Hanoi in December

[nev]

I'm going to Hanoi for the first time this December, just for a long weekend (Thu-Sun). Any recommendations of things to do? Places to go? Restaurants?

I want to do a full day Ha Long Bay cruise thing, should I do an overnight cruise instead? Pros and cons? It's an impulse cheap ticket buy, so I may be going alone.

Any hotel recommendations? Nothing too fancy and within walking distance to the Old Quarter. Max US$60 per night.

Thanks in advance

[expat yorkshire]

http://www.kangaroocafe.com/ for the tour

[Kooky]

What's the weather like in December, EPY? nev - choc and I went in February and it was quite cold, and at Halong Bay it was really foggy and definitely not suitable for going in the water. Very atmospheric though!

We booked the overnight tour with that cafe. It was cheap and basic but the boat was fine, perfectly clean (you read stories of bedbugs) and food was simple and good.

I saved the thread on this from the old forum, I will paste it in another post.

[Kooky]

Hanoi
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Heart of Darkness - 1-3-2007 at 16:46
The place of the moment it seems

Any must see recommendations? (no water puppets)

Good galleries?

Bars

Restaurants?
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jj - 1-3-2007 at 17:00
Its a bit overcrowded. Shame. Used to be able to wander around the old quarter without too much trouble but nowadays its a nightmare....

anyway i still vote for the old favourites:
- Bobby Chins (yes, i know - not vietnamese)
- tangerine
- Brothers Cafe
- Wild Rice
- theres a wicked japanese at the nikko
- any of the bars or cafes at Hang Ba
- The Living Room (run by Mosaique) - members only but sure you would get in
- any of the Highlands Coffee outlets for good brekkie.
- Cha Ca La Vong

for some serious vietnamese action go to
- the snake restaurant village about 30mins out of town
- followed by some weird dancing/singing dwarfs and lots of Hennessy XO at My Secret (on the lake)
- followed by some more weird vietnamese nightclub scene at Century.
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Heart of Darkness - 1-3-2007 at 17:13
Ta lots

Zephyr Hotel any good?
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chocolate - 1-3-2007 at 18:33
go Halong Bay, very pretty....no sun though !

bobby chins was FABULOUS

and Cafe des Arts had some very very very good prawns.....
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kooky - 1-3-2007 at 18:38
Trang Num Hai Hotel - good value for money and a great location but a bit of a shock to get back at midnight and find the shutters down, then get in and find a man asleep on a campbed in front of reception, next to 4 motorbikes.
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kooky - 1-3-2007 at 18:49
PS Hanoi is LOUD.
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jj - 1-3-2007 at 18:56
Church hotel on Nha Tho - top floor suite... nice living room and separate bedroom area; dark wood floor; and walk across the road to Mocca for a fab brekkie with great coffee... google it for the addy and tel number.
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azzam - 1-3-2007 at 19:11
Quote:
Originally posted by kooky
Trang Num Hai Hotel - good value for money and a great location but a bit of a shock to get back at midnight and find the shutters down, then get in and find a man asleep on a campbed in front of reception, next to 4 motorbikes.


Sounds like the place I stayed in, except there was him and all his cousins asleep on campbeds.
Did you do that upstairs fish restaurant I told you about?
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chocolate - 2-3-2007 at 01:01
we just ate in Hoa Sua restaurant,

a jamie oliver type place - train students to work in other resturants, service was keen but fish was fab and very good value

Mocca done brekkie - maybe tomorrow again as brekkie in hotel SUCKS BIG TIMe.....

just been to Minh Jazz Club and got kicked out at midnight, seemingly everyone goes bed early here....light weights
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kooky - 2-3-2007 at 01:10
Man, so much to do, so little time. We've had some damn good food though Shame everywhere seems to close so early.

Erm, forgot where the fish restaurant is but am a bit fished out after 2 days on a boat. Haven't been to the correspondents' club either - azzam, is that the Press Club at the Sofitel?

Church Hotel was my first choice but Noah persuaded me otherwise - then cancelled on us I can imagine it gets a bit noisy as we can hear the bells at our hotel. Am thinking I need to come back though - haven't done any shopping

Home tomorrow, too.
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jj - 2-3-2007 at 15:55
12midnight closing is gvt. curfew. Drinking and generally having fun is one of the five "social evils"... sometimes this can be bypassed but not right after TET when all the bar owners have already spent their gazillion dong to the police pre-TET as a "goodwill" gesture to keep it open later over festive period.
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kooky - 5-3-2007 at 17:11
HoD - treat yourself to the Luxe Guide. Ignore the bits where it says "get your driver to..." 'cos it's a great place to walk, but the shopping recommendations are good. As is everything else, as always. Why didn't I invent the Luxe Guide?

edit: I will gladly lend you mine but it costs less than a taxi fare to deliver it.

[Edited on 5-3-2007 by kooky]
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kooky - 5-3-2007 at 17:15
Luxe Guide -

Sofitel (silly prices but lush - we walked through)
The Nikko
Zephyr (you mentioned that?)
Church
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Heart of Darkness - 5-3-2007 at 17:25
Been to Sofitel before.. nice indeed, but as you say prob not exactly the value end of the scale
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edit: of course may need updating

[nev]

Thanks EPY and Kooky! That's exactly what I need. Dec should have the least rainfall and it will be very early Dec so it should be quite nice. I like cold weather (in fact I'm going there to escape the heat here) so I'll survive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanoi#Climate

Looking at this boutique hotel: http://www.agoda.com/asia/vietnam/hanoi ... hotel.html I think it's nice and very reasonably priced.

[Kooky]

Oh that looks a lot more designer than where we stayed I was very worried about somewhere the twin rooms were under 30 USD a night but honestly it was spotless, which is my main requirement.

http://www.agoda.com/asia/vietnam/hanoi ... AQA&cklg=1

[JJ]

My recos still stand.

