Thai Airways

First time I’ve flown economy in a long time medium haul, and really it was quite good. The food was ok, there was only one choice for one of the meals and it was seafood, something I’ve only recently decided to start eating. So this could be a problem for people who don’t like seafood, although I didn’t ask to swap so I don’t know if that was an option. The staff were lovely, the plane clean, and given the number of children on board I was impressed how easy it was to sleep. We flew out around 2pm and arrived into Bangkok around 8pm. We then stayed the night at the Novotel Bangkok Airport, a lovely hotel very close to the Airport, it’s only a few years old, when it first opened the rates were very high so it was cheaper and smarter to head into the city, now they have brought the rates down and not lowered the quality I would really recommend it for anyone stuck in my situation - needing to catch an early flight the next morning. So after a few hours’ sleep we were back at the airport on the way to Hanoi. I am glad I had some breakfast at the hotel as the meal packs on the short haul Thai are the same irrespective of time of day and very basic.

On the way back it was a night flight, but after a week in Vietnam exploring and a bit of a rush around town on my last day for last minute shopping, then the flight from Ho Chi Minh to Bangkok I was happy to be on the flight, relaxing and luckily it wasn’t busy so I was able to sit in exit row (with spare seat next to me), and had a good sleep, direct to Melbourne, landing around lunchtime.

Hanoi

On arriving in Hanoi beware of the wall of heat, it hits you and the only time it will subside is when you spend a reasonable amount of time in a hotel or other touristy place with good air-conditioning. But you do adjust to it pretty quickly. Because of the heat I would now recommend 3 nights in Hanoi. Spend the morning exploring, enjoy one of the many restaurants for lunch and then head back to your hotel for a rest and depending on the hotel a drink by the pool (or swim in the pool). I would recommend a hotel with a pool, although ours didn’t have one and we survived, it would definitely break the heat and make the visit more enjoyable for you. Our first day we went to a lovely restaurant for lunch that is popular with locals and tourists alike, Ngon restaurant. The menu has a great variety so we ordered several different dishes and some beers and walked out very full having only spent about $15. The afternoon was spent cooling off before heading to Wild Rice restaurant for dinner, a bit more upmarket, but they have set menu/banquet style so you are able to again try a variety of dishes. This restaurant is much quieter, the service is great and the food delicious. Dish of choice so far is Grilled Chicken cooked with lemongrass.

Day two, our only full day in Hanoi, was a big day and the reason why I now suggest you have an extra day in Hanoi. We started with a light breakfast at the hotel before heading off for a Vietnamese breakfast of Pho (pronounced more like fur), then off through the markets to get the full experience of the spices, fruits and vegetables and somewhat unfortunately, meats. The fish and seafood is difficult to see and smell, although all fresh that can be what makes it more daunting. This is a market and street food tour, on foot, so you will have the opportunity to try different fruits and vegetables as well as some traditional dishes. None of this is for the weak stomached, and you need to have an appetite. We were already struggling with our lack of hunger so we passed up a few traditional options but were excited to try what they called smoothies. Which were bowls of a range of fresh fruits served with soft-serve ice-cream. You add ice to the bowl to make the fruit colder, it is delicious and having walked around the markets, in the heat, you are not only grateful for the break and shade but the cool freshness of the dish. Off we go again, with the craziness of Hanoi roads happening around us. And we eventually meet up with the bus before heading off to Koto restaurant. Did I mention our stomachs were already full? Now is not the time to be heading to this restaurant as you’ll want to make the most of it. A set menu with a range of options, I was really impressed with everything about this restaurant. And given the work that it is doing I think it should be a must for anyone visiting Hanoi. Koto literally means ‘know one, teach one’: http://www.koto.com.au/

Koto is across the road from the Temple of Literature, one of the oldest buildings/complexes in Hanoi it is not what you expect. It is not a temple as such rather a number of buildings/gardens created in the 11th century for the study of Confusius. An interesting place to walk through and gain an understanding of Vietnam’s history - before the history we seem to only know that started in the 1960’s. From here you head back onto the bus and around the corner before going to Ho Chi Minh (aka Uncle Ho) Mausoleum. He is fully embalmed and you can go inside to see him, but two months of the year it is closed for restoration and maintenance, our visit fell during this two months, but I didn’t mind not going inside as the queues are said to be very long as international and domestic tourists come for a look and to pay their respect to the man who is said to have saved Vietnam from the French colonisation. From the mausoleum you can head into the presidential grounds which are also the botanic gardens and see some of the belongings and homes of Uncle Ho.

