I absolutely LOVE Vietnam! Flavorful and fresh food, genuinely nice people, and such a different pace of life.
Thank goodness the work week flew by right before leaving on my trip.Before I knew it, it was Saturday afternoon and it was time to head to the airport. AÂ direct flight to Hanoi and only four hours, not bad. The best part was having the seat next to me available. It seems like forever since I’ve had that.
Immigration was a little chaotic and unorganized. There were copies of people’s passports all over the counter without the owner’s nearby; little sketchy. After an hour, I was taken to the car that would bring me to the hotel.
There was a TV in the center consul that was playing the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The only thing my driver could communicate was “music, OK?” and “oo hot girl”. Haha.
I finally got to the hotel. The front desk person led me upstairs and just waking up after a late afternoon nap were my two cousins Bryan and Calla. Ahh!! I was so happy to see them!! We laid around for a little bit, but I wanted to get out and go see things!
Our hotel was in a great spot. Bars, restaurants, shopping and local attractions were all nearby. We walked to a place that Calla and Bryan had already had beer at before. It was called City Center.
-
-
Where we were going to have some drinks
-
-
They had lights all over the city!
-
-
My first Hanoi Beer. Pretty good
-
-
Looking down into the street
-
-
So many cars and scooters!
We went to another bar close by. There is a curfew on the streets where you can’t drink outside the bar past 11PM. Kind of early. We headed back to the hotel for some shut eye.
In Hanoi, the hotels are very different from other places I’ve been. They are about one room wide, but they might have 5 or 6 floors. Basically one hotel room per floor. That night, our room happened to be on the same floor as the kitchen. We were woken up quite early due to the staff fixing breakfast the next morning. We ate, got dressed, and then packed up. Yet we still had a little time so we went across the street for Vietnamese coffee. OMG I LOVE IT!! It’s so good!
-
-
It wasn’t quite filled to the top. Boo!
-
-
Yum!!
Finally we were ready to head to our next hotel. The entire staff at Hanoi Glance helped put our bags in the taxi and wave us goodbye. It was so sweet!
A short ride brought us to the other hotel. (Now we booked two tours through a company called Kangaroo Cafe. When Calla and Bryan went to check everything out and put a deposit down, the company informed them our tour needed to be pushed back a day due to the “boat being broke down”. It actually turned out being because they had more people to join us on the boat and they could only come the next day. SO we had to find a room for a night on short notice) They found a great hotel just the next block over from the Kangaroo Cafe.
After a slight issue with one of the hotel employees with our booking confirmation, we were able to put our bags upstairs and do more exploring! We ate lunch at a place on the lake. There was no rush so we people watched and just enjoyed ourselves.
-
-
La got the smallest Pina Colada I’ve ever seen! Don’t worry, she definitely had more than 1 🙂
-
-
The crew!
We walked around and looked in some of the shops. Our tour group suggested getting beach towels so our hunt began. They were easy to find after another vendor pointed us in the right direction. Walking around is difficult. There are SO MANY bikes and scooters so you need to be watching all around you the entire time.
Since we were about to be quite busy the next couple days, we decided to head back to our hotel for a little nap and just lounging around. Two movies and a short nap later we were ready for dinner!
I was dying to try some Pho (pronounced Fa). Our hotel recommended a place that was about 3 blocks away. The direction we were walking in seemed to have a lot of westernized restaurants, but once we turned on the street with the restaurant – BAM – Vietnamese culture everything. There were so many little vendor shops selling souvenirs and whatnot.
The restaurant was actually called Pho. Right when you walk in the “kitchen” is to your left. The kitchen consisted of two workers (both with gloves on, SCORE!) cutting up meat and veggies. You could watch all of it prepared right there. The place was kind of small, but filled with people. We had great timing because there was one table left. Bryan got a surprise bowl. I can’t remember exactly, but his meat was different than ours. He is a lot more adventurous in his eating than Calla and I. Calla and I ordered a beef Pho. Once again we had our Hanoi beers 🙂 The food came out within like 6 minutes. Hands down one of my favorite dishes! I could eat it forever.
