WanderBellies

L and I took great, albeit calculated, risks by embarking on our trip with no bookings made apart from our accommodation and activities in Hanoi. Before you write us off as careless travelers, you must know that we actually plan our trips very meticulously, with an excel template to track all activities (reservations, transportation, attractions, food options etc.). Our initial desktop research, coupled with input from friends led us to the conclusion that it would be more economical / value-for-money to make reservations for our trips out of Hanoi (principally Halong Bay and Sapa) with the travel agents when physically there, given the stronger bargaining power - that said, travel agents are the go-to contact for such trips given the pure amount of logistics involved, coupled with the language barrier.

Not resting on our laurels, we actually obtained detailed quotes from a number of reputable travel agents way in advance of our trip, with three principle objectives - to get pricing benchmarks, cross-check itineraries and to ensure that the travel agents could accommodate last minute requests (similar to what we would be doing when physically in Hanoi). This exercise provided us with a lot of comfort that all our shortlisted travel agents would be able to accommodate our proposed travel plans and we finalised the travel agent rankings in our shortlist and their respective locations / opening hours, so that we could make a beeline for them upon touchdown.

As an overview of our 8D7N travel plans:
- Days 1-2: Hanoi (with Day 1 arrival in the evening)
- Days 3-4: Halong Bay Cruise
- Days 4-6: Hiking in Sapa (Sleeper trains to and fro)
- Day 7: Day trip (Either to Perfume Pagoda / Hoa Lu and Tam Coc)
- Day 8: Hanoi

Living in the Old Quarters of Hanoi meant that we were immediately thrown in to the evening hustle and bustle of the city, just in time for when the streets are blocked off and the mayhem takes to the streets. Given our timing constraints, all our shortlisted travel agents were within a short walk from our hotel and our first stop was Adventure Indochina along Ma May Street, just round the bend from hotel.

The reason why Adventure Indochina came right top of our list was due to two friend recommendations, coupled with prompt responses and reasonable pricing based on our emailing exercise as described above - and we were not disappointed at all, in fact L and I remain incredibly impressed by their standard of service, which definitely made our trip in more ways than one.

Given the sheer amount of logistics involved, Kathy from Adventure Indochina was able to put us at ease and comprehended our intended itinerary entirely - we were pretty fixed in that we wanted sleeper train connections to and from Sapa, amongst other demands. With all the options laid out, we settled on an upgraded Halong Bay cruise, Sapa trek with a village homestay, and a day trip out to the old capital of Hoa Lu and Tam Coc. After some bargaining (and you should always try), and compared to our initial quotes, we got a great deal with a free airport transfer at thrown in at the end as well!

With the benefit of hindsight, the entire trip went well and without a hitch. Kathy even made sure to greet and meet-up with us everytime we were back in Hanoi, and even sent us off at the train station when we were headed up north to Sapa. You can see why they made our trip happen, literally! Hence no qualms from us recommending them sort your trips out when in Vietnam and they should be your first port of call when thinking of heading outside of Hanoi!

2. Where to stay?

Street hawkers peddling their wares in Hanoi

First time visitors to Hanoi will be spoilt for choice when coming to accommodation options - all of which provide for vastly different experiences catering to every budget. From Hoan Kiem (City centre), Ba Dinh and Tay Ho (west lake), the choice is relatively obvious, that being the Hoan Kiem district where the heart of the city lies.

Hoan Kiem lake at night

The Hoan Kiem district is obviously centered around the lake, also known as sword lake, and is divided into North and South. The North being the Old Quarters, characterised by the traditional tight streets and markets, and the French Quarters in the South, with its government buildings, embassies and luxury hotels. Hence this district caters for all budgets and immerses you right into the center of action.

We stayed at the perfectly located La Siesta along Ma May Street and as mentioned above, the streets are closed off to traffic on the weekends and turned into a walking street full of stalls and performers - a great way to immerse yourself in the thriving local atmosphere. Just round the corner from Hoan Kiem lake, we were never too far off from attractions in the district, but what topped it for us was the level of service provided, consistent across every staff of the hotel - incredibly accommodating to our travel plans and requests for shower facilities everytime we transited back in Hanoi from our day trips, by providing us access with their spa and suites on two separate occasions - we couldn't have asked for a better place to refresh ourselves after being on the road, particularly post our trek in Sapa.

