Vietnam

[paladin]

At the city center, I stayed at Sapa mountain queen hotel. Inverter heater aircon and the manager speaks good English and can recommend places to eat and visit. Simple but filling breakfast pancakes/pho/porridge and the only downside is up a small hill and hot water seems to be limited supply which he mentioned hotel in process of upgrading.

The 4-5 star hotels are next level but only hike past to the Hmong village. Think might be especially cold if doing homestay cause just blankets in a wood lodge.

Fansipan has 3 routes of varying difficulty and from what the guard told me at the peak, a permit is required to climb. Google weather not that accurate as we gave up climbing due to predicted rain but was sunny the next day.

Thanks. Fansipan no need to climb to peak, can take cable car then still need more climbing (of staircases) to reach the peak, if not taking the funicular. From cable car station to peak already siong enough, especially the staircase in front of the Buddha. It is super steep and long. If snowing, I think staircases will be pretty slippery.

 

[Desmond_]

Youtrip - 173,580
Google - 173,850
Jewellery/ Goldsmith Shop - 175,800

drop so much... few weeks ago still 18100

 

[Henabi]

Yes… drop alot

 

[paladin]

Anyone seen AO show in HCMC before? Worth it to bring a 8 year old to see? I am concerned that my boy too short to see the stage properly with adults sitting in front?

 

[Henabi]

Anyone seen AO show in HCMC before? Worth it to bring a 8 year old to see? I am concerned that my boy too short to see the stage properly with adults sitting in front?

iirc it is at the saigon opera house .
If it is the ground floor… Try to get seats next to the middle aisle. (Odd numbers on left, even numbers on right) seats 1 and 2 are next to the Aisle
If it is first floor… choose row A

 

[Innocuous*]

Anyone seen AO show in HCMC before? Worth it to bring a 8 year old to see? I am concerned that my boy too short to see the stage properly with adults sitting in front?

If you want to play safe, you can book the 'wow' seat at level 2 (balcony seat) and choose the first row to ensure no one is able to block your child's view. I bought the 'ooh' seat and I thought the show was worth the price. You can also bring your child to take photos with the performers at the entrance of the opera house after the show.

 

[paladin]

If you want to play safe, you can book the 'wow' seat at level 2 (balcony seat) and choose the first row to ensure no one is able to block your child's view. I bought the 'ooh' seat and I thought the show was worth the price. You can also bring your child to take photos with the performers at the entrance of the opera house after the show.

I do not intend to buy the 'wow' tickets hence the question. In fact, i intend to pay only the 'aah' tickets but glad to know the ticket is worth it.

If I book through Klook, I cannot choose the seat right? Do I have to go early to choose the seat?

 

[Innocuous*]

I do not intend to buy the 'wow' tickets hence the question. In fact, i intend to pay only the 'aah' tickets but glad to know the ticket is worth it.

If I book through Klook, I cannot choose the seat right? Do I have to go early to choose the seat?

You can try to book your tickets via Klook without making payment to confirm they do not have seat selection option. You can arrive half an hour before the show starts and they will assign you your seats. Klook also indicated there will be 7 minutes of hidden scenes for 'aah' seats. I saw people moving from 'aah' seats to empty 'wow' seats when the show started.

The first row might be too close for comfort. But that's just me as I prefer the seats in the middle. Your child may or may not like it to be near the performers.

 

[kiryu86]

i am.going to hanoi in 7th jan - 15th jan via SIA.

a 9 days trip there, reach hanoi around 12pm on 7th and leaving hanoi at 6pm on 15th.

so far my plan consist of this itinerary

because i am a foodie so i will be going around hanoi and try all.kind of highly recommended food and even some Michelin starf restaurant.

1st day - hanoi food adventure, night market, coffee hunting.

2nd day - 6.30am depart to sapa via interlines sleeper bus private cabin, reach sapa around 12.30pm, check into hotel, taking monorail to fansipan cable car, then take cable car up to fansipan peak, climb the trail to the peak, leave fansipan before 5pm and go sapa city eat dinner n some drinking in pubs.

