Vietnam trip - Overview
Jan 10th, 2010 | 08:07 PM
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Vietnam trip - Overview
Late November and early December I had a short trip to Vietnam.
I was very lucky with the weather, no rain at all. It was mid 20 deg C in Hanoi and around 31 deg C in Saigon.
To be honest Vietnam was not a place I had yearned to visit, but a friend was working in Hanoi for 6 months so I decided to pay her a visit. My trip centred on Hanoi and Saigon with side trips. My friend was working during the week so I organised my own sightseeing. She insisted that I be accompanied on my first day out by her housekeeper so we just pottered around the Old Town practising crossing roads and once Phuong had reported back I was safe to go out by myself I just taxied my way around Hanoi doing all the tourist places.
My friend advised me to stick to Hanoi Taxi, Mai Linh taxi or CP taxi and I never had any problems. I paid no more the 50K VND for any trip. My friend advised me the flag fall should be around 12K VND and I should make sure the meter increased gradually. In Saigon we got in a cab and it jumped in 10K VND increments so we told him to pull over and we got out.
The sights have been covered by many people of this forum and I found each one of interest. I particulary enjoyed the Museum of Ethnology.
I did a cooking class with Hidden Hanoi one morning and that was great. It was around $US45 for the course including a walk around some nearby markets. The ladies running it are absolutely charming.
I had a massage one day at Just Massage which was near to my friend’s place. .It was very good and they employ visually impaired therapists.
We went on a day trip to Halong Bay organised by Sinh Tourist ($US27 each). Great value for money. All the day trips seem to follow the same itinerary so no need to pay more. It is a three hour coach trip (with one rest stop each way). a few hours on the bay visiting a floating village, optional kayaking, lovely lunch then a visit to the caves. I found the scenery from the bus window very interesting and the journey both ways went very quickly.
Just an aside here. I found all the toilets at tourist places to be very clean and western style.
Although prices are often quoted in USD I used VND all the time. I converted $A100 at Sydney airport as I knew I had to pay for my taxi on arrival then just used ATMs to withdraw cash. I stuck to ANZ and HSBC and found them everywhere. In Hanoi there is an ANZ back just near the lake opposite Thuy Ta café that gives up to 20 million VND in each transaction.
I never had a bad meal in Vietnam. I usually grabbed some spring rolls or pho for lunch and we went out at night for dinner. I developed a serious addiction for iced coffee with milk and had several of these each day. The coffee in Vietnam is amazing it tastes like brewing coffee smells without any bitterness. Two meals that stand out were the Green Tangerine in the Old Town. It is housed in an art deco villa and the service and food was top class. In the French Quarter we went to Hoa Sua which is part of a training program for disadvantaged children. Beautiful setting in an old villa and great food.
We checked out Hanoi Grapevine for our evening entertainment. We attended a lovely concert at the opera House featuring the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra. Tickets were only 250K VND and it was very good plus there is a great open air café next door that sells wonderful coffee and cake. We also saw a jazz concert with two Austrian musicians Klaus Paier and Asja Valcic which was amazing. They play the accordion and cello and produce fantastic music. It cost next to nothing to attend. Of course we had to go to the water puppets and I quite enjoyed it. The seats are very cramped anyone over 165 cm is in for an uncomfortable 60 minutes.
I also went to an hour long concert of the Vietnam National Toung Theatre. This is on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5 pm and it was very good. It is a variety show presenting five scenes from traditional plays.
We travelled to Saigon for a couple of days and I was surprised how different it was from Hanoi. I kept saying it was like being in another country. Much wider roads and many of them one way which made crossing the road much easier. We stayed at the Spring Hotel which was central to everything. It cost $USD45 a night including a very substantial and delicious breakfast.
We had two full day trips one to the Mekong (210K VND) and the other to Chu Chi tunnels & Cao Dai temple(120K VND) Both were organised by Sinh Tourist, both an absolute bargain and both well organised and enjoyable. The Mekong trip included lunch the other did not, but we were taken to a local restaurant which was fine. Both included rest stops which had toilet facilities and where you get drinks and snacks.
