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Monday 29 May 2017

Hanoi Itinerary: 5 Days 4 Nights in a Nutshell

This post pretty much sums up our 5 Days 4 Nights trip to Hanoi, which can be considered as our first impromptu but not so impromptu trip? Hahaha! Since we made such an impromptu decision to go to Hanoi and instantly booked our flight tickets on New Year's Eve 2016 for a trip that will only happen in May 2017. At that point of time, we didn’t really give much thought to it and that's how we ended up going to Hanoi instead of going to the more popular Ho Chi Minh.


As much as it is, this trip is 100% NO REGRETS!

The only regret was probably the fact that it was too short of a trip for us to visit both Halong Bay & Sapa. Given the choice, I would definitely choose to go Hanoi again.

Reasons?

1. I really want to visit Sapa during the season(s) where there are green/yellow paddy fields.

2. The food is so cheap and good; All the Pho, Vietnamese Pancakes and Spring Rolls are all so yum!

3. The massages and mani-pedi services are way too awesome.

Okay, I think the last 2 reasons are enough to get me wanting to go back again.

As this is our first time going to Vietnam, I did extensive research on Hanoi and Halong Bay, and read up on a lot on the travel tips for travelling in Vietnam. Although TripAdvisor was super helpful, it also gave me a hard time when it comes to deciding on a hotel to stay, which cruise to go with, etc. Luckily, there’s boyfriend to help me in making a decision. Hahaha.

In a nutshell, Hanoi was really great and Halong Bay was even more than amazing - I felt like I was in a different universe.

Anyway, here's my very own top 3 travel tips while in Hanoi:-

1. Rent a wifi router from Changi Recommends – It is cheaper and more convenient than renting from other companies or than getting a SIM Card (unless you are going to make local calls frequently). Plus, there is unlimited data usage and is able to connect up to 6 devices simultaneously.

2. Arrange for hotel transfer upon arrival & departure – Their service is superb and it gives you a peace of mind knowing that the meter fares will not jump crazily fast since it is a fixed rate gien by the hotel. Otherwise...

3. Uber – Ubering in Hanoi is very affordable and that became the easiest way for us to get around. The only down side is that some/most of the drivers (local people) do not speak/understand English, so there might be a language barrier. 

And I shall end this post with a consolidation of all the great places we’ve been to in Hanoi:-

 Accommodation / Cruise: 

MK Premier Boutique Hotel
72 – 74 Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone: +84 43 266 8896

Oriental Central Hotel
No 39 Hang Bac Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone: +84 24 3935 1117

 Food: 

New Day Restaurant
72 Ma May, Hang Buom, Hanoi, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 10AM – 10PM (Mon - Sun)
Telephone: +84 4 3828 0315

Ngon Villa Restaurant
No 10, Tong Duy Tan Str, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 11AM – 1PM (Mon - Sun) ; 6PM – 9PM (Mon - Sun)
Telephone: +84 24 3221 2222

Orchid Restaurant & Cooking Class
25 Hang Bac Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone: + 84 4 3828 4864

 Halong Bay Tour: 

Oriental Sails Cruise 
(Hanoi Office)
8th Floor, No. 77 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Dien Bien Quarter, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi City, Vietnam
Telephone: + 84 24 3926 4009

(Halong Office)
The OS Lounge, Hồng Gai Wharf, No. 6A Lê Thánh Tông Street, Hòn Gai, Quang Ninh
Telephone: + 84 3 3381 9233

(Saigon Office)
113C Bui Vien, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Telephone: + 84 8 6275 7087

 Sightseeing: 

Confucius Temple of Literature
58 Quoc Tu Giam, Van Mieu, Dong Da, Hanoi
Opening Hours: 8:30AM – 11:30AM (Tues – Sun) ; 1:30PM – 4:30PM (Tues - Sun)
Entrance Fee: VND 10,000 / person

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
9 Hoang Dieu, Dien Bien, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Opening Hours: 8AM – 5PM (Tues - Sun)
Entrance Fee: VND 30,000 / person

Thien Canh Son Cave
Halong, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam

Vung Vieng Fishing Village
Halong, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam

For Hanoi Day 1 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 2 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 3 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 4 & 5 itinerary, click here.
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Friday 26 May 2017

(Hanoi) Day 4 & 5: Thien Canh Son Cave, Oriental Central Hotel, Orchid Cooking Class & Restaurant, Hanoi Night Market

I love waking up to a beautiful scenic view (who doesn't). We took our time to get ready for breakfast because we were mainly immersing ourselves in the view outside, and missed the 6:30am Taichi Session that took place at the sundeck. But it is all worth it for the view, plus at least we didn't miss our breakfast.