Our tour then took us to the obligatory factory for the sale of traditional arts, this time it was lacquer. It was definitely interesting to see, however contrived (I have to apologise here, I have been to enough ‘factories’ to assume the worse). And the prices were reasonable given the amount of work involved in each piece. From here it was off to the puppet show, I appreciate the idea of seeing a cultural show from countries, but you have to wonder about countries who earn so much from their tourism if they are not forcing their cultural activities – making them more than they are. But it was all in Vietnamese, the instruments were interesting to see, and the show only goes for an hour, so I’d probably recommend it as long as you didn’t have high hopes.

Tomorrow we are off to Halong Bay for the famous junk boat cruises…. Or so we hope. I spent about half an hour googling the path of Typhoon Luis, and the more I looked the more hopeful became that everything was going to be ok… But it wasn’t to be. The risk not only to passengers but to the boats themselves is too high. They can’t risk it. So half way to Halong Bay we were advised we wouldn’t be getting on a junk they have been cancelled for two days. It’s one of those mixed feelings where you know it’s the right thing but you REALLY wanted to do it. So we turned back and headed to Hanoi for an extra night. After a big day the day before, and 4 hour return trip to end up in the same place, we were all looking to relax a little. A few of us headed up to the lake for lunch, to a restaurant called iFeel, it is on the 5th level overlooking the lake with air-conditioning and fans to keep you cool. During the day you wouldn’t sit outside but at night it would be lovely. The menu is a good mix of Vietnamese and western food, but as we found even though it’s on the menu it doesn’t mean it’s available. Between 12-5 they offer happy hour and this is a great option - about $5 will get you a nice meal and fresh juice.

Hanoi Hotels:

Silk Path Hotel – We stayed here, a lovely property, a 3.5-4* option, location is good, not right on the lake but there’s lots of shopping and restaurant options nearby and there’s always super cheap taxis if you want to avoid the heat. The one downfall is the lack of pool.

Hotel Metropole by Sofitel Legend - we had a couple of visits and would happily say this is the best hotel in Hanoi, it has undergone big refurbishments and has an amazing history which unravels as you read signs and see pictures on the walls of the corridors. There are two distinct hotel options within one, the old and the new. The old is filled with dark wood and an amazing mix of French and Vietnamese styles. The new, still keeps the old warm charm but is filled with straight lines and combinations of black and white. Rooms are spacious, and the pool area, although small, is not over run so a great relief to break the afternoon heat, as well as the frozen cocktails on the menu.

Hilton Hanoi Opera - just a visit, located right near the Sofitel it is a great location and the rooms are large as well. It is a 5* property and the marble throughout keeps it feeling clean. I did really like it but for me the Metropole was the winner.

May De Ville hotel - Our extra night was spent here, it is a new hotel, or an old one being majorly overhauled, and it is still being fixed. Because of the work they are doing I wouldn’t rate this hotel at the moment but the staff tried hard and were very apologetic and friendly and the location is fantastic. You are a block from the lake, and have many shops and restaurants within close walking distance.

Hoi An

We left Hanoi early, feeling a bit flat having not been to Halong Bay and a bit over the city. Little did we know what was in store for us at the other end of our 1.5hour flight. Vietnam Airlines is a great airline, thanks to Luis there was a bit of turbulence, and there is no meal offered or entertainment, so if travelling with children be prepared. Hanoi is in the process of building a new international airport so their old mixed one will become only domestic. It should be completed by the end of 2014. We flew to Danang, and for a minute or two it was cool, we then drove to Hoi An, half an hour from Danang one of the original trading ports of Vietnam. Situated between a river and the beach, with a bustling old town where no cars are permitted and only motorbikes for a few hours a day our spirits lifted upon arrival.

Spa treatment over it was off to A La Carte hotel Danang, read more about that below. Next day it was off to explore Hoi An, even though the sun was hot early in the day the walk from Alma Courtyard to the old town is easy and the lack of cars and motorbikes is refreshing after the city. We started our Hoi An experience with a visit to Lifestart foundation, a fantastic not for profit organisation that helps disadvantaged and disabled women earn a living. Our time with them included a painting class and lantern making class, both a lot of fun, and for me I really enjoyed the painting class and brought home a brush and ink to keep working on my skills (the photo shows mine and the artists versions). Lunch at Morning Glory restaurant, dinner at Mango Mango restaurant two of the best restaurants in Hoi An. The afternoon was spent, as long as we could handle in the heat, exploring Hoi An by foot. It’s a beautiful old town, and really lovely to walk around. And the shopping is pretty cool too, tailors and leather makers abound.

