Final lap of the journey: Hanoi over Christmas!

This final leg for this trip across Cambodia and Vietnam! To see the previous legs, click at the places below for their travelogues:

Singapore to KLIA2 by bus
Phnom Penh Airport to Koh Rong
Stopovers at Sihanoukville
Coconut beach, Koh Rong
Phnom Penh
Ho Chi Minh City
Hoi An (view the notes at the bottom for some tips and descriptions of the overnight train ride from Ho Chi Minh Station to Da Nang!)


Hanoi Day 1

We arrived in Hanoi train station almost 1 in the afternoon after another 16hr overnight train ride from Da Nang. Like the previous train ride, we took the cheapest sleeper beds and for someone like me who could laze on the bed for hours, it was bearable. 

Arriving at Ga Ha Noi!



Getting to our hostel was easy as it was just a 15min walk away. Our hostel was extremely cute and had a much bigger bed and more privacy than the other hostels we stayed at throughout the trip (also individual lights and power sockets). Aside from being very aesthetically pleasing, it had a rooftop area where they served breakfast and it was very conveniently located in the middle of Old Quarter. I cannot emphasise my satisfaction on the location enough, but it was of walking distance to Hoan Kiem Lake and other tourist attractions such as the Cathedral and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Eateries and shops were all around (even the phone store where we got our sim card in Ho Chi Minh City had a branch across the street) and one can conveniently Grab to locations further away like Lotte Mall or West Lake.


The rooftop area

In the late afternoon, we went to Hoan Kiem Lake, walking across the delightfully busy streets of Old Quarter. There was just a certain homely charm I couldn't pinpoint that made me really enjoy this area. The roads surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake were closed for the weekend and it had very lively carnival-like vibes! People were strolling and soaking in the atmosphere. Locals were playing games such as da cau (in Singapore and Malaysia, we call it capteh) and skipping rope and anyone was welcomed to join. There were also shows and street performances.. Everyone was very smiley and being the Christmas period, it was very festive with Christmas decorations and many females were wearing antler headbands. It was perfect for winding down and was a delightful escape from the gridlock in the surrounding streets. One thing I noticed in Hanoi is that people were more fashionable and I felt a bit out of place with my slightly-too-big jacket and messy hair.


We dropped by the library on the way


Very chill but lively! Also very cold!

Many many things to see and do! 


The night lights made it prettier and more cheerful!







Hanoi Day 2: Christmas Eve!


After a morning visit to Cue Bac Catholic Church (they have services in English!), I had some alone time to roam around before meeting my Hanoi local friend, Trang, in the afternoon. I dropped by Bookworm, a bookstore that has a good variety of English books (but quickly left after some very loud Americans came and made it unconducive to read. Everyone in the shop need not hear your story of overstaying your visa in Thailand, thank you very much). I pretty much explored more afterwards, stopping by an art exhibit in Manzi, and walking along the Thang Long Citadel and past Lenin’s statue before heading back to the hostel for lunch and rest.


I had difficulty finding official information on English services so it was a
relief I got the right timing
  
The Church also serves as a gathering place for many expats living in Hanoi

Lenin's statue




In the afternoon, Trang picked me up on her motorcycle and brought me to West Lake which turned to be one of my favourite places in Hanoi! It was much more laidback and peaceful than the Old Quarter and there were cafes and restaurants (even a flower garden!) dotting the area. We went to Cong Caphe and had a catch-up with our delicious coconut shakes and a blissful view of the sunset on the lake. Just WOW.

Super yums

At night, I was introduced to Hue food at Net Hue restaurant, just outside my hostel and it was some of the MOST DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE FOOD I HAD EVER TASTED! Having a local really made it possible for me to try the must-eats and in the local ways.. Really really enjoyed it! Hue was one of the cities that I had in my radar for a stop but left out due to time constraints and I am glad that I was at least able to enjoy their cuisine on this trip.


A real feast!

Did you see that satay too? Yums lah


Afterwards, my travel buddy and I met up and went back to the Hoan Kiem lake area where we joined the locals in the wait for Christmas and had some creamy ice-cream as the clock struck 12. Also, we realised that the Vietnamese are a big fan of EDM music and we joined the locals in dancing and jumping to the music at the square (though the DJ repeatedly skip the drops, kind of a bummer).






