Hanoi
- Thread starter pixieb
- Start date
hi pixieb, i went there abt a year ago. I love the shopping there at Old Quarter near the Hoan Kiem Lake, good and cheap stuff to buy for the house eg paintings, cutlery, plates, chopsticks, cushion covers, lights. Their backpacks are super cheap too, abt $30 each.
I went on a 2 day 1 nite cruise to Halong Bay and a 4 day-3 nite day tour to Sapa. Spent 2 days shopping and walking around the Old Quarter.
Be careful when you arrived at the airport. We originally wanted to a tour agency that was recommended by friends. An English speaking native helped us to convey the info to the cab driver but the driver took us to another tour agency instead. Turns out that the drivers have been bribed to send tourists there. So insist that the driver bring you to the correct place before paying them.
I went on a 2 day 1 nite cruise to Halong Bay and a 4 day-3 nite day tour to Sapa. Spent 2 days shopping and walking around the Old Quarter.
Be careful when you arrived at the airport. We originally wanted to a tour agency that was recommended by friends. An English speaking native helped us to convey the info to the cab driver but the driver took us to another tour agency instead. Turns out that the drivers have been bribed to send tourists there. So insist that the driver bring you to the correct place before paying them.
Pixie,
Was there last June.
we stayed in Hanoi city for 3 days, go around the city area shopping ( very cheap if you dare to bargain ) , visting the places of interest and museum around Hanoi
We spent 4 days 3 nights trekking in Sapa..
and 2 day 1 night junk cruise along Halong Bay.
Have to admit that it is a wonderful place!! Scenery was fantastic !!
we actually booked a hotel in Hanoi thru internet .
We go straight to the hotel from the airport. Although the taxi driver will pester you to go to XXX hotel, just have to be firm that you want to go to your hotel of choice.
then we book the Halong bay and Sapa trip from the local tour agency. They are everywhere in the Hanoi city. try to avoid those tour packages offered by the hotel or the tour agent at the hotel front desk.. their price are unreasonably high compared to the tour agent shops out there.
We had limited vacation time, so we only went to Sapa and Halong bay.
We will be planning a tip again to HCM city.
If you like nature and scenic, this is a great place to go
Was there last June.
we stayed in Hanoi city for 3 days, go around the city area shopping ( very cheap if you dare to bargain ) , visting the places of interest and museum around Hanoi
We spent 4 days 3 nights trekking in Sapa..
and 2 day 1 night junk cruise along Halong Bay.
Have to admit that it is a wonderful place!! Scenery was fantastic !!
we actually booked a hotel in Hanoi thru internet .
We go straight to the hotel from the airport. Although the taxi driver will pester you to go to XXX hotel, just have to be firm that you want to go to your hotel of choice.
then we book the Halong bay and Sapa trip from the local tour agency. They are everywhere in the Hanoi city. try to avoid those tour packages offered by the hotel or the tour agent at the hotel front desk.. their price are unreasonably high compared to the tour agent shops out there.
We had limited vacation time, so we only went to Sapa and Halong bay.
We will be planning a tip again to HCM city.
If you like nature and scenic, this is a great place to go
thanks dtkh101 and meagan
be travelling in a few days time. was orginally planning to go halong bay but thinking twice to go near water now. a pity cos we were longig to visit halong bay.
sapa is the mountanious place right? wonder if 2days 1 night is sufficient.....
Ok, thanks for telling me about the taxi and tour agent, encountered similar experience in bangkok. heard that there are tour cum cafe kind of thiny all over the place. are those safe n economical?
be travelling in a few days time. was orginally planning to go halong bay but thinking twice to go near water now. a pity cos we were longig to visit halong bay.
sapa is the mountanious place right? wonder if 2days 1 night is sufficient.....
Ok, thanks for telling me about the taxi and tour agent, encountered similar experience in bangkok. heard that there are tour cum cafe kind of thiny all over the place. are those safe n economical?
hi pixieb,
you are welcome..
it is a waste to miss Halong bay!!!
