It's really a super duper hot season if you wish to travel to Vietnam at this period. Heard our local tour guide said it was around 34 degree Celsius for that weather! I was wondering how I'm going to stay for 6 days in this country. But I never regret in joining this trip and my journey starts here!
Let The V.I.E.T.N.A.M Journey Begins
Tuesday, 16th June 2015
Day 1:
Our journey started at 7am and it took around 6 hours to arrive our destination. We arrived Noibai International Airport in the noon. We had our very first lunch of Vietnam cuisine at Bằng Lăng Restaurant which located in Hanoi.
Our first group photo where we hit our very first station & restaurant in Vietnam.
Let the feast begin! There were up to 10 dishes and we were unable to finish them... *Burppp* (Ok let me list down the menu that we had: *Chicken & sweet corn soup, *Yam bean, chicken & fresh coconut salad, *Stir-fried seasonal vegetable & garlic, *Eggplant sauce minced pork, *Deep-fried taro cake, *Spring roll, *Stewed fish in clay pot, *Mustard broth with meatball, *Thai chicken curry, * Cream caramel)
For our day 1 journey, seriously we had no chance to visit other places as we had to travel to Ha Long Bay (下龙湾 in Chinese) immediately after our lunch.
It took almost half of the day for us to arrive our destination, Marine Trade Center Plaza at the night time.
And yes, our first day in Vietnam was basically just all about food, food, food & food... Dinner at Magnolia Restaurant which is located at Marine Plaza.
This hotel is just 5 minutes away from the restaurant that we had our dinner, The New Star Ha Long hotel. Oppssyyy... The letter "a" was missing! Hehe...
Heard that they graded this as 3 star hotel. Wow, for me it should be more! It's really nice to stay! Haha, I can still remember the room number, 901.
I dunno why I can't fall asleep at this late night hour. But luckily because of my wide awake, I'm able to take the photo of this beautiful night view from my hotel room's window!
==========End of day 1==========
Wednesday, 17th June 2015
Day 2:
So, for our day 2 journey, we were going to spend our whole day by visiting Ha Long Bay!
A full breakfast for us to kick start a brand new day and journey. You will definitely find that most of the buffet in Vietnam will serve lots of their local tropical fruits.
Heard that each of this boat cruise able to occupy up to 50 persons. But we reserved 1 for the 8 of us.
Once I stepped on the boat cruise, I didn't make myself by just sitting in the boat throughout the journey. It's really a waste if you did that as you will miss out all those amazing scenes.
This place mesmerized me where the skies are blue and the views are priceless.
Heard the local tour guide said that the 2 rocks behind me is just like a pair of fighting chicken. It is one of the marked landscape island in Ha Long Bay!
Here is some kind reminder, for every boat cruise, there will be at least 1 professional photographer who is helping the tourists to take photos. But for me, since I always bring along my own digital camera and I enjoy taking photos, so I will turn down their offer as it's really embarrassed when you're not buying from them after they helped you to take the photo by using their own camera. But, please don't get annoyed whenever they wanna help as it is their job to do so.
It took few hours for the boat cruise to go through the emerald water between the limestone outcrops then we had to stop by a station where we had to change to a smaller boat which only able to occupy maximum up to 4 persons as we had to go through some caves which only enable small boats to go through.
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream..." These lyrics came to my mind when I was going through the cave in the boat.
Welcome to Xanadu! This place just made me felt so peace and calm!
We were surrounded by all these limestone outcrops.
==========End of day 2==========
Thursday, 18th June 2015
Day 3:
It's really a long journey for us to travel to our first destination on day 3.
Although I quite dissatisfied with the structure of Thăng Long Espana Hotel, they served good breakfast and coffee.
After having our breakfast, we had to start our journey in the early morning as it took us around 5 hours to travel to Sapa.
In Sapa, visiting Cat Cat Village is a MUST!!! I was so excited about it as I was looking forward to this location for so long. The village here was lived by the minority.
Once we arrived Sapa, we straight away headed to the Vietnam Trade Union Hotel for checked in and dropped our things there. The hotel is simple yet comfy. Since the hotel is located on the hill so it is surrounded by cold air.
