SHRONNTRAVELLOUGE: 5D4N HANOI

After Beijing when at the age of 6, we stopped going overseas (other than Malaysia). 17 years of wait, we're finally at Vietnam, Hanoi! Mother decided to follow tour groups but I insisted that we should travel by ourselves because I didn't like the rushing and itinerary of the trip. So? Mom asked me to plan the trip if I wanna go free & easy. 

It wasn't easy, researching online, reading articles, reviews, forums, recommendations, blogs, I'm blessed to have great friends (Zuoen & Terence) to share their itineraries and things to note with me. I decided  on our 5 Days 4 Nights trip for a family of 4 scheduled as below:

Day 1: Touch down Hanoi in the evening, free & easy

Day 2: Day Trip to Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An

Day 3: Halong Bay 2D1N (will be updated in the next post!)

Day 4: Halong Bay, Hoan Kiem Lake, Water Puppet Show

Day 5: Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex and Cafe Giang with Hanoi Kids

Short introduction about Hanoi, Hà means River and Nội means within, the land of Hà Nội is surrounded by Red River thus its name. Hà Nội is not the biggest city, but it has the highest population living in the City as it was the Capital of Vietnam before they moved it to Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh City.

Depending on your preference, there is lotsa shopping you can do here in Hanoi, Old Quarters and scenery viewing around North Vietnam. I love the Ocean/ Lake more than shopping, thus there is not much shopping in my itinerary, just some free & easy time at night.


Day 1
We took Silkair flight from Singapore to Noi Bai Airport, landed at 6pm Hà Nội time (Singapore is 1hour ahead of Hanoi), the driver which I arranged with the hotel we're staying came to pick us up at the airport. We bought our data SIM card before leaving @ USD 9 for unlimited data usage without calls. For those who wanna get it, after you collect your luggage and exit the glass door, turn right and head to the shop nearest to you. You can exchange VND there too. I saw the rates @ 1 SGD: 15,700 VND. 
It's alright if you don't wanna get SIM card, the shops/cafe and hotel usually provides you with Wifi. I bought it as I need to navigate my way with Google Map. :p

After 30min drive, we check in to our accomdation, Hanoi Friends Inn & Travel, 46 Hang Ga Street, for 2 nights (USD30.60/room/night + 4pax one-way Airport transfer USD15). Unload and freshen up before we head out for dinner and massage.

We were suppose to stay with side by side with our parents, but in the end when we get there, the receptionist said they gave us a free upgrade, but only 1 room, and they can't gave us another room. Thus we can't be together, but we can't reject the upgrade too, like what? But when I got upstairs, I remember the room I booked online was suppose to be the "upgraded room"! >: Idk man. Anyw, the people there were nice so nevermind...
They didn't have elevator, means its exercise time! Luckily the receptionist are able to help us to bring our luggage upstairs and down when we check out.

On Silkair A320

Landed in Hanoi! Waiting for our Airport Transfer to Hotel~

Our "upgraded" room

Clean toilet with Towels and Toiletries provided

My room's balcony view

Dinner @ Bun Cha (1 Hang Manh Street), recommended by Zuoen it's a Must Try. The staff from my accom said "Mr. Obama ate in this shop but another outlet before, same same but different." It's a 5min walk from Hang Ga Street. From what the locals told us, there're tastier ones but this shop became famous because of Obama. No problem! Just eat :) 
My parents didn't like the taste of Bun Cha, but SissyJ and I love it!

They serve the food separately together with a huge plate of raw vegetables. I think we're suppose to mix the soup the Bun and vegetables together, idk. That's how I ate them cuz it tasted better this way. Hahaha!

Mom, SissyJ and I went for a 90min massage @ Milk Flower Massage & Spa after dinner, and we all didn't had a positive experience. :( I am still suffering the aches on my back bone after 2 days of massage because the masseur idk how, "massage" my bones ._. I do not recommend massaging in Hanoi. Zuoen said the same, and added that Sapa's massage was better.

Dad went to have some beer on the  opposite street bar/ cafe. He was so happy the place provided WiFi!

We went back to our Hotel after because it was late and we were tired. Haha! Didn't get to roam around.


Day 2 - Day Tour to Bai Dinh Pagoda & Trang An

Bringing my products wherever I go! 

I booked my trip with Asia Tour Advisor (help@asiatouradvisor.com) at USD50 per pax + 3.5% credit card payment fee. Our hotel's receptionist said its expensive, it'd be cheaper if we booked with them. There are a lot of Tour Companies, you can just email them to enquire, book through your hotels or you can come to Hanoi to book your tours too! Remember to read reviews before deciding!!
Breakfast Aloe,  Tea and shake before heading down for another round of breakfast. Their baguette is AWESOME.
We have to be ready by 7.45 am for the bus to pick us up!
Bus came at 8.20 am, and continued to pick up the rest of the passengers around Old Quarter before hitting their Highway. They were already behind schedule while picking us up, maybe due to the jam cuz it was their peak hour.