I would think it is relatively safe because the junk move within the islands, it did not go out to the open sea. the water is very calm as it is between islands..
the tour cum cafe is all over, can see one almost every few steps you walk ..haha
there is also a lot of imitation one.. example, one of the popular one is sinh cafe, but there is more than 10 sinh cafe in hanoi old quarters, all not affiliated, all claimed to be the original sinh cafe.
so advise is go round and compare the prices and itenary before you decide.. have a good and safe trip
you are welcome..
it is a waste to miss Halong bay!!!
I would think it is relatively safe because the junk move within the islands, it did not go out to the open sea. the water is very calm as it is between islands..
the tour cum cafe is all over, can see one almost every few steps you walk ..haha
there is also a lot of imitation one.. example, one of the popular one is sinh cafe, but there is more than 10 sinh cafe in hanoi old quarters, all not affiliated, all claimed to be the original sinh cafe.
so advise is go round and compare the prices and itenary before you decide.. have a good and safe trip
hi hi, yeah it is a waste to miss halong bay! If you are worried, i think there are day tours, without staying overnight on the boat, maybe can consider that?
To go to Sapa, you need to travel via an overnight train, then a 2 hr bus ride so it will be better if you can spend more days there. Do bring good walking shoes, drinking water and warm clothing cos it is cold at night. Be prepared to walk and climb a lot!
Hey dtkh, for the Sapa tour, did you stay overnight at the village? We did and although
the hut is quite spartan, it was a good experience. The children were adorable, wanted to photograph them but most of them asked for 'picture money'.
To go to Sapa, you need to travel via an overnight train, then a 2 hr bus ride so it will be better if you can spend more days there. Do bring good walking shoes, drinking water and warm clothing cos it is cold at night. Be prepared to walk and climb a lot!
Hey dtkh, for the Sapa tour, did you stay overnight at the village? We did and although
the hut is quite spartan, it was a good experience. The children were adorable, wanted to photograph them but most of them asked for 'picture money'.
hi meagan
yup yup.. we stayed in the village.. although feeling tired from the overnight train ride and the full day trekking, it was really enjoyable.. the good old kampong days ..haha
did you go to the vietnam/china border while waiting at the sapa train station ? amazing ! just a bridge over a river dividing 2 countries and the landscape is totally different over at the other side!
when we were at sapa, it was raining, so we were full of mud and wet throughout at the end of the day.. suggest to bring extra pair of shoe or sandals and YES, a pair of good walking shoes!!
the children sure are adorable. we secretly took pictures of them, cos they keep asking for "picture money" when we ask "officially" to have their pictures taken..
yup yup.. we stayed in the village.. although feeling tired from the overnight train ride and the full day trekking, it was really enjoyable.. the good old kampong days ..haha
did you go to the vietnam/china border while waiting at the sapa train station ? amazing ! just a bridge over a river dividing 2 countries and the landscape is totally different over at the other side!
when we were at sapa, it was raining, so we were full of mud and wet throughout at the end of the day.. suggest to bring extra pair of shoe or sandals and YES, a pair of good walking shoes!!
the children sure are adorable. we secretly took pictures of them, cos they keep asking for "picture money" when we ask "officially" to have their pictures taken..
hi dtkh,
We were quite ill-prepared, din bring enough warm clothing and it was really cold at night. But the stars were magnificient! We also enjoyed eating our breakfast while looking out at the mountains. It was not raining but some paths were quite slippery so we stepped into the padi fields quite a couple of times.
Neh, we didn't go the vietnam/china border. Cos we went without a guide so got to keep a lookout for our buses/trains. We nearly missed our train to Sapa, haha.
I also took some pics of the children when they are not looking. Some actually cover their faces when we try to take, tsk tsk. Did you buy the cushion covers and blankets that the minority tribes were hawking? I merely took one look and one lady followed me for 15min, wanting me to buy their stuff. Got to bochap them or they will keep following us.
We were quite ill-prepared, din bring enough warm clothing and it was really cold at night. But the stars were magnificient! We also enjoyed eating our breakfast while looking out at the mountains. It was not raining but some paths were quite slippery so we stepped into the padi fields quite a couple of times.
Neh, we didn't go the vietnam/china border. Cos we went without a guide so got to keep a lookout for our buses/trains. We nearly missed our train to Sapa, haha.
