Vietnam

[seventheory]

Hi guys,
currently in HCMC. Looking for winter jackets in preparation for skiing trips.
Other than Saigon Square, any idea where to buy ?

Sincere thanks in advance

 

[Charlie_Zhang]

Will be going on a 4days 3night trip to Hanoi / halong bay
Intend to stay at intercontinental west lake...

Day 1 - thur
Arrive Hanoi check in hotel and afternoon some sight seeing

Day 2 - fri
Halong bay

Day 3 - sat
Should I stay another day at halong bay or go back Hanoi for more sight seeing?

Day 4 - sun
Some sight seeing
Back sg

Any advise will be appreciated

Thanks

 

[flaveur]

Will be going on a 4days 3night trip to Hanoi / halong bay
Intend to stay at intercontinental west lake...

Day 1 - thur
Arrive Hanoi check in hotel and afternoon some sight seeing

Day 2 - fri
Halong bay

Day 3 - sat
Should I stay another day at halong bay or go back Hanoi for more sight seeing?

Day 4 - sun
Some sight seeing
Back sg

Any advise will be appreciated

Thanks

hi, i just got back from hanoi. air at halong bay was polluted and i didn't find the scenery worth staying more than a day.

 

[Charlie_Zhang]

hi, i just got back from hanoi. air at halong bay was polluted and i didn't find the scenery worth staying more than a day.

I plan to go in march....
Then maybe I will just touch and go...go in the morning and come back Hanoi in the evening?

 

[excalibur324]

I plan to go in march....
Then maybe I will just touch and go...go in the morning and come back Hanoi in the evening?

u will reach there at around 12.30 and to do a day tour would mean u have to leave around 3.30 to reach hanoi in the evening.

suggest u stay one night.

 

[Charlie_Zhang]

u will reach there at around 12.30 and to do a day tour would mean u have to leave around 3.30 to reach hanoi in the evening.

suggest u stay one night.

Noted.......
Is this package worth it?
http://www.halongbaytours.com/tour/super-savings--tirant-hotel-indochina-sails.html

 

[beanstalk6]

u will reach there at around 12.30 and to do a day tour would mean u have to leave around 3.30 to reach hanoi in the evening.

suggest u stay one night.

Is such a plan possible at all, unless you take a speedboat. Something about going to Halong Bay says you should stay a night in the junk, berthed in a bay, enjoy the starlit sky, knock a few beers on the open deck, kayak or swim out there. Some itineraries include a visit to caves and another night ashore at an island.

 

[beanstalk6]

hi, i just got back from hanoi. air at halong bay was polluted and i didn't find the scenery worth staying more than a day.

Mist, or the morning fog, probably?

 

[excalibur324]

Is such a plan possible at all, unless you take a speedboat. Something about going to Halong Bay says you should stay a night in the junk, berthed in a bay, enjoy the starlit sky, knock a few beers on the open deck, kayak or swim out there. Some itineraries include a visit to caves and another night ashore at an island.

ya. its possible. literally day tour lor. which i think its super waste of time.

go halong bay must minimum 2d1n.

 

[excalibur324]

Noted.......
Is this package worth it?
Super Savings: Tirant Hotel + Indochina Sails

suggest u book with the tour agency there. compare and ask around... you will get good price one.

 

[Charlie_Zhang]

suggest u book with the tour agency there. compare and ask around... you will get good price one.

Wouldn't the schedule be too tight?
Day 1 check in hotel also around 5pm, then ask hotel to recommend halong bay tour for next day?

 

[messier]

Hi Charlie_Zhang, 4days3nights is only enough for 2 days of HaLongBay. This is my itinerary for you (based on my experience with Canary cruise, paid 300USD for a single, for 3d2n cruise and 1 day tour)

Day 1 : Arrive at airport, check in hotel, explore the Hanoi until late (the only places that are worth your time is the Hoan Kiem lake and the Mausoleum, if it's not closed)
At the same time, check with your hotel if they arrange tours to Ha Long Bay. I booked mine 2 days before the tour (arrived on 25th, city tour on the 26th and HLB on the 27th)

I suggest the 2days/1night tour.

Day 2 : Bus will arrive at 0800 to pick you up from hotel, expected to reach there about 1330 (usually takes 3-4 hours but the traffic and road condition there is damn bad)
From there you are expected to reach your junk at 1400-1430. You will be served lunch as you sail to the place for the junk to park for the night.

From 1500-1800, you will go to some fishing village for some kayaking then after that you will then go climb the stairs at Titov beach.
Explore the beach for awhile then go back to the junk for dinner at 1900.
Dinner at 1900 will be until 2000, after that it's OTOT night activities (Karaoke, squid fishing) or lights out.

Day 3 : Breakfast at 0700 to 0800 then you will explore some of the nearby caves.
Check out at 1000-1030 and then you will have some cooking demostration until 1100. Lunch at 1130 then you will wait for the bus to bring you back to Hanoi at 1300. Expect to reach back by 1800.

