Craig

Enjoyed the detail of your stay in Hanoi. Do you recall the names of your Hanoikids?

dgunbug

Craig - Our students were Vu Ha Ngan and Bui Phuong Dzung. They were so sweet, knowledgeable and fun to be with. The amount of training they go through amazed us.

Thank you all for your encouragement as I continue to write this report. Next stop - Halong Bay

NeoPatrick

"I hope I am not boring anyone, for I intended to merely provide an abbreviated version of a trip report, but I seem to be getting carried away."

Keep getting carried away. I LOVE the details which are neither mundane nor boring. There are many "tidbits" of information to take from your report. I'm still unsure if my OAT tour is on or off in September, so I'm making lots of notes if I end up doing the 19 days or so in VN on my own.

I'm simply astounded that ANY meal in Vietnam could be bland, so it is particularly funny of a restaurant that has been getting so much good press.

shelleyk

Thanks so much for your detailed report. VN is on our bucket list, so I appreciate all of the details, especially your hotel recommendations. I am curious about why you chose to visit in May. Was it to try to escape the Florida heat? I hate hot weather, so I am planning to go in Feb. or March, although I know Hanoi may be cool and damp at that time.

dgunbug

Shelley - cool and damp would have been a pleasure as would the heat of Florida. There is nothing that compares to the heat of VN in May. You could fry an egg on the sidewalk! Unfortunately, with my husband's work schedule and other family obligations, May was the best time for us to go. And my husband who loves the heat said it would be fine. He has since revised his thoughts about heat and swears never to do that again. I am sure that given better weather, we would have wandered and seen a bit more, although we certainly saw a lot. Asia needs to be done slowly and slowly we moved! I think too that my husband's asthma and large tummy made it more difficult for him to stay out as long as we normally do when touring. In VN he was referred to by many as the "Happy Buddha". We weren't so happy, but given the choice of going in May when it is hot and not going at all, we would choose to go.

dgunbug

NeoPatrick - you really do not need a tour. VN is so easy to do on one's own and you can easily hire guides and take tours along the way. This is not a trip about specific sites, but more about the feel of the cities, the people, traffic, eating, etc. We did not find that many of the tourist sites were that outstanding. VN cities are generally not beautiful, but they are interesting as are the people and their way of life. As for the bland food, last night I read several reviews on Trip Advisor and they seemed to concur with me on the over-rated Cha Ca La Vong.

LowCountryIslander

dgunbug...

I am really enjoying the details in your report! Looking forward to more.

Katyt

We were in Hanoi in Feb. and also stayed at Elegance 4, the rooms were certainly small but the service they provided was fantastic.One suggestion I would have for anyone going to Hanoi is to check out what is on at the Hanoi Opera House.You can check out the internet or at the Opera House.We went twice and saw a variety of music the first night ( ballet, pianist,tenor)all very good.The 2nd night was part of the Hanoi Symphony subscription series and it featured a guest Austrian conductor,also very enjoyable.We had been to Hanoi in 2004 and also went to the Opera house,the audience was mostly expats but this time there were a good number of Vietnamese.The hotel ordered the tickets for us,we did not see many tourists at these concerts.

NeoPatrick

dgunbug, it isn't a matter of "needing" a tour. After 6 weeks of traveling on my own in China and Thailand, I'm kind of looking forward to the very small group with OAT and a little company. Not to mention that the total price is something like $100 a day including all hotels (pretty decent ones), most meals, several internal flights, all transfers and transportations, and supposedly very good local guides and lots of specific "adventure" and "education" activities along the way. Planning on my own, I'll spend close to that just for hotels -- not including ALL the other stuff. Especially as a single traveler with no single supplement this tour is a steal and comes highly recommended.

dgunbug

Patrick - Understandable if you are on your own and looking for company.

dgunbug

May 17, 18 Halong Bay

We debated whether to take one or two nights on Halong Bay and decided in the end that we had enough time in Vietnam to take it leisurely so we went for 2 nights. We were glad we did as the ride to Halong Bay from Hanoi was lengthy and also because the breeze on the water gave us relief from the oppressive heat, allowing us a chance to just relax. We chose the Paloma Cruise line as we read good reviews and heard that it was brand new junk.