-
-
Walking to the restaurant we saw a beautiful church.
-
-
Beef Pho. On the table you can see a bunch of different condiments. I only used this spicy peanut sauce. The limes and peppers weren’t looking too good.
-
-
La found a restaurant named after her!
We headed back towards our hotel and I saw two cockroaches on the street. Iew! They weren’t small either! We ended up stopping at a small bar for a beer or two before we called it a night. People watching was so much fun. Not only were there tourists, but so many locals that fill the streets with talking, laughter and just sitting outside.
We began our morning quite early, but we were so excited to get moving. First, Ha Long Bay! At the Kangaroo Cafe, we took all the stuff we needed for two days and only brought small bags or backpacks. We left our big suitcases at the cafe. We saw the other people we would be traveling with, but weren’t introduced quite yet.
Our bus was ready and so were we!
It was going to be a four hour bus ride. Getting out of the city was tricky, especially with a larger bus, but once outside the congested area we could move at a quicker pace. Our bus was a like a 15-18 person bus, but there were only 8 plus our tour guide. So we had plenty of room to spread out 🙂
The rice fields were so green and the plants looked so lush! Even throughout the city, rice fields are plentiful and seem to be everywhere.
We stopped at a popular rest area. They had pretty clean bathrooms surprisingly. Also, there was a huge building selling souvenirs. Men and women sat together while using brightly colored string to create beautiful landscape and Vietnamese pictures. I bought two. (I’m still deciding where I should put them) Bryan bought this snake in a jar. It looks gross, but it’s interesting to look at. Our group was ready to go.
We hopped back on the bus for the last two hours of the bus ride. We went across a bridge and then descended down towards the water. Immediately, all you can see at the harbor are large boats. There were so many!!
-
-
The harbor
-
-
It was great weather!
-
-
The bridge we drove over.
-
-
Ready to get on the boat!
-
-
Bryan was ready to go too.
-
-
Here we are!
-
-
The White Dolphin
-
-
On the upper deck.
-
-
Bryan and I shared a room.
The boat was an 8 person boat. It was 2 people per room. Some rooms had a double bed and some had 2 single beds. Each room also had a bathroom attached to it. They were pretty nice. It had everything you would need on a boat.
The first thing we did was stop on an island and hike up 400 stairs to the top. The first bit of exercise on our trip! The views were very pretty and the area around the island were pretty deserted. It seemed like only us.
-
-
Arriving at the island.
-
-
The view from the top.
-
-
And again.
-
-
Us at the top!
-
-
Bryan was brave enough to go swimming. I thought it was quite chilly.
-
-
Calla looking for some shells.
-
-
Calla and the girl she roomed with, Olivia. Olivia is from Canada.
-
-
Getting back on the boat.
-
-
Views while sailing.
After stopping at the island, we sailed to where we would be spending the night. Once we were situated, we were able to go kayaking. Bryan and I shared a kayak and then Calla and Olivia shared one.
-
-
Getting in the kayak
-
-
oh Hello!
-
-
-
-
The group in front of us
-
-
We thought we could make it through the small hole… nope.
-
-
Olivia and Calla
-
-
There were lots of tourists kayaking throughout this area. The most unfortunate part was all the trash in the water. There were certain areas that you didn’t want to put your oar down in because you didn’t want to splash what was near you. It’s so sad to think that a UNESCO site could be filled with so much trash 😦
Kayaking took so much out of us! We headed back for the boat.
After showering and changing, the whole crew met on the ship’s deck for drinks until dinner was served. It happened to be Happy Hour! Woo!
