Xin Chào from Việt Nam

[ponash123]

Although it’s across the world upwards of 4,000 degrees, we had a fabulous time and greatly enjoyed our time in Vietnam!

-   The dollar goes a LONG way. Everything is super cheap there and with the exchange rate, you get a lot for your money
-   We went in August, which is rainy season. Thankfully, we had great weather and it barely rained. That being said, it was extremely hot. It was about 95 degrees, but the humidity is the real killer. It’s all encompassing and quite intense, so be prepared.
-   Vietnam requires a visa to enter. It’s a relatively easy process but be aware that they are quite strict and can get finicky about small details. You will not be allowed to board your flight in the US without an approved Visa. Although it took 3 days for some of us, some took a lot longer. It’s advisable to submit the request as early as you can.
-   We were originally supposed to take a flight leaving Vietnam very late Monday night, land in Seoul Tuesday morning and spend the day in Seoul. We would then leave Seoul Tuesday night and land in JFK Tuesday night. A few days prior they cancelled our flight out of the blue. We were forced to rebook the flight for Wednesday morning with a just enough time to catch our connecting flight in Seoul, due to the availability of the flights on Korean Air. It was upsetting to miss Seoul, but we were happy to have an additional day in Vietnam (although it was difficult to maneuver workwise).


There are no direct flights to Vietnam. We took a flight through Tokyo, leaving early Sunday afternoon and landing in Vietnam late Monday night.
We drove to our hotel, which was about half 25 minutes from the airport and got there late at night.
We chose to stay in the Intercontinental Westlake, mostly due to its proximity to Chabad (we didn’t want to switch for Shabbos since we’d be moving around a lot) and its appeal as a beautiful luxurious hotel.  They were not being helpful with heating up our food and we were four people, so between the two, we decided to take the 2-bedroom Residence. This was a beautiful overwater suite with a full kitchen, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The only downside was that it was situated on West Lake, facing the street, which resulted in a lot of noise from the locals fishing throughout the night.



View from our balcony. These guys did not move, day or night



Tuesday:
We woke up early Tuesday morning for a full day trip to Ninh Binh. We took an organized tour since it included pickup from Hanoi (about a 2-hour drive) and all admissions and guides.
Once we reached Ninh Binh we headed to Mua Cave. The hike to the Hang Mua mountain peak will give you breathtaking views of the area.
The hike includes about 500 steps, some of which are quite steep. It’s not very difficult, but it was extremely extremely hot, so that definitely added to the intensity. 
Upon reaching the peak, we caught our breath and admired the amazing beauty of the Tam Coc area.















View of Tam Coc from the peak:


After climbing down, we explored the lotus field nearby. Although they were not in full bloom, it was still incredibly picturesque.


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After lunch we took a long boat ride through Tam Coc. 
The boat ride is a wooden boat, with a local that paddles with their feet through the river.
It’s enjoyable and relaxing, with beautiful views of the rice fields, surrounding limestone mountains and caves.









Floating Snack Bar:



We then enjoyed a nice bike ride around the surrounding villages and rice fields.




Wednesday:
We woke up early Wednesday morning for our overnight trip to the Halong Bay area.
Originally, we had booked the Dragon Legend Tour in Bai Tu Bay through Indochina Junk.
Monday Evening, Indochina Junk reached out informing us that a staff member tested positive, so they needed to disinfect the boat. They offered to put us on a sister cruise going to Lan Ha Bay.
We didn’t have much choice, so accepted that offer and ended up going with Adela Boutique Cruise.

It’s ironic, since I spent so much time researching the different options and bays before I made this decision and then it all changed. It all worked out in the end though and I don’t believe there’s much of a difference in the bays.
I do think that the Dragon Legend boat is a bit nicer than the Adela Cruise, but it was perfectly fine and we enjoyed.

They picked us up in a shared transfer from Hanoi, and then picked up the other passengers from around town. We then drove the 3-hour trip to the harbor.
About 2.5 hours in, we made a stop at a Pearl Farm. It was incredibly fascinating to see and learn the process of how pearl cultivation is completed. We watched each step of the process, where the workers fertilize the oysters and then finally retrieve them and create jewelry.






We reached Tuan Chau International Harbor, which is the loading spot for all the cruises. We waited and wandered around a bit until our cruise was ready. They then loaded us on a tender transfer boat for a ride to the actual boat.