Church hotel has had an upgrade. Now calls itself a boutique hotel

[nev]

Would you recommend doing a day trip to Ha Long Bay? I really don't like sleeping on a boat except when I'm on a diving trip.

[Kooky]

IIRC it's a hell of a long drive nev, and part of the fun for us was spending the night. choc played cards with a bunch of fellow travellers, late into the night, and I sat on deck staring up at the sky

You know I get seasick on the Bintan ferry and I was fine on a very small boat - it's well sheltered.

[Kooky]

Getting onto the boat was "fun"

[daffodil]

Getting onto the boat was "fun"

Well not sure about fun, though it does begin with f

I did the day trip, Nev, whist it's a pretty long ride there and back it was fine as I had limited time and didn't want to stay overnight.

[nev]

Getting onto the boat was "fun"

Well not sure about fun, though it does begin with f

I did the day trip, Nev, whist it's a pretty long ride there and back it was fine as I had limited time and didn't want to stay overnight.

I only have 2 full days and 2 half days so I guess I'll be doing the day trip. Looks like Kangaroo Cafe doesn't do day trips so I'm looking for options... Any suggestions?

[expat yorkshire]

I am heading to Hanoi on Friday if you need me to pick up any information let me know



BTW Bobby Chins has now moved to a distant location and is no longer by the lake

[Kooky]

Yes I read he couldn't afford the rent.

[nev]

I am heading to Hanoi on Friday if you need me to pick up any information let me know



BTW Bobby Chins has now moved to a distant location and is no longer by the lake

Thanks EPY! if you can find any reputable-looking tour operator that does day trips to Ha Long Bay, I would really appreciate it! A website/phone number will do.

I did read that Bobby Chinn moved the restaurant to his own house (he lives upstairs). I'm going to HCMC in two weeks and have made a booking at his HCMC outlet, let's see if it lives up to the hype.

[JJ]

TBH, I spent 5+ years in Vietnam and never once made it to Halong Yes, its a WHS, yes its mean to be amazing, but too *western* touristy and too many stories of rubbish quality boats, for me to ever make the trip. Ninh Binh or Sapa/borders of VTN with China would be my trips of choice from Hanoi.

For the time you have, I would go to Ninh Binh Province. There are the caves at Trang An, nature reserve and Tam Coc boat through the rice paddies with similar mts to Halong Bay. I am pretty sure you can do a day trip.

Bobby Chin, do the HCMC one, not the Hanoi one now its moved.... But TBH there are plenty other restaurants I would go to in HCMC....

[nev]

Planning a separate trip for Da Lat and Sapa in the near future stay tuned!

(Re HCMC, gonna try a few restaurants this time... I'll update the other thread )

[nev]

OK mum will be coming with me on this trip so the long ride to Ha Long Bay will need to wait for the next trip. Mum is sprightly but she's 60 and the long ride and cooler climate might tire her out. (Although I REALLY REALLY want to go to Ha Long Bay)

Going to do a food walking tour instead, and probably just wander round town, do a little shopping, have lots of coffee.

[daffodil]

Good excuse for a return visit then !

[sluggo]

Mom is 60? I'm amazed she can even fly in a plane. Come on, you act like 60 is the end of the world. I'll be 60 the end of the month and I'm sure the 2 to 3 hour drive to Ha Long Bay would not stress me out. Give your Mom and me a break.

[nev]

No offense intended, sluggo. I should probably mention that mum was hospitalized for three days last week for exhaustion. She didn'e even tell me until she was released. She tends to overestimate herself and then collapse. I really don't want to push my luck. Her getting hospitalized in a foreign country is the last thing I need.

Mum has always been healthy and active (she still walks the Hash, which she started in her 20's. She was also a bowling champion and avid 10k runner) but she won't admit she's getting older and keeps pushing her body too hard, hence the hospitalization.

[nev]

Am I the only one who hates "day tours" that takes you to museums, souvenir shops, and cyclo rides? Where can I find a local guide who can speak English and can do my bargaining for me while shopping, and order food for me in a restaurant? Preferably one who does not have an "understanding" with the shops and won't take me to rubbish touristy restaurants. Any recommendations?

[JJ]

Preferably one who does not have an "understanding" with the shops and won't take me to rubbish touristy restaurants.

Not likely in Vietnam unfortunately.

[nev]

Sigh. I've got one in HCMC. Friend of a friend who's local, a great fun to hang out with, and loves massages, shopping, and eating as much as I do. And he's not even a tour guide!

[nev]

Hanoi was awesome. Friend in HCMC came through and found us a local friend who took us shopping and eating. We also booked a food walking tour, so cheap and incredibly good food. 2.5 hours and 6 food stops, we had to skip 2 because we were just stuffed! Our guide was excellent, we booked this tour: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/sightseei ... ight-uavuz

Thanks for the recommendations. Cha Ca La Vong was particularly excellent. Also Quan An Ngon Hanoi is better than the one in HCMC.
I'd highly recommend these places:
BBQ corner, 66 Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem District
Banh Cuon Gia Truyen, 14 Hang Ga, Hoan Kiem District (Vietnamese rice rolls)
Quan An Ngon, 18 Phan Boi Chau, Hoan Kiem District (huge selection of Vietnamese food)
Cafe Pho Co, 11 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem District (egg coffee, fabulous view of Hoan Kiem Lake)
Bun Bo Nam Bo, 67 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem District (dry beef noodles)
Quan Com Pho, 29 Le Van Huu, Hoan Kiem District (huge selection of Vietnamese food, tofu fried in salted egg yolk was out of this world)

Pics on my Facebook

I will be back, for Halong Bay and Sapa.