And then we left, off to Hue. With a couple of stops at some lovely hotels on the way back.

Hoi An Hotels:

Alma Courtyard – this beautiful hotel has only been open a month and not all rooms are open, but their welcome drink is fabulous (this’ll make sense if/when you see it), their staff friendly, the rooms big and automatically make you want to relax. You receive one spa treatment, or journey as they call them, per night, per person. So we quickly put our bags in our rooms and headed to the restaurant for a quick lunch before heading to the spa. The restaurant has a great menu, a mixture of Japanese (remembering the Japanese were some of the original settlers in this area), western (including Italian) and Vietnamese as well as a small tapas menu that you can enjoy at the bar or restaurant. Keeping in mind that the restaurant, and hotel, had just opened the staff were borderline over attentive. And the food did take a little longer than we hoped to come out, but that was only a worry because we had to get to our spa treatment. The food was delicious and the breakfast buffet extensive, and so fresh. The spa treatment was great and I made sure I went back the next day. What I appreciated was that the management were open to suggestions and feedback.

A La Carte Hotel Danang – a sister property to Alma Courtyard, and Fusion Maia (see below), it is a high rise apartment style property, across the road from the beach, with infinity roof top pool, DJ live nightly, and amazing menu. This seems popular by domestic and other tourists from the region, but for the price, I’d suggest anyone consider if it they wanted a relatively cost effective option, in a good location, especially families. As the name may suggest it is one of the new breed of hotels that comes with the minimum and all extras are additional cost. So wifi will cost, along with breakfast and other extras… But still adding these details the price is not bad, and the property is new and really funky. Even if you don’t want to stay here, I’d recommend a dinner at the rooftop restaurant, especially the ice-cream dessert made at the table served in an ice bowl (see photo).

Sunrise Resort – we just had a quick visit, but it is a lovely resort, unfortunately due to climate change the beach at the end of the property is not useable, but 100meters or so down the beach there is an area where you can swim. And really with beautiful pools like they have I’m not sure you will care so much about not going to the beach.

Fusion Maia – Look, Sunrise was lovely and all, but there is something about Fusion Maia. Maybe it’s because the colour scheme is my favourite but there’s something about this resort that I fell in love. 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments available at somewhat reasonable rates. Every adult receives two spa treatments per day. All have private plunge pools, the beach is beautiful and there are communal pools in case you want some extra space. The three bedrooms include three bathrooms, so are great for families, and friends alike. I can’t put my finger on what it is about this property, but it definitely had something to do with location, how modern it was, the amazing rooms and the food!

Hue

From Hoi An/Danang you can drive to Hue, the previous imperial capital of the country, a city without the craziness of other cities. It is about a 2 hour drive, we went over the pass to give us a view of the coast line in both direction, it also gives you an understanding of the landscape in which more than one war has been fought (the demilitarized zone is about 100km from Hue), there is a quicker tunnel option as well, but I’m glad we got to see the view… Our first night in Hue we visited a restaurant called Ancient Hue Restaurant. Built as a replica to old style houses of the wealthy the restaurant has a few different rooms and depending on whether you make a booking, and the weather depends on where you sit. You will never find this place if you are looking for it, but one thing Hue is known for is its food creations, the garnishes, of a dish that are spectacular. We watched as a carrot became a prawn, and we had a number of different animals on our dishes. The food was lovely, so I would really recommend a visit out here, not just for the food, but the history and the lush gardens. My only warning is that although inside it is air-conditioned, they are old traditional buildings, and overall it is warm with little air movement.

The next day we had our only full day in Hue and it was jam packed. We visited the imperial citadel which was really interesting, but its best to do it with a guide, there’s so much to learn about these buildings and there is limited signage to explain it. We then had a cyclo tour around the citadel, before getting back in the bus to head to the Pagoda, with monks still living onsite, there are a number of beautiful buildings and artefacts to look at. From here we headed to La Residence Hotel before heading off to two of the tombs of the Emperors. Again, best done with a guide, it is really hot, and there are about 150 stairs to walk up (not heaps, but in that heat they are draining), the other tomb doesn’t have stairs but is a massive property, but its more natural, the first being all concrete, so the heat isn’t as stifling. I would suggest you do them, but maybe split the tours we did over two days again, so you can do them in the morning when it’d be a bit cooler.