The cruise includes food, but we brought our own. Our original tour operator sent fruit platters with each meal as a token, which was nice.
We brought our wrapped meal for dinner, and they heated it up for us without a problem.










Lan Ha Bay is incredibly beautiful and picturesque, with a series of amazing limestone cliffs and islands. It’s neighboring the more famous Halong bay and offers the same stunning scenery but without the large crowds.

After settling in and having lunch, we went out for a rowboat ride to the Dark and Light Cave.
Passing through the caves you see a sea valley surrounded by magnificent mountains and it’s quite beautiful.






After getting back to the boat, they had some water activities and swimming set up nearby for some fun.
We then watched sunset on deck, enjoyed the spa on board, and dinner.
After dinner, they offered squid fishing, which was pretty lame to be honest.


Thursday:

We woke up bright and early (the relentless jet lag helped with this) and went up to deck for a magnificent sunrise.
All the nearby boats were anchored for the night as well and it was a really surreal sight.











We then participated in a sunrise Tai Chi class on deck and then had a light breakfast.



We went kayaking around the boat at 7:00 AM, which was absolutely amazing. It was silent with that early morning stillness and the views were just otherworldly.













After packing up, we enjoyed lunch and then went back on the tender to go back to port.
After enjoying a leisurely coffee while waiting for our ride, we then loaded the bus for the 3 hour drive back to Hanoi.

That evening, we decided to head out to the Hanoi town. We headed to the famous Train Street in the hopes of seeing the train come by.
The Hanoi Train Street is one of the most famous spots in Hanoi. It’s a tiny narrow street hidden in one of the back streets of Hanoi and surrounded by high narrow houses packed closely together. The train passes literally 3 feet away from the houses. It’s become a popular tourist spot and has cafes lining the street.
Unfortunately, the schedule seemed to be erratic, and we missed the actual train passing by. We were too exhausted to wait for the next train, so we just strolled around for a bit and enjoyed our time there.




Hanoi in general is CHAOTIC. There are seemingly no traffic rules, severe congestion, and a tremendous number of motorbikes, bikes, and cars clamoring about.
You will see whole families on motorbikes swerving about, as well as formally dressed businesswoman on their way to and from work.
Just trying to go for a simple walk will result in getting hammered by honking sounds, dust, and the occasional curses from all directions, without any idea what you are supposed to do other than duck and swerve.

To be continued.

[ponash123]

Friday:

We spent Friday around Hanoi and hired a driver to be with us for the day to avoid having to get taxies all the time (and can’t beat the price!).  We found that one day was definitely enough to see the sights of Hanoi and more time is unnecessary.

Trấn Quốc Pagoda is the most ancient pagoda in Hanoi and is located on a small peninsula in West Lake. Due to the historical and architectural values, it attracts many tourists.
Therefore, there are vendors and locals milling about selling wares.












Mid-day nap:


Train street in daylight:





Hoàn Kiếm Lake is a picturesque lake located in the middle of Hanoi.
There is a beautiful bridge crossing the lake and connecting the bank to the Ngoc Son Temple. We didn't enter the temple, but one can see inside from the courtyard and there are lots of Buddha statues with piles of gold at its feet.









We then spent a long time strolling around the Old Quarter.
Hang Ma street is a colorful, vibrant, and bustling street in the Hanoi Old Quarter.
There are a lot of stores selling traditional crafts, decorations, and a plethora of random items. It kind of looks like a junk drawer vomited on the street and it’s great fun to walk around and shop (though we didn’t buy much, you can find better items elsewhere).
We also took the ubiquitous tuk-tuks to get from one street to another.


















There are counterfeit designer items being sold all over the country and being worn by the locals. We got a kick out of this woman. Can’t decide which label? Go for all!



Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum holds the embalmed remains of Ho Chi Minh. It’s an impressive building, with a large square in front. The mausoleum is guarded by armed guards who take their job very seriously.
It was brutally hot at this point, so we didn’t stay long. As a side point, water is super cheap (like 50 cents a bottle) and readily available.






Hỏa Ḷ Prison, dubbed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’, was a prison originally used by French colonists and later by North Vietnam during the war.
It’s most famous for being where John McCain was held for five and a half years. 
The prison's focuses on the sufferings of Vietnamese revolutionaries who were held there under French rule. When the American POWs make an appearance, they're presented as clean-shaven, well-treated, and hanging out, playing ball with their captors.
They have life size depictions of prisoners, cells, manacles etc. as well as a replica of the how the prison used to look.
It’s a bit unsettling but definitely worth a visit.