In Sapa, visiting Cat Cat Village is a MUST!!! I was so excited about it as I was looking forward to this location for so long. The village here was lived by the minority.
The Si Bridge is located in the Cat Cat Village.
Behind us is one of the waterfall in this village where lots of local and foreign visitors love to be here for water playing and photographing.
Out of the busy city, once you are in this place, all you need to do is just relax and listen to the sound of waterfall.
On our way back to the main entrance of the Cat Cat Village, we really spend much more energy on walking back as the road is much steeper. But for me, it's all worth it, as the greenish view is really priceless and I enjoy the fresh air up over here. But, for those who really feel exhausted after the long walking journey, don't worry the local citizens do offer the motorcar service. But you have to pay them for the ride.
==========End of day 3==========
Friday, 19th June 2014
Day 4:
The breakfast served by the Vietnam Trade Union Hotel. They should improve more on the hygiene of the restaurant!
After breakfast, it's time for us to head to our first destination for day 4. We started with the visit of Lao Chai and Ta Van villages which also located in Sapa. The villages are belonged to the living of Black H'mong, Tay and Zay peoples.
These houses are home-stay for visitors who love to stay in this natural area.
Every area and corner in this place is suitable for photo taking, but be careful MAMA!
The team! Let's embrace the view!
Look at the fog, it's so damn cold up here!
I loved the grilled sweet potatoes over here, it really suited my taste!
You can see kids everywhere in Sapa area. You can differentiate which minority they belonged to from the clothes they're wearing. The ethnicity of these kids are Black H'mong as they are wearing black. The clothes they wear is all hand made and it is the only clothes they have throughout the year. They don't shower and wash their clothes often as they afraid the color of the clothes will fade.
Our next destination in Sapa was Khu Du Lich Sinh Thai, it is one of the best waterfall in Vietnam.
Khu Du Lich Sinh Thai also known as the silver waterfall by the local. It is 2070m above the sea level.
It took around 5 hours for us to travel back from Sapa to Hanoi. And plus along the highway, there is no rest stop!!! And we really can't endure it!
Finally we were back to Hanoi and we were here for our dinner! Sorry that I really can't remember the name of this restaurant.
Luckily there were not too much of meat dish for this dinner.
Another new hotel checked in after dinner, Thien Thai Hotel.
==========End of day 4==========
Saturday, 20th June 2015
Day 5:
The early morning breakfast at Thien Thai Hotel's restaurant, The Royal Lotus.
English breakfast and The American.
After breakfast, we then on our way heading to Ninh Binh.
Mama loved her "lotus leaf" hat as well, she looked really cute on that! Ain't she?
The Vietnam style rice dumpling. Look how big the size was and it was wrapped by using the lotus leaf.
The water puppet show in Vietnam was founded in the year of 1916.
There were total up to 14 shows and this was just 1 of them.
E-mail: thanglong.wp@fpt.vn
For more info on the water puppet show, log on to www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org
Late dinner after the show at Anh Hoa restaurant which located in Hanoi.
==========End of day 5==========
Sunday, 21st June 2014
Day 6:
And finally it came to the last day of our Vietnam trip, but still we had some locations to go before having our flight back to Malaysia.
Having our last breakfast in Thien Thai Hotel.
A visit to the Ho Chi Minh museum.
In this area, we also had a chance to have a look on the Ho Chi Minh's vestige in the presidential palace area.
The Presidential Palace, the former Indochina's General Governor Palace.
There were a few cars used to serve President Ho Chi Minh in the past.
The historic house-on-stilts of Ho Chi Minh which symbolizes his living way of simplicity.
Opening time:
Summer: From 7.30am to 11am & from 2pm to 4pm
Winter: From 8am to 11am & from 1.30pm to 4pm
(On every weekday except Monday and Friday afternoon)
Office address:
Ho Chi Minh's vestige in the presidential palace area
No1 - Bach Thao, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi
Phone numbers: (084)08044287 / 08043226
E'mail: khuditichphuchutich@cpt.gov.vn
For more info, log on to ditichhochiminhphuchutich.gov.vn
==========End of day 6==========
*End of Vietnam trip*
