Tag: vietnam

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam: where dragons came to rest… A good place to get lost and chillax…

A short 2 hours drive from Hanoi you can reach 1 of the 8 World Heritage sites Vietnam has to offer and is called Ha Long Bay (HaLong means descending dragon), the bay features thousands of karsts and islet in various shapes and sizes. It is part of a larger zone that includes Bai Tu Long bay and Cat Ba Island, this zone include the same geography and climate to Ha Long Bay.

Traveling through this water and just looking at nature is overwhelming, such impressive beauty you get the real feeling of being lost in the middle of the earth

We were on a tight schedule, so we decided to do a 1 night cruise and experience some of the highlights of the zone; you can also do 2 nights and get deeper into the bay and explore other places if you have the time and money to do it. After our experience I would say that the 1 day cruise is enough to appreciate Ha Long bay beauty and have a memorable experience in one of the many cruises they offer but, you will not be able to go far and see some other beautiful sights Ha Long bay offers.

Great road from Hanoi, you can get some rest or have a local delicacy in one of the stops… Once you arrive the pier you can relax before the boat to your cruise…

If you are taking a cruise most probably you will arrive in Tuan Chau port, we saw many companies that have their office for Check In to the Cruise here; different to other places that you get in the boat direct from the pier here they take you on a small ferry to the cruise and do the boarding along the bay. They do this to make sure you start deep into the bay and maximize your time there; logistics would not work if you take the boat from land. It is important to understand that if you are going from Hanoi it will be 3 to 4 hour trip to get into the cruise (Road + Ferry); is a lot of time but the next 24 hours are packed with great things to experience.

Boats are similar in size, important to check amenities and reviews from other fellow travelers

There are many choices of cruises for Ha Long Bay, most of them have similar schedules and amenities. As you do research you will find different levels to choose from, of course at the end will be based on the budget and the amenities you want; my recommendation is that you book direct with the company you want to use and ask for the latest photos and brochures before you make the decision. We decided for Mon Cheri Cruises and what a great choice it was; the boat was a classic one very well kept with great rooms (Ours had huge windows looking to the Bay and a big balcony), Food and Drinks were great, Activities and organization on point, and the crew were very professional and helpful.

Our room balcony was great to enjoy the awesome view, dining in the small restaurant meant to be cozy with a close experience with other passengers

The 1 night schedule is packed with activities but we did not fill rushed, it was laid out in a way that there was time to enjoy the boat and the beauty of Ha Long Bay. After you get on board, there is the final check in and a buffet lunch before the cruise start moving across Lan Ha Bay where you start enjoying breathtaking scenery. Here you can do a little bit of Kayaking or just enjoy from the top of the cruise (cocktail in hand), use the pool while surrounded from mountains coming out of the water. Being there you start to understand the legend about a mother dragon and her children who spat jewels and jade, which turned into islands and islets and created a firm wall intercepting the invaders. Later, the dragon family decided to stay here; and the name “Hạ Long” was born.

In the afternoon they offered a cooking demonstration at the top of the boat, with a happy hour where you could enjoy a couple of drinks and just admire the sunset in the Gulf of Tonkin. Before going to dinner you have time to enjoy your balcony in the room, it was a great opportunity for me to realize how blessed I am on enjoying this destinations and also get to know cultures little known to me. Dinner was held at the main dining room, very good food and the right amount leaving enough space to catch a nightcap in the bar and also try your luck in squid fishing (not that lucky in our case).

We met some great people, fellow travelers and also some local people that made the experience better

Next morning was an early breakfast before going in a boat for 30 minutes to visit Trung Trang, one of the most impressive caves in Cat Ba island, Vietnam. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, this place was amazing and very different from other caves I have seen. After this visit you go back to the boat and prepare for the check out and one last lunch before going back to the Port and back to Hanoi.

All the boats light at night, you can hear some music and fun!!!

It was a packed 24 hours but the sights will be remembered forever, this place has a unique charm very difficult to find anywhere else. Is important that you find a good cruise because it also adds to the experience in particular good rooms with a view, less rooms making it more cozy and with enough reviews that you feel comfortable with the decision you are making. This stop in our trip was truly memorable.

Truly memorable sights…

Still one post to go on Vietnam, where I share a little bit on Ho Chi Minh city (Previously Saigon). Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Hanoi: Vietnam capital delivers great energy from their people, alongside some impressive sights and food…

Southeast Asia has many great countries to visit and explore; Vietnam is clearly atop of the list offering tons of history, great sights, energetic people, and delicious food that will satisfy all travelers. To fully explore Vietnam you will need a good 3-4 weeks, since the country offers many things from north to south. From my research the best way to plan is to divide Vietnam in 3 parts and plan around this: North (Hanoi), Central (Da Nang), South (Ho Chi Minh). For us we only had one week and needed to make choices of the places to see.