We had one meal out in Saigon at Quan An Ngon (there is a branch in Hanoi too) which was very lively and enjoyable. The food is cooked hawker style in courtyard area surrounding the restaurant’s seating area and is very varied. The other two nights we ate at an international food festival which we spotted on the way home from our day trips. It was very popular with the locals for good reason. A great variety of stalls selling Asian foods for about 30K VND a small plate.
On our last day we went to the Reunification palace and had a very good tour through the complex. We also visited the cathedral and the Post Office. Unfortunately the museums were closed as it was a Monday. We had our first non Asian meal of the trip at Au Parc. It was just a lovely setting to wait whilst the palace opened after lunch.
I am not much of a shopper, I just like to buy a few souvenirs and gifts for people. I am not much good at bargaining and in a country where prices are so low it hardly seems worth it. I bought a lot of hand made greeting cards in various places. I did the bulk of my gift shopping in Hanoi at Craft Link. They have a few stores in the city and one at the Museum of Ethnology. They are a not for profit organisation and the prices are fixed. Their lacquerware was lovely and well priced, for instance I bought 3 bowls and 3 trays and it cost me 367K VND. The colours are gorgeous.
Another place I bought a few things was at the Post Office in Saigon. They have a couple of shops either side as you walk in the entrance. The prices of their hand embroidered T-shirts was comparable to anywhere else we priced them and their size range is much better. It goes up to XXXL.
We walked through the Ben Thanh market and it was all too much for me but as I hadn’t bought anything for my 20 year old son I did some bargaining on some fake Abercombie and Fitch shorts and some Timberland T shirts. I was pleased with what I paid, he was delighted and the garments have been through the wash several times and have come out unscathed so a win-win situation all round.
I found it really difficult to find anything for the one little boy I buy for. I had seen some ‘ Lego’ type sets at the domestic airport in Hanoi and they would have been perfect as they were military style kits with tanks etc. Not very politically correct but very appealing to a nine year old. I didn’t buy them as I thought I could get them at the international airport on the way home and of course they were nowhere to be seen. He seemed pleased enough with the watch I bought at duty free.
I had a wonderful time on my trip and felt very safe at all times. I am really looking forward to going to Vietnam again and exploring other areas as part of an SE Asia trip in October. It is a very interesting country with friendly people. The food is wonderful and it is great value for money.
I was very lucky with the weather, no rain at all. It was mid 20 deg C in Hanoi and around 31 deg C in Saigon.
To be honest Vietnam was not a place I had yearned to visit, but a friend was working in Hanoi for 6 months so I decided to pay her a visit. My trip centred on Hanoi and Saigon with side trips. My friend was working during the week so I organised my own sightseeing. She insisted that I be accompanied on my first day out by her housekeeper so we just pottered around the Old Town practising crossing roads and once Phuong had reported back I was safe to go out by myself I just taxied my way around Hanoi doing all the tourist places.
My friend advised me to stick to Hanoi Taxi, Mai Linh taxi or CP taxi and I never had any problems. I paid no more the 50K VND for any trip. My friend advised me the flag fall should be around 12K VND and I should make sure the meter increased gradually. In Saigon we got in a cab and it jumped in 10K VND increments so we told him to pull over and we got out.
The sights have been covered by many people of this forum and I found each one of interest. I particulary enjoyed the Museum of Ethnology.
I did a cooking class with Hidden Hanoi one morning and that was great. It was around $US45 for the course including a walk around some nearby markets. The ladies running it are absolutely charming.
I had a massage one day at Just Massage which was near to my friend’s place. .It was very good and they employ visually impaired therapists.
We went on a day trip to Halong Bay organised by Sinh Tourist ($US27 each). Great value for money. All the day trips seem to follow the same itinerary so no need to pay more. It is a three hour coach trip (with one rest stop each way). a few hours on the bay visiting a floating village, optional kayaking, lovely lunch then a visit to the caves. I found the scenery from the bus window very interesting and the journey both ways went very quickly.
Just an aside here. I found all the toilets at tourist places to be very clean and western style.
Although prices are often quoted in USD I used VND all the time. I converted $A100 at Sydney airport as I knew I had to pay for my taxi on arrival then just used ATMs to withdraw cash. I stuck to ANZ and HSBC and found them everywhere. In Hanoi there is an ANZ back just near the lake opposite Thuy Ta café that gives up to 20 million VND in each transaction.
