The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi, which was our next destination after Da Nang. It's one of the most ancient capitals in the world, known for its well-preserved colonial buildings and rich culture under Chinese and French influences. Read here for Part One of my trip to Vietnam if you haven't.

We signed up for a 4D3N tour package in Hanoi which includes two-night stay in Hanoi and a one-night stay on a cruise in Ha Long Bay. 

Day 4

It was already late in the afternoon after we arrived at Noi Bai International Airport. After checking in our luggages in our hotel we went out to explore around the Old Quarter, the city's main business hub and tourist destination. The area is bustling with scooters, cars, people and vendors in narrow streets. Although this district is said to be more pedestrian-friendly as compared to the others, we still find it overwhelming to cross the streets there every time. 

One of my favourite Vietnamese dishes is Phở, which is also a must-eat when visiting Vietnam. It's noodles with soup, herbs and meat - beef or chicken. We found a roadside vendor selling Phở Bò (beef noodles) and we couldn't have enough of it so we went on a Phở hunt and had round two in another restaurant in the area.

Situated in the centre of Hanoi is Hoan Kiem Lake, it's within walking distance from the busy Old Quarter. The lake surrounds Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the centre on a small island, which is accessible by The Huc Bridge. 

Day 5

Our tour package includes pick-up from our hotel to the harbour. We went on the V'Spirit Cruise which brought us through Halong Bay, an iconic destination when visiting Vietnam and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's dotted with 1,600 limestone islands and islets, covering over 1500 sqkm. It's absolutely stunning and my photos don't do this place justice.



After having some delicious authentic Vietnamese food for lunch on the cruise, we got off at Dark & Bright Cave in Lan Ha Bay. We kayaked and explored the cave which was one of the locations where the movie 'King Kong' was filmed at. After that, we were dropped off at one of the beaches at Lan Ha Bay but I was stung by a jellyfish while I was in the water so we went back to the cruise after a short while. We had a sunset party and another authentic Vietnamese meal for dinner before ending our day.

Before ending our tour we visited Sung Sot Cave, the widest cave among all Halong Caves. It's situated in the centre of Halong Bay, on Bo Hon Island. After getting off the boat at the dock, there's about 50 steps of stairs to climb to get to the entrance to the cave. Inside, you'll be able to see all sorts of shapes of flowstones, stalactites, stalagmites formed by Mother Nature over millions of years. You'll be fascinated by how magnificent the cave is once you enter it.

We headed back to the city later in the afternoon and wandered around. We visited one of the typical tourist attractions in Hanoi - St Joseph's Cathedral which was constructed from 1884 to 1887 by French colonists. The facade consists of two square bell towers and a big clock, which resembles the Notre Dame de Paris.

Day 7

We booked a day tour on Klook to Hoa Lu, a district of the Ninh Bin Province. Ninh Bin was once the capital province of Vietnam due to the surrounding mountains that acted as barriers from invaders. Our guide picked us up from the hotel early in the morning and we arrived at Ninh Bin in about 2 hours. 

Our first destination was the Dinh & Le Dynasty Temples. As the name suggests, the temples are dedicated to the Kings of the Dinh and Le dynasties. The first temple is built in honour to Dinh Bo Linh, the first Vietnamese emperor after the liberation of the country from the Chinese rule, while the second temple is dedicated to Le Hoan, the first emperor of the Early Le dynasty. 

After our buffet lunch, we headed to the village and explored around in a bicycle. The views were spectacular, although it was scorching hot that afternoon but it was an amazing experience. 

The next activity was bamboo boat ride along Hoang River, the largest river Ninh Bin. The boat ride lasted for about 2 hours which was just nice to enjoy the breathtaking views of caves and limestone mountains. After a long day out in the hot sun our guide dropped us back at our hotel in Hanoi.

We started our day with Banh Mi for breakfast, a French-Vietnamese sandwich consisting of vegetables such as cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, and meat depending on your preference with condiments such as pate, chili and mayonnaise.

We spent the rest of our day wandering in the city, spending most of our time taking photos in the Instagram-famous Hanoi's train street. Trains pass by this narrow street twice a day, just inches from the walls of some of the buildings. 

We also got to try the original Vietnamese egg coffee in Cafe Giang. They do serve many other beverage but people come here for this signature coffee, which is served hot or iced. I tried the iced egg coffee since the weather was extremely hot, and surprisingly there was more of a vanilla taste than the taste of egg, I definitely recommend this coffee to anyone visiting Hanoi.

Day 9

Before heading to the airport to catch our flight back home, we stopped by Phuc Long Coffee and Tea  for a drink. I ordered the Phuc Long Tea Latte which was really nice, a must-try in Vietnam if you like tea!

So that concludes my 9D8N trip to Vietnam last summer! If you're also visiting Ho Chi Minh you can read my post about Vietnam's business and financial hub here.