Day 4 : Check out of hotel and back to Singapore. If time permits then see the Mausoleum.

 

[beanstalk6]

Seems that the Halong Bay itineraries are always similar. Other than the cooking class, my itinerary was identical!

 

[messier]

Yup you would have probably noticed it when your junk docks for the night and you see like 100 other ships around you.

Maybe some ships have an additional facility or better rooms but it makes not much of a difference. Itinerary is more or less fixed but there's the option of 3d2n where you can choose to go Lan Ha Bay or Cat Ba Island on the 2nd day.

 

[Charlie_Zhang]

Have added 1 more day... Basically thur,fri,sat,sun and Monday back
Main objective will be to see halong bay and sapa

Got this customised itinerary from essence hanoi hotel... 2pax about usd$850
Is this price ok?

Day 1: Airport pickup @ USD18. Our personnel who holds a placard saying "Essence Hanoi hotel welcome + your name" will await you at the airport terminal upon your arrival.
Stay at our Essence Hanoi hotel, located at No. 22 Ta Hien Street:

02 Quiet, non - smoking window Deluxe single rooms for 02 people @USD65 + 15% tax & service charge per room per night

Will reach hanoi around 11am...so Otot roam Hanoi and watch water puppet show etc

Day 2: taking a full day Halong Bay trip @ USD129 x 2 persons, returning Hanoi by late afternoon. The itinerary is viewed at

Halong Tour - 1 day | Day Tours | Tours Information

Day 2 evening: Sending you to the train station where you will take a night train to Sapa and then spend 3 nights 2 days for this trip, superior option (with stay in Chau Long new wing hotel) @ USD238 x 2 persons

SP2 - SAPA EASY TREK 2 DAYS 3NIGHTS (Overnight in hotel)

Day 5.: back to Hanoi. We pick you up from train station (@USD16 for roundtrip see off and pickup from the train station). Breakfasts at our hotel @ USD10 x 2 person. Airport see off @ USD18. End tour.

 

[messier]

Wow your accommodation sure is expensive. Haha.

I've heard reviews that the water puppet show quite lame. It's all in Vietnamese and you probably wont understand anything anyway (like their kind of traditional stories). Go in there to sleep only.

1 day tour of Ha Long Bay is super bo hua. Your bus picks you up at 0800, you spend 4 hours traveling there and 4 hours back just to get a glimpse of this natural wonder.

**I saw your Ha Long Bay link. Be prepared for delays. On arrival day, my bus picked me up at 0800 and I arrived at 1300. On departure day, my bus came to pick me up at 1300 and I arrived in Hanoi at 1800.

1 single to-and-fro trip already takes from 0800-1800. No idea how you gonna squeeze in all those visits.

What I suggest :

Thursday : Arrive at Hanoi, check in, take the Sapa train at night.

Friday : Arrive in Sapa day 1

Saturday : Sapa day 2, depart for Hanoi at night

Sunday : Back in Hanoi in the morning. I don't know if you can rush for a bus to Ha Long Bay. Must charter a private car if you ever want to get there on time. But the road there will be equally congested.

Monday : Back to SG.

 

[Charlie_Zhang]

Wow your accommodation sure is expensive. Haha.

I've heard reviews that the water puppet show quite lame. It's all in Vietnamese and you probably wont understand anything anyway (like their kind of traditional stories). Go in there to sleep only.

1 day tour of Ha Long Bay is super bo hua. Your bus picks you up at 0800, you spend 4 hours traveling there and 4 hours back just to get a glimpse of this natural wonder.

**I saw your Ha Long Bay link. Be prepared for delays. On arrival day, my bus picked me up at 0800 and I arrived at 1300. On departure day, my bus came to pick me up at 1300 and I arrived in Hanoi at 1800.

1 single to-and-fro trip already takes from 0800-1800. No idea how you gonna squeeze in all those visits.

Just wanna go halong bay take some pics... Hahaha
Or I should go sapa upon arrival at Hanoi first?

Hmm.....

 

[messier]

I really think it's very hard and you will always be pressed for time if you stick with that itinerary. I did 7 days and I had to skip Sapa.

My main concern for you is if you take the day trip for HaLongBay, will you be able to make your train on time?

Personal opinion is that I highly doubt it unless your train is at midnight.
The journey there takes 3-4 hours. The cruise would take 3-4 hours. The journey back takes another 3-4 hours. Go figure. If you are confident you are able to catch the train then go ahead. If you miss the train then that's it.

If you choose to go Sapa first, will you be able to rush for a Ha Long Bay cruise? After Sapa you will return on Sunday, definitely have the whole afternoon and night. But if you miss the bus at 0800 then that's it as well.

Best is to throw in 1 more day.

 

[beanstalk6]

The Hanoi-Sapa trains leave at night.
Expensive and very compressed plan you have. I am curious as to how a one-day visit to Halong Bay is enjoyable. Why don't you try it and share with us thence?

 

[tenz1204]

Hanoi accommodation looks expensive, did you explore other choices?