I also took some pics of the children when they are not looking. Some actually cover their faces when we try to take, tsk tsk. Did you buy the cushion covers and blankets that the minority tribes were hawking? I merely took one look and one lady followed me for 15min, wanting me to buy their stuff. Got to bochap them or they will keep following us.
meagan
u mean you had no guide during yr trekking ?
we hookup with our guide in a lodging place on the mountain in sapa, and parted there as well
we had about 3 hours to spent at the Sapa station on the day of departure back to hanoi. we arrived at the station at around 5pm, and the train back to hanoi was like 8+,so we took a 5 mins motorbike ride from the station to the boder just to take some pictures.
no, we didnt buy from the tribals ,heeding the advise from the guide.. cos if you buy from one of them, the rest will flock to you and follow you throughout.. anyway the guide also say that the price is X. those stuff can also be found in hanoi.
indeed, we managed to get some good bargains in hanoi.
u mean you had no guide during yr trekking ?
we hookup with our guide in a lodging place on the mountain in sapa, and parted there as well
we had about 3 hours to spent at the Sapa station on the day of departure back to hanoi. we arrived at the station at around 5pm, and the train back to hanoi was like 8+,so we took a 5 mins motorbike ride from the station to the boder just to take some pictures.
no, we didnt buy from the tribals ,heeding the advise from the guide.. cos if you buy from one of them, the rest will flock to you and follow you throughout.. anyway the guide also say that the price is X. those stuff can also be found in hanoi.
indeed, we managed to get some good bargains in hanoi.
chaoahbeng
New Member
Hi everyone,
Might have to go to Hanoi for a business trip and would like to take some time off to take in the sights and enjoy a bit of R and R.
Any ideas which hotel is good there and the activities to do? Thanks.
Might have to go to Hanoi for a business trip and would like to take some time off to take in the sights and enjoy a bit of R and R.
Any ideas which hotel is good there and the activities to do? Thanks.
coolgirl76
New Member
ah beng
I can help u what u need to know?
I can help u what u need to know?
chaoahbeng
New Member
walan eh....u 2 jokers really follow me me around huh?
oei, u better dun cock up this thread hor. wanna chat we go "ao buay kon"
Go to CAB thread lah
oei, u better dun cock up this thread hor. wanna chat we go "ao buay kon"
Go to CAB thread lah
coolgirl76
New Member
WOW LAU OEI...I'm trying to help u mah since my company got opi there ......
hi,
have finally finalised on the plan. tonight will book!!!
going by vietnam air, staying at quoc hoa hotel at hoan kiem district 12-16 may.
just wanted to check:
1. easy to arrange trip to halong bay from hanoi direct?
2. duty free at hanoi airport ok or should i give it a miss and buy from SG side instead?
3. i hear that the only time we'll need USD is to take a taxi from airport to hotel, and if we want to buy suits. really ah?
thank you thank you!!!
have finally finalised on the plan. tonight will book!!!
going by vietnam air, staying at quoc hoa hotel at hoan kiem district 12-16 may.
just wanted to check:
1. easy to arrange trip to halong bay from hanoi direct?
2. duty free at hanoi airport ok or should i give it a miss and buy from SG side instead?
3. i hear that the only time we'll need USD is to take a taxi from airport to hotel, and if we want to buy suits. really ah?
thank you thank you!!!
oh .... found another hotel.... http://www.haivenu-vietnam.com/hotels-hanoi-church.htm it looks so good! price is USD45 for standard and 50 for superior. hmmmm...
Hi pinkbunny, congrats on finalizing ur trip.
itz easy to bk from hanoi directly ur trip to halong bay, prices are competitive there and many tour operators there so no need to worry.
duty free, haha, hanoi airport got nothing much basically so itz better to buy fr SG side.
i didnt change viet Dong coz usually u can change it over there when u pay for ur items in USD. u can choose to pay either in USD or Dong. bring some smaller USD like $1 and $5 otherwise u get one big stack of dong. u can pay for the tours in USD too. u can ask them for the price in Dong and wk out which is better. they will return u in either USD or dong. USD is commonly used there.
itz easy to bk from hanoi directly ur trip to halong bay, prices are competitive there and many tour operators there so no need to worry.
duty free, haha, hanoi airport got nothing much basically so itz better to buy fr SG side.
