Despite the forecast of a cloudy weather and a heavy rainfall. I packed my bags to explore Hanoi during the Eid break. Let’s just say it was a work event transitioned into holiday.
Hanoi wasn’t as bad as some people paint it. I believe with every city you have to create your own itinerary and plans to make the most out of it. You can’t just land in a city and expect all the beautiful things to pop up at your table. You’ve got to do your research and homework except you are willing to pay a premium for that to be done for you.
I had a great time in Vietnam, I thought I share some of the things I did on my four day holiday.
Hanoi Opera
This was highly recommended on trip advisor, so I decided to book it for the first night. I have never seen an opera like this before. I am used to the Italian opera which normally have a story behind it that you can follow. That wasn’t the case in Hanoi, it was a representation of a village life and some musicals. It was called “Lang xoi” It was really nice and different but you have to be open minded to enjoy it.
Hanoi Old quarter/Street food
Who would think I would ever enjoy street food? I loved it. You basically order anything on the menu and it is delivered to your table uncooked with a gas burner. You then have to cook it yourself. However, it would have been seasoned and marinated if needed. We cooked the food and had couple of beers in between. It was so tasty and nice. That is the real street life right there. This is a must do!
Halong bay
I prayed for sunshine on this one and God showed up. Miraculously, there was no rainfall and it was sunshine galore. If you ever visit Hanoi you must do this. Halong bay is one of the many highlights of this trip. It reminded me of Phi Phi island in Phuket but better. The scenery was beautiful, stunning and unreal. The cruise was a day long after which we went to the cave, kayaking, hiking and had a swim in the sea.
Ninh binh
“Halong bay on land” as called by the locals. We were made to explore ninh binh ourselves by riding a bicycle. I opted for a motorbike because I couldn’t cycle ( I know its embarrassing) so if you are like me please fix up before this holiday. I think I would have enjoyed it better if I could. Nevertheless, it was amazing! The view, greenery and scenery was incredible. Afterwards, we all did canoeing at the lake which was about an hour long around ninh binh. This is a holiday of a life time.
Waterpuppet show
This one cracked me up the most. It’s literally what it sounds like. “puppets in water” performing. I loved it and I recommend it.
Temple of literature
We were told it used to be a university dedicated to Confucius. There is a lake of literature, Turtle Steeles that used to be buried in sand surrounded by a concrete to protect them from danger of aerial bombardment. The courtyards and passage ways were once used by royalty. If you are into learning about the history of a city then you will be happy to visit temple of literature. I learnt a lot about the Vietnamese history here.
Food and culture: Please don’t go to Vietnam looking for Mcdonalds or what not. Eat the local food, immerse yourself in the culture! If you like thai food you will be comfortable with Vietnamese cuisine. I loved it.
Lastly but most importantly, make sure you learn about the history of Vietnam, the war and their relationship with the French. I read up on google, spoke to the Vietnamese people and even saw some of the victims of Asian orange. I felt sorry for them but they have somehow found a way to put them into employment. Most of them do beautiful art work and craft. So if you find yourself in Vietnam don’t forget to support them.
Tạm biệt!
that looks amazing, id like to visit and try that food, can you recommend some restaurants there?
Author
I ate at a couple of restaurants but my favourite was a place called Nha hang lao. The food was very good.