The first stop for the day was the Thien Canh Son Cave, which sits at a small island. We arrived by a Tender and were welcomed by the semi-white beach with a row of kayaking boats lay baking in the sun. There were a few groups of people, but mostly leaving the island when we just set foot on the island.


We made our way up the pathway which leads to the entrance of the cave that is set on the stone cliff. And boy, I must say that the entrance is well hidden behind and under some rocks, trees and vines. If we had come alone without any prior research done or with someone who knows about this place, I am pretty sure we would just think that it was a hole in the ground and missed it.

The man is standing at the entrance of the cave.

Jacky told us all about the history of the cave. Apparently, the columns we see inside the cave takes thousands of years to join and form. And in the effort to protect and conserve these caves, the government now own this cave and island (I think?) and banned all cave dining. I was actually looking forward to experiencing cave dining because it is so romantic! But that is okay because I still get to be in this cave in person.



Didn't manage to take any nice shots while we were in the cave (as you can see above) due to the low light and the fact that I did not bring my tripod down with me. Sad. But we did manage to take a few photos before the crowd came at the other cave opening where we get to see Bai Tu Long Bay in a different perspective.



We left the cave for the beach right before the crowd started flowing in. Although the Thien Canh Son Cave is said to be a less visited cave in the area, but it still seems fairly crowded to me and the crowd gets larger into the day. So I am glad we were there pretty early because we avoid the "peak" time. Also, if this cave is considered to be less visited, my guess is that the other cave (called "Sung Sot Cave") is/would be a lot more crowded.


Manage to snap some photos of the landscape from the beach before boarding our Tender to head back to our cruise. Everyone was washing their feet and shoes with clear water from the sea to get rid of the sand that was collected while strolling on the beach.


GOODBYE, CAVE!

This is pretty much the last place to visit for our Halong Bay trip and it has been great. Really thankful for the good weather as well. I guess it was a wise choice that the government has decided to protect and preserve this entire area.


We managed to wash up a little before packing and checking-out from our rooms. I surely do miss the huge window and the view outside our room. Roamed around the entire cruise for photo spots and snapped as many photos as we can before having an early lunch while cruising back to the shore.

Mom & Dad. ♥

We were told by Jacky that the government may ban overnight stays on cruises in their effort to further protect and preserve the entire area. So, if we (or anyone) intend to come to experience Halong Bay as it is, we should do so within this year because they expect the ban to start either by the end of this year or early next year. Sigh, there goes the joy of waking up to fresh air and a beautiful view in the middle of a magical place.

At the front of the cruise with boyfriend. ♥

Very much still in awe of the beauty of Bai Tu Long Bay. It is ever so mystical and mesmerizing.

This marks the end of our Halong Bay trip and I must really say - this is by far the best part of the entire trip in Hanoi. I was so captivated by the beauty of nature and the freshness of the air. It feels like I was in another world when I was there. Yes, the reception there was terrible, but it feels really great to be disconnected with the "world" and be "connect" to Earth.


We were transported back to our hotel through the same route. But this time, we were dropped off at another hotel because I booked a different hotel because I couldn't decide between both hotels so TADAA. But both hotels are located in the Old Quarter and within walking distance. So it's not that bad since we already explored the surrounding area beforehand.

Checked-in to Oriental Central Hotel at around 5pm and boy, their service is really extraordinary. The staffs do go above and beyond to help their guests. While waiting for them to check us into our rooms, we were served a glass of mocktail each and the staff started by asking about our trip here in Hanoi and went on to recommending us (since it is our day) places to go for sightseeing, places to get the best deals for the things we want to buy, best food places, etc.

