2003 HANOI

Ms A is an energetic lady, once asked my favor to guide her, how to enjoy Vietnam. She & her husband plan to go there before they move back to Hamburg. Here is my email to her.

Since you like to do & see many things, perhaps you should travel from the north to the south. The people in the south is friendlier than in the north, so maybe it’s better to have a little shock welcome, but then you’ll have a sweet farawel . The weather in the south is also milder & clearer. But don’t mention about the SO2 & CO2 from their motocycle’s exhaust , it’s now part of Vietnam culture, isn’t it ?

So, start from the north : Hanoi, the capital. A tiny copy of Beijing, dusty, foggy & dry; has many lakes; art gallery; mausoleum; French colonial building & old town quarter. 1 missing from ist copy is high rise modern buildings. On the street maybe you’ll feel safe, because in every corner, there are many people in uniform. They could be police, soldier, guard, or veteran Vietkong (sorry forgot to ask). The unsafe thing is motorrad !!  But don’t worry, I guarantee, after 1-2 days, you’ll get used to. You’ll be able to walk across the road without even look at them !! Trust me 

Is performing art your favorite menu ? Water pupet may quench your thirst. For more serious, Hanoi has opera house, both western or traditional style. It has even National Symphony Orchestra. Fine art fans also have many places to see. Besides art galleries along many avenue, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum at Nguyen Thai Hoc Street has great antique & modern collection. Opposite this museum, Van Mieu Temple could also satisfy the soul.  1 thing to do in this temple & museum area : ignore the art galleries & souveneer shops. They try to cheat you w/ “non profit” or charity mark. Their price is sky high. Please wait until you’re in Saigon.

Fancy eating : Club Opera, on the opposite of Sofitel Metropole, at Hilton & Opera House neigborhood. Regular meal : Paris Deli, opposite Hilton Opera. It’s like Delifrance here. We stay in Sofitel Plaza (Acorr), it’s a bit outside, if you want in the city centre : Sofitel Metropole (Acorr), Hilton Opera.

2003 HA LONG

3 hours drive from Hanoi, heading north east, you’ll find Halong Bay (Gulf of Tonkin)  Ask your hotel concierge to arrange a guide tour to this area, or you could book trough www.azqueentravel.com or www.exotissimo.com or www.indovillage-travel.com for more option.

Usualy, the agent will offer you transportation from the Hanoi hotel to Halong & return; sail along the bay; tour to the grotto/cave; lunch; tea;
and if you wish to feel like Onasis for a day, take a private tour. If you don’t like to collect local souveneer, tell the agent not stop at gift shop/manufacture. Also be tough w/ the boat crew, they will never stop showing you their merchandise, until you buy one. If you only buy 1 piece, they will push you to take another item. Just say thanks & no. You’ll only get their sour face for that

2003 HOI AN

Vissiting Hoi An is also a must for art lover. Just 3-4 hours drive from Hue, 1st you may see different vegetation from north Vietnam. 2nd you’ll see many grave stone inside the rice field. Here, the family relationship is so close, the younger generation still can vissit their anchestor daily when they work in the field. The road wasn’t so bad. Few places were bumpy, but the rest was OK. If you prefer to go on private tour, please make sure that you’ll get the right car as you have order. We’ve been informed that we’ll get a comfy white sedan. The reality, only the color was match, the type was totally diferent. It was a stone-age van. I felt like Wilma Flinstone 

Back to many century ago, Hoi An was a great port, where Japanese & Chinese merchant settled & left many specific landmark. Japanese wooden covered bridge, Chinese temple, row houses, and many more. My late Mom, Wendy Gill & Brenda Goh perhaps will love Hoi An as well. There are many embroidery workshops in every corner of the road. The craftmanship are amazing. So fine & gorgeus.

Hoi An is also a nice place to stroll down to find your art piece. Walk over the Japanese bridge, you’ll find an artist colony. Of course it isn’t as glorious as in Deia Mallorca  but if chinese style rice paper painting is one of your taste, maybe you’ll find your favorite painter here, as we did. By chance we found an unique painting in Saigon’s frame shop. We bought one & the shop owner told us the painter live in Hoi An. Lucky, we found him in this colony. Could we ask you a favor, Angie, if you don’t mind & of course, if you plan to vissit Hoi An. Would you pass our photo to him, please ?! Thank you billion much.

