Stepping off the bus at about 9am in Hanoi, we were a bit relieved that the last of our bus trips was over. We had some ideas for hotels, through recommendations so gave the touts at the bus stop the slip. It took 
us a while to get our bearings, its similar to Saigon in the hectic busyness of the city. After a brief chat to a friendly local who didn’t try to sell us anything and a coffee in a busy little street side café we made our way into the old quarter. We were amazed by all the small shops and stalls selling everything from laundry products to children’s clothes. We checked a couple of hotels, the one mum and dad stayed at was full, and ended up randomly in one that Christine had seen on the internet, we think. The problem is, once one business becomes successful, others with the same name pop up everywhere. The hotel was ok, included breakfast and a reasonable price. The owner was very pushy with tours and extras, so we won’t be back here after Halong Bay and we will book our tour elsewhere.
After a shower and rest in the room we headed out a bit after midday for a walk around the city. Our first stop was to buy some pork buns (filled with chicken) from th
e side of the road. Walking around we visited a number of the art galleries but also noted that a lot of the shops are targeting the locals rather than tourists. Eclipse hotel had been recommended to us so we visited this and organized a Halong Bay tour and our last few nights’ accommodation with them. We have splurged and chosen a luxury (3 star) two night tour. Unfortunately we also had to get them to organize a visa extension, as when we obtained our visa for Vietnam they started it too early and it is due to expire four days before we leave. 
After taking care of all the items on our ‘to do’ list we walk down to lake for a look around. We figured since we were in Hanoi we should eat on the streets, but were rather unsuccessful. We saw a few places but the either saw our white faces and wanted to charge us too much or they were a bit empty and uninviting looking. Eventually we ended up at New Day restaurant which had been recommended by the Eclipse Hotel. Dinner was really good, we feasted on Hanoi spring rolls, bbq beef patties, ribs and rice noodles. 
After a busy few days we finally managed to have a sleep in, we didn’t leave the hotel until 1pm. Out in the daylight we walked down to lake and over to the theater to book tickets to the water puppet show. We then spent the rest of the day exploring the Old Quarter. Christine had a look at some bag and shoe shops before we retreated from the heat for a Café Sua Dar (ice coffee).
We saw the old city gate, the main marke
t, heaps of little local shops and stalls in the streets, crazy power lines before finding a small side street to eat Bun Vit (duck noodle soup) for lunch, before a bit more walking in old the town. As the afternoon grew older we retreated to Bia Hoi (fresh beer) corner for a couple of hours. This is a great place to sit and watch as city life passes you by as well as to chat to the other customers. This place is a highlight of Hanoi, 25c beers and plenty of visits by local lady’s trying to sell all sorts of things. 
In the evening we went to watch the water puppet show. This is a traditional form of entertainment for the people of northern Vietnam. It originated in the rice fields. It was very entertaining with traditional music and puppets in the pool that is the stage. There were different puppets including farmers, dancers and animals. The show was all in Vietnamese, so we didn’t understand a great deal, but it was good, and only lasted about 45 minutes. After the show we had another delicious meal back at new day restaurant before heading home to repack our belongings. 
No sleep in today, we were up early and checked out by 7am. We walked around the corner to our new hotel and had breakfast, whilst waiting for the tour company to pick us up. Once on the bus and headed to Halong bay, we stopped at a souvenir café, of course! After a four hour drive we arrived at the port and were quickly taken on a small boat to our big boat. 
On arrival we were given ice tea and cold face washers as a welcome. The upper deck had sun lounges and the bar and lounge area looked quite nice. After the welcome we settled into our lovely room which even had a private balcony, so far the tour is going to plan. Lunch was a series of Vietnamese meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes which just kept on coming. As we cruised through the bay the staff pointed out various famous rock formations and were very excited to show us the 200,000 dong note when we came across the island which is featured on it. The landscape in very dramatic even though it was quite hazy. We had a stop at the surprise cave which is really quite an impressive cavern but the guide encouraged us to use our ‘imagine’ and see animals he pointed at with his torch. After looking at countless dragons, monkeys and everything else it was time to paddle around in a canoe for about half an hour. The last activity for the day was a swim, which of course involved jumping off the side of the boat. 
The only disappointing thing so far was the location, while far from horrible, we were in the middle of the bay with a few other boats around. We had hoped for a clean secluded swimming spot. Diner was amazing similar to lunch but twice as much variety and quantity. The drinks on the boat are expensive, but buying drinks off the local ladies who would paddle over to the side of the boat with their floating convince stores were marginally cheaper. They had cold beer and nets on long poles, like pool skimmers, which they would put the drinks in to pass them up to you on the boat. This was fine as long as the crew didn’t see you doing it! 