Because it was my birthday, they even decorated my room, prepared a cake and left a complimentary bottle of wine and some snacks in the room for us to enjoy.


Sad Story: In the end, the cake became just a photo prop and we all didn't get to eat it.

Reason?

Because after the photo was taken, my parents went to their room to put their bags down before coming back for the cake-cutting. Hence, I decided to take an Instagram Story of our room (which doesn't have a lot of space). While I was starting from outside the main door, boyfriend wanted to scare me with a fake cake smash, which failed and caused the cake to slide off the plate and dropped onto the carpeted floor, staining the side of our bed instead.

HAHAHAH. So fail. We cleaned it up by ourselves because we were to felt bad to ask for house keeping after "destroying" what they prepared for us even though it was an accident.

After having our dinner at the Orchid Cooking Class & Restaurant which was just next door (the food was SUPERB), we spent our night at the Hanoi's Night Market that stretched across the streets of Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, Cha Ca and Hang Luoc. In short, we started at the roundabout and ended at Dong Xuan Market. It was so bustling, but as it got later, my parents got tired so they went back to the hotel to rest first, which I continue to roam around with boyfriend and got some street food to try. It was so YUM!

Spent the next day doing some last minute shopping and pedicure/massage after having our lunch at the Orchid Cooking Class & Restaurant, because it is that good. Before we left for the airport, the staff from Oriental Central Hotel gave us 2 gift packs which consist of a set of drip coffee ware and its coffee, which we didn't get to buy. Super thankful to them for getting these for us as souvenirs.

This pretty much sums up Hanoi for now. Will definitely come back again for sure!

For Hanoi 5 Days 4 Nights in a Nutshell, click here.
For Hanoi Day 1 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 2 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 3 itinerary, click here.
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Monday 22 May 2017

(Hanoi) Day 3: (Halong Bay) Oriental Sails, Vung Vieng Fishing Village, Cooking Class, Squid Fishing

Today is the day where we all woke up the earliest for this trip. It was so early that we were the first few to have the breakfast provided by the hotel (6:30am to be exact). And the reason for waking up so early? Because today we are going for a 2 Days 1 Night Cruise to Halong Bay with Oriental Sails and the hotel pick-up provided by Oriental Sails is picking us up from our hotel at 8:15am.

Managed to check out at 8am after making payment for all the extra-charges and waited at the lobby for our ride, which came really on time. We were greeted by our Tour Guide, Jackie, who helped to load our luggage up onto the minibus.

Morning Situation: Waiting for our ride.

GOOD BYE, MK PREMIER.
You have been really nice for the past 2 days.

After picking up 2 other girls (total 8 of us), it is the beginning of our 3.5hours (estimated) bus journey to Hong Gai Tourist Wharf. But I am pretty sure it took longer than usual because it was pouring down heavily when we were halfway to our check-point (hence, I didn't manage to take a photo of the place).

Reached Hong Gai Tourist Wharf approximately at 1pm, and the rain got a lot smaller to the point it was only a light drizzle. Took a rest at the Oriental Sails Lounge, where we were served a glass of ginger tasting drink (I didn't like it) and waited for another group to join us before we embark onto our cruise through a tender.

We left our luggage in the storage room and proceeded to the dining area for a short briefing by our tour guide, followed by lunch onboard with a beautiful view of the Bai Tu Long Bay.

Dining area onboard our cruise ship.

After lunch, we finally checked into our rooms with our luggage and bags. The crew were very friendly and helpful in helping everyone to shift their luggage from the storage room into their respective rooms.

We were given the first two rooms that were opposite each other, but were at the far end from the dining area, nearest to the wheelhouse and the front deck.


The rooms are honestly smaller than what I had in mind, then again, I guess it is considerably big for a room on a medium-sized cruise ship. But that was not the reason why I chose Oriental Sails.

The reason why I chose Oriental Sails was because of the windows they had in the room & toilet (mainly because of the window in the toilet). Seriously, I think the window looks like a giant moving painting hanging on the wall together with the view outside it.



After settling down, we went to tour around our cruise ship. It was my first time on a cruise (as far as I can remember) and this is totally amazing! Went up to the top deck to take some photos of the amazing view. I must really say, the view took part of my breath away. It is really like "as seen in the movies".

