Hi friends,

Does anyone been Hanoi before?
Can share some experience on here?

Next year february i will going to Hanoi with some friends.
We plan go to Hanoi - SAPA - HalongBay..within this 5D4N..

Do your know those places nice? worth to go?
What is the special on there??

I looking for a reasonable trip and agents there.
So, does your have a honest agent can intro me?

Thank you so much.

Halong Bay is definately a place to go, take 2 day 1 nite trip for that.
And for others, there are so many local trips from adventure, to culture to forestry. Up to your own interest. You might also stay back at Hanoi, if you are not chinese, can try watch the puppet show.

"if you are not chinese, can try watch the puppet show"

i m chinese n i watch it..so?

I went to hanoi few months back, didn't went to SAPA village but went to Halong Bay for 1 day trip. I stayed in old quarters at one of those small streets in hanoi itself for around 4 days 3 nights. Per night is around usd15. I think you should stayed in old quarters for those who want to go hanoi to exeprience their lifestyle. Things are relative cheap.For food muz try the their barbecue beef kway teow,french loaf and drink the local draught beer (around rm1.00).

I dont think u able to go Hanoi + SAPA + Halong Bay all together in 5D4N. From Hanoi to SAPA alone is required 9 hours train.

I've contacted 1 of the agent sometimes back, and its offered $160 including accomodation in Hanoi + Halong Bay (On Board) + transportation transfer.

Hi All,

Thank you so much for all yours comments..

So far, I had tried to contact some local agent there..
because Day1, i will reach there around 9am..and Day5, i back from there around 6pm..

so, i bliv is enuf time for me to go SAPA...maybe a bit rush

Does everyone have experinece on SAPA trip?
Yes..Halong Bay is a must place to go...hehehe

Do yours have some photo? can share out?
thank you

May I know the your agent contact tel#?or email?
Does this agent good ?

The agencies there is mostly give the trip up to higher boss de. So it dosent really matter who you find, only matter is the fees they charge or maybe they take your money and run away just kidding. GO there, and find will get you cheaper and more choice, rush here and there not fun de lar.

Pic? all naked pic, cant post Want c halong bay go you tube type can liao

Autumn, I do have some pictures and details of my trip to Hanoi during Chinese New Year earlier this year.

More details at this thread:
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=635359&hl=hanoi

Autumn,

Is very rush, and seems cant enjoy much. Estimated itinerary if you wanted to go Halong Bay and SAPA.

Day 1 - 9am, Reach Hanoi, preparing for check-in as well as tour budgeting and some sigh seeing.
Day 2 - Depart from Hanoi to Halong Bay, overnight at Halong Bay.
Day 3 - Depart from Halong Bay, arrive back to Hanoi. Visit some place and do some shopping, depart night train to SAPA.
Day 4 - Reach SAPA... enjoy the scenery there and depart back to Hanoi at night.
Day 5 - Reach Hanoi, prepared to back KL.

Isn't that rush???? Can't even enjoyed in SAPA without overnight.

Thank you for sharing.

Those photo very nice.....
how much for all the tours?

Which is the place that you have deep impression?

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Added on July 24, 2008, 8:33 am


Yes. The trip look like cannot enjoy SAPA scenes.
May I know more details in SAPA?
What can see at there?

Thank you

Can't remember exactly how much I paid for the trip. Maybe around RM1.5k?
As for the place that leaves deep impression, I would say Halong Bay as the scenery was great. It would've been better if the weather was not as foggy when I was there The Old Quarters was nice too.

I will be going to Hanoi nxt mth too..But after reading/googling/seeing the travelogues & photos of SAPA, I think I definitely hv to skip wth only 4D3N there only

From the photos, it is a small town on the mid-mountain range 350KM North West of Hanoi. The town consist of French colonial buildings, and lotsa native Hmong villagers trading their goods on the main narrow street of Sapa. From the look probably like Tanah Rata /Brinchang but minus the modern fashions..most of the Hmong tribes still wearing their black customes (similar to those Hmong that I hv seen in Doi Ithanon area South of Chiang Mai)

More photos here: http://travel.webshots.com/album/557121988CDRrXq & here http://jamiemcdonaldphotography.wordpress....vietnam-photos/
& Wiki about Sapa : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa_Pa

Thank you so much.
May I know u booked hanoi local tour or agent here?
Can share out the package they offering you?

