Before even arriving in Western Australia, we had decided that we would have to make the most of this opportunity of living so close to South East Asia to travel this region. We quickly racked up a long list of places that we wanted to visit. Visiting all of them in one go would probably require several months, or probably years if you wanted to do it properly, so we had to pick one (or maybe two) countries to visit at a time. After a quick look at flight options, we decided that this holiday would be all about Vietnam. We started planning this holiday the same way all our holidays seem to be planned - by looking through the DK book on Vietnam. The problem though was that this DK book didn't cover only Vietnam, it also included Angkor Wat in Cambodia. This ended up whetting our appetite to include Angkor Wat in this trip.
We also knew that there were a number of must see places in Vietnam that we wanted to see. Cruising around Halong Bay in amongst limestone rocks, hiking in Sapa through the rice feeds, the history and culture of Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An, the cosmopolitan and buzzing capital Ho Chi Minh City, and the Mekong Delta. And all of this in two weeks...
We looked at it a hundred different ways, but ultimately realised that there was no way we would be able to fit all of these places into such a short time without it feeling like a crazy rush. So we ended up settling on two weeks focused on the northern parts of Vietnam. Our trip included Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa and Hoi An. This is the first of (probably) five blogs covering this trip and we hope you enjoy it! - excluding Marph's blog post, which is a bit of a spoiler alert type blog :)
My first trip to Vietnam was in 2012 and was for work. Although it included both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, because of the full itinerary of that trip there wasn't any time for site seeing. Visiting Hanoi again now therefore definitely felt like it was my first time visiting this city. And for Bronwen this was her first time in Vietnam.
The tourist parts of Hanoi are centered around three districts. The Old Quarter, the French Quarter, and Ba Dinh District. These three districts cover an area of about 3km by 3km, and with good walking shoes and a suitable amount of fitness, can be largely covered by foot.
Most tourists end up staying in the Old Quarter, and this is also where we were based. Our hotel was just two blocks from Hoan Kiem Lake. Hoan Kiem Lake always seems to be a buzz of activity, from early morning yoga to games of foot badminton, from cafes selling iced coffee to hawkers selling ice cream. The best part is that the roads around the lake are closed to traffic on the weekends and pedestrians, cyclists and skateboarders have free reign.
Thap Rua / Turtle Tower is located on an island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake.
The Huc / Sunbeam Bridge to access Den Ngoc Son at the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake
View towards Den Ngoc Son / Jade Mountain Temple
Bronwen making friends with a group of local school kids that were looking to test their English, Hoan Kiem Lake
Shrubs shaped like deer,
Hoan Kiem Lake
After spending some time soaking up the atmosphere at Hoan Kiem Lake, we headed down towards the Ba Dinh District. First stop, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu). Established in 1070, this is the oldest and one of the finest architectural complexes in Hanoi. It was founded in honor of the Chinese philosopher Confucius and served as a center for higher learning for more than seven centuries.
Entrance gate to Van Mieu / Temple of Literature, above,
and various photos around the temple, below.
After exploring the Temple of Literature, we headed to the Ba Dinh District to see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, and the Presidential Palace. All of these attractions are within a short walking distance of each other.
Our first stop was the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Because we were there on Vietnam National Day (2nd September) there was a bit more activity than would normally be the case. Vietnam National Day marks the day that Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This was on September 2nd 1945 after World War II.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Even though it was hot outside and the air-conditioned museum seemed appealing, we decided to carry on without going in. Another time maybe.
Ho Chi Minh Museum
National Assembly - across the road from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Home of the highest government organisation in Vietnam. The National Assembly has the power to draw up, adopt and amend the constitution.
The Chua Mot Cot / One Pillar Pagoda. Constructed in 1049
The Presidential Palace, above,
and one of the buildings located in the gardens, below
Apparently Ho Chi Minh considered the Presidential Palace to be too grand, and so had a stilt house built in the gardens. A small place with only two rooms upstairs and an open dining / working area downstairs, this house seems like a great place to relax after dealing with all the presidential issues of the day. It also looks out on to a small lake, which adds to the feeling of serenity. No sign of a kitchen though. Perhaps his meals were still cooked in the Palace and delivered to him? Doesn't sound half bad.
Ho Chi Minh's stilt house
Even though the sign says 'not stop on bridge', we didn't actually see anybody that didn't stop on the bridge. I wonder what the Vietnamese version says?
After exploring what felt like all things Ho Chi Minh, we headed a little further north to Tay Ho Lake. The main attraction here being Tran Quoc Pagoda. This Buddhist shrine dates back to the 6th century. It is a beautiful pagoda and definitely worth visiting if you find yourself venturing this far out of the old quarter.