2 hour drive to Bai Dinh Pagoda, with 1 coffee stop to stretch our legs. Vietnamese coffee are awesome~ Hahaha! (Toilets in Hanoi are relatively clean with toilet paper provided, just remember to dump the used-papers in the bins provided by the side of the toilet bowl.)

Idk how we were so far behind schedule, and when we reach Bai Dinh Pagoda, the tour guide just kept rushing us. Stop to introduce an attraction, then he'll leave immediately. <-- reasons why I hate to be in Tour groups. We didn't even get a photo at the entrance of the pagoda mannnnn. :( sad. He had to spend extra time to introduce our tour in English and Mandarin throughout the trip because it was a mixed group. I hope they could just group their customers in 1 language in the future, because it would probably saved us more time. In order to take pictures, we had to skip the introduction and sway away from the group :X Oops!

Okay, time to let the photos speak for themselves! I didn't take any pictures of the statues because I feel that its not respectful. Go there to see for yourself if you wanna know! :D

Our AWESOME BAGUETTE at Hanoi Friends Inn.Crispy and YUMYUM!

And bringing my waterbottle too! Group photo by the Tourguide at the resting/toilet stop.

Our Tour Guide, can't remember his name :x

Streets of Hanoi

Hanoi Police in Khaki uniform

Cows nomming

You gotta pay VND2,000/pax for toilet here, but please go because there isn't any washroom within the Pagoda till the end

The map of Bai Dinh Pagoda, we're top of the map, gotta take a electric car to the Entrance of the Pagoda which is the bottom of the map, it was complimentary from Asia Tour Advisor. It should be about USD3/pax.

Our Electronic Car tickets

On the way to the Entrance of the Pagoda

Entrance of Bai Dinh Pagoda

Because its a huge piece of empty space! Singaporean xuagu! :P Staying in Singapore made me appreciate space!

Candid shot of all of them hehe :P

The Corridor filled with Buddha Statues

2x 回头一笑 HAHAHAHA!

Swaying from the Tour Guide & group because we wanna take pictures HAHAHAHA!

Bell Tower, where the friggin huge bell is...

 The place Pagoda's area is huge!! By this time mummy was already feeling tired... She didn't want to go up to the Bell tower... But we all still went up in the end!

YAY TO MUMMY!! ^^

View from the top of the Bell Tower

Its so peaceful here!

ITS BEAUTIFUL, SERIOUS! I feel like I went back to the Ancient China era. See the friggin high steps at the background of this pic? Yup, we have to move that direction.

Mummy was trying her very best to get up the steps! Every step is like half a metre high!!

Papi was excited! He was the first out of the 4 of us to reach the top! DAMN AWESOME! (Y)

Okay up! When people climbed up this flight of stairs, they will continue to walk straight. But this was what I saw when I turn back and look at the pond because it is too beautiful, I can't bear to leave this sight!

Goddess of Mercy Hall, with our Tour Guide

Mummy smiling happily because 1. She made it to the top!! And 2. I said lets take picture HAHAHA!

Mi Iconic Jumpshot!^^

Finally we're at the Pagoda! And yup, MORE STEPS UP

Mummy Daddy holding hands, sweet~~~~~ 

 Isit everyone also must have an individual shot here? Hahaha! I took like 31927204 photos this Day tour. xD kidding. You can choose to go up to the Pagoda at your own expenses, can't remember how much it cost, there is a lift that bring the visitors up to the top and down. We were exhausted to go futher, thus we're taking all the photos downstairs while waiting for the others from the group to return.

The beautiful lake at the back of this picture! (insert heartshapes) 

Pointing at it in case you can't see. HAHAHA kidding :X

After everyone returned, we walked downhill and to the shuttle bus which brought us for lunch (included in our Tour Package) before heading to Trang An for boat riding! By the time it was already 1.15pm, and we have to finish our meal by 1.40pm!! Why so rush ): Anyway, everyone was famished, and we finished quickly. Thankfully the lunch was good! Loads of variety to choose from. However, the lunch do not provide any drinks!! What?! Drinks are at your own expense! Felt a lil scammed.

Trang An after lunch~

Idk why I looked so fat here, but anyw because of the pictures in this outfit of mine, I decided to start losing weight again. Cuz I really did gian weight after all the feasting since last year's Christmas LOL.