Next morning we had a knock on the door at about 8am ready for breakfast. I am actually starting to get a bit sick of bread and eggs in the morning. We set sail, checked out of our room and then said good bye to the people who were doing the 2 day tour and heading back to Hanoi.
We boarded a smaller boat which sailed through more amazing craggy mountains and rock formations. The boat pulled up at a small pier where we were all given bikes and had a ride through the interior of one of the islands. The land between the mountains is very flat and is used by the villages to grow rice and other crops. Of course the ride stopped at a café where we couldn’t resist a cold coke at inflated prices then we rode back to the boat. Our next and final stop for the day was ‘the bungalows’, which were on the beach in a small bay. We had lunch and were then given keys to our bungalows, and we managed to get a good one! The bungalow is on stilts over the water which you can actually see through the cracks in the floor. There are windows on two sides both of which over look the mountains and the sea. We also had a balcony out front with table and chairs. 
After lunch it was time for a swim which turned into a bit of a volley ball game with about 10 people. It was also when we noticed that the water was far from clean. The resort has canoes, so after swimming for an hour we grabbed one of these and went for a paddle. We toured around a few of the big rock formations before landing on a beach for a beer that we had bought with us. The beach, sadly, was littered with rubbish, but being a bit more exposed, the water seemed a little cleaner. After a beer and a swim we continued visiting more rock formations and coves, some of which were also quite dirty. We paddled past small houses floating on fishing farms before returning to the resort for cold showers. 
The bungalow resort has an amazing location and the bungalows while simple are quite nice. Unfortunately the owners are doing a terrible job of running the place. The reason the water is so dirty is no doubt due to the resort. Despite having an Air Con in the rooms and being told they would be turned on in the evening, they weren’t, there isn’t even electricity during the day and halfway through the night the rooms at our end of the resort ran out of water (no water for showers or toilets). The expensive beers weren’t even cold and dinner which was a BBQ buffet was ok, but there was barely enough food to feed everyone! The highlight of the evening was meeting a nice Spanish couple who sat near us at dinner.
In the morning we had to wait half an hour for our overly simple eggs and bread breakfast before boarding the boat at 8am. The third day of the 3 day tour is bit of a nothing day. We take a small boat to the big boat and then cruise on the big boat back to the harbor. There is time to relax on the top deck and cook your own spring rolls, before an early lunch is served. Then it was off the boat and onto a bus headed back to Hanoi. Halong bay is a must do in Vietnam. We have enjoyed it and it is very beautiful. It is just a bit of a shame that it has become so polluted and dirty. Apparently only 10 years ago there were dolphins in the bay, but no longer.
We were torn as to how we should spend our final day in Vietnam. We had two choices, spend the day relaxing and wandering the streets of Hanoi or join a day tour to Tam Coc. We decided on the day trip, as it was another area we would have liked to have seen. Again, better planning would have seen us get off the night bus 2hrs earlier to see the town, but since we didn’t do this, it was a 4hr return trip.
As with all tours we were picked up early and driven to our destination with only a short stop in a touristy gift shop. It turned out to be quite a testing day with a group of pushy Indians on the group and the guide being almost rude at points (AST tour company - Avoid). Our first visit was to a temple, which we were rushed through. Then it was off to a restaurant for lunch, already!
Finally by about 1pm it was time to see Tam Coc. This was amazing and worth all the hassles with the tour company. The area is known as the Halong Bay of the Rice Fields. It is a series of mountains and rock formations surrounded by rivers and rice fields. We jumped in a small boat and were paddled along the river with all the other boats. Refreshingly, the water was clean and while there were other tourists, it’s nothing like what Halong Bay has become. This may not always be the case as we think we saw some resorts being built up the road.
We had two drivers, firstly a young guy, then about half way he switched boats, and his mother took us the rest of the way. It was very relaxing being rowed through the rice fields and through caves and the scenery was spectacular. We were amused by all the guides rowing their boats with their feet instead of their hands. We also saw a local guy bathing and shampooing his hair in the water. 
After an hour and a half of being paddled around we returned to the port. The guide then told the group that some people were doing a bike ride for 45 minutes and everybody else had to sit and wait for them. This was particularly annoying, since our tour didn’t include this extra. Christine chose to sit in the restaurant and wait while Damien went for a walk around the town. Once they returned it was back on the bus and back to Hanoi. Strangely, we were last ones to be dropped off at our hotel. This is despite an earlier drop off being just around the corner from our hotel (which we didn’t realize until later that night). To make it worse the tour guide tried to drop us at the lake, which is actually a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel, but we refused to get out and made them drive back. While we are glad to have seen it, especially before all of the resorts move in, it was a long day (10hrs), considering the tour only spent an hour and a half at Tam Coc. 