Yes. Even i will go there 5D4N, but i feel not enuf aslo.

I suggest you to book the local tour guide there as it is more cheaper and you can choose which place you would like to go.

I got the package tour via PYO travel...on the same time Air Asia promoting RM8 sometime in Jan'08. Well I was late to book via AA & I saw almost similar pricing to AA (ticket price on 14/8) offered by PYO & sumore comes wth 3N stay, 1/2 day Hanoi tour + 1 day Halong Bay...so grabbed-lah since AA ticket pricing also almost there....I got it for RM770/pax sound expensive buy If I will to DIY it will cost me slightly more due to local 1/2 day tour, accommodation & Halong Bay day trip..

I seldom take tour package & this is the 1st since my last tour package in 1996. I hv never took any package tour since 1996 till thsi trip

For Halong Bay, i will recommend you go for local tour. Bargain when you arrive.

While for Hanoi local tour to HCM complex, Temple of Literature, Lake... you can try use Hanoi Kids service which is free. Is an organisation setup by college student to bring you guys go around Hanoi in return they can learn their English with you. Highly recommended as they will bring you to somewhere that the tour guide wont do so.




Your RM770/pax included air ticket? If not then a bit expensive.

Halong Bay 1 night stay you can get it for $61.
1/2 day tour, as what i suggested can try Hanoi Kids.

It's full package-inclusive of air tickets, hotels, 3 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 day Hanoi city tour & 1 day Halong Bay..so it's pretty cheap oledi. If I minus the fuel surcharge & airport tax..the package should be only ~RM499!! that's a bargain i can't get...

Well only left 2 days to go looking forward for the trip early Thursday.....I hv 1 day of F&E &.probably i will buy a local trip to Tam Coc (Land-halong Bay) or even Perfume Pagoda) Not sure which one is better. Some say Perfumke Pagoda more happening but the ending wth tiring traking is horrible & scene not as nice as Tam Coc. And on Tam Coc some reviews by oversea blogger mentioned that the view is much Better than Halong Bay and almost like Guilin!! somore the trip passing thru 3 caves...Haizzz. dunno which want to choose..From the research that I hv made, the both day tour can USD15/pax

Mind to tell me which tour that you research that have USD15/pax?? I found so far the cheapest is USD20.

If you don't 1 go to both... you might can go to those HCM complex, Temple of Literature or One pillar Pagoda. If can, try to contact Hanoi Kids.

Those pagodas except HCM mosoleum is part of my full package tour-lah.. I was reading tjose Kwai Lou blogs via travbuddy.com....and found some even managed to bargain till USD9/pax...to a high of USD19.(So avg probably USD15)...they got it from those agents around old qiater..hehe that's where my hotel located... ..So should not be a problem for me to window shops during my nite shopping after both my day trip around Hanoi & halong Bay

Thats great! I planned for my trip for 10days included SAPA.

Chinese cant watch puppet show ah??confused

OK. Just came back from 4D3N Hanoi trip. Having fun there & suffering my 1st real summer heat nothing that hot in M'sia!! (Avg temperature ~36C!!)

Since there are 2 photos sharing threads created earlier by Hornet & Justin:
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=635359&hl=hanoi
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=671024&hl=hanoi

I will continue from where both left out some of sceneries that both missed

My 4D3N full package + 1 Day F&E covered 1 day Hanoi trip wth all the temple & place of interest posted by Justin/Hornet. 2nd day also a full day tour to Halong Bay & on the 3rd day - Bought a USD17 package to Tam Coc or Land- Halong (In Ning Binh) where not many tour in M'sia offered.