Hanoi Day 3: Christmas Day!!


It was another trip to West Lake in the morning, with more of that coconut shake goodness and another solo visit to the Church. For lunch, we went to get some bun cha at Huong Lien, which went exceptionally famous after former President Obama’s visit. It did live up to its hype! We went to Vincom Centre after that. It is a modern mall with brands we are used to and they are having a mall-wide sale (Superga shoes at less than 40 SGD?! But I passed on it as well). This was followed by a visit to a hipster barbershop. Trang helped us book an appointment (they are pretty famous with limited slots) and we got cool haircuts that would easily cost more than SGD30 in Singapore at around SGD10.


Some street art on the way to West Lake. We also saw construction for a subway system
so that is something to look forward to.

Party and restaurant boats were forcibly shut down because they contributed to the
pollution at West Lake


The flower garden which was a very popular backdrop for wedding pictures.
We didn't get in though.. 

Just YUMS

Some bun cha

The historic visit, framed





At night, we met up with Trang who introduced us to more yummy Vietnamese food in the Old Quarter and we took a walk around the Hoan Kiem Lake area with all its bright merry festivities. We ended the day with some drinks at Avalon Cafe, overlooking the lake. A simple day but was a Very Merry Christmas in Hanoi!


One could either order from the menu or the local way, which was to go to the
trays of dishes and pick


An unflattering photo of Hoan Kiem lake



Hanoi Day 4: Last full day in Hanoi!

We met a new friend after breakfast at the rooftop lounge of the hostel, Ms Aiko. We helped her get a sim card (with me getting a new phone case) and the three of us started our daytime excursion.

We started off at the Temple of Literature, where we roamed around the grounds of Vietnam’s first national university and the temple grounds. Next, we headed to Lenin’s Park and to the Military Museum which was unfortunately closed for lunch. Trang met us for lunch at Old Quarter where we tried bun rieu, a traditional Vietnamese meat rice vermicelli soup. Ours had lots of toppings (wouldn’t have known and be able to do that without a local around.. Really really grateful) and it was so good! 


The entrance to the Temple of Literature




We encountered some tour guides in training, taking turns to explain the different features of
the temple to each other

Again, it was very interesting to find quiet places like this in the middle of Old Quarter





The three of us continued on our excursion to the factory outlets and Hoan Kiem Lake, stopping at the perpetually crowded bridge. Before we went back to the hostel to rest our tired selves, we paid a visit to Saint Joseph Cathedral and had some famous Vietnamese ice-cream.


Saint Joseph Cathedral




At night, we were back as a duo and we met Trang at a dinner place to try some Vietnamese fish cakes, Cha Ca. She was initially worried that we would not like it but man, that was so so so so good! It was bursting with flavour and aroma and is a must try!! After dinner, we made our way to Lotte Centre, where I had one of the best bahn mi  (it was actually opposite the mall) and did some shopping for Vietnamese snacks at the supermarket. We marked our last night at the rooftop bar of Lotte Mall (aptly named ‘Top of Hanoi’) with some drinks amidst a gorgeous night view of Hanoi.


The cha ca would continue to sizzle in the pot as we ate

View from the 'Top of Hanoi'



It was a great place to just wind down and chill

It was misty (not surprising in winter) but the view was still pretty!




Hanoi day 5: End of my 2-week journey, goodbye Hanoi!

This day marked the end of my 2 week journey around Cambodia and Vietnam. I had soaked at the warm waters off Koh Rong, was charmed by the Ancient City of Hoi An and tried so many good Vietnamese food in chilly Hanoi. It was definitely a memorable trip!

In the morning, Trang dropped by to say her goodbye and I cannot stress how grateful I am to her for everything. My stay in Hanoi would not be as stellar or as awesome without her guidance and recommendations. Ms Aiko was also at the hostel lobby and she bade us farewell and gave us yoghurt drinks. We checked out of the hostel to a rainy Hanoi (even the skies were crying) and booked a Grab to the train station where we caught a bus to the airport. It was a solo trip for me going back to Singapore (my travel buddy was continuing on) and yeah, it was a fruitful 2 weeks. Goodbye Hanoi! Until we meet again!


We took a quick visit to these pretty railway tracks at the back of our hostel area

Thank you Ms Aiko

Rainy Hanoi.. very cold!!

Goodbye Hanoi!



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