Travel to Vietnam, Red River Delta, Hanoi.

Getting off the plane in Hanoi, everything seemed strangely familiar. Thankfully we knew what to do regarding out visas and we were amazed at how easy and quick the process was when compared to the nightmare of Saigon! Before we knew it we were with our friends, Kaithe and Ted, and fighting with the capital's traffic in a taxi en-route to their flat.

After resting for a while and catching up with our friends, we soon had to think about dinner. It was our first night back in Vietnam so if course it should be an Indian take-away! To place your order with the Namaste you simply visit their website, select your dishes (be careful though, the online menu doesn't tell you how spicy things are), and half an hour or so later there will be a knock at the door. Magic! And the food is simply amazing.

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Travel to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Country/Town visited: Hanoi, Vietnam
Date of stay: 4 nights, December 2010
Where you stayed: Guesthouse
Travelled with: As a couple
Tour or pre planned: Pre-planned & tour 

Hanoi is a city like no other! Vietnam and most of South East Asia are riddled with scooters and motorbikes and you quickly get used to their ever-presence. In Hanoi you can find just about anything and everything being transported on a motorbike...pigs, flowers, fish, fruit, and even a family of 4 fits happily on one! Crossing the road is an experience in itself and not for the faint-hearted! It’s a hustling and bustling place, full to the brim with people and motorbikes! Shopping in Hanoi is fantastic and everything is dirt cheap. You can get a meal for US$1.50, but if you have anything off the sidewalk - be warned - it won’t be completely hygienic! Accommodation is also dirt cheap, between $6-10 per night. We went to water puppet show, which is worth a visit. These you can book on the day but if you want to go in the evening, book in the morning. One of the main reasons for coming to Hanoi was to visit Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is truly magnificent.  A huge bay dotted with nearly 2,000 mostly uninhabited limestone cliffs makes it a breathtaking site. Our tour included a cave visit, kayaking, and a bicycle ride on Cat Ba Island. The food on the boat is also exceptionally good. We booked the tour through our guesthouse and this can be done when you arrive to leave on the boat the next day. Your guesthouse will sort everything out for you as they get commission. Also, it’s worth doing the 3 day trip as you will see more and this will include an overnight stay on Cat Ba Island.

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