In my previous post, “Is Honking the Way of Communication”, I mentioned that, despite the honking and the noise of traffic in Hanoi streets, it will not deter one to discover the many beauties of Hanoi. It did not deter me for sure. Yes, Vietnam - "The Hidden Charm". I returned at the end of March for a holiday.
Hanoi City Tour
My first trip in January was limited to the city tour due to time constraint. That city tour was a great experience, where I visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh House, The Temple of Literature, Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre and of course the famous Old Quarter – the famous 36 streets. My friend and I hopped on the cyclo to have an hour ride to tour the 36 streets. Each street represents a guild or industry, such as silk and crafts and souvenirs etc…Well this Old Quarter still attracts me a lot. During my second trip I am more adventurous; sitting in the low stools and savoring the street food and tasting the local delicacies. I was fortunate enough to spend my weekend in the city where I witnessed the night market - certain streets are closed for this purpose. It is a scene not to be missed.
At the end of March I went back to discover The Hidden Charm. I visited HaLong Bay, Cat Ba Island and The Perfume Pagoda.
HaLong Bay
It is a drive of 165Km (103 miles) from Honoi about 3 hours through Quang Ninh province to Bai Chay in Halong City. I went on-board the junk and had lunch which was a good experience. Ha Long Bay is located in the North-East of Vietnam, in Quang Ninh province. It is an archipelago of 3,000 limestone islands jutting out of the emerald green waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. It is one of the world’s natural heritages officially recognized by UNESCO in 17th December 1994 for its scenic beauty. In an area covering 1,500Km (580 sq miles), sampans, junks, fishing boats as well as numerous tourist boats sailed past and looking at thousands of amazing objects make you feel like you are in a fairy land. It has beautiful sceneries and it is a relaxing cruise. Beside, Ha Long Bay has many beautiful caves to0.
Cat Ba Island
After cruising on the water and visited the cave, we were transferred to a smaller boat to continue our journey to Cat Ba Island – a fishing community. This was because some tourists chose to stay overnight on-board the junk. However, I chose to stay overnight on Cat Ba Island. I had a good time exploring the whole island, going round on a rented motorbike and bicycle. Cat Ba Island is the largest in HaLong Bay measuring 354 sq km (136 miles). It offers more spectacular landscape, forested limestone peaks, coral reefs, coastal mangrove and freshwater swamps, lakes and waterfalls and has nice beaches to explore. Almost half the island and its adjacent waters are a national park, with diverse flora and fauna. I love Cat Ba Island. Its beautiful, peaceful, no honking, less traffic and clean as compared to the busy Hanoi. It is a place not to be missed if you ever plan to visit Hanoi.
The Perfume Pagoda
The Perfume Pagoda is 60km (37 miles) southwest of Hanoi. The journey comprises of three parts: by road, by boat, or a 4-km (2 and half mile) hike. As it was a day trip we skipped the hike and instead went on the cable car to the Pagoda. I don’t fancy temples or pagodas. What I liked about the journey was the opportunity to see the country side; paddy/rice fields, vegetable gardens, and the many country-side houses. At the end of the road journey we came to the riverside of Due Khe village. There I boarded a shallow metal-bottomed boat (no roads to the Perfume Pagoda) for an hour-long boat ride along the wide, swiftly flowing Yen River. It was a worthwhile journey as it was relaxing in the metal boat, where the oarsman - or rather the oarswoman (mostly women), steered you along the river to view the beautiful landscape of jagged limestone hills. After my experience, I made a mental note to bring a cushion to protect my bum in future.
Overall, I enjoyed my holiday in Hanoi and shoppings too. I bought some nice silk clothings and stuffs. I met a few tourists who are my friends now, and that is really a blessing. If you ask me whether I want to visit Hanoi again I will tell you, yes! It truly has its Hidden Charm. This time round I will not miss Sa Pa – the trekking paradise.
Overall, I enjoyed my holiday in Hanoi and shoppings too. I bought some nice silk clothings and stuffs. I met a few tourists who are my friends now, and that is really a blessing. If you ask me whether I want to visit Hanoi again I will tell you, yes! It truly has its Hidden Charm. This time round I will not miss Sa Pa – the trekking paradise.
