Vietnam

                           Hanoi & Halong Bay, Vietnam 

Image 1: Halong Bay, Vietnam 

August 2019

Hanoi, Vietnam

What was suppose to be a girls trip with my girlfriends years ago finally ended up taking place - better late than never right? This time we made it a point to make it happen this year because it just so happen to be that it was this one time where all of us were free at the same time, and so we booked our flight out to Vietnam.

It was my first time in Vietnam (yay to adding one more country into my "Countries Visited" count) and I couldn't be anymore thrilled to be exploring it with my closest friends. 

Image 2: Centre Point Hotel Hanoi 

As soon as we landed Hanoi, we headed straight to our hotel Centre Point Hotel Hanoi. Now, if you're looking for a place that easily accessible to amenities, restaurants and even Hanoi's top attractions than this hotel is highly recommended for you - especially if you haven't got any transport to get you around in the city. 

Centre Point Hotel Hanoi is located just in the French Old Quarter and only a 5 minute-walk from the famous Hoan Kiem Lake. A must to visit if you're in the city! If you're planning to book a room in this hotel, look for Julia as she was extremely helpful in providing various information regrading tour packages. 

Image 3: Cafe Giang, Hanoi 

Our first stop after checking in to our hotel and settling down was Cafe Giang. Now, of you don't already know this, Vietnam is well known for its local coffee - the Vietnamese Coffee. What you probably wouldn't know however, is that one of their very own delicacy is also their Egg Coffee - yes you heard it right "Egg Coffee". 

Image 4: Iced Egg Coffee @ Cafe Giang, Hanoi 

Cafe Giang happens to be the original creator of the famous Egg Coffee in Hanoi. Founded in 1946 by Mr Nguyen Giang, the Egg Coffee served here is said to be the most authentic one in Hanoi and its recipe has not been changed at all, made exactly how it was back in the days. 

It took us approximately 40 minutes to actually find this place despite being quite close to it already (Can't blame us though since it was just only our first day in Hanoi) but also because Cafe Giang is quite hidden in a nondescript alleyway with just a small "Cafe Giang" outside its shop. Once you make your way in though, you'll see many family photos on its walls, 

There are two seating areas, one downstairs and another upstairs. If you're looking for a better ventilated and brighter area to enjoy your Egg Coffee, than heading upstairs would be the better option for you - though it may be a little crowded with other tourists seeking to try their famous beverage. 

There are many other specialty drinks served at Cafe Giang that you could try as well. We ordered 3 drinks here - Iced Yogurt with Matcha (RM7), Iced Peach Tea (RM4.50) and the Iced Egg Coffee (RM4.50).  

For more information on Cafe Giang, visit the site below: 

http://www.giangcafehanoi.com

Image 5: Tandoor Restaurant, Hanoi 

After practically getting drenched in the rain while looking for the Thang Long Water Puppet building to purchase tickets for their show, we were out of ideas on what to do. Disclaimer for those who are planning to visit Hanoi in summer - don't forget to pack a raincoat or umbrella in your bag because the weather during this time of year is unpredictable. 

And so, we decided to have early dinner since we didn't actually have a proper meal since breakfast and that we were starving from all the walking that we did (in the rain!). We were cold and hungry and we just needed some comfort food to regain our strength. That's when we found a quaint Indian restaurant nearby - Tandoor Restaurant. 

The food here is definitely a must try especially if you love Indian food (like myself). They have a wide selection of rice dishes and is even vegetarian friendly - though it is slightly on the pricey side as compared to the local food in Hanoi. 

For more information on Tandoor Restaurant, visit the site below: 

http://tandoorvietnam.com/hanoi/

Image 6: Breakfast @ Centre Point Hotel Hanoi 

Another thing that needs stressing about why Centre Point Hotel Hanoi is the ultimate accommodation goals is that its inclusive with free breakfast for your entire stay there and.. not only that, you would be blessed with a stunning view of Hoan Kiem Lake every morning while you're at it! Score!

Image 7: Temple of Literature, Hanoi 

A must visit and my personal favourite attraction in Hanoi is the Temple of Literature. Known to be one of Hanoi's picturesque and architecturally fulfilling attractions in Hanoi, the Temple of Literature was originally built as a University in 1070 dedicated to Confucius, scholars and sages. The building is not only very well preserved, but it is also a perfect depiction of the traditional Vietnamese-style architecture

The ancient site offers so much to explore and indulge in such as the Well of Heavenly Clarity, the lake of literature, pavilions, turtle steles, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalties. In fact, before opening its doors to brighter "commoners", the Temple of Literature was a University which only accepted the elite and royal family and aristocrats as its students. 

Entry Fee per adult is priced at RM6

Image 8: One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi 

Next, the One Pillar Pagoda. Said to represent a lotus flower growing up out of the water, the One Pillar Pagoda is a one pillared pagoda rising in the centre of a graceful square shaped lotus pond. Noted as one of Vietnam's most iconic temples, the One Pillar Pagoda was built between the years of 1028 and 1054 during the reign of Emperor Ly Thai Tong and Ly Dynasty. 

Often used a symbol of Hanoi, its shrine located inside is dedicated to the Vietnamese deity Quan Am  with her effigy inside the tiny theres square meters temple. 