Our pick up in the morning was timely, although we were crowded into a van which was not the most comfortable of vehicles for the long ride to Halong Bay. I would recommend instead a private car for the extra money. On our return trip from the bay the other people in the van wanted the windows open and it was less than comfortable for us.

The Paloma Junk is a beautiful boat with about 20 rooms, although there were only a handful of people with us when we sailed. Upon boarding the junk we were met with a cool wet cloth and shown to our cabins to freshen up. Shortly afterward a sumptuous lunch was served and enjoyed by all as we got to know our fellow shipmates. The service was wonderful, the food outstanding and so plentiful that we had to ask them to stop bringing food to the table. Meals were not buffet style as we had expected, but rather a set menu with lots of courses. The cruise line was very accommodating to my husband’s special dietary needs and they prepared him different foods when he could not eat what was being served.

The cabins were very nice and the AC in the cabin worked like a charm. The big problem was that there was no AC in the common areas (dining room and a small bar/sitting area). While there were fans on, we were rather warm while we ate our meals. I am uncertain if it is like this on other junks. This was the only drawback of the Paloma, but a big enough one that I would choose another junk if others have common areas with air-conditioning.

After lunch we sat outside and enjoyed the view, which was wonderful, although we never did get a great sunny day and sadly, no beautiful sunset or sunrise pictures that we were hoping for. Shortly after lunch we transferred by tender to see a floating Vietnamese school, a pearl hatchery and to board even smaller boats that were rowed by women who took each family around the Bay to see the local floating homes.

Upon our return to the Paloma Junk, we freshened up and were invited to a pre-dinner and sunset welcome aboard party where we were given complimentary wine before dinner. After relaxing for a while and taking in the beautiful scenery, we were invited to a cooking class to make spring rolls, which was our first course for our dinner that evening. This was lots of fun and enjoyed by all. After dinner those who wanted to could fish off the back of the boat, but we declined.

We were somewhat surprised that we were the only passengers on board that were staying for 2 nights and that a new group would be joining us the next day. After breakfast the next morning we said our goodbyes and we headed off on our own private boat with our “cruise director”. The second cruise director stayed with the original group and took them to the Surprise Cave, where we would go the next day. We headed off to visit an even larger floating village and to take in more breathtaking scenery. We did not get bored with the scenery and were hoping to snap that perfect picture. We stopped at an island where we were able to disembark and climb a small mountain (ok…for some it would be a large hill, but for us Floridians it was enormous!) Sadly enough we only made it up half way. My husband complained that he could not breathe due to his asthma and quite frankly I was concerned about coming back down the narrow steps. We never admitted to our cruise director that we did not make it to the top! Nevertheless, the views were fabulous and we were happy to take in the panoramic views from high above the bay where we could get even better pictures.

We were given the option of kayaking and swimming later on, but again we declined as we just wanted to be lazy on board and also, because we had never kayaked before and were afraid that my husband would tip over the kayak! There were also large jelly fish in the water and we did not want to be stung. Again, we were served an enormous meal that was prepared solely for us. We were unable to eat it all and suggested that the crew finish the rest. The boat anchored in the bay and we were given time to relax. Unfortunately, it was rather hot and after relaxing for a while we were anxious to be on our way. The problem was that we had to await the meet up time with the Paloma junk as they were picking up new passengers who would join us that evening.

Upon returning finally to the Paloma, we met the new passengers and prepared for dinner. However, we were given a different menu as we had already had the first night’s courses.