 



We then headed back to the hotel to get ready for Shabbos.
We took a taxi to Chabad, which is a couple of minutes from the Intercontinental.

Shabbos:

We had a really beautiful Shabbos with the Hanoi Chabad. They are wonderful people and there was a nice crowd there. We had a 20 minute to our hotel, which is along a very busy road with no sidewalks, so caution was necessary!

We had a domestic flight at 9:45, therefore planned to leave immediately after Shabbos. As soon as Shabbos was out, we hurried to pack up and get out. What ensued was a comical string of events.

First our driver didn’t show. After waiting around and texting them (turns out he came, didn’t see us, and left to get gas), we called a taxi. By the time we left, we were about half hour behind schedule.

We then showed up to the airport and mistakenly went to the international terminal, not domestic. Upon realizing this, we raced outside (MULTIPLE suitcases in tow) and ran to catch a bus to the domestic terminal, a few miles away.
By the time we reached the right terminal it was 9:15, half hour to our flight. We proceeded to attempt to check in with the 2 agents that did not speak a word of English. A few minutes later, the agent gestures to one friend to follow him to the ticket purchasing counter and proceeds to try to explain that her ticket had inexplicably been cancelled.

Meanwhile, the other friend was attempting to check us in and all our bags. They kept stating their baggage policies, while we kept stating our intention to pay and brandishing our credit card to get the point across. I spent the next 20 minutes racing back and forth between the two friends. One hysterically explaining to the agents that she cannot possibly stay overnight by herself in a strange country, the other impossibly trying to communicate with the check in agents.
Eventually, the ticket agents agreed to sell her another ticket (they were under the assumption that she was the tour guide of our group and therefore needed to be on the plane, and we did not correct them), and we managed to get ourselves checked in, though it was too late for most of our bags to go through the conveyor belt. We raced through the airport with multiples agents in tow, suitcases in hand, and made it onto the plane with 2 minutes to spare!
We then had an hour long flight to decompress and landed in Da Nang for the next leg of our journey.

[tavster]

Great TR. Thanks for taking the time to share

[ponash123]

Sunday:

We spent the next few days based in Hoi An, which is about a 40 minute drive from the Da Nang airport, and we absolutely loved our time there!
It’s a stark contrast from the chaotic noisy city of Hanoi and was definitely more our speed.
Hoi An is a quaint coastal city with a well-preserved ancient town, a mix of architecture and iconic bridges and pagodas. It’s also known for its textile industry, which attracts a lot of visitors.

We had 3 days there and basically spent each day the same. A half day tour of a specific area or topic and then a few hours strolling about the old town.

We chose to stay in the Hoi An Chic hotel, which is located in a quiet village between the beach and the old town.
It’s an idyllic boutique hotel nestled in the middle of rice fields, with impeccable service and beautiful, rustic styled rooms.  They house a cafe on their grounds called Chic Chillax which is a hubs for locals and other tourists to congregate for coffee and picturesque views of rice fields and windmills.







The hotel was pretty empty, but there were several other guests milling about.





We had a late start on Sunday morning and relaxed in the hotel, enjoying breakfast with a view. When we were ready, we took a taxi to town for a few hours of exploring. 
We spent quite a bit of time there over the next few days, so I will post pictures at a later time.

We returned to the hotel for lunch and then headed out for our afternoon tour of Da Nang and Ba Na Hills.
We were picked up from our hotel and proceeded to have an hour-long ride to the Bà Nà Cable Car, the world’s longest cable car.
Bà Nà Hills is one of the most popular attractions in the area, due to the amusement park at the peak. The only way to reach it is by cable car, so there are lots of visitors milling about.

Riding the cable car was a unique, thrilling, and breathtaking experience. It’s quite long (17 minutes on my watch!) and spread underneath you is the beauty of the surrounding forests, the Marble Mountains in the distance, and spectacular views of the city of Da Nang. As we ascended, we felt the mountain fog getting thicker, and the air getting cooler.
As someone who is afraid of heights, it was unquestionably a nail-biting ride, but worth every minute!














There are 2 tiers to the cable car. We alit from the cable car at the first level to view the famous Golden Bridge. It was quite foggy when we first arrived, but thankfully it cleared up and we got magnificent views (and photos). It’s touristy but very very cool to see. There are lots of people all jostling for the best picture, so it’s best to come early or late afternoon.








