Hanoi and Halong Bay, Vietnam

Here's my notes, photos to follow, once I sort them out!

Thursday 6th Feb

Arrived at Hanoi airport but no driver to pick me up. Called the hotel and they said someone should be there soon. Waited another 15/20 mins and had to call again!! 5 mins later a guy comes up not with a sign but with my name on his mobile! OK, I just wanted to get into the city and check-in. 45/50 mins to hotel. Hanoi Sky Hotel is at the bottom edge of the Old Quarter and is a very nice hotel, staff polite and friendly, plus a beer from the minibar is only 1USD. So I had a couple.

Friday 7th Feb

Breakfast around 9am and then organising my trip to Halong Bay and therefore another night at the hotel. Then doing some synchronising with my iPhone, iPad and MacBook. The WiFi here the best I've had since home!

Out for a 2/3 hour walk around the Old Qtr.

So not cool....

Getting hassled at every opportunity, avoiding being mowed down by scooters, all adds to the experience. Back to hotel and a shower and nap. Out for dinner but ended up back at PUKU for a chicken burrito and a couple of beers - 235,000VND about £6.80 before going back to hotel and bed!

Saturday 8th Feb

Day 1, up early to pack for the 2night/3day trip and leave my main bag at hotel. Was informed the previous evening that I needed to be ready between 8-8:30. However, when I went to change up 90 Euros was told I was being picked up at 7:50! So quick breakfast then checkout and off to Halong Bay. 

The trip to Halong Bay took almost 4 hours with a compulsory stop at one of the local trade retail outlets where the goods were very pricey!

Straight to the boat, the Galaxy Premium (one of three, all with the same name). First we had lunch and got to know one another, then off we went to visit a set of caves where you had to climb many steps, so good exercise. The caves were quite spectacular but I've seen caves before so they all have similar aspects.

Back to the boat and off to another rock/island that had a small beach and a walk to the top, some more physical exertion!

And the boat:

Back to the boat for dinner, Karaoke! Then bed, as breakfast was at 7am, what's going on…

Sunday 9th Feb

Day 2, but they seem to mainly do 2 days 1 night and I had booked 3 days 2 nights, so I get off loaded to a day boat, a lot smaller, to meet some other people doing the 3 day/2 nights. Damien and Lindsay from the US and Ludo from Avignon en France. Two kayak sessions and lunch but in a much quieter part of Halong Bay. Had a beer and three coffees cost me 150,000VND - £4.33 and then back to the main boat.

Then on to the same beach as before but as I had already done it I gave it a miss. There were a lot more people on this boat 20 so I made it 21. A couple of Aussies. Some Germans, French, French Canadians, South Korea and Singapore. Quite a mix!

Dinner and then basically bed, no one seemed to even think about karaoke.

Monday 10th Feb

Day 3, up early to half pack before breakfast and then more kayaking with the French Canadian, somehow never got around to exchanging names! However, it was cool and I got a less wet this time than before, I'm learning. Back to the boat to check out and then a trip to the Oyster Farm, where you see how they make sure they get pearls, etc back on board for a cooking lesson in how to make spring rolls, pork, carrot, cucumber, spring onion and vermicelli noodles. All mixed together and then put in a very thin pancake, just like we use for crispy aromatic duck. I made one! they took them away and we had them for lunch. Time to go but had to pay my bar bill, 8 beers at 2.5USD, i.e. 20 USD but I paid in VND. The prices of the beers were a lot more expensive than the hotel minibar!

Eventually got back to the hotel, checked in, gotta a bigger room with a kingsize bed and a slightly better view.  Out for dinner, I went back to PUKU but sat inside and had the local fried rice with chicken, and a couple of larger (450ml) Bia Ha Noi. This only cost 150,000VND - £4.50 ish depending on the prevailing exchange, there's quite a variance, and each beer was only 30,000VND, not bad!

Back to hotel to book drop off at airport and to sync the tech then go to bed. Only problem was the WiFi in this room (501) was not as good as as before in (606). 

Tuesday 11th Feb

Up for breakfast and then back to keep syncing the tech and pack. Checkout but was a little disappointed as I had to pay another $16USD for drop off, I had thought that the original $18USD was for two ways, that's the impression I got. So final bill was $56USD but I paid in VND, so 1,176,000VND that equated at today's rate as $55.50USD so I saved half a buck! Whoopee Do...

To the airport, checked in them off to Hue