Boyfriend enjoying the view. ♥

Talking about movies, I was told that the movie "King Kong" had some scenes shot here in Halong Bay. Mystical indeed.



Our first activity for the day would be a trip around Vung Vieng Fishing Village either by a bamboo boat rowed by the locals or by kayaking. Really wanted to kayak because it has been a long time since I last kayak, but my parents wanted to sit the bamboo boat, so we accompanied them to sit the bamboo boat together. It was so relaxing, but I am pretty sure that it is really tiring having to row the bamboo boats to and fro every day with tourists on.


Most of the villagers have been moved to live on shore by the government earlier this year as the area is to be preserved as a historical site. Hence, the Vung Vieng Village we visited were mainly isolated, with only a few fishermen still living on the floating village as they still fish in the area for a living. However, by the end of 2017, all the villagers will have to be moved to land, which honestly is a little sad to me. It is as though a way of living is going to vanish.


In all, this boat trip really is eye-opening. Plus, we don't get to be away from the bustling city life often, and be so near to mother nature, with all the greenery and fresh air. Maybe the next time we are here, I will try kayaking instead.

As the boat comes to an end, the rain starts to get a little heavier. We ended our trip at the Pearl Farm, they showed us how pearls are being harvested. Then again, we didn't buy any products from there because the pearls' products were actually quite pricey. We had a look and waited for our tender to head back to our cruise ship.

Next activity was the long-awaited cooking class. No idea why recently I really want to learn how to cook more dishes. Anyway, we were taught how to make the famous Vietnamese Spring Rolls and it's sauce. YUM.

All the ingredients in one bowl.

Mixing it all together.

I must say, Vietnamese Spring Rolls are super yummy, especially when you eat it together with the sauce that comes along separately. Then again, I am pretty sure it is also because of the quality of the ingredients they use. Especially the rice paper.

Anyway, our cruise anchored down at Cong Do Area, a location which is not overly crowded with other cruise ship. Next activity planned would be dinner, followed by free leisure time, whereby they have Karaoke available if anyone is in the mood to sing. But on board our ship, many headed off to their room to rest for the night.

My parents were one of those who went back to their room to wash up and rest, but I went to Squid Fishing with boyfriend and we were the first to start fishing for the squids after Jackie taught us how. We were told and were well aware that catching a squid in the area is not that easy as many people tried and have failed. Only a few lucky ones managed to catch one, and on board of the numerous tours Jackie went on, only 1 of the passengers managed to catch a squid.

But a miracle happened and this is something that I really want to remember forever.

More than an hour into squid fishing, nothing was caught on hook, and I was about to give it up like the others. Technically, we were here the longest because we came first. The rest who came after already gave up and went back inside.

So, as we got further into the night and when there was still no squid to be seen, I told boyfriend that I give up because I am so sleepy and a little disappointed because I actually used a birthday wish on this (yes, I believe in wishes).

Seeing how disappointed I was, boyfriend didn't want to give up so he asked me to give it more time, which I did. I told him that I would wait until 11pm, and if by then there is nothing, we are heading back to our room to wash up and sleep. He agreed, and since I was really tired, I handed my rod to boyfriend and he used 2 rods to fish. HAHAHA!

Then, it happened.

At 10:59pm, a squid was caught on one of our hook!! LEGIT! I was squealing in joy. Jackie helped us to unhook the squid and placed it in a metal bowl with water. I was really thrilled. I took the bowl, ran and knocked on my parents' room, accidentally woke them up from their sleep, just to show them. But as we looked at the poor squid in the bowl, we felt sorry for it and we let it back into the ocean to where it belonged.

Yes I know, after all the perseverance, we finally caught one and yet we let it back into the ocean. But at the very least, we've got a photo together with the squid and that is good enough.

This entire trip is really the best birthday present ever!

For Hanoi 5 Days 4 Nights in a Nutshell, click here.
For Hanoi Day 1 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 2 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 4 & 5 itinerary, click here.
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Friday 19 May 2017

(Hanoi) Day 2: Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Ngon Villa Restaurant, Confucius Temple of Literature, (Old Quarter) Shopping

Woke up early at 7:30am just to have breakfast and my parents beat us to it. When we reach the dining area at the rooftop, they were already there, halfway into their breakfast.