On the way back to Hue, there is a marble/granite hill area, where workshops & stone carving products are display on the side of the road. These things will cost your extra bagage, so forget it, just enjoy the scenery behind these workshop.. not so bad..

2003 HUE

Leaving Hanoi wasn’t so hard, because so many exiting places are waiting to be explore. Hue is a former royal capital. Located in the middle, approx. 1 hour flight from Hanoi or Saigon. Ms. Jolene Yap from Vietnam Air was surprised when I put this city to my itenerary. I told her, that I also want to see Hoi An, she raised up her eyebrow,”nothing exciting there !!”. Glad that everyone has difference agenda. For us, Hue & Hoi An are more exciting than Hanoi or Saigon. Definitely not a metropolis, but still has its own original character. Hue has a wonderful Imperial City / citadel, which entrance fee is quite shocking. Locals only pay 5000 Dong, and foreigner must pay 55.000 Dong !! (1 Euro = 19,202.23 Dong) Take a boat ride along the Perfume River is also a must. Along river bank you’ll find many pagoda, tomb, ancient site, and many more.. until you feel overload.

Bring your fashion magazine with you, in case you wish to make a copy of designer outfitt in short time w/ reasonable price. If price matter, perhaps Bangkok has better deal. They could offer you 3 suite (jacket + pants or skirt) plus evening dress only for US$ 100,-  Hue’s dressmaker could only offer you 2 piece made-to-measure outfitt at US$ 40-50.

Many media said that Hue is a heaven for vegetarian. But in reality, we only found 1 vegan restaurant. Our favorite meal was Hue Salad, made from banana flower, mint leaves & meat topping.

Hotel : Riverside Century. Meal at river bank, opposite Saigon Morin Hotel, for delicious modest dinner.

2003 Saigon & Mekong River Delta

If I’m not mistaken, our friends MR & her husband lived in Saigon a.k.a Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) for 3 years. Please ask her for many great things to do. Compare to Hanoi (for us) Saigon is more develop, advance & convenience.

Friendlier people, better food, milder weather. We were there in winter. Saigon was almost no different from Lumut, humid, clear sky & warm. Hanoi was chilly, foggy & dusty. In Hanoi, I didn’t dare to try any vendor food on the side walk. In Saigon, the crispy banana paper, fresh grilled on the pedestrian along Nguyen Hue Street, was our favorite nibby. Fresh French baguette with locals filling, was so lecker. The yummy pho noodle, either on the road side or in the fancy resto, were so tasty

If you can’t resist of lovely handy craft souveneer, Saigon is heaven. From bamboo’s ware to ceramics, from wood carving to laquer ware, Ben Thanh market is the place. 2-3 blocks oposite this market, along Le Loi Street, next to Saigon Tax Office, you’ll find the simmilar products. Please also do bargain. Want more ? Along Dong Khoi Road & its side street.

Do you wish to own a copy of Van Gogh, or maybe a great family portrait ? Along Le Loi Street you may find many art galery cum workshop with local painter who will fulfill your wishes. Want a real piece of art ? The collection of Art Museum in Pho Duc Chinch was not too bad. The Fine Art Museum in Hanoi was better.

Since Saigon road map match to the reality (don’t laugh.. KL is the bad example) & if walking is your favorite activity, you’ll find more exciting surprises in side roads & small alleys, plus guarantee you won’t be lost in this city. Just be carefull (again) to motocycle.

Get bored of motorrad noise ? Take a day trip to Mekong River Delta. It was so relaxing.

The ambience was simmilar like you browse Halong bay in Hanoi. Few stops & walk along at the river bank : floating market in the morning; see the home industry of rice paper, coconut candy & pop-rice;

and before sail back to Saiogon, 1 more stop on a delta for a delicious lunch.

Oops, sorry Ms A, if I type this tip too long. Let’s make plan : asumed 3-4 days per city, you can experience Vietnam from North to South within 7-10 days. If you want to vissit more places, like the mountain area; do some snorkling or scuba dive; see the ex war zone & tunnels; 2 weeks perhaps will be OK. So, it’s your choice now & if you need a help to do your planning, feel free to give me buzz,
Have a great time Ms A.