3. Mobile plan

In my opinion, having a mobile data connection is of the essence when traversing Hanoi's busy streets without a local guide, in part also as a check against scam taxi companies which I will get to below. It is incredibly useful when roaming around the city such as finding restaurants, stores on side streets, and importantly the way back to hotel late at night.
The most convenient way would be to buy a sim card upon landing at the airport. You will be able to choose from various providers including Viettel and Vinaphone, and from various plans to suit your needs (based on 4G data and talk time requirements) - I had a work project going on during that period and hence needed flexibility on talk time. Worth noting that Vietnam is surprisingly not covered under SingTel's EasyData Roam packages and buying a local sim card would prevent you from racking up astronomical dataroaming charges.

However, do note that reception when outside of Hanoi, especially further out in Halong Bay and amongst the mountains in Sapa can get pretty patchy, but also a great way to get away from the technology and work!

4. Venturing outside of Hanoi

Every visitor to Hanoi would know that a large part of the attraction of Hanoi is actually in the activities one can do in its surrounding regions. Hanoi itself is not incredibly large, with most of its attractions located between the Hoan Kiem and Ba Ding districts, and can be easily covered off within 2 days. Northern Vietnam offers a number of alternatives within the wider region and given the length of our trip, we were sure to fit them into our itinerary - of which we were pretty certain that Ha Long Bay and Sapa were places we definitely wanted to visit.

Ha Long Bay

Approaching our boat in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is arguably the more famous and touristy of the two, and also a UNESCO protected site. A definite must-go and we would recommend a 2D1N trip, which would be more than sufficient to experience the beautiful landscapes in Ha Long Bay and its neighbouring Bai Tu Long Bay.

L posing on our boat infront of the beautiful sights Ha Long Bay

As mentioned in the above section, we chose to upgrade our tour to a bigger and better boat, and lucked out by being allocated to one of the largest boats available with on 6 other fellow passengers - an elderly European couple and a family of four. There were essentially as many crew members as passengers on this boat, and being the only "active" passengers, we had free reign to roam the massive boat and partake in the activities offered onboard - spring roll making, midnight karaoke, squid fishing and early morning yoga. A great way to take in the great outdoors in the comfort of a luxury liner, with the patchy mobile connection providing a good way to detach oneself from our increasingly technology-dependent lives.

Sapa

On board our sleeper train to Sapa

Sapa is located further up north, a mountainous region close to the border with China. An experience for the more outdoorsy and adventurous, we had heard many great reviews from our friends and were set on spending our time trekking the paddy fields of the region. Getting to Sapa itself is part of the experience - we opted for the overnight sleeper trains to and from Lao Cai which saw us spending the night in a 4-man cabin as we made the journey up north. We were then transferred to Sapa by bus and commenced our 2D1N trek through the picturesque countryside, amongst the rice terraces carved out of the hills.

Rice terraces of Sapa in Northern Vietnam

December is a relatively wet period, resulting in the paths being muddy and the views slightly misty, which was balanced off by the slightly chilly temperature which meant that the air was absolutely refreshing. Sliding around in mud just off the edge of a cliff can be a scary affair, and I would recommend those with small children to stick to the easier routes, but fortunately the helpful local ethnic ladies are always around to lend a helping hand if needed - of course in exchange for a small token / souvenir purchase at the end, I thought this was fair especially for the steeper routes. One word of advice would be to rely on these aunties sparingly as you can't always be purchasing items from every different group of them given the long trek involved - we must have trekked for close to 70km over the 1.5 days spent roaming the hills.

The carefree and friendly children we met while trekking through Sapa

Another wonderful experience to meet the ethnic minorities of Vietnam and take in the sights of the great outdoors on offer. The homestay in a local village provided insight into the daily lives / cuisines of these traditional folk and enabled deeper connections to be forged with our fellow travellers. Highly recommended for the more outdoor-focused and nature-loving travellers.

