Vietnam - The hidden South- East Asian jewel

As I boarded my flight from Siem Reap, Cambodia to reach my second and final destination - Hanoi, Vietnam during my nine-day South-East-Asian jaunt, little did I realise that this under-rated country is going to be one of the best hosts ever. Vietnam was everything - It was both mesmeric and exotic. It's staggering natural beauty, coupled with cultural complexities and spirited megacities, carved out an alluring picture in my mind and Vietnam will always have a special place in my travel diaries.

During my five-day stay in Vietnam, I chose only to stay in Hanoi, the capital city, and visit the neighboring attractions. If you are a lone traveler or you intend to explore the place without muss fuss, I strongly recommend that you stay in the bustling Old Quarters at Hanoi. Old Quarters is a riot of restaurants, markets and long-winding streets. On the one hand, the Old Quarters hosts a slew of old buildings and government offices, (drawing inspiration from the French architecture - French colonized the country for six long decades), on the other hand, it has earned the recognition as being a bustling city with high rise buildings, malls and swanky restaurants and hotels. Remember all the economic boom the country has witnessed in the last decade?

This is the reason why Vietnam enchanted me - it gave me the sheer pleasure of combining the flavors of the old, while I could still adore the rawness of the new. With a history dating back to about the 13th century, the vibe and energy of the Old Quarters is definitely mesmerizing and hard to miss.

As you step out of your motel in this historical area, you would be greeted by a slew of hip café, bars, a variety of restaurants serving various cuisines, boutique shops and art galleries. But what strikes you the most is the Vietnamese love for their cuisine. It's a very common sight to see people come from far and wide to share a meal together on these streets especially during evenings. Vietnamese diverse, flavorful and balanced cuisine has earned attention worldwide and its famous street food is something you can never miss while you are here. Whether it's the trendy pho and banh mi or the Vietnamese coffee, its diverse cuisine has earned acknowledgement even in the West. As the city is packed with eateries all around, food is seen as a means of socializing. When in Vietnam, French baguettes, Vietnamese coffee and cha ca, banh goi and pho are among the must-try dishes one should binge on. To savour the local cuisine, one must sit on the stools placed at these side walk restaurants and indulge in some authentic Vietnamese cuisine, just like how the locals do.

The Old Quarter, located near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, is Hanoi's major commercial district. Many of Hanoi's major attractions including Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Opera House, National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ba Dinh Square (a former Governor-General of French Indochina's mansion), the One Pillar Pagoda, Bach Ma Temple, Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre and Dong Xuan, Hanoi's largest market are all located in the Old Quarter. While I strolled along these narrow roads, I was reminded of home - it gave me the same feeling of the hustle bustle one would face in our own cities like Mumbai or Calcutta: streets packed with scooters, bicycles and cars swarming around pedestrians. Sidewalk vendors and street hawkers selling everything- from food to clothes and everything else one could possibly think of.

While you stroll around this bustling city, take time to appreciate the excellent architectures dating back from the colonial times of the French and Chinese. The beautiful Buddhist temples and pagodas adorn the city's monuments. Hopping on to a tuk-tuk might be the best option to explore the city. While you do feel bad for the tuk-tuk guy cycling you around the city on a sultry afternoon, this is the most economical and best option to get a feel of the city.

Museums galore

Hanoi is home to a slew of museums, spread across the city - all for which you can gain entry with a meagre admission fee ranging from 10 dollars to 20 dollars. I visited a couple of museums including the Vietnamese Women's Museum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, War Remnants Museum etc.

Vietnamese Women's Museum, the unique modern museum, exclusively built to showcase the roles and conducts of Vietnamese women in the society was elaborate as well as little chauvinistic, I felt. The museum opened to public in 1995 and renovated between 2006 and 2010, houses a multi storied building in the heart of Ha No City is definitely a worth to visit. Many of these storeys are filled with visual images and collection of costumes, tribal basket ware and fabric motifs from Vietnam's ethnic minority groups, propaganda posters, also visuals reminding one about lives during numerous wars the country has fought. Many collections also depict heroic deeds of these poignant women.

Come Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Hanoi's old quarter area is converted to a busy, bustling gathering of roadside stalls and local food vendors and traders selling all kinds of goods - from clothes to electronics to everything one could possibly ask for. The market runs through the Old Quarter district from starting from Hang Dao Street and runs north to the end of Dong Xuan Market. Musical bands too perform here, drawing huge crowds. This might provide a good chance to put your bargaining to test. You might be just lucky to get a major reduction as high as 75 per cent of the price actually quoted. I picked up some beautiful handcrafted terracotta show pieces and some ornamental pieces along with some cheap electronic stuff to carry back home! As I passed by these well preserved shop-houses that lie along these roads, every morning, I was told that they were built a little over a century ago and were constructed in their long and narrow style (mostly in a bid to avoid huge taxes levied). I see old grandmas peeping from the inside of their tiny single-room house, (many houses are so cluttered as these members do business as well as live in the same place). Little children running over the payment, young men and women sit out in the open, just outside of their houses and eat and drink - the most common sight one would witness in Old Quarters.

The Old Quarter, considered to be a shopper's paradise is home to commercial streets, that have hosted business since 1,000 years. Keep an eye on traders selling fine souvenirs including lacquer ware, silk products, embroidered fabrics and bags, conical hats, coffee beans and paintings.

A good five-hour drive (didn't feel the pinch as we drove on few of the best maintained highways) from the busy Old Quarters drifted me to Halong Bay, the most serene place I could ask for. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular travel destination in Quang Ninh Province of Vietnam, Halong Bay is a paradise to cherish. As I approached the Halong Bay City (also known as Bai Chay), during my day-long trip, I was greeted by the limestone outcrops of the northeast coast. The name 'Hạ Long' which means 'descending dragon, is known for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands topped by rainforests. Halong Bay's scatter of islands, dotted with wind- and wave-eroded grottoes remains northern Vietnam's unabashed tourism hot spot.

There are hordes of private tours and travels who arrange for day-long trips to Halong Bay from Hanoi city that too for just 40 dollars. I tried my hands at kayaking, the best way to explore Halong Bay. As you paddle through islets, you visit hidden caves and lagoons and sometimes even get lost amidst them. As I tried to paddle through the muddy, shallow waters, trying hard to balance the boat and push through the haze, I was mesmerised by the glazing sun set, calming down the waters at the bay.

My next day's tour involved yet another day-long trip to Tam Cốc-Bích Động - a flooded cave karst system with limestone outcrops amid serene rice paddies, Tam Coc is best appreciated on a languid rowing-boat ride. The harsh sun throughout the day did not hamper my spirits and I watched fellow travellers enjoy boat rides, as we passed through a big cave and only sound that fall on your ears are the sound of the oars. Enjoy the sprawling paddy fields and beautiful Buddhist pagodas, around the place. A must visit here is the Bái Đính Temple or Bái Đính Temple Spiritual and Cultural Complex, that consists of a complex of Buddhist temples on Bai Dinh Mountain in Gia Viễn District, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam.

While I boarded my flight to reach home, I smiled to myself for, this hasty, last decision to include Vietnam to my travel itenary was worth it!