Most hotels in Hanoi provides complimentary breakfast with every room booked and ours did too. And I must say that the spread provided by MK Premier was really good, with a variety of choices across Asian and Western.

After breakfast, I called for a Uber Car to pick us up at our Hotel and we headed off to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. As the driver doesn't seem to understand English, we were not able to ask him whether he knew the way there. He was looking at the Google map when we were nearing and he was driving round in circles until he drop us opposite the actual location (according to Google Map). Grateful for pre-fixed Uber rates.

It took us quite some time to find the main entrance to the Citadel because the entrance didn't look like an entrance to a tourist attraction at all. It looks more like a school/office to me. Plus, we asked numerous people and guards along the way but due to the language barrier, it didn't really help much. So in the end, we figured it out by ourselves and realized that we walked past it twice. HAHAHA.

Main Entrance to Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

Each ticket costs VND$30,000, which is approximately equivalent to SGD$1.80, and we bought our tickets inside the main entrance building, where they displayed some history of the Citadel. After browsing some of the display, we finally went in!

The Citadel is located next to the Vietnam Military History Museum, which is also where the iconic Flag Tower of Hanoi sits. But since we were not heading to the Vietnam Military History Museum afterwards, a picture of the iconic tower from Citadel will suffice.

View of Flag Tower of Hanoi from Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

At the Doan Mon Gate.

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, hence I chose this attraction to go to when I was planning the itinerary for our short trip. Totally no regrets at all. Maybe I should start visiting all the UNESCO World Heritage Site across the globe.

Short tunnel leading into the Citadel

This Citadel was constructed on the remains of a Chinese fortress and on drained reclaimed land from the Red River Delta in the 11th Century, which marks the independence of the Dai Viet. There is a lot of history here, and they did a good job in preserving the site. This was really worth our trip.

Some of the relics are exhibited in the buildings within the grounds of what used to be known as part of the Kinh Thien Palace. And these relics hold and tells a lot of history about this place, which are all a good read.

Super coordinated jump-shot, which only required 1 take.

Climbed down the tall staircase to visit underground bunker which was also known as the D67 House and Tunnel. The bunker was built with solid and bulk concrete and steel back in 1967. It was the headquarters of the Vietnam People's Army and there were preserved objects and tools that the military commanders used.


I feel somewhat surreal to be down at the bunker. Everything is well-preserved and I can imagine how it was like during the period of war. How all the meetings and planning were held down at this bunker.


The backyard/garden of the palace are lush green and it is being maintained quite frequently. When we were touring the area, we can see many gardeners trimming or watering the plants.

We also realized that most trees have white paint marking at the bottom of the root, and when we questioned why, we were told that it was to:-

1.  Protect the trees from pesticides and the strong sun.
2.  Make the trees stand out in the gloom.

Grounds of Kinh Thien Palace.

After spending approximately 1.5hours within the Citadel, we headed over to Highlands Coffee at the Vietnam Military History Museum to grab some Vietnamese Coffee, which we saw when we were looking for the entrance to the Citadel. It really is a very hot and stuffy day.

Before we left the Citadel, we saw a class of pre-school students having their graduation photo taken in front of the Doan Mon Gate. This spot is known to be a popular graduation photo shoot location, where most graduating students would come to take photos with the iconic gate in their graduation gown.


After having a rest at Highlands Coffee, we made our way to Ngon Villa Restaurant to have lunch. It was only a short walk away from the Vietnam Military History Museum that takes approximately 10 minutes. The only tedious part was just that there were many small streets to cross. HAHAHA.

Ngon Villa Restaurant.

I made a reservation with the restaurant prior to our trip because it was highly recommended and I read that it would be quite packed during peak hours. But when we got there, we were the only customers in the house! Feels like as though we booked the entire restaurant down (but we did not).

They sat us in a dining room at the 2nd level which really looked like it was in the Alice in Wonderland theme.