1st thing that shock me is the surburban areas of this city - Not as dirty as I imagine! No shanty towns like what I seen in Manila or even in Jakarta + no wooden houses! All houses are thin concrete & at least 3-5 story high.. Gigantic factories everywhere at the outskirts ...no wonder so many Japanese companies fleeing M'sia!! Also Vietnamese pray what Chinese pray & having almost similar culture to chinese...Hungry Ghost & even Mooncake festival...

Here are some of interesting photos:

1) Typical houses in Hanoi


2) Pasar Seni of Hanoi (Cho Dong Xuan) - Lotsa cheap souvenir, cloths & etc- haven for ladies- Bargain atleast 50%!!


3) Hoan Kiem lake - Giant Turtle (River terrapin) inside the temple:


6) Halong Bay panorama view..tnx to the super dupper hot weather & no haze on my 2nd & 3rd day:



7) View from the Dao Gu Cave (2nd cave) at Halong Bay - The 1st Tien Cung Dong -cave (Same meaning in chinese- Tien Kong Tong)is much better


8) Tam Coc boat ride - Nothing in M'sia or even those in Krabi/Phuket - Sceneries actually better than Halong Bay!!



9) 1 of the 3 caves at Tam Coc:

Wow, very nice pictures there Stimix. Would definitely love to go back there again in the future.

Tnx..me too thinking of nxt trip but not Hanoi..probably Centre Vietnam at Danang/ Hoi An /Dalat via HCM city..

More usefull info about Hanoi:

1) U get better rate by changing your USD at any banks rather than airport. Currently at 16,600Dong/1USD. Airport =16,150dong only

2) Don't buy things using USD. Normally those using USD are those tourist traps/stops/souvenir shops...On common street, use Dong as much as u can as u hv better bargaining power.

3) Most 3 stars & even some 2 Star hotels having FREE WIFI!! & the speed is >2500kbps!! ..So dun forget to bring your notebook. I regretted! I was a Shock to me when the receptionist told me the hotel having free WIFI & upon checking other hotels as well!!

4) Street foods/hawker near the centre of budget hotels in Hanoi old quarter are not cheap!! a simple fried Kueh Teow will cost u 40,000dong or RM8. For cheaper food, try shop around numerous bars & restaurants there. I managed to each a reasoneable clean restaurant/bar called "Bia Minh" near nite market - Pho Bo cost 23,000 dong & fried rice wth lotsa of medium size prawn only 35,000dong ...Surprisingly cheaper than the squatting dirty eateries alone the street!! Those hawker really know how to slaughter tourist!! - Anyway I dun really like Hanoi food... ..Even their Pho Bo or Pho Ga is not as good as Ipoh Ga choi Kai (Almost similar style)

5) Lotsa ripped metre taxi around Hanoi..be careful..I can be as low as 15000dong for a short 3Km trip bck to hotel or can be 55,000dong for a 5km trip bck from Nite Market to my hotel!!

Stimix, which open tour that you get for Tam Coc at USD17??? And you do overnight on board at Halong Bay, under which junk???

I got it via Discovery Travel Add 28, Hang Be St Hotline 097 88 48146. There are few discovery branches around old quarter. Another VERY/Extremely famous tour agent is SinCafe (I hope I got it right) Almost every corner of Hanoi old quarter u can see them.. Too bad I din check their pricing.

Anyway, u pay for what u get, Another M'sian that came together in same flight wth us booked direct wth our "Full package" tour agent for USD22 and their lunch is fantastic buffet style..Our lunch almost all vegetarian tasteless food except the popiah!! Hanoi has one of the worst food in all my journey!! ..Even the famous Pho Bo or Pho Ga nothing compare to Kueh teow Thng / Ga Choi Kai in Malaysia!

On Halong Bay, it's a day trip started leaving Hanoi at 8:30am & arriving back at 8PM!! - Well it's 170km away... ...I hv seeing the bedroom in on of the many junks there...very tiny & cramp....for me day trip is enough....I also dun want to get sea sick....bad experiences in my past travel especially on boat/snorkelling & etc...

