’t too bad.
After dinner we all piled into a tax and went back to the hotel, the taxi fare, was just over $1. CL and I decided to stop for an after dinner drink at the 5th floor atrium lounge before calling it a night.
Jun 6th, 2011, 04:46 PM
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Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Breakfast at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel is another huge buffet. So much to choose from, and the service is excellent, including complimentary offerings of a mango smoothie, yum!
There was a group dinner planned for tonight, but CL and I decided since we didn’t have much time in Saigon we would “bail out” of the group dinner and try a restaurant that was recommended to me. I can’t swear, but I may have found this restaurant recommendation through the Fodors message boards, but since I looked at so much stuff pre-trip my memory is starting to fade on the specifics. Before heading out with the group this morning I stopped at the concierge desk and ask them to make a reservation for me and CL at Tuan’s.
Just after 8am we boarded our mini bus and headed for the Cu Chi Tunnels. Kai, our guide gave us a good overview of the tunnels on the drive there and it was interesting to hear the history of these underground tunnels. We were offered the opportunity to shimming down one of the tiny openings in the ground, but we all passed on that, I’m not sure if I would have even fit, let alone my dislike of really confined spaces.
There were some interesting exhibits in the area surrounding the tunnels, a woman making rice paper, a man making sandals from truck tires, we stopped and had a taste of tapioca root, which tasted (oddly, to me) like peanut butter.
By noon we were on our way to lunch, which was a typical uneventful lunch stop with another 7 course menu.
In the afternoon we drove back to Saigon and visited the Reunification Palace. It was interesting to see the rooms furnished as they had been in the 1960’s/1970’s. We also made a stop at the War Remnants Museum, where we were given an hour to look around. Lots of propaganda, which our guide told us in advance we would see and I found to be mildly interesting, but I drew the line at visiting the agent orange room, I couldn’t stomach the pictures in that room, just too heartbreaking for me.
By the late afternoon we were ready for a stop at the local market, and it sure was a sprawling place. With just 30 minutes to peruse the place, I didn’t get to see much, lots of tourist “tat”, but I did buy myself a set of chopsticks since during the trip I’ve been mastering the art the eating with them, and in theory I wanted to practice at home.
At 5pm we were back at the hotel and when we arrived in our room found a note from the concierge saying our reservation at Tuan’s had been made. By 6pm CL and I found our way to the lounge for a pre-dinner cocktail and about an hour later we were off in a taxi to dinner.
One of the things that intrigued me about the description I read of Tuan’s was that it was down an alley, behind a wooden door with only a tiny sign showing the restaurant’s name, just my kind of place!
Even with the correct address, it took the taxi driver 2 passes to determine we were at the right alley. We got out of the taxi and walked down the alley, passing motorbikes and apartment buildings, one with someone playing the piano. It made for quite an atmosphere. Thank goodness I knew to look for a wooden door, because as we walked further and further down the alley my anticipation started to dwindle until I saw a big wooden door.
We opened the door into a small garden courtyard with several occupied tables, and I thought, ok, this is looking promising. We went inside and were seated at a table, there were no other patrons inside, which at first concerned me, but the tables outside were occupied and within 30 minutes the inside tables were occupied too.
We were the only English speaking customers and the menu had vague English translations, which is always fun to interpret the meaning. But, fortunately with the recommendation I had for this place, I also had specific menu items to try. According to my notes, this place is known for their Hanoi style dishes. The first dish we ordered was the spring roll with crab which came with vermicelli noodles and herbs, this was by far the best dish of the night, and in the top 5 of the trip, I would have been happy to stop there, and probably should have. But we also ordered a chicken dish that was delicious, it had almost a perfume flavor and the chicken was so tender it fell right off the bone with barely any help from a fork. The last dish we had was a mussels, tomato & dill soup, which was the weakest of the 3 dishes, it was bland and after the other 2 dishes, it just didn’t hold up in the flavor category. With 2 of the local 333 beers the total bill was about $21.
The proprietress could not have been nicer and walked us out to the main street at the end of the alley and helped us hail a taxi. We were back at the hotel within 10 minutes and took a short walk around the neighborhood the hotel is located in. A very bustle area with lots of shops and galleries. Before calling it a night, we ventured up to the top floor where the outdoor pool and lounge is located and took in the fabulous views of night-time Saigon.