Dinner was served. I forgot all of the things we ate, but it was good. We had such a great group of people. The conversation never stopped, laughter consisted throughout the entire meal, and no topic was left uncovered. It turned out there was a birthday on the boat! One of the girl’s (I think she was from San Francisco, I can’t remember) was turning 23 years old. Such a baby! Her boyfriend must have asked the company to provide a cake or he brought one?? But then we all shared a glass of wine. It was really sweet.
-
-
The boats ready for the night.
-
-
All the lights 🙂
We spent a couple hours at the table even after dinner had finished and then moved to the deck. I don’t think we spent that much longer drinking because we had an early morning.
After breakfast the next morning, we sailed on to see the Sung Sot (The Amazing) caves. We got there a little late so they were a little crowded, not too bad though.
-
-
After breakfast, just waiting to get to our destination.
-
-
There it is!
-
-
-
-
The caves
-
-
The walls and ceilings were so cool. So many different textures.
-
-
-
And yep, that penis looking structure is what these caves are named after – The Amazing Thing…
-
-
-
Some sparkly stuff in the rocks
-
-
-
Once you got outside the caves
-
-
Walking back to our boat
It was getting quite sticky out so being in the caves was nice. After seeing the caves, we separated from our new friends and took a separate boat to our next destination. Our tour guide came with us.
We sailed to Viet Hai Wharf on Cat Ba Island. It wasn’t too far away.
-
-
-
Ready to go!
-
-
La and I on our bikes 🙂
-
-
Bryan broke one of the bikes and had to get a new one….
-
-
Look at the cool tree.
-
-
It was just so beautiful on the island!
-
-
So green!
-
-
Our cute little friend.
-
-
-
-
A cave used during the war.
-
-
I can’t remember what the saying was..
Let me tell you, I haven’t rode a bike since like 2nd or 3rd grade. The first 5 minutes were pretty scary and funny. Once I finally got the hang of it, it wasn’t too bad. Bryan broke the first bike he had, so he had to go back and get a new one. Lol.
It was just magical biking around and looking at all of the beautiful scenery. The island didn’t seem to have many people, so it seemed like only us at times. We biked through a small village and then stopped for ice cream. That is where we met our puppy friend. He was quite friendly and playful.
Our guide took us on a short walk through the forest to the cave. I saw mosquitos there that were silver and blue… once one bit my arm, I was ready to go.
After hopping back on to our boat, we sailed for a short while near Cat Ba Island. We got to see some fishing villages. I couldn’t believe people lived on them. They are just structures on large barrels. Our guide told us that women even give birth inside their own hut. The family stays on the structure throughout their whole lives. I can’t imagine how isolated they must feel. There are multiple little huts within certain areas of each other though so they are able to have company other than their own family.
We had lunch on the boat. Clams, rice, egg rolls with crab meat, french fries, fish, and beer were served. The only reason I remember all of those things is because later that I night I got sick. Boo. Thank goodness it was only something I ate, but holy crap, it’s been awhile since I’ve vomited from eating something not good. Nobody else got sick so maybe something didn’t sit well.
We stopped at a random stop, which reminded me of Water World, the movie. It was like a partial rest stop/kayak renting place. Bryan went kayaking by himself and La and I just sat on the top of our boat to read and just look at all the beautiful scenery.
-
-
Walking around on the rest stop area
-
-
Look at this HUGE fish. It’s 10 years old
-
-
He’s massive.
-
-
Some random fish in an enclosure.
-
-
Bryan kayaking.
-
-
He was having a good time.
-
-
-
He stopped to pick up a shell.
-
-
All smiles.
We then sailed to Beo Wharf (a different part of Cat Ba Island) to stay in a hotel. On the outside and in the lobby the hotel seemed nice. Immediately opening up the door to our room, you knew right away it was a smoking room. The air didn’t work, but thankfully we had a fan and just kept the door open. The beds happened to be like cinder blocks with a thin layer of padding. Ugh.