(5D/4N)

Time

26/10 ( 0630 - 0845 ) - LCCT to honoi

27/10

take Hanoi city tour Ba Dinh Square , ho chi minh mausoleum & residence, one pillar pagoda temple of literature(The 1st university of vietnam ), etc. After lunch, proceed to Halong town, Halong bay was awarded by UNESCO as a natural heritage in 1994. stay one night in Halong bay.

28/10
Half day boat trip in Halong Bay to view multi-shaped rocks and visit the dramatic caves etc. After lunch, return to Hanoi .

29/10
After breakfast, drive tp Tam coc. Then visit to Bich Dong. After lunch, return to Hanoi .

30/10
Free and easy at hanoi

30/10 ( 1805-2230 ) - Return to Kuala Lumpur .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(6D/5N)
Time

26/10 ( 0630 - 0845 ) - LCCT to honoi

27/10
take Hanoi city tour Ba Dinh Square , ho chi minh mausoleum & residence, one pillar pagoda temple of literature(The 1st university of vietnam ), etc. After lunch, proceed to Halong town, Halong bay was awarded by UNESCO as a natural heritage in 1994. stay one night in Halong bay.

28/10
Half day boat trip in Halong Bay to view multi-shaped rocks and visit the dramatic caves etc. After lunch, return to Hanoi.After dinner, proceed to SAPA ( Need around 8 hour from Hanoi , sleep at train). I heard that this is a nice place to visit, i'm seaching to the detail.

29/10 ( morning ) Arrival at SAPA, stay one night at SAPA

30/10 After dinner, Return to SAPA (sleep at train also)

31/10 ( morning ) Arrival Hanoi, free and leisure until transfer to airport for departure

1802-2230 Return to Kuala Lumpur with sweet memories.

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hi sifu
my fren and i plan to take either 1 of the itinerary above,

any comment,advice and suggestion are appreciated

our budget is around 1k - 1.3k something in this range

no matter which plan u do, buy the USD first. Cze it will keep raising, till probably 3.50. So get it now.

ok thanks
how much cash should i prepare for a 5 to 6 days trip ?
i scare dint bring enough and at the same time dun wana bring too much

How safe is Hanoi? Anyone experienced something bad?
I felt very very safe in Chiang Mai and we are deciding to go either CM again or to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh.

Depending whether your itineraries are DIY or partial full package and how much u allocate for souvenir.

I was on a 4D3N full board for 1st 2 days & on 3rd day it's free and easy. I decided to buy the USD17/pax Tam coc day trip & that's the singloe largest amt I hv paid for my trip. Others are the dinners (Lousy! & expensive), nite taxi rides, abit of souvenirs (<RM60- nothing much to buy ? probably too cheap )

I brought in USD200, Changed USD110 to Dong throughout my 4D there & managed to convert bck USD90 in KL.... .SO Total cost only RM370!! ...But as mentioned by WCtan...USD is increasing daily at a crazy pricing..so if do not want to pay more..better buy now...

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Added on August 22, 2008, 9:25 amIt's very safe..even the taxi guys are so friendly although can't speak English. Probably due to the communist status of that country, ppl not dare to do bad things or else......I feel Hanoi is much cleaner than Jakarta & Manila and having less/no beggars, less highrises, no shanty towns (Setinggan) and have the feeling of oldies especially the old quarters, nice french decorated buildings.....just like the 70' of Penang....These u can't find it in Chiang Mai or Bangkok. Furthermore the Buddhism in Hanoi also so diff from Thailand.....They pray what Chinese pray - Confusious + Buddism + Kwan Im...

got more pics to poison us? im looking forward to Vietnam, still deciding Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh..

I hv not been to HCM but from what I heard thru chit chatting wth other tourist, it's a much larger city wth more highrises but less the culture, history & beautiful sceneries to Hanoi. The history they hv there are more on the Vietnam war & Vietcong!

If I'm planning HCM City I will probably include travelling inland from HCM- Phonm Phen_ Siem Riep....or another route will be HCM>Danang/Hoi An/Hue>Hanoi...it will be very interesting covering almost all of Vietnam!