Breakfast at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel is another huge buffet. So much to choose from, and the service is excellent, including complimentary offerings of a mango smoothie, yum!
There was a group dinner planned for tonight, but CL and I decided since we didn’t have much time in Saigon we would “bail out” of the group dinner and try a restaurant that was recommended to me. I can’t swear, but I may have found this restaurant recommendation through the Fodors message boards, but since I looked at so much stuff pre-trip my memory is starting to fade on the specifics. Before heading out with the group this morning I stopped at the concierge desk and ask them to make a reservation for me and CL at Tuan’s.
Just after 8am we boarded our mini bus and headed for the Cu Chi Tunnels. Kai, our guide gave us a good overview of the tunnels on the drive there and it was interesting to hear the history of these underground tunnels. We were offered the opportunity to shimming down one of the tiny openings in the ground, but we all passed on that, I’m not sure if I would have even fit, let alone my dislike of really confined spaces.
There were some interesting exhibits in the area surrounding the tunnels, a woman making rice paper, a man making sandals from truck tires, we stopped and had a taste of tapioca root, which tasted (oddly, to me) like peanut butter.
By noon we were on our way to lunch, which was a typical uneventful lunch stop with another 7 course menu.
In the afternoon we drove back to Saigon and visited the Reunification Palace. It was interesting to see the rooms furnished as they had been in the 1960’s/1970’s. We also made a stop at the War Remnants Museum, where we were given an hour to look around. Lots of propaganda, which our guide told us in advance we would see and I found to be mildly interesting, but I drew the line at visiting the agent orange room, I couldn’t stomach the pictures in that room, just too heartbreaking for me.
By the late afternoon we were ready for a stop at the local market, and it sure was a sprawling place. With just 30 minutes to peruse the place, I didn’t get to see much, lots of tourist “tat”, but I did buy myself a set of chopsticks since during the trip I’ve been mastering the art the eating with them, and in theory I wanted to practice at home.
At 5pm we were back at the hotel and when we arrived in our room found a note from the concierge saying our reservation at Tuan’s had been made. By 6pm CL and I found our way to the lounge for a pre-dinner cocktail and about an hour later we were off in a taxi to dinner.
One of the things that intrigued me about the description I read of Tuan’s was that it was down an alley, behind a wooden door with only a tiny sign showing the restaurant’s name, just my kind of place!
Even with the correct address, it took the taxi driver 2 passes to determine we were at the right alley. We got out of the taxi and walked down the alley, passing motorbikes and apartment buildings, one with someone playing the piano. It made for quite an atmosphere. Thank goodness I knew to look for a wooden door, because as we walked further and further down the alley my anticipation started to dwindle until I saw a big wooden door.
We opened the door into a small garden courtyard with several occupied tables, and I thought, ok, this is looking promising. We went inside and were seated at a table, there were no other patrons inside, which at first concerned me, but the tables outside were occupied and within 30 minutes the inside tables were occupied too.
We were the only English speaking customers and the menu had vague English translations, which is always fun to interpret the meaning. But, fortunately with the recommendation I had for this place, I also had specific menu items to try. According to my notes, this place is known for their Hanoi style dishes. The first dish we ordered was the spring roll with crab which came with vermicelli noodles and herbs, this was by far the best dish of the night, and in the top 5 of the trip, I would have been happy to stop there, and probably should have. But we also ordered a chicken dish that was delicious, it had almost a perfume flavor and the chicken was so tender it fell right off the bone with barely any help from a fork. The last dish we had was a mussels, tomato & dill soup, which was the weakest of the 3 dishes, it was bland and after the other 2 dishes, it just didn’t hold up in the flavor category. With 2 of the local 333 beers the total bill was about $21.
The proprietress could not have been nicer and walked us out to the main street at the end of the alley and helped us hail a taxi. We were back at the hotel within 10 minutes and took a short walk around the neighborhood the hotel is located in. A very bustle area with lots of shops and galleries. Before calling it a night, we ventured up to the top floor where the outdoor pool and lounge is located and took in the fabulous views of night-time Saigon.