In the fog:






The park also features gardens and restaurants, which we enjoyed strolling through (at which point it started to pour). There was a short tour of the underground French wine cellars which was interesting to see as well.













Giant Buddha:


We then boarded a cable car again to ride to the next level, Sun World.
At the top, we walked through one of the attractions in the park, the French Village (at which point it started to pour). This is a tribute to the French colonists and is built to look like a mini French Village.
It reminded me of Hogsmeade mixed with a medieval town. It’s certainly a unique place and really enjoyed our time there. Plus, the cooler weather at that altitude was a welcome reprieve from the heat. 

After a while of walking around (and a quick fun attempt at bumper cars) we took the cable cars back down. At this point it was quite dark and was lightning, so it was really frightening, but on the upside, we couldn’t see anything.   










Next stop was the Dragon Bridge, a bridge spanning the Hàn River, easing traffic and simultaneously becoming a tourist attraction.
Every weekend night the 6 lane bridge is shut down for a light show, while the crowds gather across the river.
The dragon breathes fire and water, while being lit up. It’s a bit kitschy but was certainly cool to see.

[sam28]

Thanks for the Tr keep it coming

[ponash123]

Monday:

We had a vespa tour of the Hoi An Countryside scheduled for half a day. When no one showed, I reached out to learn that the driver had an accident and was in the hospital (not very encouraging as he was supposed to be driving the vespas).
We quickly arranged a new tour with the same company, that we had been planning on doing the next day. After waiting a bit, they showed up and we began our tour.

Our first stop was a local rice farmer. It was fascinating to see how he and his wife farmed their land, and we got to actually try the process as well.
They farm this land purely for their own use (they own a plot) and make a (paltry) sum off tips from tourists to live on. Their estimated weekly income came to about $30.
We also were able to ride the water buffalo, which is used to pull the plow. We experienced a short but fascinating lesson and had some hands-on experience of how rice is planted, cultivated, and harvested.
Deep in the fields we spotted a small animal and, upon closer observation, discovered a newborn water buffalo. These animals were not afraid of humans, and we were able to get quite close.








Rice growing:


 

Mama and baby buffalo:



 

We are farmers (bum bum bum)



“The place where dead people stay”, as per one of our drivers:



We then went on to a Basket Boat ride on the Thu Bon river.
This was a traditional way of transporting goods and is now a fun activity to do.
You boat through the coconut forest, which is a chance to see how water coconuts grow, an introduction to new kind of fruit I hadn’t seen or tasted before.
You then can watch basket boat performers, who perform a spinning dance in the basket boat to lively music. They also will spin your boat for a small tip, which is great fun, albeit slightly dizzying.











We also watched a traditional fisherman, standing on this boat and throwing the fishing net into the water.




It was a really nice fun relaxing tour and we enjoyed immensely.
We then went back to the hotel to have lunch and cool off for a couple of hours.
Next up was back to the old town to stroll around and shop (pictures to be posted later).

Hoi An sits on the Hoai River and every night it is lit up by dozens of lantern clad boats. It was quite a surreal experience floating silently on the river surrounded by hundreds of handmade lit lanterns.
They also sell candles to make a wish upon and set in the river, so there were a ton of those floating about.










Tuesday:

We were originally supposed to leave Vietnam late Monday night. After our flight was cancelled, we were given this extra day and it really gave us a calm, relaxed time in Hoi An, and allowed us to just BE, which was really nice.
We started the day with a Vespa Countryside Tour, which was the tour we were supposed to do the day before.
It all worked out well in the end because the original tour was ride along and the new one we booked allowed us to ride our own vespas, which made all the difference. I can’t imagine it would’ve been too enjoyable if we were riding behind a driver.

We were picked up from out hotel by our guide and driven a few minutes to the starting point. We then boarded our Vespas and began driving.
It was really fun to be part of the busy traffic, weaving in and out of cars and people. We also drove through the rice fields and countryside, as well as vegetable farms.







Buffy chilling in the background:



A local shipyard where they were repairing older ships. They utilize everything they have, like using crushed up bamboo as caulk.









We visited a local woman’s home and watched how she made rice paper, wraps, and crackers. It was fascinating to see the process from beginning to end!






We stopped at a lantern making ‘workshop’ and had our own lessons and made our own, which was great fun.
It’s impressive once you realize that every single lantern hanging around town are all handmade and definitely gave us a greater appreciation for them.