3rd day - still in sapa whole day, planning to walk to cat cat village and tour that place, take about 5 hrs to clear the area, then after cat cat village, eat lunch, take grab to rong may glass bridge to walk on the glass panel, and maybe do some ziplining, once done should be evening liao, will head back to sapa and chill for dinner and drinks.

4th day - leaving sapa at 1.30pm , reach hanoi at 7.30pm, eat dinner, go shisha, go night market, and then rest liao

5th day - i book day tour to ninh binh via klook, pick up at 7.30am, tour last until 5pm, and reach hanoi back in 7.30pm, tour will consist of banh dinh pagoda, mua caves and trekking to dragon mountain and boat sampan in trang an to the cave that lasted 2.5hrs. food all provided.

6th day - check out at 8am, i booking limosine van to pick me up from hotel to halong bay terminal, book era cruise for one night stay, check in at 11am, so i am not sure what entertainment the cruise will provide but will chill there, if there is kayaking or what, i will join in.

7th day - check out from cruise at 12pm, 1.30pm limosine will come and pick me up at the terminal and go back hanoi, reach honoi at around 3.30pm, check in, immediately go out and go to lotte tower, i have booked a ticket to up.to the peak, hopefully can catch sunset there. then shopping at lotte mart. then eat dinner, then call it a night.


8th day - free and easy, last day of food tour, clear the food list and shopping some stuff for CNY Aka Tet to bring home for our CNY also,

9th day - continue to eat more, check out, leave hanoi at 3pm, reach airport 4pm+ for check in luggage.


i think my plan is very doable and easy and not rushing right?

what is the weather like? is it going to be bery cold during my time stayed there?

is wearing a down jacket with 1 layer inside good enough?

 

[Henabi]

January is the coldest in hanoi.. daytime around 12… night time can drop to 6.
maybe will have strong winds.

From my experience, its not the cold but the wind which really bites
So i highly suggest to make sure the button-up part of your down jacket is overlapping.

your visit will be just before the Chinese new year aka tet holiday in Vietnam, so you will definitely get to see a lot of CNY decorations
Shops will also be selling cny stuffs and delicacies. Perfect timing to try

 

[kiryu86]

January is the coldest in hanoi.. daytime around 12… night time can drop to 6.
maybe will have strong winds.

From my experience, its not the cold but the wind which really bites
So i highly suggest to make sure the button-up part of your down jacket is overlapping.

your visit will be just before the Chinese new year aka tet holiday in Vietnam, so you will definitely get to see a lot of CNY decorations
Shops will also be selling cny stuffs and delicacies. Perfect timing to try

the wind is very consistent?

so a wind breaker is actually better?

is ha long bay colder than hanoi city itself?

i know sapa is super cold and can drop to -5 easily.

what about ninh binh? the weather there same as hanoi? cause alot of walking and trekking, so i not too sure if i wan to wear too thick

 

[paladin]

Fansipan peak should be covered in snow in jan. The place will look like cold palace. 1 layer plus 1 down jacket at peak, I don’t think enough. That time I wore 2 layers and 1 long down jacket and I visited in Nov (though after climbing the stairs to the peak from cable car station, you will sweat and feel warm) . Can be very windy at the peak.

 

[paladin]

The other thing is to confirm with hotel whether is there is grab at Sapa. If I am not wrong, grab only available at cities and major provincial towns, Lao cai maybe have, but not sapa.

 

[paladin]

You can try to book your tickets via Klook without making payment to confirm they do not have seat selection option. You can arrive half an hour before the show starts and they will assign you your seats. Klook also indicated there will be 7 minutes of hidden scenes for 'aah' seats. I saw people moving from 'aah' seats to empty 'wow' seats when the show started.

The first row might be too close for comfort. But that's just me as I prefer the seats in the middle. Your child may or may not like it to be near the performers.

thanks. I bought seats on the 1st row of the second floor. Lucky still have empty ones on Christmas day and the entire 2nd floor is not booked, so I booked the centre seats. Was tempted to book 'aah' seats on the ground floor and move to 'wow' seats when the show started but I realised my child still cannot see if an adult occupies the front seat...