The next morning, after breakfast we were all taken to “Surprise Cave”. The only surprise for us was that we had to climb many steps to enter the cave which was lit up and lovely, although not such a surprise as we have been to many a cave before! The visit to the cave was followed by yet another meal before disembarking to take the 3 hour ride back to Hanoi.

All in all, we enjoyed our two days on the Paloma. We were happy to extend our time on board by a second day, although we wished that the Paloma had offered air conditioning in their common areas. We thought the crew was exceptional and the food very good. Incidentally, there was a 3 year old child aboard and the crew director was marvelous with her.

rhkkmk

just a note on the Liberty Central....we are paying $97 in november which we booked with tonkin...

ok, you are not in an exclusive club....we got to DC today and our Delta flight had been cancelled...we got put onto us air only 30 minutes after our original schedule....we were very lucky..

dgunbug

Bob - Lucky is an understatement. We had about a 5 hr delay and were the last two to get on the last plane out of Atlanta flying standby. Glad to hear you are safely home.

barefootbeach

dgunbug,
excellent detailed reporting! Glad you enjoyed Hanoi so much...amazing what a difference less than a month can do for weather...we were cold and rainy in Hanoi and Ha long Bay in mid-April...and didn't have any great sun for photos in Ha Long Bay either. I thought that one night was definitely enough in Ha Long Bay even though the drive to and from seemed long.

dgunbug

We had two more full days plus the day we returned from Halong Bay to spend in Hanoi. We had planned to go to Nihm Bihn on one of them, however we decided against going as we do not relish the thought of another long drive. We were also concerned about being out in an uncovered boat in the brutal sun. I regret though, not having gone there.

yestravel

Boring?? hardly I'm finding it a great read. Looking forward to the rest.

dgunbug

Thank you again Barefoot & yestravel for your kind words. More on Hanoi later.

dgunbug

I forgot to mention that the Ethnological Museum has a free water puppet show that runs several times a day. I’m afraid I don’t recall the times. We were there during one of the performances, so we decided to punt the very popular Water Puppet show in Hanoi. Quite frankly, we tired of the performance rather quickly as we did not understand the story behind the show. I wonder if anyone else has seen both performances to compare if they were the same. The puppets were not that large, so I can see how it would be important to get front row seats. I believe that of the people who have recommended seeing the Puppets, those that sat in the front enjoyed it most.

May 19th Hanoi – Day 4

We returned to Hanoi from Halong Bay in the late afternoon and rested for a short time before venturing out again. We were fortunate to be in Hanoi during Ho Chi Minh’s birthday celebration and it was great fun to walk around Hoan Kiem Lake which was lit up by colorful lanterns for the occasion. There were several stages set up with street performances – jugglers, magicians, singers, dancers, etc. – all very entertaining, although it was standing room only. The streets were loaded with people standing around watching or sitting upon their motor scooters. Families of 3 & 4 sat together on one scooter and it was equally entertaining to watch the children and adults enjoying the evening’s entertainment. One never knows what one will encounter when traveling and it’s always a treat when something special is going on. For dinner we returned to the Green Tangerine which I had enjoyed so much and we took a stroll through the night market afterwards.

May 20 – Hanoi

At this point we had only explored the fringe area of the French Quarter, so we set out to more fully explore it today. The French Quarter was not terribly far from where we were staying, just on the opposite side of the lake, but we worked up quite a sweat in getting there. We passed the imposing St Joseph’s Cathedral on the way and the Chua Ba Da or Stone Lady’s Pagoda which dates back to the 15th century. The tree lined streets of the French Quarter are considerably wider than in the Old Quarters and the buildings were noticeably newer and more grand as they were built under the influence of the French regime. We passed the beautiful Opera House with its French-colonial architecture and stopped in the lovely Sofitel Metropole which is nearby, to relax for a few moments in their very cool and comfortable lobby. While the French Quarters is newer, more modern, charming and less crowded, we did not regret our choice to stay in the Old Quarters. On our return to our hotel we passed by several Embassy buildings. We also passed a vendor selling mango & pineapples that were sprinkled with chili powder. I had passed up this vendor once before during our stay in Hanoi, but this time I could not resist a taste of the the fruit. What a great combination of flavors - sweet, tangy and spicy all at once. I love the fruit in Asia! Again, we headed back to the rooms for our much needed rest after having been out in the sun for only a few hours.