Like I mentioned before, since I was sick, I didn’t leave the hotel room. Bryan and Calla had gone out for dinner. I was bummed because the island looked cool. Lots of lights everywhere and there seemed to be a lot of local families that were out and about.
The next day we took a van to a different harbor. The three of us had a huge boat to ourselves. There were about 5 different boats in the harbor, some were called “Party Cruise”. The people coming on and off the boat looked to be in rough shape. I can’t imagine drinking heavily and sailing the whole time.
It didn’t seem to take long until we arrived at the harbor. Our guide led us on a short walk to a hotel where we would have lunch.
-
-
Bryan at the harbor.
-
-
La showing off our huge boat.
-
-
The upper deck of some of the other boats.
-
-
We all sat on the top as we sailed back to the other harbor.
-
-
Views along the way.
There was another Kangaroo Cafe tour finishing up Ha Long Bay. We ate lunch with them before heading back to Hanoi.
Unfortunately, their group had 13 people in it. We rode the same bus back so we were completely squished. It was not a fun 4 hours at all.
Arriving back at the cafe, we quickly changed out clothes and other supplies so our bags were ready for Sa Pa. It didn’t take long and we still managed to have time to spare. We went to the ATM and then got these delicious drinks at this cute place.
-
-
Inside the Poodle Cafe
-
-
These two cute ladies were sitting across the street. They seemed so happy 🙂
-
-
I got a chocolate banana malt. Anyone who knows me would not be surprised about this purchase at all 🙂
-
-
Bryan got a fruity drink, I think. I can’t remember. He liked it though.
We had dinner at a place nearby the Kangaroo Cafe. It was a very Westernized place, but still offered Vietnamese food too. Bryan ordered Cha-ga (spelling?). One of the workers offered to show Bryan how to make the meal once it was ready. Calla and I just shared a Margarita pizza. 
Finally it was time! We headed back to cafe to get our bags. We piled in a cab with a worker from the Cafe and the owner followed on a scooter behind us. We stopped at the Mango Hotel where we got in a VIP room before getting on the overnight train. We also received complimentary drinks. Woohoo!
-
-
VIP room
-
-
Cheers to our upcoming journey!
Now it was time to board the 9:10PM train. Max (Kangaroo Cafe) owner brought us on to the train. He was really kind and seemed to enjoy conversing with us. There were 4 beds per cabin, but we just spent a little extra money so we could have the entire cabin.
-
-
Miss La
-
-
Bryan looking happy because he fit on the bed! He wasn’t sure if his feet would fit on the bed, but they did 🙂
The beds were so comfy! I couldn’t believe it. We didn’t play cards for too long that night. Calla and Bryan said they slept well on the train. I didn’t.
I woke up every time we stopped because each of the cars would slam into each other. It sounded pretty scary. And then throughout the trip, while going, the cars would sometimes sound like they were going to tip over as we went fast.
Needless to say, nothing scary happened. We arrived Lao Cai station at 5:30AM.
-
-
Good Morning!
-
A larger bus drove us and 3 other people up the mountain. Leaving Lao Cai, the weather seemed super foggy. It was difficult to see much in front of you or within the valleys to see the rice paddies. We were just hoping it was because it was so early in the morning.
It had started to clear up along the way and the views were breathtaking. We finally arrived at our hotel. Oh my goodness! So beautiful.
We stayed at Cat Cat View Hotel. I would recommend this to any one. It’s a family owned hotel. Everything is spectacular!
-
-
Our room. This is where Bryan slept.
-
-
Calla and I each had a single bed. Each of the beds had a heated blanket. The door leads to the bathroom.
-
-
View from the balcony right outside our room. I was just speechless.
-
-
So beautiful
-
-
The level right below the breakfast area. Of course we stopped to swing many of times.
-
-
Sitting on the swing looking at the building where the elevator was located.
-
-
Stairs leading up to the breakfast/restaurant area and our room.
-
-
Some of the lobby
-