After a long day we were eager to kick back and cool down. We headed down the road, along the river to the DMZ bar well known for tourists the menu is a lot of western food and a little Vietnamese, and the music blaring downstairs is just what you’d expect at a tourist bar in Vietnam. After dinner we headed across the road to Century pub, an outdoor bar, recently opened, the music again is loud but is a mixture of current hits and Vietnamese pop songs. This place is crazy busy but they will do everything to fit you in, and different to the DMZ bar we are the only non-locals. I’d recommend both for the experience, but I certainly preferred the atmosphere of the Century.

Hue Hotels:

Muong Thanh Hotel – the location here is great, the rooms are reasonably sized, and the standard rooms come with a balcony, most with a view over the river and a bit of the city. The breakfast isn’t great, but I guess by this point we had been spoilt. It was big and clean and popular for both domestic and international tourists. I didn’t take to it like La Residence, but then you can’t really compare as this is only a 4* whereas the La Residence is a 5*. The pool was being renovated which was a big letdown as well. But for the location I would have no problem recommending it.

La Residence – what a beautiful property! Built by the French, it has so much character and great views over the perfume river. The rooms are large and a mixture of dark woods and modern conveniences and cultural art pieces. The pool is very inviting and the restaurant is large, and when we were there not very busy so the service was impeccable and the presentation of the food was photo worthy. And the food itself, almost too pretty too eat, but we succumbed and were very glad we did.

Ho Chi Minh City

And then it was off to our final city, Ho Chi Minh. The biggest and busiest city in Vietnam, formerly known as Saigon and for ease still referred to as that. We had an early flight but due to delays and just normal travel processing time we were behind schedule upon our arrival, so we were taken around Ho Chi Minh for an overview of the city, made a quick stop at The Grand Hotel for an inspection before heading to our hotel, The Rex Hotel. After a tour of the hotel we were off to Monsoon Restaurant, one of the best restaurants in Vietnam, it is not what you expect, and I still would like to know its story, the food was incredible. A bright, clean restaurant I could imagine it is a favourite for locals and expats in the city.

From here we were still playing catch up with time and were fighting against the large rain clouds rolling in. So we headed to the War Remnants Museum. I found this really interesting, as someone who was born just after the Vietnam War I don’t have a great understanding of all that happened, but over the years I’ve picked up bits of information. This museum gives a great snapshot of Vietnam’s point of view of the war. It also goes into details of Agent Orange and the struggles Vietnam has had recovering from the war. I learnt a lot but I also walked away wanting to understand the war from a different perspective, which I’ve now made a personal challenge. From here we headed down the road to the old presidential palace. Also known as the Reunification Palace many people will remember this building as the one whose main gates were bulldozed at the fall of Saigon and many of the occupants, government officials, fled by helicopter on the roof. The palace has an interesting history and was only 10 years old when Saigon fell and Hanoi became the capital again. A tour of this property continued to help my understanding of the complicated history of Vietnam and what has happened since the Vietnam War.

We just missed the rain. So it was back to our hotel for a quick change and then onto our next adventure, and my personal highlight of the whole trip. It was a Vespa street food tour. Very well put together you ride around to 5 different stops on individual Vespas, as pillion, and experience different traditional foods. We started at the hotel and were taken to the headquarters of the tour group Vietnam Vespa Adventures, while enjoying a cold beer and a quick snack they got our details and prepared us for our evening. It was back on the scooters heading towards the coast, our next stop was all about the seafood, prawns, mussels, crab and frog. They do make arrangements for those who don’t like seafood. I was open minded and ate everything, but couldn’t go beyond one bite of the frog. From here we headed back towards the city to a laneway where they serve Vietnamese pancakes. I enjoy how interactive food in Vietnam is, you get to get your hands dirty and pick and choose what you like, and these are the perfect example. From here we headed to a secluded bar, that you get to up some narrow winding steps, you would not have known it was there otherwise, it’s a low lit bar with a piano player and singer for entertainment. We are served a drink and dessert here. Then for a change of tempo we are off to our final stop – a very western bar. With the live band playing AC/DC and other loud music, this is the only part of the night I’d suggest some people reconsider going to. Not because it was bad, it just won’t suit everyone. We were taken back to our hotel after almost 5 hours, and we still didn’t want to say goodbye. It was such a fun experience to be a part of the craziness on the streets.

