The Wan family & siblings enjoying our cruise at Halong Bay , Vietnam - a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Standing - elder sister, Lai Meng, Younger brother, Heng Wan
Sitting - wife, Sow Lan, Son, Wai Yan, Daughter, Po Yee, younger sister, Lai Ling & myself, HK Wan
Date of Visit: 24th to 28th May 2008.
This was the first time we were visited Hanoi, Vietnam. Now that Air Asia also fly to Ho Chi Minh, we intend to travel to HCM in our next few travels. My elder brother, Heng Wah & his friend visited Hanoi in 2006 when the only cheap budget flights available then was Tiger Airlines of Singapore. My elder sister-in-law, Doreen also visited Hanoi early 2008. Both my elder brother & his wife strongly recommended me to visit Hanoi. As usual, when there was a special offer of RM 48/sector, I immediately contacted my elder sister (Lai Meng), younger brother (Heng Wan), younger sister (Lai Ling) and managed to book 4 special offer returned seats to Hanoi during the 2nd term school holidays. Our first option was to travel during the holidays so that my younger sister; a teacher could join us.
Subsequently, when there was another offer by Air Asia to Hanoi, I booked another 2 seats for my wife (Sow Lan) and son (Wai Yan). Finally, when my daughter (Po Yee) who was studying in Purdue University, Indiana, USA returned for the 3 months semester break, I booked the 7th ticket to Hanoi at normal prices.
We flew via Air Asia Flight AK 760 at 6.30am and arrived 10 minutes ahead of scheduled at Noi Bai Airport, Hanoi at 8.40am. We have had pre-arranged with The Golden Sun Hotel to pick us up from the airport. The Golden Sun Hotel at 23, Hang Hanh, Old Quarters was highly recommended by my elder sister-in-law, who stayed here earlier. It is slightly more than 1 year old and it took us less than 2 minutes walk to the weekend night market or the Hoan Kiem Lake. The cost of our accomodation was USD 30/double room and USD 36/triple room with breakfast provided at the 7th Floor Restaurant. From this restaurant, the beautiful and scenic Hoan Kiem Lake can be viewed here (refer to enclosed photograph). The hotel has 14 rooms and comes with free internet lan cable access. In addition, there were 3 computers with free internet access available for their guests at the lobby. The Golden Sun hotel was part of a chain of 4 hotels within the old quarters of Hanoi, i.e. the Golden Sun Hotel, the recently completed (2007) the Loyalty Hotel (just 2 doors away), the Orchid Hotel and the Hanoi Guesthouse. The manager of these 4 lodging outlets, Ms. Moon was helpful and friendly and likewise the rest of the staff of this hotel.
After checking-in, we had a rest since we woke up at 3.00am to board the 6.30am flight. Later, we watched the 5.15pm pm Thang Long Water Puppet Show which was about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. The cost of the tickets was 40,000 dongs per person. I would strongly recommend you to see the water puppet show whenever you are in Vietnam. It was a theatrical puppet performance on water manoeuvered via by a system of underground poles, strings, rods, etc. and accompanied with classical Vietnamese music, singers, etc. The puppeteers stand in waist deep water, their puppetry skills were screened from the audience. Poetry, fireworks and the watery reflections of the brilliantly coloured puppets, combined with splashing sounds and the alluring music of bamboo flutes, drums, bells and single-string violins to entertain the audience to a world of fishermen and villagers; kings & generals on boats, beautiful princesses; water buffaloes, fishes, monkey, and ducks; magic turtle and fire-breathing sea-dragons, etc. The Vietnamese water puppet skills dated back to the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century. The show was very enjoyable and entertaining; you can rarely watch them in our country, Malaysia, although it was available once during the Vietnam Festival Promotion held at the tourist cum casino resort at the Genting Highlands.
Photograph of my family taken at Hoan Kiem Lake or Lake of the Restored Sword, Hanoi
After the water puppet show, we walked to Hoan Kiem Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, meaning "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword". It is a lake within the historical old quarters (also known as Hoan Kiem District) of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for public life.