15m high main pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda
After visiting Tran Quoc Pagoda, and because Google Maps was now saying that we were 3 to 4 km from our accommodation, we decided to catch a taxi back to the hotel. We had been told that we should negotiate a fee before getting into a taxi. I had thought that perhaps this was to prevent the taxi driver from coming up with a ludicrous fee when he delivered you to your destination. I never imagined it was because the meter on the taxi is rigged. Anyway, we found a taxi and the driver convinced us that there was no negotiating a fee as he had a meter in his taxi. This all seemed legit and so we got into the taxi. It didn't take long for us to realise that this way of travelling was going to bankrupt us. Having gotten only half way to our hotel we told the driver to stop and let us out. This trip of less than 2 km had cost us about 3 times what the hotel staff had told us the whole trip should cost. The lesson learnt: always negotiate up front. And if the driver doesn't want to negotiate, find another taxi. We also realised after this that the taxi drivers have multiple settings on their meters. If you negotiate up front, the meter is set to tick over very slowly. If not, expect to see the meter run like an open tap. For some advice about what you should be paying for a taxi, see the end of this blog post.
A large urn with burning incense at one of the temples we visited
Hanoi street scenes above and below, Old Quarter
Lanterns hanging outside a temple
Before arriving in Hanoi we had read about the Water Puppet Theater, and that this is something all visitors to Hanoi should experience. I was sceptical. A puppet show. Really? I was imagining something like a Punch and Judy show, just in a different language. But it was nothing like that. It is called a water theater because the puppeteers stand in a water filled tank behind a screen. The puppets are in front of the screen and manipulated using long rods, which you don't see because they are under water. The puppets that came out included people, ducks, dragons, and even a water buffalo riding child all telling a story. The show was accompanied by a live music performance, and a number of special effects, like fire-breathing dragons. It was great! And for just $7, or thereabouts, definitely worth it.
Thang Long Water Puppet Theater - apparently considered one of the best, or even the best, in Vietnam. Located at the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake.
More incense being burned at another temple
Hanging plants inside one of the temple grounds
Hanoi is not just temples and buildings honoring Ho Chi Minh. In the Old Quarter almost every street is named after the good or services that you can find in that street. Hang Gai (Silk Street) is where you head if you are looking for silk merchandise. Hang Bac (Silver Street) caught Bronwen's eye before we even arrived. For me it was Ta Hien (Beer Street) that I was keen to explore.
The view down Ta Hien
Ta Hien basically consists of lots of little street cafes, each vying for your business. We decided to sit at the street cafe where we felt the least harassed. We pulled up a small plastic chair, ordered a few drinks and snacks, and soaked up the atmosphere.
The view up and down Ta Hien from our street cafe stop, above and below
We had been sitting at the street cafe for about half an hour when there was suddenly quite a commotion from around the corner. The police had arrived. Apparently having plastic stools in your cafe or on the kerb in front of your cafe is fine, but having stools on the road outside your cafe is not. What happened then was a mad scramble to try and get patrons off their stools and the patrons and stools off the road. For those that were too slow, the stool became property of the police. The excitement lasted about 5 minutes, and about 15 minutes later everything was back to normal, including stools in the street.
Above: Immediately after the police had come through
Enjoying pho (noodle soup) at a street cafe
Iced coffee. One of the more popular ways to have your coffee in Hanoi
Street vendor
And doing business on the side walk
Hmmmm. Maybe we will try the next street cafe...
Some time lapse photography to give you an idea what traffic in Hanoi is like
And lastly there is the French Quarter. There are three good reasons to visit this part of Hanoi:
- The Vietnamese Women's Museum;
- Hoa Lo Prison Museum; and
- Bakeries inspired by the French
The Vietnamese Women's Museum provides an interesting insight into the role women have played, and continue to play, in Vietnamese society. The one thing that everybody seems to agree on, including the Vietnamese men, is that the women work far harder than the men. There was also an exhibition by the photographer Rehahn. Originally from France, and now living in Hoi An, Rehahn is currently working on a project to showcase the various ethnic groups from around Vietnam. The exhibition at the Women's museum focused on women's portraiture. In Hoi An we also got to see some of his other works. A talented photographer doing a great job to capture the spirit of Vietnam. Find him on Google and have a look at some of his works.
Hoa Lo Prison Museum is what remains of this once major prison. The buildings are filled with interesting memorabilia and stories about when this still operated as a prison. A clear message that the prison tries to portray is how badly the Vietnamese were treated by the French during French occupation, but how well the Americans were treated during the Vietnam War (which the Vietnamese actually call the American War). Since history is written by the victor, it is difficult to know exactly how accurate these portrayals are, but an interesting visit non the less.
And finally the french style bakeries. Our absolute favourite was Madame Huong. This bakery is just around the corner from the Women's Museum, and is a great place to have a coffee and a pastry (or 5). Just try it. You won't be sorry.
We loved our time in Hanoi. It was a great place to be based whilst we explored northern Vietnam. We spent a few days here between trips to Perfume Pagoda (day trip) Halong Bay (2 nights), Sapa (2 nights) and Hoi An (3 nights). Each time we were in Hanoi we stayed at the same hotel (Aquarius). We don't normally mention the hotels we stay at, but the staff were so friendly and helpful that we just want to give a shout out to them.
Finally, as promised, some advice on what is probably a fair price for a taxi:
- Airport to Old Quarter: 300,000 to 400,000 dong
- Train Station to Old Quarter: 50,000 to 100,000 dong (depending on where in the OQ)
- Or around 20,000 dong per kilometer
Next up: Perfume Pagoda