Back in town we went shopping again for some more gifts. We ate pork buns on the side of the road and bartered to get them for half the price we paid the other day. Then it was dinner and home to pack our things for an early flight in the morning. 
us a while to get our bearings, its similar to Saigon in the hectic busyness of the city. After a brief chat to a friendly local who didn’t try to sell us anything and a coffee in a busy little street side café we made our way into the old quarter. We were amazed by all the small shops and stalls selling everything from laundry products to children’s clothes. We checked a couple of hotels, the one mum and dad stayed at was full, and ended up randomly in one that Christine had seen on the internet, we think. The problem is, once one business becomes successful, others with the same name pop up everywhere. The hotel was ok, included breakfast and a reasonable price. The owner was very pushy with tours and extras, so we won’t be back here after Halong Bay and we will book our tour elsewhere.After a shower and rest in the room we headed out a bit after midday for a walk around the city. Our first stop was to buy some pork buns (filled with chicken) from th
e side of the road. Walking around we visited a number of the art galleries but also noted that a lot of the shops are targeting the locals rather than tourists. Eclipse hotel had been recommended to us so we visited this and organized a Halong Bay tour and our last few nights’ accommodation with them. We have splurged and chosen a luxury (3 star) two night tour. Unfortunately we also had to get them to organize a visa extension, as when we obtained our visa for Vietnam they started it too early and it is due to expire four days before we leave. After taking care of all the items on our ‘to do’ list we walk down to lake for a look around. We figured since we were in Hanoi we should eat on the streets, but were rather unsuccessful. We saw a few places but the either saw our white faces and wanted to charge us too much or they were a bit empty and uninviting looking. Eventually we ended up at New Day restaurant which had been recommended by the Eclipse Hotel. Dinner was really good, we feasted on Hanoi spring rolls, bbq beef patties, ribs and rice noodles. 
After a busy few days we finally managed to have a sleep in, we didn’t leave the hotel until 1pm. Out in the daylight we walked down to lake and over to the theater to book tickets to the water puppet show. We then spent the rest of the day exploring the Old Quarter. Christine had a look at some bag and shoe shops before we retreated from the heat for a Café Sua Dar (ice coffee).
We saw the old city gate, the main marke
t, heaps of little local shops and stalls in the streets, crazy power lines before finding a small side street to eat Bun Vit (duck noodle soup) for lunch, before a bit more walking in old the town. As the afternoon grew older we retreated to Bia Hoi (fresh beer) corner for a couple of hours. This is a great place to sit and watch as city life passes you by as well as to chat to the other customers. This place is a highlight of Hanoi, 25c beers and plenty of visits by local lady’s trying to sell all sorts of things. In the evening we went to watch the water puppet show. This is a traditional form of entertainment for the people of northern Vietnam. It originated in the rice fields. It was very entertaining with traditional music and puppets in the pool that is the stage. There were different puppets including farmers, dancers and animals. The show was all in Vietnamese, so we didn’t understand a great deal, but it was good, and only lasted about 45 minutes. After the show we had another delicious meal back at new day restaurant before heading home to repack our belongings. No sleep in today, we were up early and checked out by 7am. We walked around the corner to our new hotel and had breakfast, whilst waiting for the tour company to pick us up. Once on the bus and headed to Halong bay, we stopped at a souvenir café, of course! After a four hour drive we arrived at the port and were quickly taken on a small boat to our big boat. On arrival we were given ice tea and cold face washers as a welcome. The upper deck had sun lounges and the bar and lounge area looked quite nice. After the welcome we settled into our lovely room which even had a private balcony, so far the tour is going to plan. Lunch was a series of Vietnamese meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes which just kept on coming. As we cruised through the bay the staff pointed out various famous rock formations and were very excited to show us the 200,000 dong note when we came across the island which is featured on it. The landscape in very dramatic even though it was quite hazy. We had a stop at the surprise cave which is really quite an impressive cavern but the guide encouraged us to use our ‘imagine’ and see animals he pointed at with his torch. After looking at countless dragons, monkeys and everything else it was time to paddle around in a canoe for about half an hour. The last activity for the day was a swim, which of course involved jumping off the side of the boat. 