Here's more photos:

1) Hanoi old quarter from the C? Huong bridge:


2) Sururban are of Hanoi - see no shanty town!!


3) Hanoi Old Quarter Traditional traders -road side meat seller + Kandar lady!:


5) Temple of Literature:




6) Halong Bay - Tien Cung Dong (Cave of heavenly palace)




6) Tam coc river Caves:




7) Hoa Lu - 1st temple of Vietnam >1000yrs ago!!:

I just booked my AA ticket to Hanoi for 10D/9N. My plan is like this:

Day 1 : Arrive at Hanoi, no idea what place to visit yet as the itinerary will depends on the Hanoi kids
Day 2 : Day trip to Perfume Pagoda
Day 3: Day trip to Tam Coc, Night Train to SAPA
Day 4 : Arrive SAPA, overnight at hotel
Day 5 : SAPA, overnight at homestay
Day 6 : SAPA, night train to Hanoi
Day 7 : To Halong Bay, overnight on board
Day 8 : Halong Bay, Back to Hanoi
Day 9 : Full day trip with Hanoi Kids
Day 10 : Free and Easy, back to KL

stimix, thx for the info. we might go hanoi for 3 nights, want to see halong bay. if not, we'll go chiang mai again which i really like.

in vietnam the money changers there only accept USD is it?

For me Chiang Mai is abit boring except the shopping at nite bazaar & Doi Ithanon (Highest Mountain in Thailand + largest water fall)..Other than that nothing much to do there because the city is already well developed, no real "retro" feeling & etc....In Hanoi, it will recall back your old memories..of ppl trading on the road side, makan at a tiny little chairs & low tables, & the beautiful sceneries of Tam Coc (Actually I enjoy Tam Coc rather than Halong Bay bcos those in Halong Bay not much diff (Although much bigger) from Phang Nga bay in Phuket/Krabi Thailand...

i already looked at AA website, hanoi is cheaper to go to than chiang mai, so we may spend longer than 3 days there.

chiang mai was not boring for me, there were so many places to go to and still many more that we missed. next time we go we are going to rent a car. i also liked the people very much, so friendly and not in a hurry unlike in our big cities. during traffic jam, some cars just stop and let passengers off etc but we didn't hear anyone honking at all, if in KL...aiyo... come out n want to fight liaw!

maybe we will go to CM first, then from there go BKK, and make plans to go other places such as Hanoi via Air Asia Thailand.

Well personal liking.. Thailand is abit bored to me probably been there numerous times oledi. They developed too fast & 2nd /better than M'sia esp development in BKK - It's another KL to me well on larger scale.. ...so it's lost most of it's cultural attractions even in Chiang Mai the Hmong villages that I visited at Doi Suthep oledi it's originality all due to development & just to enter the long neck village further North of Chiang Mai, ask to pay USD30/pax!! & I kena tolled RM40/pax just to drive up to Doi Ithanon!

Really nice photos of vietnam. Well done !

Vietnam was part of China from around 220BC to 1000 AD for around 1000 years, that's why their culture is very similar. Even their language borrowed a lot of chinese words.

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Added on August 24, 2008, 11:24 pm

I see a lot of chinese characters in the temples.

I think one day I am going there to see how much chinese influence is there still in vietnam.

Anybody want to join me ?

Stimix : U used DSLR or normal compact digital Camera?

I.m using pro-sumer Olympus C760UZ (in between compact & DSLR). Want to buy? I'm selling cheap right now.check my siggy...The performance better than lotsa high MP camera nowadays even the night shooting is much better than my new panasonic TZ15!!

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Added on August 25, 2008, 7:36 amThe chinese characters appeared on all temples in Vietnam (Except newer one)..Infact they use chinese character before the romanisation of Vietnamese languarge after French occupation. They treat Chinese languarge as their Bahasa Classic similar to Korean..