Another spot where all have to have an individual shot LOL. We're just crazy like that.

Our tickets to boat riding in Trang An!

There wasn't any crowd because we didn't go there during the peak season. ^^ All the boats were readily waiting for visitors.

ALL ONBOARD!

We gotta go through 4 of such caves, dodging all the stalactites and stalagmites  

In the cave!

Heading out!

Look at my papa's pose OMG DAMN CUTE!! I think my bubbly random poses genes came from him HAHAHA!

Using my dragonboat skills to help the lady to paddle the boat. She rowed us for 1.5-2hr non-stop!! Insanity

End of day trip and we're heading backkkkk!! Another 2hr ride back to Hanoi Old Quarters~

The Tour Guide recommended us to go to this Grilled Fish Restaurant called Cha Ca Ca Cuong idk what is the actual name but as you can see from the picture below, that's the shop. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT EAT THERE. Even the Vietnamese from Ho Chi Minh City who we travelled together said the food suck. ITS SO OILY AND DISGUSTING AND NOISY AND EXPENSIVE. Worse meal ever, complete scam

As you can see at least 2 workers will be on the street to ask customers to try their restaurant. Their understanding of English is bad, and no one was avail to serve us even tho there were many workers! We're suppose to grill our fish by ourselves with the pan avail, but the it is so damn oily and yucky! We ordered Sweet and Sour Ribs, and they brought them to our table COLD. Eww! And the meat they served were tough, we can't even chew.

Day 3 and 4 (Halong Bay, Hoan Kiem Lake and Water Puppet Show) will be up on the next post~

Following is Day 5! We only have half a day more in Hanoi before we head to the Airport~

We engaged Hanoi kids from 9am to 12pm, its half a day tour. Hanoi Kids are students in University, its like a CCA for them! The student(s) will bring you around Hanoi, depending on where you wanna visit. For me, we chose Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex and ending the event with Cafe Giang's Egg Coffee!

Breakfast Buffet @ Hanoi Graceful Hotel

Woke up for Shake then head down to look at the breakfast choices. They also serve Pho. After breakfast, we waited for the student to pick us up from our hotel.
They'll pick up on time, so make sure you're ready before the meeting time to utillise the full 3hr or 6hr with them. We took a cab from Hanoi Graceful Hotel to Temple of Literature. About 10-15 minutes journey. The entrance fee for tourist is 30,000VND

Entrance of Temple of Literature

School Excursion probably

There're many historical artifacts inside the temple, but I didn't took any pictures because you should come look at it REAL LIFE yourself!! :P We spent about an hour + here, and continue to walk to Ho Chi Minh Complex.

On the way to Ho Chi Minh Complex and we saw Singapore Flag~

Behind us are flags from Vietnam and Singapore!! Heard that the yellow building is a meeting place for Government personnel, and because PM Lee is visiting the country, thus Singapore Flag is there, and Isarel's too.

Didn't take any pictures inside Ho Chi Minh Complex, but we took some pictures outside at the huge open space hehe. The entrance ticket to Ho Chi Minh Complex is VND10,000/person

One-Pillar Pagoda at the end of Ho Chi Minh Complex tour, also one of the top tourist attraction

We took a cab to Cafe Giang from One Pillar Pagoda with June guiding us.

Egg Coffee! Its a MUST-HAVE when you come Hanoi, because its so damn good. And their recipe is kept a secret. June said because of the small entrance, many people including the locals can't find the shop. Blessed to have her to bring us here ~

Group photo with June! She love the egg coffee here too!

Only mummy didn't order because she don't like the idea of any kind of new-mix out of the ordinary. Daddy, SissyJ and I both had 2 cups of hot Egg Coffee

June brought us to where we can have our lunch before saying goodbye even tho it was 30min over the scheduled time with Hanoi kids. I'm thankful to have June with us for the 3.5hours, or I'd have an headache directing myself from places to places. And she also explained to us the background of each attraction.
After lunch we walked around and decided to go for 1 last round of massage before heading to the airport. Hehe. We arranged airport transfer with our hotel's reception when we were checking in. Initially told us USD16 or 18, and I ask him why is it so expensive, he said it is a bigger car. I told him clearly that we just need a normal 4-seater car, then he quoted us USD14 for a 4-seater car which was just nice for us!

Airport before checking in!

Our flight was delayed for 1 hour and we were given this voucher for our free meal. But it was clearly a scam. All the food there was frozen pre-cooked food, and they were disgusting. Rice was hard, pho was so salty, coffee was only half filled.

Ohwell. We still ate a lil, and wait till our onboard meal.

The only 2 cab companies you should take to prevent scams.