When we were finished, we hooked our new lanterns onto the back of our bikes and continued on our way.

We stopped at the beautiful An Bang Beach for some drinks and snacks.






We returned to the hotel for lunch and downtime, and then headed back to town.

In the town, there are many wonderful shops and views, and we definitely got our fair share of people-watching here, as there are many tourists, both from other cities in Vietnam, and from other countries around the world.
We also took advantage of the fabulously cheap garment industry and had a blast making customized clothing.







Japanese Covered Bridge:




We found this sign in middle of a large textile shopping center:




As the sun sets, the night market emerges, which is a great experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
There are rows of stalls set up with busy vendors selling a huge variety of things like clothing, handicrafts, trinkets, leather items etc.
Aside from the shopping, we had great conversations with the local vendors, who were extremely friendly.












Wednesday:

Wednesday was travel day and were up early to pack up and leave Hoi An. We had a flight through Seol with a short stopover.
When sitting on the plane in Da Nang we were informed that we were going to be a bit delayed due a typhoon in Hong Kong.
This cut our connection time to an impossible feat. We discussed this with the flight attendants, who arranged for someone to greet us when we disembarked and escort us through the airport.
ICN is a tremendous airport and we had to switch terminals, so it was a big deal.

Our next flight ended up being delayed an hour, which was a blessing, since I doubt we would’ve made it (both legs were booked through Korean Air as one flight).
Additionally, Korean Air didn’t allow us to check in ahead of time, so we were racing against the clock.

We ran through the airport and finally made it to the Korean Air desk. The agents were quite nasty and proceeded to berate us for being late (it was their flight) and inform us that we were in middle seats for the 14 hour flight.
We spent some time fighting with them and it all worked out, but it definitely left a bad taste in our mouths towards the airline.
Our original flight had us with a full day stopover in Seoul, but after going through the airport and dealing with the people, we were perfectly fine to have missed it.
Once we were seated, we had a smooth flight (though they did strictly enforce masks) and landed in JFK at 9:00 PM Wednesday night, incidentally the same exact time we had left South Korea.

[Mh1]

Amazing TR

Thanks for sharing!

I spent 6 weeks in Vietnam so this brought back fantastic memories

[ponash123]

Amazing TR

Thanks for sharing!

I spent 6 weeks in Vietnam so this brought back fantastic memories

Thank you! That must've been amazing, we definitely could've used more time!

[shwarmabob]

-   Vietnam requires a visa to enter. It’s a relatively easy process but be aware that they are quite strict and can get finicky about small details. You will not be allowed to board your flight in the US without an approved Visa. Although it took 3 days for some of us, some took a lot longer. It’s advisable to submit the request as early as you can.

+1
sometimes the website to submit the visa application is down

[SuperFlyer]

Thank you Ponash123 for this yet again amazing TR.
I enjoy the nice pictures (which camera?) and the accompanying light to read text as well as not just staying on the typical tourist path.

[whacked1]

 

We are farmers (bum bum bum)

LOL. Put a smile on my face!

Thanks for great TR!

[ponash123]

Thank you Ponash123 for this yet again amazing TR.
I enjoy the nice pictures (which camera?) and the accompanying light to read text as well as not jut staying on the typical tourist path.

Thank you! It was a great trip!!

[ponash123]

LOL. Put a smile on my face!

Thanks for great TR!

 

[Moshe123]

This is amazing!

[UKinNYS]

Really great TR 👍
How safe did you feel on the Vespa tour?
I'd be really hesitant after hearing someone lost their life in Thailand + quite a few close calls....

[ponash123]

Really great TR 👍
How safe did you feel on the Vespa tour?
I'd be really hesitant after hearing someone lost their life in Thailand + quite a few close calls....

We didn't feel unsafe, but also weren't doing anything too crazy or going too fast

[justmeha]

Are all your TR's with the same group?

[ponash123]

Are all your TR's with the same group?

Yes. Not everyone comes on every trip, but it's the same people.
(My next TR will look a bit different as I and another friend in the group recently got married B"H).

[whacked1]

Yes. Not everyone comes on every trip, but it's the same people.
(My next TR will look a bit different as I and another friend in the group recently got married B"H).

Mazel tov! Is the Mr Ponash on ddf? 

[ponash123]

Mazel tov! Is the Mr Ponash on ddf? 

Nope