When we 3 damsels started to plan a girls trip, Vietnam was far down in our list. We started off with Greece (out of budget), Sri Lanka (political tension), Maldives (nothing much to do), Morocco (bad weather), Thailand (too cliche) and a few more before we finalised on Vietnam. We had very less expectations from the country esp after its war with the US and French colonial rule for 100s of years.
The day finally arrived on 11th of Jan 23 when we departed from Mumbai airport to Da Nang by VietJet flight, popularly known Sorry Airlines due to its frequent delays and bad service but we were lucky. Flight was on time and we reached Da Nang by 730 AM on 12th Jan. Exchanged dollars @23300 rate/$ and also got our sim cards that we had booked through Klook. The cab driver was on time who drove us to Brilliant Hotel, which lived upto its name. The room, food and service was indeed Brilliant.
Day 1:
Had the world famous Banh Mi for breakfast after which we rested a while and went for Hoi An night tour. Our guide Hung was excellent and he guided us well. Stopped at Tien Hieu Marble Handicraft store on the way and saw some beautiful marble statues and sculptures.
Went to silk museum first then to a Chinese temple (Quan Cong Temple). Japanese bridge (Cau Pagoda (Chùa Cầu), and old town looked very nice. Then had coffee at a local cafe, took a scenic boat ride with lanterns and candles and then shopped a bit at night market.
Tip of the day: Keep a day’s gap after you travel as this immediate tour got hectic for us.
Day 2:
Left for Ba Na hills at 8 after breakfast. It was a group tour & we went in a mini bus. Reached Sun World entrance, and boy was it well made! Beautiful decor and architecture. Went up by cable car (super clean and maintained) through scenic forests and valleys. French town was mind blowing, we thought we were in Europe. Really blown over. Experiences the amazin self controlled rollar coaster ride and roamed around a bit. Ate at the Indian restaurant and tried to see other stuff but ran out of time. Went to the next level where we saw the Golden bridge and pagoda. After we got back to the hotel, at 9 we went to the hotels 17th floor and saw the Dragon spit fire for few mins. This happens every Fri, Sat and Sun at 9 PM. If we had the time and energy we would have loved to witness this a bit closer.
Tip of the day: Make sure you wear good shoes and carry a jacket .
Day 3:
Flew to Hanoi from Da Nang through Vietnam Airlines, very good seats and good service. Checked in at Hanoi E Central hotel for a day. Decent enough for a day amidst the bustling Old Quarter. Lunched at Aalishan as we had already started craving for Indian food. Then took a cab to Lake Hoan Kiem and had coffee at Laika cafe. The place was at the centre of Old Quarter with a super cool vibe. Walked at the Hun Cuo Bridge which was lit red. This park around the lake is really a peaceful area in Hanoi, very beautiful place for evening or morning walking. Clicked some pics, then went to Aahar for dinner. Average food. On the way back to the hotel we witnessed lot of couples dancing on the road at the centre of Old Quarter to amazing latin songs. The whole vibe was so so chill!
Tip of the day: Don't miss the night life at Hanoi sp on weekends.
Day 4:
We drove to Ha Long bay which took about 3 hours, stopped at a pearl factory on the way. Once we reached Ha Long bay we took a small boat to reach the bigger one for around 45 mins. Glad we chose Dora Cruises who were excellent with their service and food. Lot of vegetarian options too. After lunch and freshening up, we went for kayaking. After that enjoyed the view from the jacuzzi at the deck! Dinner was nice too with good music and some cooking lessons from the chef.
Tip of the day: Ask the cruise manager for night squid fishing which we missed.
Day 5:
Went to see the water caves early morning. It was freezing cold but the boat ride from the floating village was awesome. We passed by 2-3 water caves and interacted with other hotel guests. Checked out and reached Hanoi around 4 pm, checked in at The Chi Boutique which was much better than the previous Hanoi hotel. Went shopping at old quarter.
Tip for the day: If you have the time, try to shop at one of the malls for good leather bags instead of street shopping.
Day 6:
Left for a 2 hrs drive to Nin Binh. Guide Wendy/Queyn was very cute and sweet. First we stopped to see Bai Dinh Pagoda which took about an hr. Then had lunch at a local village. Weather was freezing today too. Next went to Trang An boating. 2 hrs rowing through a landscape similar to Ha long bay. After a cup of coffee and went on a hike to the Mua Caves a point to climb the 500 steps to the top of the mountain to see the best view of Ninh Binh and Lying Dragon statue.
Tip for the day: Good shoes again as lot of walking.
Vietnam you really blew us over with your beauty and amazing people. Till next time!