I never had a bad meal in Vietnam. I usually grabbed some spring rolls or pho for lunch and we went out at night for dinner. I developed a serious addiction for iced coffee with milk and had several of these each day. The coffee in Vietnam is amazing it tastes like brewing coffee smells without any bitterness. Two meals that stand out were the Green Tangerine in the Old Town. It is housed in an art deco villa and the service and food was top class. In the French Quarter we went to Hoa Sua which is part of a training program for disadvantaged children. Beautiful setting in an old villa and great food.
We checked out Hanoi Grapevine for our evening entertainment. We attended a lovely concert at the opera House featuring the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra. Tickets were only 250K VND and it was very good plus there is a great open air café next door that sells wonderful coffee and cake. We also saw a jazz concert with two Austrian musicians Klaus Paier and Asja Valcic which was amazing. They play the accordion and cello and produce fantastic music. It cost next to nothing to attend. Of course we had to go to the water puppets and I quite enjoyed it. The seats are very cramped anyone over 165 cm is in for an uncomfortable 60 minutes.
I also went to an hour long concert of the Vietnam National Toung Theatre. This is on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5 pm and it was very good. It is a variety show presenting five scenes from traditional plays.
We travelled to Saigon for a couple of days and I was surprised how different it was from Hanoi. I kept saying it was like being in another country. Much wider roads and many of them one way which made crossing the road much easier. We stayed at the Spring Hotel which was central to everything. It cost $USD45 a night including a very substantial and delicious breakfast.
We had two full day trips one to the Mekong (210K VND) and the other to Chu Chi tunnels & Cao Dai temple(120K VND) Both were organised by Sinh Tourist, both an absolute bargain and both well organised and enjoyable. The Mekong trip included lunch the other did not, but we were taken to a local restaurant which was fine. Both included rest stops which had toilet facilities and where you get drinks and snacks.
We had one meal out in Saigon at Quan An Ngon (there is a branch in Hanoi too) which was very lively and enjoyable. The food is cooked hawker style in courtyard area surrounding the restaurant’s seating area and is very varied. The other two nights we ate at an international food festival which we spotted on the way home from our day trips. It was very popular with the locals for good reason. A great variety of stalls selling Asian foods for about 30K VND a small plate.
On our last day we went to the Reunification palace and had a very good tour through the complex. We also visited the cathedral and the Post Office. Unfortunately the museums were closed as it was a Monday. We had our first non Asian meal of the trip at Au Parc. It was just a lovely setting to wait whilst the palace opened after lunch.
I am not much of a shopper, I just like to buy a few souvenirs and gifts for people. I am not much good at bargaining and in a country where prices are so low it hardly seems worth it. I bought a lot of hand made greeting cards in various places. I did the bulk of my gift shopping in Hanoi at Craft Link. They have a few stores in the city and one at the Museum of Ethnology. They are a not for profit organisation and the prices are fixed. Their lacquerware was lovely and well priced, for instance I bought 3 bowls and 3 trays and it cost me 367K VND. The colours are gorgeous.
Another place I bought a few things was at the Post Office in Saigon. They have a couple of shops either side as you walk in the entrance. The prices of their hand embroidered T-shirts was comparable to anywhere else we priced them and their size range is much better. It goes up to XXXL.
We walked through the Ben Thanh market and it was all too much for me but as I hadn’t bought anything for my 20 year old son I did some bargaining on some fake Abercombie and Fitch shorts and some Timberland T shirts. I was pleased with what I paid, he was delighted and the garments have been through the wash several times and have come out unscathed so a win-win situation all round.
I found it really difficult to find anything for the one little boy I buy for. I had seen some ‘ Lego’ type sets at the domestic airport in Hanoi and they would have been perfect as they were military style kits with tanks etc. Not very politically correct but very appealing to a nine year old. I didn’t buy them as I thought I could get them at the international airport on the way home and of course they were nowhere to be seen. He seemed pleased enough with the watch I bought at duty free.
I had a wonderful time on my trip and felt very safe at all times. I am really looking forward to going to Vietnam again and exploring other areas as part of an SE Asia trip in October. It is a very interesting country with friendly people. The food is wonderful and it is great value for money.