Most of the vietnamese words also derive from chinese such as counting, & etc. Only when they built into words, u can't understand..so it's consider another chinese dialect actually not really borrowed....check more photos of Hanoi, Halong Bay & Hoa Lu on the Chinese influenced to Vietnamese culture:

1) Confucius inside temple of literature (1st University of Vietnam)


2) Stella s wth the the successful graduate names (Doctors) all in chinese inside the 1st University. Old photos show potential graduate in chinese costumes walking wth wooden bags to the exam hall very similar to those Hong Kong movies such as Chinese ghost story (Leslie Cheung carry the same bag to the exam hall)


3) Kwan Im inside One Pillar Pagoda:


4) More Confucius statue inside Hoa Lu ancient temple:


5) Burner/stupa wth ancient Chinese character beside the oldest temple in Vietnam


6) Turtle temple beside Hoan Kiem lake:


7) Hoan Kiem lake tower:


8) 1st University of Vietnam - entrance gate


9) !st Emperor of Vietnam (Ly). Check the dressing..similar to Chinese emperor:


10) Mooncakes selling everywhere in Hanoi right now:

WoW ! You really took a lot of nice pictures of vietnam.

After seeing the photos, I feel like I am in Penang or Hong Kong.

I wonder whether saigon has similar structures.

I think their food is also very similar to chinese, noodles, rice etc.
Why no photos of their food ?

Hmnn OK the food of Hanoi...Actually not really good. The best was the lunch on my 1sr day in a boutique style restaurant -too bad din snapped any photo of this nice lunch

Others:

1) 1st nite dunno what beef noodle soaked in some alcohol tasted soup..yuks..My wife & daughter almost vomit - Hmnn dun tell me this dog meat instead of beef - Cost for 3 plates inc of drinks - 75,000dong or RM15!! not cheap!


2) So-so lunch at Halong bay -inside the junk - very romantic actually...fronting the floating fish market & surrounded by the beautiful scenery - part of package; (Eggs, Popiah, fried sotong & fried fish)


3) 2nd nite road side squating restaurant right in the middle of budget hotels area at Old Quarter - Damn expensive..This meal cost me 150,000dong or RM30 for 3!!- consist of 1 fried chicken, 2 fried eggs, 1 cantonese fried kueh teow & 2 plain fried rice!!


4) Last nite - found a cheap restaurant cum pub at the back of nite market - All Mat Salleh except me! ordered Pho Bo (The most famous food in Vietnam) & also Shrimp fried rice. Total cost suprisingly only 68,000dong or RM13.6 only....Damn got cheated by the street food restaurants!! anyway food taste so-so only..hv to add lotsa salt & pepper!!

4.1 - pho Bo (Beef noodle) - Another rsimilar version using shredded chicken is call Pho Ga price 23,000dong (photo taken using pda -not so good - Very similar to M'sian Kueh teow thng or shredded chicken kueh teow soup but minus the great M'sian taste! ..BTW, the hotel that I stayed also served Pho Bo & Pho Ga every morning..taste better than this restaurant!


4.2 Shrimp fried rice - 35,000dong - also so-so only:


5) Others misc photos of street foods & the best ice-cream in Hanoi - damn nice.+ Fruit seller in Halong Bay;

Ha..ha.. So malaysian food and chinese food is still the best in the world.

That's my experience too.

I would have thought that vietnamese food would be as nice and spicy as thai food.

Yes M'sian food is much better but Northern Vietnamese food actually just like chinese food-leh..The photos will tell u it's chinese food

Did we need to apply visa for Vietnam?

Travel within ASEAN countries by any ASEAN citizen are VISA free

WOuld like to know how different saigon is from hanoi.

The local handicraft products are cheap and nice...

Puppet shows a little boring for me...

No idea haven't been to HCM ...but the Tou yu did told us the diff between the South is very apparent...South temples are not influenced by Chinese culture but more towards the Indian Buddhism thus having similar architecture as those in Cambodia & Thailand.. ...However there are huge Chinese in Saigon. Also Saigon is much modern & bigger than Hanoi