One Pillar Pagoda is free of charge but appropriate attire should be worn if you wish to enter the temple. 

Image 9: Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hanoi 

Another must see in Hanoi - Tran Quoc Pagoda. Dating back to the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De Dynasty (544-548), Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest of its kind in Hanoi. Set on an islet within West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda has undergone several changes throughout the year - with its most prominent being its renaming from An Quoc to Tran Quoc (which means protecting its country). 

Surrounded by luscious greenery, Tran Quoc Pagoda was also a favourite among the kings and royal families to festivals, Tet festival and full moons. Standing at 15 meters tall, the main pagoda is made off 11 levels while its surrounding buildings include a museum which houses historic relics and an incense burning house. 

Tran Quoc Pagoda is free of charge, but appropriate attire should be worn out of respect to the monks and locals.  

Image 10: Ngoc Son Temple, Hanoi 

Now Ngoc Son Temple would probably be the most visited temple in Hanoi, just because its located right in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter as well as at Hoan Kiem Lake - a popular tourist spot in Hanoi. Built in the 18th century on Jade island, Ngoc Son Temple is known to be the "Lake of the Returned Sword." 

Reason being and legends says that an emperor was once given a magical sword which helped him defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty and in doing so, saw the return of the Golden Turtle God to the lake. In fact, the temple houses a preserved specimen of a giant turtle found in the lake weighing 250kg! 

Now that was a lot of temple visiting in one day. Do note that if you're going to mostly walk your way around to visit these temples, its best that you wear comfort shoes as you'll be walking a lot and the pedestrian paths in Hanoi are not exactly smooth. So, if you're deciding to be dressy with high heels or unpractical sandals, its best that you skip it.

Image 11: Lunch @ The Artisan Restaurant, Hanoi 

Conveniently just opposite our hotel, The Artisan Restaurant turned out to be one of my favourite places to eat. Many won't really notice it as its not exactly one of the hotspots in town but The Artisan Restaurant has a a very cosy atmosphere with an outside seating area which overlooks the narrow but busy street. Just the perfect to sip on some tea, be it with a company of friends or even alone. If you're looking for a drink thats easy on the stomach, the Honey Ginger Tea is highly recommended. 

Image 12: Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hanoi 

Now off to a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Here, you would get to  an insight on Vietnam's intriguing history as well as its historical and cultural importance. Also known as Hanoi Citadel, this ancient building is the home to many artefacts dating between the 6th and 20th centuries. 

Archeologists even discovered a possible trading relationship between areas nearby Vietnam with findings such as bronze coins, ceramics and pottery from China as well as other nations in Asia. Here, visitors are able to view interesting mock-ups and excavated items of the citadel itself. 

Entry Fee per adult is priced at RM6

Image 13: La Pinta Cruise, Halong Bay 

Halong Bay still holds the number one spot for our Vietnam trip - just because its Halong Bay! Not visiting Halong Bay while you're in Vietnam is almost like not visiting the Eiffel Tower if you're in Paris. Halong Bay turned out to be exactly how I expected it to be (if not better - and I'm not just saying that) 

A huge contributing factor to a wonderful experience here though would definitely be the hospitality provided by the friendly crew of the La Pinta Cruise and just the overall luxury vibes of the cruise. Bring onboard La Pinta felt like a true escape from all the worries of reality (even if it was just for a night). 

Our very friendly and accommodating Cruise Manager, Lee was always there to guide us every time we had any enquiries or uncertainties during our stay onboard. Our extremely friendly server Joey was also very attentive and was always there to serve us at all times. Being onboard La Pinta was the ultimate luxury treat anyone could ever ask for and is highly recommended for those of you who are looking to pamper yourselves! 

Image 14: La Pinta Suite

Not to mention how amazing our room was! La Pinta Suite was our home for the night and to be honest, one night was just not enough for us. I mean, would you want to leave a room like this? Comfy beds, spacious bathroom and a balcony which overlooks astonishing Halong Bay? It doesn't get any better than this! 

For more information on La Pinta Cruise, visit the site below: 

http://halongbaylapintacruise.com

Our two days one night cruise included a 4 course lunch, buffet dinner and a 4 course brunch the following day so we never had to worry about being hungry during our stay. However, since we were also celebrating our 13 years of friendship during this trip as well, we got ourselves some fancy mocktails to toast to. Just us three trying to live that "boujee" life! (and enjoying it while we can).

Image 15: Lunch onboard La Pinta 

Image 16: Mocktails onboard La Pinta 

Other activities that we did during our stay onboard La Pinta included Cave trekking at Trung Trang Cave - a fun and sporty activity for those who enjoy the outdoors and nature, swimming at a the designated swimming area as well as squid fishing for our first day. As for the second day, activities included Tai Chi in the AM as well as exploring Dark and Bright Cave via Bamboo Boat which were both therapeutic and calming. 

And so that was our cruise to Halong Bay that we'll never forget and this was the exact moment where we made it a point to plan our next trip together and to make sure we made it happen. Istanbul maybe? 

Vietnam taught me a lot about independence and trust. But most importantly, this trip taught me the true meaning of "Confidence." (If you know, you know)