i didnt change viet Dong coz usually u can change it over there when u pay for ur items in USD. u can choose to pay either in USD or Dong. bring some smaller USD like $1 and $5 otherwise u get one big stack of dong. u can pay for the tours in USD too. u can ask them for the price in Dong and wk out which is better. they will return u in either USD or dong. USD is commonly used there.
hi everyone,
had a bit of changes (hubby is serving notice and trying to push next job to start later) so we're trying to go for our honeymoon in between both jobs. anyhow, we're going end of the month!
just need to check: is it safe to just hop into a cab to go from airport to hotel? and can we pay in USD? please please advise! thanks much
had a bit of changes (hubby is serving notice and trying to push next job to start later) so we're trying to go for our honeymoon in between both jobs. anyhow, we're going end of the month!
just need to check: is it safe to just hop into a cab to go from airport to hotel? and can we pay in USD? please please advise! thanks much
Hi pink bunny, it is quite safe to get a cab.
only thing when u reach hanoi, u are quite blur at first and there are a LOT of cabs outside. they will try to haggle for ur biz.
some not so honest ones might try to push u to stay at another place instead.(drive u to another hotel instead)
try emailing ur hotel u staying in to go to the airport to meet u.
that's what i did for mi case. save cab fare as well. they are quite willing to go the extra mile when u ask them.
USD is no prob, only thing if u have a normal cab, they might tell u they dun have change, so to be safe, make sure u have some smal $1 or $5 dollars. which is a lot in Dong already
only thing when u reach hanoi, u are quite blur at first and there are a LOT of cabs outside. they will try to haggle for ur biz.
some not so honest ones might try to push u to stay at another place instead.(drive u to another hotel instead)
try emailing ur hotel u staying in to go to the airport to meet u.
that's what i did for mi case. save cab fare as well. they are quite willing to go the extra mile when u ask them.
USD is no prob, only thing if u have a normal cab, they might tell u they dun have change, so to be safe, make sure u have some smal $1 or $5 dollars. which is a lot in Dong already
yippee yay yay! next week i will be in hanoi liao! and i managed to write to the hotel and they're sending a limo to pick us up. wah so steady
(but must pay one)
i'd like to ask some questions and invite any hanoi experts to help please:
- safe to go out at night?
- are there any flea markets ala bangkok's chatukchat market?
- any special things to avoid or take note of?
i'd like to ask some questions and invite any hanoi experts to help please:
- safe to go out at night?
- are there any flea markets ala bangkok's chatukchat market?
- any special things to avoid or take note of?
Hi pink bunny, hope this reaches u bef ur trip.
- itz safe to go out at nite but only thing, there's nothing much for nite life in hanoi, they dun have much of nite activity. most shops usually close ard 8 plus. so itz pretty quiet but safe.
- so far havent have such a place like chatuchak market. their shopping mostly only located along the streets and mainly the same. mostly tees and other art stuff. the only big market was dong xuan which is nothing much there. i only got some tees and mi Aodai made there.
- think the things to avoid is mainly what u should do in other places like thailand and other countries. not to show off too many valuables even though itz safe. not too attract too much attention to urself. otherwise, i went round in shorts and singlet as itz pretty hot in june.
- itz safe to go out at nite but only thing, there's nothing much for nite life in hanoi, they dun have much of nite activity. most shops usually close ard 8 plus. so itz pretty quiet but safe.
- so far havent have such a place like chatuchak market. their shopping mostly only located along the streets and mainly the same. mostly tees and other art stuff. the only big market was dong xuan which is nothing much there. i only got some tees and mi Aodai made there.
- think the things to avoid is mainly what u should do in other places like thailand and other countries. not to show off too many valuables even though itz safe. not too attract too much attention to urself. otherwise, i went round in shorts and singlet as itz pretty hot in june.
hi everyone,
thanks for all your advice and help! we just got back yesterday from 6days in hanoi. we did enjoy the bulk of our trip
and to spread more help, here are some pointers that i hope will be of use to anyone who'd like to visit hanoi:
- if you want to go to HCM masoleum
it's closed on mon and fri (not sure about weekends though), and open only till 10.30am. be prepared to queue (we queued for about 1 hour). there will be one point where you will have to keep your belongings in a locker. hold on to your camera though. you will have to 'surrender' it when you go into the masoleum, but you can collect it back when you walk around the grounds.
around the area is also the HCM museum (honestly we didn't really enjoy that) and the one pillar pagoda. if you forget to take your camera out (i.e. leave it in your bag with at the first bag deposit point), don't fret, there are plenty of official photographers and you can get your photo taken for USD1, and you can collect the pic within 5-10 mins.