Tortoise Tower (Thap Rua) in the center of the lake. According to the legend, Emperor Le Loi handed a magic sword called Heaven's Will which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty back to the Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) in the lake and hence gave it its present name (the lake was formerly known as "Luc Thuy" meaning "Green Water"). The Tortoise Tower (Thap Rua) standing on a small island near the center of lake was linked to the legend.
Near the northern shore of the lake lies Jade Island on which the Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple) stood. The temple was erected in the 18th century. It honoured the 13-century military leader Tran Hung Dao, a 13th century leader who fought successful wars against the Nguyen. This temple also venerated Van Xuong, the God of Literature as well as La To (a physician) who distinguished himself in the fight against the Yuan Dynasty. The renovations of 1865 were carried out by Nguyen Van Sieu, a famous writer who also commissioned a large pen-shaped tower at the entrance of the temple. Jade Island was connected to the shore by the wooden red-painted Huc Bridge (The Huc, meaning Morning Sunlight Bridge).
The lake is the city's most popular strolling ground and a lovers' lane at night with couples locked in embrace on benches or parked motorbikes looking out over the placid waters, the shadows of overhanging willows cast by moonlight. In the morning the lake area is crowded with folks out for their morning exercise running or walking in a counter clockwise circle around the lake or joining in with the many tai chi, martial arts, calisthenics, aerobics, and even ballroom dancing groups that meet in the open areas at water's edge.
Photograph of my family taken in front of Ngoc Son Temple or Jade Mountain Temple, Hoan Kiem Lake
An aerial view of Hoan Kiem Lake taken from 7th floor Restaurant of Golden-Sun Hotel.
Halong Bay is perhaps the most popular travel destination of The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Foreigners and locals alike are attracted to one of the worlds most spectacular natural wonders of limestone & karsts islets.
Cat Ba is an island of approximately 140 sq. kilometres in Halong Bay. It is commonly used as an overnight hotel stop on packaged tours to Halong Bay. It is the largest island in the bay and half of its area is covered by a National Park., Cat Ba Island was recognised by UNESCO in December 2004 as a Biosphere reserve of the world.
Photograph of my family taken at the beach, Catba Island.
The next day, 25 May 2008, the seven of us booked a 2 days/1night Halong Bay & Catba Island Cruise with a night stay at Cat Ba town. The tour was booked through Golden Sun Hotel but organised by AP Travel. It cost us USD 45/person plus a 25% discount for my +9 years son. We left Hanoi at 7.30am and headed for Halong City (with one stop-over) and arrived there just before 11.00 am.
We boarded the M/V 'PHUONG TIN 12" cruise boat for the Halong Bay cruise. There were about 20 tourists on board of various nationalities with the caucasians preferring to stay on the deck and roof of the cruise boat throughout the trip. During the cruise, a fisherman's boat berthed alongside our cruise boat selling live fishes, crabs, shell fish, etc. My daughter. Po Yee fancied her favourite dish, live crabs (after being deprived of them while studying in Indiana, USA) and she purchased five crabs at 200,000 dongs including cooking by the chef. These were served as an additional dish for our lunch consisting mainly of seafood, fish, squids, spring rolls, vegetables, etc. The lunch with the crabs were fresh and delicious.
The cruise continued until we reached a floating fishing village. Here we joined an optional tour @ 50,000 dongs/person for about 30 minutes motor boat visiting the nearby islets, lagoons, cliffs, caves, stalactites, etc. with fishing boats and fishing village cum school nearby. The sceneries were phenomenal. Later, the cruise boat dropped us to visit the Hang Dau Go Caves which was the largest grotto in the Halong area. It has three large chambers and contained large numerous stalactites and stalagmites . We spent about 30 minute visiting and taking photographs inside the caves.
Finally, at about 3.30 pm, the cruise boat "Phuong Tin 12" dropped the seven of us and two more passengers at the Jetty at Cat Ba Island whilst she continued with her cruise to Halong Bay for other passengers who intended to spend the night on board. We preferred to stay at the hotel at Cat Ba. From the jetty, a mini bus took us for a 30 minutes of winding and hilly ride to Cat Ba town. On the way, we passed by the Cat Ba National park which covers about half of Cat Ba Island. The park covers both land and marine areas and has a high biodiversity. The Cat Ba National park was recognised by UNESCO in December 2004 as a Biosphere reserve of the world.