For dinner this evening we headed back to the lake and ate at the large air-conditioned restaurant overlooking it. The food was rather unremarkable – I believe my husband ordered a hamburger that tasted like meatloaf again and I had a pizza. But the air-conditioning was magnificient!

May 21st Hanoi - Pottery Craft Village and West Lake – Train to Sapa

This was our final day in Hanoi, so we checked out of the hotel in the morning and had our bags stored until we returned in the afternoon, at which time we were moved by the staff to the Elegance 3 as I earlier explained. Since it was our final day, we had decided to take it easy and had arranged to be picked up by a driver and guide to take us to the Pottery Craft Village just outside of Hanoi. We were told that the Pottery Village would take ½ day to visit and although I wanted to do other craft villages as well, my husband is not a great shopper so I limited it to just the one. Thank goodness we decided not to take a group tour, as we were rather unimpressed and couldn’t wait to leave just a short time after visiting the village. Since we spent so little time in the craft village, we asked our guide to take us to Ho Tay also known as West Lake, which is the largest lake in Hanoi and which we had not yet had the opportunity to visit. There are actually two beautiful lakes there, separated by a causeway. The West Lake is home to Hanoi’s sailing club and the area around it was very upscale with modern hotels. Note – We thought that this area is too far out and we would not have wanted to be situated here. There was colorful swan-necked leisure boats docked on the shores of the lake, which we presume were for rent. Also situated there was the very picturesque Tran Quoc Pagoda and the Quan Thanh Temple which we enjoyed visiting.

Upon our return and after getting settled in our new room at the Elegance 3, we set out for lunch, returning to one of my favorite places - Bun Bo Nam Bo. How I wish I could have some Bun Bo now!.

Once again we returned to our rooms and settled in until it was time to depart to the train station for our journey to Sapa. The staff at the hotel insisted on accompanying us to the train and while my husband kept telling them we would be fine on our own, they ultimately came with us in the cab. We were glad they did as we had purchased the train tickets in advance through Tonkin who delivered a voucher to our hotel in Hanoi. This voucher must be exchanged for a train ticket and it is all very confusing as the ticket booth is not situated in the main train station. It is down the street quite a way and very difficult to find. We had presumed that we would be able to get dinner close by or at the train station, however, that was not to be and we ended up with a box of cookies for dinner. My advise is to be sure to eat before heading off to the train station.

We booked the Livitran train months in advance through Tonkin Travel since we wanted a two berth compartment to ourselves. There are few available on the train so be sure to make advanced reservations if this is what you want. We were very happy with our accommodations. We have taken overnight trains before on other vacations and were happy that these were not bunk beds, but rather two lower berths. The train was clean as was the bathroom which was down the hall. A complementary small fruit basket, two bottles of water, some sort of sesame cookies and toothbrushes & toothpaste were provided in the room. (no need to bring toothbrushes & toothpaste to VN – they are provided in all hotels) We were anxious to try to sleep as we knew we would be awakened at approximately 4 AM, just before the train arrived at the train station. Although the train ride was not the smoothest, we were able to sleep soundly and were ready to explore Sapa when we arrived.

Leslie_S

dgunbug - loving your report and taking notes for our trip next year. Thanks for all of the detail.

Anyone interested in Elegance 4 in Hanoi - book early! Tried last month to get a room for Jan 2011 and they are already booked up on our dates.

dgunbug

Wow! What a surprise. Quite frankly, I think the Elegance 3 is even nicer and from what I hear, the Elegance 5 is the best, but I think more pricey.