Travelogue Vietnam Part 1

Vietnam was on my mind for quite some time. A country that has so much to offer from Limestone Bay to Hills & Beaches. In the limited time we had I selected the must see destinations.

After completing our Cambodia leg of the Holiday we arrived at the capital city of Hanoi. Tip: Fill the Immigration Form before landing at the Airport. This will save you a lot of time as the form is very lengthy & you can only proceed for stamping after submitting it.

Reached Hotel & Completed the Check-In formalities. Super friendly staff & the hotel was conveniently located in the Old Quarter area of Hanoi. Tip: Buy a local sim & install Grab App (Vietnam's Ola / Uber).

Today we set out to explore the City. We didn't opt for any tours & wanted to visit only selected attractions. Our first stop was Tran Quoc Pagoda.

Next stop was Ho Chi Minh Museum. Pro Tip: After entering the museum, please ask for a English speaking guide. It's a free of cost service.

Entry to Presidential Palace is avoidable. As you can't photograph the Palace.

Vietnam Military History Museum also has Hanoi Flag Tower. It's a unique Museum with collection of captured planes, tanks & artillery from the Vietnam War.

Rested for some time at the hotel & headed out again after sunset. Vietnam Night Market for some shopping, then stroll around Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Roads were closed for traffic & large crowds gathered. There was live music, food stalls & a perfect setting for people to just hangout after a long day of work. St. Joseph's Cathedral looks amazing at night.

Today we will for Ha Long Bay Cruise. A luxury van was sent by the cruise company to pick us. We reached Halong City in about 3 hours. Had to wait for about an hour at the pier & then boarded the ship. The boat was super luxurious & staff was super courteous. 24 hour itinerary was carefully planned by the boat staff covering all attractions.

We were back to Hanoi by 4 PM. Had a evening flight to Da Nang. So had some time to spare. Visited Cafe Giang. This cafe is serving Egg Coffee since 1946. Must try if you are a coffee lover.

Landed late in the evening. Our driver took us to an Indian Restaurant before heading to our hotel in Hoi An.

40 minutes drive along the sea shore & we reach our hotel. Right on the famous An Bang beach.

We hired 2 wheeler from the hotel & headed to Marble Mountains. It does take little used to riding on the opposite side of road. Tip: Many shopkeepers will ask you to park bike at their shops but do park only at the designated parking. Wear comfortable shoes to hike.

You have to hike to the highest point to catch some great views. Part of the hike is very steep but can be done with some effort. There are some caves inside the mountains with Buddhist Temples.

To be continued...