- shopping
we stayed at hoan kiem area, and it's really cool, there are 36 streets, each selling a particular category of stuff. like one street for clothes, one street for shoes, one for silkwear. but they start closing shop from 8.30pm
whatever souvenirs we found on the streets, we found at the airport too, and at almost the same price so don't worry if you forget to buy stuff
- halong bay
halong bay is kinda like guilin. but my husband has been to guilin, and he thinks that halong bay is nicer. there are 3 options: the day tour, the sleep on boat option, and the tour+sleep at hotel option. if you're not too particular about cleanliness, the boat option is cool. we heard from people who stayed at the hotel that it was 'normal'. no aircon but the shower was good.
so anyway, our package was i think USD39 each, inclusive of pick up from hotel, boat trip, visit to 2 caves, lunch and dinner on day 1, 1 night's stay on boat, and breakfast and lunch on day 2. we told them we were on our honeymoon and we got the 'honeymoon suite', i.e. 'double bed' keke.
btw it's a 3 hour bus ride from hanoi so be prepared!
- bring charcoal pills
or whatever medication you think would be necessary if you have a weak stomach. i got food poisoning on day 1. my husband went, recovering from stomach flu, and we really tried to take 'clean' food, but still kena food poisoning.
- currency
bring USD. i think money changers here don't have vietnamese dong. SG1 = 10,000 dong. USD1= 15,300 dong. thereabouts. what we did was to pay in USD at bigger establishments (restaurants), get our change in dong, and then use the dong for shopping at smaller shops
- hoa sua cooking school
this is a really cool idea. it's a school for disadvantaged youth, and they're taught skills and they put their skills to use through the school. i think all the chefs and bakers and service staff have been trained at the school. the food is really good and the price is good too, for that kind of food.
you can also make donations to them. more info can be found on their website http://www.hoasuaschool.com/ tip: take down their address in vietnamese so that you can show it to the taxi driver (ask your hotel to help!).
- other activities
you can get your hair cut/washed at the neighbourhood shops. we had hairwashes at 50,000 for the both of us (SGD5). together, not each. we also had a food massage at USD5 each. i think we got screwed though, could have been cheaper but hey, good enough.
- transport
if you have no transport from the airport, write to your hotel. they prob can arrange a limo service for you. we paid USD20 for pick up from airport, and USD10 for hotel to airport.
there are motorcycle taxis that you can take but we were afraid haha. there's also the 'rickshaw' thingie, and the normal taxi. we didn't take any buses/trains.
i hope this helps!
thanks for all your advice and help! we just got back yesterday from 6days in hanoi. we did enjoy the bulk of our trip
and to spread more help, here are some pointers that i hope will be of use to anyone who'd like to visit hanoi:
- if you want to go to HCM masoleum
it's closed on mon and fri (not sure about weekends though), and open only till 10.30am. be prepared to queue (we queued for about 1 hour). there will be one point where you will have to keep your belongings in a locker. hold on to your camera though. you will have to 'surrender' it when you go into the masoleum, but you can collect it back when you walk around the grounds.
around the area is also the HCM museum (honestly we didn't really enjoy that) and the one pillar pagoda. if you forget to take your camera out (i.e. leave it in your bag with at the first bag deposit point), don't fret, there are plenty of official photographers and you can get your photo taken for USD1, and you can collect the pic within 5-10 mins.
- shopping
we stayed at hoan kiem area, and it's really cool, there are 36 streets, each selling a particular category of stuff. like one street for clothes, one street for shoes, one for silkwear. but they start closing shop from 8.30pm
whatever souvenirs we found on the streets, we found at the airport too, and at almost the same price so don't worry if you forget to buy stuff
- halong bay
halong bay is kinda like guilin. but my husband has been to guilin, and he thinks that halong bay is nicer. there are 3 options: the day tour, the sleep on boat option, and the tour+sleep at hotel option. if you're not too particular about cleanliness, the boat option is cool. we heard from people who stayed at the hotel that it was 'normal'. no aircon but the shower was good.
so anyway, our package was i think USD39 each, inclusive of pick up from hotel, boat trip, visit to 2 caves, lunch and dinner on day 1, 1 night's stay on boat, and breakfast and lunch on day 2. we told them we were on our honeymoon and we got the 'honeymoon suite', i.e. 'double bed' keke.
btw it's a 3 hour bus ride from hanoi so be prepared!