Dad, Mom, Boyfriend - Love in one frame. ♥

The food was great and I am pretty sure if ever we are back in Hanoi, I would come back here for more. When we left, there is really a crowd in the restaurant. I wonder what time is considered their lunch and dinner hour because people seem to eat their lunch and dinner late here.

Next stop, the Confucius Temple of Literature, which is about 10 - 15minutes walk away from the restaurant.

By the time we reached the gate of the temple, the place was already flooded by buses and buses of tourists. It was so crowded to the point that it was really hard to take a good photo without a crowd gathering at the background. But after some waiting, we manage to take some shots without a lot of people in the background.

Gate of the Confucius Temple of Literature

Anyway, each ticket to the Confucius Temple of Literature only costs VND$10,000, which we got from the ticketing pavilion before heading in.

Walking through the gate lead us to the first courtyard and a smaller gate to the second courtyard, where the Khue Van Pavilion (a symbol for the Hanoi today) stood. So in the past, these two courtyards were known to be the "quiet zones" where scholars would chill and relax, away from all the hustle and bustle.

The Second Courtyard; Facing the First Courtyard.

Passing the Khue Van Pavilion brings us to the third courtyard, which is also where the Thien Quang Well lays and also where the Steles which held the names of those who succeeded in the Royal Exam stood.

Third Courtyard.

The fourth courtyard became a pitch stop for all of us because there were 2 gift shops, one on the left, and one on the right, toilet and a water dispenser. So, we spend a little more time here with mom shopping at the gift shops and dad drinking some water and resting under a tree.

At this point, the sun was really scorching. It was just too hot, so a break really did us good.

Miniature of Confucius (I think; I am not sure).

Okay, I did not forget, the altars of Confucius, his Disciples and ten philosophers were also located at the fourth courtyard, which I did not really take many photos of as to some Chinese (aka me) think that taking photos of the alters is disrespectful. So I avoided taking too many photos and avoided taking direct shots of the alters.


After our pitch stop at the fourth courtyard, we finally moved on to the fifth courtyard, which we almost missed out because there was some renovation works going on that blocked part of the pathways and we did not see the small passage on the left side which leads to the fifth courtyard behind.

Photo credits (from pose to shot) to mom. ♥

The fifth courtyard, which used to be the Imperial Academy, was quite a beau and was really well maintained. The buildings that were once classrooms, dormitories and storage room, are now housing the exhibits of the temple and academy.


Layout of the temple and academy back in the olden days (I suppose).

By the time we left the Confucius Temple of Literature, it was already 4pm. Uber our way down to the St. Joseph Cathedral because that is the place where our shopping begins.

Starting off from Ly Quoc Su Street, where the St. Joseph Cathedral stands, heading towards Hong Gai Street, then turning into Hang Dao Street, continue on to Hang Ngang Street, before ending at Hang Buom Street, where our hotel sits at. Each street sells a different category of things, so it was pretty easy shopping.

Mini Shopping Street Guide (Hanoi Old Quarter):
Ly Quoc Su Street: Souvenirs,
Hang Gai Street: Silk / Cotton, Linen, Tailoring
Hang Dao Street: Shoes / Footwear (Hanoi Weekend Night Market)
Hang Ngang Street: Textiles (Hanoi Weekend Night Market)
Hang Buom Street: Candies, Wines, Coffee

Hanoi Weekend Night Market is held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Ended the day with a birthday dinner at a random American Bar-Restaurant (not that of a good choice) near our hotel because we were all too exhausted to walk any further or to decide on what to eat.

But still, today is way more than awesome and to me, this is definitely one of the best birthday celebrations ever.

For Hanoi 5 Days 4 Nights in a Nutshell, click here.
For Hanoi Day 1 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 3 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 4 & 5 itinerary, click here.
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Thursday 18 May 2017

(Hanoi) Day 1: MK Premier Boutique, New Day Restaurant

After months of researching and planning, it is finally time for us to head to the Land of Pho!
Can’t wait to have all the delicious bowls of Pho that my tummy can hold.

Since our SilkAir flight to Hanoi is only departing at 3:25pm, we had the entire morning to finalise our luggage. I’m really glad that our flight wasn’t early in the morning but that also meant that we “wasted” a day away because it would be evening by the time we reach Hanoi.