The next day we had an early start, but it was a slow, relaxed one. We headed to the river and onto a speedboat towards the Cu Chi tunnels. It’s about an hour and a half by boat and longer by car, especially in traffic. So this is a great way to get there, and you can always consider doing one way by boat, one way by car so you get both experiences. The Cu Chi tunnels were incredible, to understand the intelligence of the Vietnamese people during the war, who had so little, they were able to do a lot of damage, and find ways of surviving. Walking through this dense rainforest, in the heat, you can understand how hard it was for the allied troops, and then they had to face this type of psychological warfare. There is so much to learn and take in here, you also have the opportunity to go in a tunnel as well as shoot a rifle in the shooting range. I would highly recommend this experience, but remember to take plenty of water with you. They serve you a nice lunch by the water before you hop back on the boat and back to the city. Our afternoon was free, and so I spent a lot of researching my now deceased uncle’s role in the war. I was hoping to go down and visit the area where he would have been based the next day which is where the only memorial for Australian soldiers is, but my research led me to believe it was only a cross, and that you have to have special permits to be able to visit. I can understand the Vietnamese stance on not wanting memorials for a war they don’t agree with, but I can only imagine how hard it is for our servicemen to not have a place to come and properly honour their fallen comrades. As I said before there is still a lot for me to learn about this topic.

So having relaxed by the pool and been stuck in some rain, and learnt more about my uncle it was time to get ready for a lovely dinner at The Caravelle Hotel. It was probably our first real, non-junky western meal since we’d arrived, and I thoroughly enjoyed my lamb cutlets, the potato mash would have to be the best potato mash I have ever had. For those a bit younger or even just willing we went up to one of the two famous sky bars in the city, the view is incredible so it is definitely worth a visit, but the music is loud and the DJ repeats a lot of his mixes, this is the first time we paid Australian prices for cocktails, but even that didn’t matter as we hadn’t paid to get in and the experience was worth it.

The next day, our final day in Saigon and Vietnam was spent shopping, you really can find a number of brands for sale at discounted prices, you just don’t know if they are real or not. But for the price I was happy to give them a go. Although I’m not a big fan of ripoffs, there were a couple things I wanted to see if I’d use before I spent big bucks on getting the real thing. Part of our group got a number of clothes made, quite cheaply and well made, at local tailors. And we also got to visit the Majestic Hotel. And then it was up to the rooftop for a final local beer before hoping on the bus and off to the airport for our journey home.

Ho Chi Minh City Hotels

The Grand Hotel – A big hotel in the central part of the city, actually, all the hotels seem to be within a few blocks of each other. It is a popular hotel, used by a number of tour groups. The hotel and the rooms are an older, classical style.

The Rex Hotel – It is a bit of a confusing hotel, it takes a bit of time to get used to where you are going. There is the old building and the new building, all the rooms quality/décor are similar across the board, so the only difference I could figure out is the lift that you take. Our room, a lead-in category was very spacious, and it was the first hotel where the shower wasn’t over the bath. Which wasn’t a problem for me at my height but I can imagine could be a struggle for older or shorter people to get in and out. It has two pools and two bars, I felt the service left a little to be desired but otherwise I was impressed with the offerings at mealtimes. This hotel, along with the Caravelle have a great history from the war where journalists would meet at the end of the day and share stories. Across the road is a beautiful old building, I enjoyed seeing it everyday even though I never figured out what it was. They are building a subway station next door, you can’t hear anything from the construction, but it can make it difficult for you to find the entrance to your hotel…

The Caravelle hotel – The hotel is undergoing a big overhaul, and it will take time, the old rooms are nice enough but in need of a touch up, we were lucky enough to see one of the concept rooms, and these are a fantastic mix of modern colours and styles with some of the old classic features of the building. The foyer is currently being renovated, which does make your entrance not as exciting as it could be, but if you could look past that then I think whether you are in an old room or a new room you will not be disappointed by this hotel. They are shutting down two floors at a time so there is no construction noise heard by guests either.

The Majestic Hotel – it was only a quick visit, but this regal hotel, located on the water really keeps to its name, the rooms are quite small compared to the others in Saigon, but all offer a balcony out to the courtyard/pool area. The décor is simple and keeps in theme with the style of the hotel and the lobby. I guess you can say I wasn’t wowed by the hotel but I also wasn’t disappointed.

I’m so glad I did this trip, it is a beautiful country and not too touristy, so definitely worth a visit now, before it goes the wrong way. I learnt a lot, and still have more to learn. I think I will be back, even if it’s just to visit Sapa, Halong Bay and maybe a week on the beach at the Fusion Maia - and of course to enjoy more of the amazing Vietnamese cuisine. I travelled as a guest of Exotissimo Travel, Thai Airways and the hotels and tour groups.

Visiting Vietnam