My daughter, son & wife enjoying the cruise at Halong Bay
My daughter & wife eating crabs for lunch on board the cruise vessel, m.v.PHUONG TIN 12
Photograph of my family taken on board the cruise vessel, m.v. "Phuong Tin 12'
My wife & myself enjoying our cruise at one of the scenic spots, Halong Bay
At Cat Ba Island, the tour organiser, AP Travel arranged our lodging at a three star hotel, The Princes; This hotel was reasonably satisfactory but the dinner and breakfast provided were rather basic due to the high inflation cost. After dinner, we walked to Cat Ba town with its illuminated promenade, a large fountain, lighted trees which oversees the bay teeming with small boats, many of which belongs to pearl or shrimp farmers or fishermen. There are numerous cheap hotels, bars, sea food restaurants, souvenir shops, etc. At Cat Ba town, the main road was very wide with hardly any motor cycles unlike Hanoi which was clogged with motor cycles & other vehicles especially in the localities of the weekend night market.
Early next morning at about 6.00am, we walked to Cat Ba beach about a kilometres away. It took us about 20 minutes to reach there. It was rather a small sandy beach at the bottom of the cliffs, you need to walk down scores of steps before you reach the beach. Nearby the beach was Cat Ba's most luxurious resort facing the scenic view of Halong Bay - The Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa. It was probably the best resort in Vietnam. It has well-furnished rooms and a wide range of business and recreational facilities which include waterfalls, water slides, water park, spa and sauna. Formerly it was known as the Catba Water Park Resort.
We left Cat Ba Island at about 8.45am for another boat cruise to Halong City and reached there at about 11.00am. On arrival, we had basic lunch at one of the restaurant owned by the tour operator, AP Travel and thereafter proceeded back to Hanoi, reaching our hotel at about 4.00pm
My family photograph taken at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi
My son, wife & daughter - photograph taken at One Pillar Pagoda (built: 1042)
On 27 May 2008, the seven of us took 2 taxis (arranged by the hotel) to Ba Dinh Square and visited the nearby tourist attractions, i.e. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the one pillar pagoda, the Presidential Palace (formerly Residence of the Governor General of Tonkin), Ho Chi Minh House-on-stilts and the surrounding lake, etc. The taxis arranged by the hotel to go there by meter cost us 33,000 dongs each. On the returned trips, we were ripped-off by another two taxis who have manipulated their meters and the journey back to the hotel was 68,000 dongs and 138,000 dongs respectively. I did not argue with the driver and paid him 68,000 dongs. However, my younger brother & sisters refused to pay him 138,000 dongs, instead, they paid him 50,000 dongs and the taxi driver just accepted it without any dispute.
Later in the afternoon, we went on a walking tour of the old quarters, the Dong Xuan market. As the weather was rather hot at 35 celcius and humidity unusually high, we did not have the mood to continue walking as we feel uneasy with profused sweating; we would rather stay in the comfort of our airconditioned rooms. Furthermore, the traffic (especially the motor cycles) was horrible, the old narrow streets of the old quarters were clogged with thousands of vehicles especially motorcycles and a large number of them do no follow traffic rules. According to our tour guide, there are about 2 million motor cycles in Hanoi itself. My wife, son & daughter panicked whenever they cross the busy streets within the old quarters. As for me, I would rather act 'brave' and just walk; pretending not to notice them; they will avoid you, since there are too many of them on the packed road. They can't go fast, they travel slowly and avoid the pedestrians. During our stay at Hanoi and despite the high number of motor cyclists, we have had never seen any accidents involving them.
On the 28 May 2008, my sisters & myself woke up very early and by 5.30am we were strolling at the nearby Hoan Kiem Lake watching Hanoians doing their exercise, strolling, tai chi, line dancing, etc. An hour later, we had our breakfast and at 7.00 am, we bid farewell the the staff of Golden Sun Hotel and headed to Noi Bai Airport for our flight back to LCCT at 9.20am.
Posted by H.K. Wan on 6 June 2008
Email: hengkei@gmail.com
1 comment:
My best sources are my travels and my collection of National Geographic.
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