Vietnam The Hidden Charm 3, Halong City

The last sequel from our Vietnam journey is Halong city, where we can go to Halong Bay.
We took public bus from Hanoi, cost us for only 40,000 Vietnam Dong. You can actually join the tour package to Halong Bay from Hanoi. Since we wanted to experience the public bus, we decided to go by ourselves.



This was the bus we took


Hanoi to Halong city by bus took us 4 hours. A long way to Halong city, we passed a small town, not sure what's the name, with people dried the incenses in from of their houses. They had pink and yellow color incenses. And we also passed a complex where people dried the Vietnam spring roll skin. The journey with public bus was interesting. We didn't experience what people used to say "Vietnamese vomit in the bus" -no, totally nothing like this. The only strange thing we met only toilet without chamber/private room. So when we stop by at a small rest area, we found the toilet, it was a big room, approx 8x8 square meter, with several squat WCs side by side and not separated by window. So when one took a pee the, she could chat with the other who squatted beside her.

This was the rest area where the public toilet without room/chamber was



Halong city is a small and quiet town. Hostel is so cheap, but be careful, you have to check the room condition before you bargain. Yes, you cab bargain the price. We got USD8 per night for double room, hot water, blanket, private bathroom.


Another thing should be aware is, be careful to tour operator look alike who offers you the package to Halong Bay. A guy we found in a hotel offered us USD 50 per pax for 8 hours Halong bay tour including lunch, hotel pick up and transfer back to Hanoi. We found it too expensive and we started to bargain. We knew that tour operator in Hanoi offered USD 25 per pax for one day tour. But the guy said USD 25 was only for 4 hour which we couldn't see much. We asked for 6hours tour the, He said the price was the same, USD 50 per pax. So we decided to get 8hours then.

Our boat was unexpectedly looked weak. Thanked God we didn't get sunk. There were 11 persons including us. 2 Indonesians, 3 Frenches, 1 Japanese, 1 Greece, 1 Swedish, 1 Italian and 2 English. All of us were disappointed with the boat, but we couldn't do anything. The boat operator didn't understand what we complained about. So we just sat down and enjoyed the view of Halong Bay.


Our boat

We started to get bored after 4 hours. The Frenches even got out from the boat and joined the other boat to go back to Halong City. 6 of us left and continued the trip. We still had another 4 hours to go. And,,,,,, finally, after total 6 hours trip, the boat surprisingly stopped at Halong City again. We complained to the boat operator, telling him that we should have 8 hours in total. But he didn't understand what we said. Crap!!! We went back to the hotel and waited for the transfer to Hanoi.

So, things to do in Halong :

1. Don't trust the any guy telling you that 8hours Halong Bay trip is more excited than 4hours or 6hours. There are only 4 and 6 hours

2. Halong Bay is so amazing, but when you remember USD 50 per pax for 6hours trip by crap boat, simple lunch and no English speaking boat operator, it's totally crap
The boat was even not completed with the safety equipment like life vest. Once again, thank God nothing happened to us. I heard about the sunk boat in Halong Bay and around 17 people died, on February 2011, few weeks after our Halong Bay trip.

3. It's better to join the tour from Hanoi, the trusted tour operator is Sinh Tour (be careful, many fake sinh tours in Hanoi). With USD 50 per pax, I think you get a luxurious boat

4. Always bargain for what ever you buy



Herewith some pics to enjoy

Vietnam The Hidden Charm 2, Hanoi

I personally like Hanoi more that HCMC since it is cold there. You'll need jacket and gloves. I was not sure what was the temperature on Jan 2011, but it made me buying new shawl for sure.

Hanoi looked older than HCMC. Many temples were shown here. As for food, you can find a lot of noodle soup called pho. It tastes sooo good. Cold weather and hot soup is a good combination.

Fun fact about Hanoi:

1. Traffic is similar to HCMC, some were crazier. We saw a truck, ran with only right side wheels when we were on the public bus, not far away from Hanoi bus terminal

2. Hostel is also cheap, but no breakfast, no heater...yes..you'll need room heater when you are in Hanoi. We stayed in Hoan Kiem Lake area, Especen hostel for USD 19 per night, double room, private bathroom. Don't worry with the breakfast. Just few meters walk from Especen hostel, there is a good noodle soup shop. 30K Vietnam Dong for a bowl of beef noodle soup.

3. Mineral water is more expensive compare to HCMC. It costed us 8K-10K Vietnam Dong for 1.5 Litre mineral water while in HCMC you can find for only 5K Vietnam Dong for the same brand and size


Here are some pictures we took in Hanoi



The garden





The traffic




The food seller




Hoan Kiem Lake at night with the glowing temple. I can't remember what's he temple's name.


The public toilet




Another temples






Another fun fact, a lot of couples did their wedding photo shoots around Hoan Kiem Lake, we met 5 couples. I could imagine how the torture, the brides kept smiling with the gown while the weather were sooo cold.



To the happy couples, congratulation!!!

Vietnam The Hidden Charm 1, Ho Chi Minh City

I had been dreaming to visit Vietnam for long and Air Asia made my dream came true. We got sale ticket, Jakarta-Ho Chi Minh City for only USD 156 return for 2 persons. Let's pack and go. We had one week in Vietnam, would be too long if only spent it in HCMC, that's why we bought HCMC-Hanoi ticket too. We took Jetstar since it was the cheapest one, compared to Vietnam Airlines. Took us USD 200 return for 2 persons.

HCMC is more less similar to Jakarta. The temperature, traffic, erghhh....OK, Jakarta has more skyscrapers but as for the residents area, traditional trading area aka wet markets, all is almost the same.

Some facts that I found in HCMC:
1. Just ignore the traffic if you want to cross the street successfully. Go straight and don't stop, the bikers and riders will adjust their direction when you cross the street. If you look at the right and left side, you won't be able to cross the street. I've tried it LOL

2. Do bargaining even though they put some fix price labels. Indonesian is good in bargaining. I even bargained when I would like buy the fake Lonely Planet books although at last, I didn't buy it. Not because it was expensive, but deep in my heart, it told me that piracy was a criminal thing hahahahaha.....

3. I like Vietnamese food, you name it, I like it. Ok, out of the pork and lard and other extreme food.

4. Hostels are cheap and clean. We stayed in Pham Ngu Lao district, the backpacker's area. Ngoc Minh hostel. Took us USD 20 per night for double room, private bath room, including breakfast

5. Get your money exchanged in downtown or hostel. The rate is higher than at the airport

I'm not good in writing, so just check out some pics I took in HCMC






The breakfast we got from the hostel




The night traffic



We tried Indian food in Pham Ngu Lao. Why Indian, because it was the only open restaurant. The rest were bars and bars. Good food anyway




This one is Vietnamese, yummo




The Cathedral



Creatively customized motor bike




I can't remember what this building's called


Hanoi will be written in next page, so enjoy HCMC....