Travel to Hanoi and Halong Bay

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Hanoi and Halong Bay, Vietnam

The bustling city of Hanoi has all the advantages and disadvantages of your typical Asian capital. Buildings that date back to the colonial era, be it Chinese or French, stand next to towering business centres which rub shoulders with pagodas and temples that make up this huge city with its gardens and lakes. It is a place of contrasts, where authenticity blends with modernity and urban frenzy with meditation, and it is this contrast which lends this historical city a special identity.From Hanoi you can easily reach, by land or sea, Halong Bay, considered by many to be the eighth marvel of the world, where tourists from all over flock to enjoy a cruise among the islands strewn across the turquoise blue sea. Whether you visit Halong Bay by land or by sea, it should be an essential stop-off on your travels in Vietnam; you will undoubtedly be enthralled by its mysterious atmosphere...

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pros

•  The colonial architecture
•  The site of Halong Bay
•  The atmosphere in Hanoi

cons

•  The noise and commotion
•  The pollution
•  The boats in the bay are all in the same spot

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map Vietnam

Visit Hanoi and Halong Bay

• To see

  Hanoi: the old town, the ethnology museum, the pagodas, including the one-pillar pagoda built in the shape of a lotus flower, temples and churches, the Temple of literature dedicated to Confucius, the mausoleum and Ho Chin Minh's house on stilts. If you're travelling with children, we recommend that you go to the water puppet theatre on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake, where 4 shows are put on every day. We also recommend a visit to the old citadel, which has recently opened to the public.
  
  Halong Bay: Dau Go cave, monkey island, Quan Lan island and its fine sand beach, the Van Don archipelago, which is an ecological paradise, and the national park of Cat Ba Island.

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  To do

  Hanoi:
  Go for an early morning walk around Lake Hoan Kiem if you want to watch the elderly do their morning work-out or
  enjoy a rickshaw ride.
  Stroll through Dong Xuan market and enjoy the atmosphere which reigns day and night. it is the perfect place to shop (fabrics, shoes, tableware as well as fruits, vegetables and fish.)
  
  In the area surrounding Hanoi:
  visit Cuc Phuong national park for an excursion into the countryside 90 mi from Hanoi.Go to the potters' village of Hunong Canh and pay a visit to the people who live in the mountains at Tam Dao, some 30 mi from Hanoi.
  
  Halong Bay:
  Go on an overnight cruise around Halong Bay; visit the archipelago in a kayak and bathe in the turquoise blue water.
  Take a walk in the night market, or
  go and visit the fishing harbour in the old part of Halong.
  Rent a bicycle on Cat Ba Island and Halong Bay.
  

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  To think about

  Make sure that you wear a helmet if you rent a motorbike in Hanoi.
  Choose you itinerary carefully in Halong Bay and check that your cruise includes a little more than two cave visits and a dip.

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• To avoid

  Renting a motorbike if you are not an expert driver. Choose a bike instead.
  Crossing the road too quickly so that you don't get run over, it is a lot better to be slow, but safe.
  Choosing a hotel that stands next to a loudspeaker that blares out communist propaganda for an hour in the morning and evening (only in Hanoi).
  Following the youths that offer you a hotel in Halong when you step off the train at Haiphong.
  Making any rude comments on Ho Chi Minh.
  

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  To try

  'Pho' soup is Hanoi's main dish and it was even the object of a special symposium in 2002. Tit cai is Vietnamese for dog, and it's up to you if you want to taste it or not.
  You should also try the seafood of Halong Bay.

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  To bring back

  Hanoi: Silk suits, fine fabrics on sale on Hang Gai street, shoes, tableware from Dong Xuan market, medicinal herbs on Thuoc Bas street, along with puppets, statues and other handicraft.
  
  Halong Bay: Pearl jewellery and all sorts of lacquered objects.

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Country guide

Vietnam, All you need to know!

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Hanoi and Halong Bay in pictures

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Share your opinion

Melia Hotel Hanoi

 

Score 7/10

susan humphries 18/04/2011 : "Really a business hotel more than a tourist hotel but in a very good position for all the sights, some walkable others in a taxi.. "

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Bamboo Village

 

Score 8/10

susan humphries 27/03/2011 : "Fabulous hotel on the beach with a pool. Rooms like mini chalets and glorious tropical gardens. Restaurant with delicious food by the beach."

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Victoria Chau Doc Hotel

 

Score 8/10

susan humphries 16/03/2011 : "Lovely hotel with old world charm right on the Mekong river in Chau Doc. Beautiful room with a view of the river, nice bathroom."

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Hotel reviews Vietnam

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