The only disappointing thing so far was the location, while far from horrible, we were in the middle of the bay with a few other boats around. We had hoped for a clean secluded swimming spot. Diner was amazing similar to lunch but twice as much variety and quantity. The drinks on the boat are expensive, but buying drinks off the local ladies who would paddle over to the side of the boat with their floating convince stores were marginally cheaper. They had cold beer and nets on long poles, like pool skimmers, which they would put the drinks in to pass them up to you on the boat. This was fine as long as the crew didn’t see you doing it! Next morning we had a knock on the door at about 8am ready for breakfast. I am actually starting to get a bit sick of bread and eggs in the morning. We set sail, checked out of our room and then said good bye to the people who were doing the 2 day tour and heading back to Hanoi. We boarded a smaller boat which sailed through more amazing craggy mountains and rock formations. The boat pulled up at a small pier where we were all given bikes and had a ride through the interior of one of the islands. The land between the mountains is very flat and is used by the villages to grow rice and other crops. Of course the ride stopped at a café where we couldn’t resist a cold coke at inflated prices then we rode back to the boat. Our next and final stop for the day was ‘the bungalows’, which were on the beach in a small bay. We had lunch and were then given keys to our bungalows, and we managed to get a good one! The bungalow is on stilts over the water which you can actually see through the cracks in the floor. There are windows on two sides both of which over look the mountains and the sea. We also had a balcony out front with table and chairs. After lunch it was time for a swim which turned into a bit of a volley ball game with about 10 people. It was also when we noticed that the water was far from clean. The resort has canoes, so after swimming for an hour we grabbed one of these and went for a paddle. We toured around a few of the big rock formations before landing on a beach for a beer that we had bought with us. The beach, sadly, was littered with rubbish, but being a bit more exposed, the water seemed a little cleaner. After a beer and a swim we continued visiting more rock formations and coves, some of which were also quite dirty. We paddled past small houses floating on fishing farms before returning to the resort for cold showers. The bungalow resort has an amazing location and the bungalows while simple are quite nice. Unfortunately the owners are doing a terrible job of running the place. The reason the water is so dirty is no doubt due to the resort. Despite having an Air Con in the rooms and being told they would be turned on in the evening, they weren’t, there isn’t even electricity during the day and halfway through the night the rooms at our end of the resort ran out of water (no water for showers or toilets). The expensive beers weren’t even cold and dinner which was a BBQ buffet was ok, but there was barely enough food to feed everyone! The highlight of the evening was meeting a nice Spanish couple who sat near us at dinner.In the morning we had to wait half an hour for our overly simple eggs and bread breakfast before boarding the boat at 8am. The third day of the 3 day tour is bit of a nothing day. We take a small boat to the big boat and then cruise on the big boat back to the harbor. There is time to relax on the top deck and cook your own spring rolls, before an early lunch is served. Then it was off the boat and onto a bus headed back to Hanoi. Halong bay is a must do in Vietnam. We have enjoyed it and it is very beautiful. It is just a bit of a shame that it has become so polluted and dirty. Apparently only 10 years ago there were dolphins in the bay, but no longer.
We were torn as to how we should spend our final day in Vietnam. We had two choices, spend the day relaxing and wandering the streets of Hanoi or join a day tour to Tam Coc. We decided on the day trip, as it was another area we would have liked to have seen. Again, better planning would have seen us get off the night bus 2hrs earlier to see the town, but since we didn’t do this, it was a 4hr return trip.
As with all tours we were picked up early and driven to our destination with only a short stop in a touristy gift shop. It turned out to be quite a testing day with a group of pushy Indians on the group and the guide being almost rude at points (AST tour company - Avoid). Our first visit was to a temple, which we were rushed through. Then it was off to a restaurant for lunch, already!Finally by about 1pm it was time to see Tam Coc. This was amazing and worth all the hassles with the tour company. The area is known as the Halong Bay of the Rice Fields. It is a series of mountains and rock formations surrounded by rivers and rice fields. We jumped in a small boat and were paddled along the river with all the other boats. Refreshingly, the water was clean and while there were other tourists, it’s nothing like what Halong Bay has become. This may not always be the case as we think we saw some resorts being built up the road.
We had two drivers, firstly a young guy, then about half way he switched boats, and his mother took us the rest of the way. It was very relaxing being rowed through the rice fields and through caves and the scenery was spectacular. We were amused by all the guides rowing their boats with their feet instead of their hands. We also saw a local guy bathing and shampooing his hair in the water. After an hour and a half of being paddled around we returned to the port. The guide then told the group that some people were doing a bike ride for 45 minutes and everybody else had to sit and wait for them. This was particularly annoying, since our tour didn’t include this extra. Christine chose to sit in the restaurant and wait while Damien went for a walk around the town. Once they returned it was back on the bus and back to Hanoi. Strangely, we were last ones to be dropped off at our hotel. This is despite an earlier drop off being just around the corner from our hotel (which we didn’t realize until later that night). To make it worse the tour guide tried to drop us at the lake, which is actually a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel, but we refused to get out and made them drive back. While we are glad to have seen it, especially before all of the resorts move in, it was a long day (10hrs), considering the tour only spent an hour and a half at Tam Coc. Back in town we went shopping again for some more gifts. We ate pork buns on the side of the road and bartered to get them for half the price we paid the other day. Then it was dinner and home to pack our things for an early flight in the morning. 
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