Others

Seen on our day trip out to Hoa Lu

We had another day to kill as part of itinerary and had initially provisioned for visiting the Perfume Pagoda as a day trip out of Hanoi - the travel agents generally have a number of options available for travellers. During our discussions and negotiations with Adventure Indochina, they convinced us to make our way down to Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, and Tam Coc. A leisurely tour which included a bicycle ride through the city, a human-powered boat trip, and general sightseeing. By no means a must, but could be considered if your itinerary permits.

6. Take a walking tour round Hanoi

The imposing Hanoi Opera House in the French Quarter

By experience, guided tours are the single best way to explore parts of any new city. As a result, walking tours are typically high up our agendas when planning our itineraries - given my positive experience of various walking tours in Europe, most notably from famous Sandemans walking tours proliferated across Europe.

Long queues of locals waiting to enter the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Hanoi was no different and we lined up a private full day walking tour for the next day immediately following our evening arrival. What was unique to some of the tours available in Hanoi was that the tours are conducted by local university students, whose primary aim is to hone and practice their English skills. These tours are free of charge, with the students typically refusing any tips at the end the tours, and the only catch is that you will need to bear all expenses during the tours (entrance fees, taxi fares, meal costs etc. inclusive of that of the guides) - a small price to pay to a one-of-a-kind experience.

Entrance to the beautiful grounds of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi

It was a great experience interacting with the young Vietnamese, learning about the city through a different lens and egging our guide on to bring us to her favourite pho joints! A definite recommendation if its first time in the city and your itinerary permits. Worth noting that they are generally very flexible and can adapt the itinerary to your schedule and whatever you wish to focus on. However, be sure to make enquires and book way in advance of your trip as these tours are incredibly popular, with the small number of guides limiting supply especially during peak seasons. Do check out either of HanoiKids or Hanoi Free Tour Guides.

7. Visit bars

8. Food glorious food

Bun Cha at Cau Go restaurant overlooking Hoan Kiem lake

We absolutely loved the street food of Hanoi and had the opportunity to try out the spectrum of dishes on offer. For first time visitors, the best way would be to visit on the many top rated restaurants which specialise in Vietnamese street food cuisine. This allows for the perennial favourites (and must tries) such as Bun Cha (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles), spring rolls, Banh Cuon (steamed pork wraps), and even pho (although for this I would hit the streets to specialised stores), to be ordered from a single kitchen. We loved Cau Go (which was our last meal before heading back home) and the upmarket and popular Madame Hien, so definitely check them out - Cau Go comes with a glorious view overlooking Hoan Kiem lake, while Madame Hien is set in a beautiful French colonial villa. We also tried the highly rated Quan An Ngon, but would defer to the other two without hesitation.

Fresh spring rolls at Cau Go

Hitting the streets may or may not sit well with your stomach, but with careful store selection it may yield some of the best dishes you will ever try. We had our best pho's, whether in the wet version or fried, from hole-in-the-wall stores recommended by our local tour guide. We also chanced across a store selling Mien Luon (crispy eel noodles) while roaming the streets! Always look out for the level of hygiene of the store and make sure that you are comfortable with the food handling and cleanliness standards before taking the plunge - long throngs of locals should also provide some form of comfort!

Mien Luon (Crispy Eel Noodles) that we chanced upon while roaming the streets

The French colonial days have not only left an impact on modern day Hanoi, not only in its architecture which is most prevalent in the French Quarter, but in the spattering of French restaurants dotted across the city. We made sure to place reservations for La Badienne, by celebrated French chef Benjamin Rascalou, for our first evening in Hanoi - again set in a quaint colonial villa, it was the perfect location for a celebration and kickstart out gastronomic adventures on the holiday.

Egg coffee at Cafe Giang

Finally, as L can't do without her coffee, she was incredibly excited to know that egg coffee was a Hanoi specialty. The famous local drip coffee mixed with a well-beaten raw egg yolk and condensed milk - the result a velvety smooth and creamy drink meant to be sipped. We visited the most popular one - Cafe Giang, right on the edge of the Old Quarters. A little too sweet for our liking though, but a must-try when in Hanoi regardless - after that, revert to the incredibly good drip coffees on offer across the city and don't forget to take home some of the delicious locally-made G7 instant coffee sachets.

Now, go ahead an eat and sip away!