- bring charcoal pills
or whatever medication you think would be necessary if you have a weak stomach. i got food poisoning on day 1. my husband went, recovering from stomach flu, and we really tried to take 'clean' food, but still kena food poisoning.
- currency
bring USD. i think money changers here don't have vietnamese dong. SG1 = 10,000 dong. USD1= 15,300 dong. thereabouts. what we did was to pay in USD at bigger establishments (restaurants), get our change in dong, and then use the dong for shopping at smaller shops
- hoa sua cooking school
this is a really cool idea. it's a school for disadvantaged youth, and they're taught skills and they put their skills to use through the school. i think all the chefs and bakers and service staff have been trained at the school. the food is really good and the price is good too, for that kind of food.
you can also make donations to them. more info can be found on their website http://www.hoasuaschool.com/ tip: take down their address in vietnamese so that you can show it to the taxi driver (ask your hotel to help!).
- other activities
you can get your hair cut/washed at the neighbourhood shops. we had hairwashes at 50,000 for the both of us (SGD5). together, not each. we also had a food massage at USD5 each. i think we got screwed though, could have been cheaper but hey, good enough.
- transport
if you have no transport from the airport, write to your hotel. they prob can arrange a limo service for you. we paid USD20 for pick up from airport, and USD10 for hotel to airport.
there are motorcycle taxis that you can take but we were afraid haha. there's also the 'rickshaw' thingie, and the normal taxi. we didn't take any buses/trains.
i hope this helps!
hi stepford, i didn't go on a tour so my 'itineray' is a bit hazy. we just checked out the places we wanted to go through lonely planet online, and then decided the night before where we wanted to go.
day 1 was hoan kiem lake then get food poisoning then spend all day in hotel toilet (you may not want to follow this part). dinner at hoa sua school
day 2 was HCM masoleum, museum, one pillar pagoda, then shopping around hoan kiem district
day 3 and 4 were spent travelling to, from, and around halong bay.
we arrived in the evening, and left in the morning so technically we only had 4 whole days in hanoi.
day 1 was hoan kiem lake then get food poisoning then spend all day in hotel toilet (you may not want to follow this part). dinner at hoa sua school
day 2 was HCM masoleum, museum, one pillar pagoda, then shopping around hoan kiem district
day 3 and 4 were spent travelling to, from, and around halong bay.
we arrived in the evening, and left in the morning so technically we only had 4 whole days in hanoi.
sharon__joseph
New Member
anyone going hanoi 23 to 30 june??
clearwater14
New Member
Hi,
I will be gg on package tour to hanoi with my parents. would like to check how do i book for sapa? cos my agency will be charging $400 for sapa 3d2n. is it worth it? thks.
I will be gg on package tour to hanoi with my parents. would like to check how do i book for sapa? cos my agency will be charging $400 for sapa 3d2n. is it worth it? thks.
Hi clear water, here's a webby to let u know roughly the cost.
http://www.vietnamhighlight.com
I remembered paying ard US$20 per person for the Tulico train to Lao cai and then free transfer to Sapa. Hotel was also around US20 a nite
http://www.vietnamhighlight.com
I remembered paying ard US$20 per person for the Tulico train to Lao cai and then free transfer to Sapa. Hotel was also around US20 a nite
hihi, thinking of going hanoi after national day weekend... anyone flew by tiger airways? their flights a bit restricted, only departing on sun and returning on thurs.
has anyone stayed in the church hotel (link provided above)? it sounds like a boutique hotel but not sure whether price and quality is good value.
http://www.haivenu-vietnam.com/hotels-hanoi-church.htm
has anyone stayed in the church hotel (link provided above)? it sounds like a boutique hotel but not sure whether price and quality is good value.
http://www.haivenu-vietnam.com/hotels-hanoi-church.htm