 

[kiryu86]

Fansipan peak should be covered in snow in jan. The place will look like cold palace. 1 layer plus 1 down jacket at peak, I don’t think enough. That time I wore 2 layers and 1 long down jacket and I visited in Nov (though after climbing the stairs to the peak from cable car station, you will sweat and feel warm) . Can be very windy at the peak.

oh no, cofirm very slippery if there is snow in ground

what about halong bay? does the cruise gets cold after sun set?

 

[Kunkka]

oh no, cofirm very slippery if there is snow in ground

what about halong bay? does the cruise gets cold after sun set?

Yes its chilly. Feels like dalat.

 

[Kunkka]

i am.going to hanoi in 7th jan - 15th jan via SIA.

a 9 days trip there, reach hanoi around 12pm on 7th and leaving hanoi at 6pm on 15th.

so far my plan consist of this itinerary

because i am a foodie so i will be going around hanoi and try all.kind of highly recommended food and even some Michelin starf restaurant.

1st day - hanoi food adventure, night market, coffee hunting.

2nd day - 6.30am depart to sapa via interlines sleeper bus private cabin, reach sapa around 12.30pm, check into hotel, taking monorail to fansipan cable car, then take cable car up to fansipan peak, climb the trail to the peak, leave fansipan before 5pm and go sapa city eat dinner n some drinking in pubs.

3rd day - still in sapa whole day, planning to walk to cat cat village and tour that place, take about 5 hrs to clear the area, then after cat cat village, eat lunch, take grab to rong may glass bridge to walk on the glass panel, and maybe do some ziplining, once done should be evening liao, will head back to sapa and chill for dinner and drinks.

4th day - leaving sapa at 1.30pm , reach hanoi at 7.30pm, eat dinner, go shisha, go night market, and then rest liao

5th day - i book day tour to ninh binh via klook, pick up at 7.30am, tour last until 5pm, and reach hanoi back in 7.30pm, tour will consist of banh dinh pagoda, mua caves and trekking to dragon mountain and boat sampan in trang an to the cave that lasted 2.5hrs. food all provided.

6th day - check out at 8am, i booking limosine van to pick me up from hotel to halong bay terminal, book era cruise for one night stay, check in at 11am, so i am not sure what entertainment the cruise will provide but will chill there, if there is kayaking or what, i will join in.

7th day - check out from cruise at 12pm, 1.30pm limosine will come and pick me up at the terminal and go back hanoi, reach honoi at around 3.30pm, check in, immediately go out and go to lotte tower, i have booked a ticket to up.to the peak, hopefully can catch sunset there. then shopping at lotte mart. then eat dinner, then call it a night.


8th day - free and easy, last day of food tour, clear the food list and shopping some stuff for CNY Aka Tet to bring home for our CNY also,

9th day - continue to eat more, check out, leave hanoi at 3pm, reach airport 4pm+ for check in luggage.


i think my plan is very doable and easy and not rushing right?

what is the weather like? is it going to be bery cold during my time stayed there?

is wearing a down jacket with 1 layer inside good enough?

Hà long Bay u not going cat ba island?

 

[kiryu86]

Hà long Bay u not going cat ba island?

dun think so, cause reach the terminal, gonna check in liao, then when check out, going back to hanoi straight. need to go.lotte observations tower

 

[Kunkka]

dun think so, cause reach the terminal, gonna check in liao, then when check out, going back to hanoi straight. need to go.lotte observations tower

Quite nice remote and pristine. I didn't know Hanoi got lottr

 

[Poor old man]

January is the coldest in hanoi.. daytime around 12… night time can drop to 6.
maybe will have strong winds.

From my experience, its not the cold but the wind which really bites
So i highly suggest to make sure the button-up part of your down jacket is overlapping.

your visit will be just before the Chinese new year aka tet holiday in Vietnam, so you will definitely get to see a lot of CNY decorations
Shops will also be selling cny stuffs and delicacies. Perfect timing to try

U sound like an expert.
Can share with me Cat Cat village entrance and exit is the same ?