Active train line, with cafes and shops alongside

I am starting where we first landed in our Vietnam journey and is Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam located in the north part of the country. Hanoi is the second biggest city in Vietnam with more than 8 million people living in and around the city, one of the first things I want to highlight is how welcoming the people were during our stay; everywhere we went people were happy to greet you and have a few words with you making the trip even more enjoyable.

It was great meeting many people in our trip

Hanoi is divided into districts and this important to understand before you select where you want to stay; some of the famous areas of Hanoi include the french quarter, old quarter, Tay Ho, Ba Dinh. Every area has pros and cons, we decided to stay in the Old Quarter and was a great decisions based on location and how we were able to move easy my walking or taxi. The hotel we stayed was La Sinfonia Citadel hotel and spa, it is located at the Old Quarter very close from many attractions. Not only the location was good but the employees were phenomenal, did an awesome job in making us very welcomed. I would recommend the hotel and go back if planning to go again.

We stayed 3 nights in Hanoi with lots of activities to see and food to taste, you could tell that 3 days is not that much but the way we structured the calendar was enough to enjoy the highlights and also experience some great food. When on leisure travel I like to blend guided visits with locals and some alone time to get “lost” in the city in this way you have free time to spend as you like giving the opportunity to find your own highlights.

In our guided tour in Hanoi, we got the opportunity to learn more about Vietnam and Hanoi history; I was impressed with how much heavy stuff the people have faced, but most important how they used past experience and look into working to build a better country for them and the next generations present and future; also interesting to see how Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism beliefs play an important part in the everyday life of the people.

Den THuy Trung Temple Bridge

Hanoi is an easy city to explore, here you can fins some of the most go places to go in Hanoi and learn more about the history of the city.

1. Temple Literature: 1,000 year old Confucian Temple and the first university in Vietnam

2. Tran Quoc Pagoda & One Pillar Pagoda: Buddhist Temples where you can see locals expressing their beliefs

3. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: Resting Place of Ho Chi Minh, 1,000’s of people visit every day to pay respect, also they have a museum

4. Hoa Lo Prison: Also known as the Hanoi Hilton, it served as prison during the multiple conflicts in Vietnam a. US Senator John McCain was prisoner here during Vietnam war

5. Thang Long Water Puppet Show: Vietnamese tradition, originated in the Red River Delta. Cool to see the live show at the theater

6. Walk around French and Old Quarter: Set time to get “lost” in the city and find unique sights and stories like Ngoc Son Temple or B52 remains in a small pond in the middle of the city

Hanoi traffic is impressive, mainly because the number of motorbikes is crazy. Vietnam is one of the countries with highest penetration of motorbikes in the world (65 million registered for 100 million population), you need to be careful when walking and crossing the street since they are coming from every place like mosquitoes. You can do lots of walking in the city and mixed with Grab (moto or car) getting across is very easy.

Vietnamese food is very tasty and fresh, is crazy the amount of noodles the people eat here in Vietnam but also they have other dishes that take advantage of the great local produce, fish and meats. I do strongly recommend you do a Food Tour at night where you will be able to have some great foodie experience with of course local beer. Here some of the things you most try in Vietnam and specially in Hanoi.

  1. Pho:  Probably the most well known Vietnamese dish consisting of Broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat (Ususally Chicken or Beef). This one is a must and not to be missed.
  2. Ca Phe Trung or Egg Coffe: Its main ingredients are egg yolk, coffee, and condensed milk. Vietnam is the second biggest export country for coofee, and their coofee is really top quality. Egg coffee is served in cafes all over Hanoi, cold or hot.
  3. Banh Xeo – Vietnamese Crepe: Is made out of flour and turmeric while it is filled with pork, bean sprouts, and shrimp. This savory dish is a very popular street food in Vietnam.
  4. Bun Cha – Grilled Pork and Noodles: Consists of a soup bowl of diluted fish sauce that is filled with grilled pork, meat balls, rice noodles and fresh herbs. Let me tell you fish sauce here is the king of ingredients.
  5. Bahn Mi – Baguette with pate: Bread in Vietnam is delicious, they really know how to do it, some people say is the best place to find bread in Southeast Asia. A combination of meat, coriander, cucumber, pickeled carrots, mayonnaise and pate all inside a baguette make a great combination.

This was our first stop in Vietnam, and let me tell you that Hanoi was a great introduction to an awesome country that has learned from the past and are focused to shine in the world defined by great people; when you add the incredible sights and their awesome food it is a must go place that you need to include on your travel plans.

Be ready to enjoy the rest of Vietnam posts in the near future. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….