We went to the airport slightly earlier for Check-In so that we had ample time to take a light lunch, collect my Wifi Router and do some shopping at DFS before boarding. It’s a short 3.5hours flight from Singapore to Hanoi but we still manage to watch a full movie (“Why Him?”), have our dinner onboard, and took a short nap before landing.

SilkAir A320; Ready for Boarding.

After clearing the customs, we met up with our driver who will be transferring us from the Airport to our Hotel. His service cost us USD$25.00, which I consider a little pricey but for the convenience, I had our hotel arranged our airport pick-up for us.

MK Premier Boutique Hotel was our choice for the first 2 nights stay even though there were not as many reviews. But it was a newer hotel around the district, there is a bathtub in every room (bubble bath time!), their lobby looks really nice and their Rooftop Bar was a beau. Hahaha. Yes, I don’t drink but we can still sit at the bar and just chill right?

Dad & Mom ♥ ; In front of MK Premier Boutique Hotel.

So, we got upgraded from a Deluxe Room to a Luxury Deluxe Room at Level 4, which is a much larger room with a view. That was what the receptionist said. But the "view" was that we will be overlooking the residents' rooftops. HAHAHA! But that is okay because I usually prefer to leave the curtains closed most of the time. Still loving the fact that they gave us a free upgrade because there really is a lot more space for our luggage, bags, and for us to move around.

Luxury Deluxe Room.

After settling down in our rooms, the next stop was dinner! Yes, I know we already had our dinner and that we are all pretty full, but still... FOOD. Plus, this restaurant was highly recommended by so many people online and it is only a short walk away from our hotel, so might as well? Hahaha!

We arrived at the restaurant, New Day Restaurant (Mot Ngay Moi), after walking along Ma May Street for approximately 10minutes, and boy, it was really crowded. There were so many tourists dining there. Didn't expect it to be a full-house because:-

1.  It was already 8:15pm. It's past dinner time, isn't it?
2.  The restaurant has quite a huge dining area, but their tables were all filled with people.

But luckily, their service was fast and efficient so we didn't even have to wait for a table. Once we arrive at their doorstep, one of the waiters ushered us to our seats, given a menu each and took our orders readily when we were done. And yes, they have many servers working there.

Fried Spring Rolls, Fresh Spring Rolls, Beef Pho.

Fried Spring Rolls.

Mango Salad.

Beef Pho.

Because I was quite full but I still wanted to eat Pho, so I shared 1 bowl with boyfriend. After dinner, we slowly walked back to our hotel, along Ma May Street and bought a huge 5-litre bottle of water to share for the next 3 days. Saw some street vendors pushing a huge cart of clothes and holding helium balloons at the same time along the road, selling them. This really reminds me of the street vendors in Taiwan. Same same but different.


See. The lady above works alone. Her cart looks really heavy and one of her hands is full as she is carrying all the balloons on her own but yet, she can still move her cart steadily along the street. I am really impressed. I'm pretty sure everything will topple over if I was the one pushing the cart with one of my hands full.

Walked my parents back to their room to rest before heading down to have a look at what the Hotel's Spa had to offer with boyfriend. I saw that their manicure and pedicure were way much cheaper than if I were to do in Singapore, so I decided to get mine done on the spot. But sadly, the manicurist had already left so there were only massages and spa services available. A little sad but it is okay. I was just trying my luck since it was almost 10pm. Shall do it tomorrow then.

We went to Circle K (mini-mart), which was just next to our hotel, to get coffee and snacks before heading back to wash up. Ending the day with an electronic birthday cake and 2 pairs of socks, which I split and re-pair them up instead because Mickey & Minnie are an inseparable pair. Now we have unmatching-but-matching couple socks!


Looking back, I realized our Day 1 here in Hanoi really wasn't much. But at the very least, we weren't rushing and we were able to take our time to ease ourselves into the night and just enjoy some Pho and spring rolls.

Shall end this entry here for now but there is more that has yet to come.

For Hanoi 5 Days 4 Nights in a Nutshell, click here.
For Hanoi Day 2 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 3 itinerary, click here.
For Hanoi Day 4 & 5 itinerary, click here.
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