My 1st vacation year 2009

Me and my travel buddies...

Starting year 2009 not as good as previous years..Bad Economy in 2009 is the hottest topic to be discuss among us wherever we go, in whatever we do. Since the plan to Hanoi, yes thats the destination of my 1st vacation this year has been arranged last year, Sept 2008 if i recall well. So we proceed as planned.

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam (I was just know this) is very much alive city which you can hear the most famous sound around the city almost 24/7..the horn...its like ur alarm in the morning, the Hello greeting to tourist, excuse me, hey!! I'm here..what ever u want to put it. its every where and non stop. Other than that Hanoi is a charming city in its own way.

We select all our trip upon our arrival. As a result, our trip is accompanied with various nationality from all over country in the world. We had Cute, Pretty and Handsome Japanese, gorgoeous Aussie,weird Gay Couple (not because they are Gay, but they are weird themselves),Alaskan couple, Beautiful Holland couple,American mother and Son, Indonesian Father & daughter, Israel and us weirdo Malaysian( yes, we were also weird in our very own way...heheheh)

Lets start with our 1st day.....(21/2/2009)

Upon touch down the weather was just nice. With temperature 20 deg Celcius, we love it. We've been told its winter season now but hey, its southeast asia, how cold it can be (thats where we underestimate,later you will know what happen) check in to Aptguesthouse in Old Quater, we started plan out our excursion trip for 6d5n holiday. We choose Halong Bay trip, Tam Coc and Perfume Pagoda

http://www.aptguesthouse.com/. Recommended to those who wanna visit Hanoi as backpacker.Cheap, convenient, clean, hot/cold shower,attached bathroom, kettle in the room, walking distance to all shopping street, Hoan Kiem Lake and friendly staff. Very affordable excursion trip package.

After had an instant noodle lunch in our room (still trying to read the map where to go and all), we started survey the area. Try to locate which street to go again for shopping. Make a list in our own head what to buy and how to bargain....then we took a cab to Ho Chi Minh Maussoleum..nearby the place, also can cover One Pillar Pagoda, House of Stilt & Presedential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum and Temple of Literature. All within walking distance. Some apply entrance fee but so cheap. (USD1-2)

P/S : beware of Taxi driver ..negotiate the price b4 hop into cab eventho the cab got meter. we've lost 300,000 Dong(USD17) bcos of bad taxi driver...(it should be only USD2-3 per trip)However,we manage to get 80,000 Dong(USD4) for the return trip.
Back to Old Quarter, almost dark..and getting colder. Heading to Nisa Restaurant. As the name sound, its a malaysian restaurant and definitely HALAL. Savour our Dinner with these Vietnam meal... A must try meal , Pho Bo

Our night continue with Water Puppet near Hoan Kiem Lake. The visit to Hanoi is incomplete if u miss the show. Thats what everyone keep saying and eventho some of my friends slept from mid show till the end, we do enjoy it..its different and YES, A Must See Show. A night at Hoan Kiem Lake

Nisa Restaurant, 90A Nguyen Hu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem Dist (its in Old Quarter Area, can ask the receptionist where the exact location. Its also has the room to be rent. Can call Mr Ben Taat,+84 912040537)

End of 1st day with not so much to do but we did cover all interesting places in Hanoi City only in half a day....By the way, towards the end of the day, we got immuned of this Horn sound, its become a music for our ears....;-)

2nd Day (22/2/2009)

Started our day as early as 7.00am. Halong Bay is our next destination. 2d1n package, sleep on boat,seafood lunch and dinner(Delicious, fresh and HALAL), breakfast included for sure,kayaking, cave exploration and all for only USD60 per pax. Just one thing to be remind....eventho they serve delicious dinner/Lunch with 8 different meal with rice at one time, you have to pay for your drink...drink not included at all except for breakfast. And thats only tea/coffee..

The room based on twin sharing. with aircond, fan ,attach bathroom. The temperature during our arrival in Halong Bay still ok. manage to wear sleeveless and short but it getting colder and colder when night approaching. The place has certainly rejuvenated us....

There are almost 3000 small island around it. Magnificient view, no word to described it. Except you've been there then you can feel it. Most of the time we were just speechless and be in our own world..Halong Bay has been chosen as one of the UNESCO World Heritage. COmpulsory to be here if u have trip to Hanoi.....HIghly recommended and its affordable trip... Submerged in her own emotion..

some of the view

In the cave

Smile....u r in wonderful place

Moment to be all by myself...Sunset

In my cabin

If we want to talk about Halong bay, the beauty of it, the splendid view around it, it will become never ending story. We slept in peace in our cabin, just a little bit sound of generator, overall so peacefull....the most important,no more horn sound...what a relive..Well, we had finally immuned to it but still...

Next Morning. (23/2/2009)..

at 8am, we get ready for 1 hour kayaking activity. get into kayak, paddle for one hour ......capture the glittering moment and kept all oustanding view in owns memory. Its cold while paddlling , Yes but its all worth it.

After kayaking, clean up, packing, check out from our cabin but still on boat...heading to the port. It is sad to think that our wonderful time on boat and this brilliant place come to the ending. The memory remains and some of us including myself have no hesitation to return to this place....The place I want to revisit...

All of us slept along the journey and suddenly we heard very familiar but irritating sound...HORN..Yep, we arrived Hanoi at 7pm. The indicator of Hanoi city was so obvious...

4th day in Hanoi (24/2/2009)

Same as 2 days before , we get ready as early as 7am. We always have to be early becos the van/vehicle for our trip will fetch us first and drop us last. So, apparently the trip journey started at about 8-8.30am. Today destination....Tam Coc.(no idea what will be expected but I know its going to be fun bcos I'm with my friends and we always make it fun..;-D )

This is the time when we realised that we had underestimate the weather in Hanoi.

REMEMBER : NOV-FEB IS WINTER AND TEMPERATURE CAN DROP TILL 8-10 DEG.

We only equip with our normal jacket, not even for spring,let alone winter. No glove, luckily I was just bought new muffler at night market after arriving from Halong Bay. Didnt expect the temperature will drop to 10 deg..we frozen but still enjoy each and every moment in Tam Coc. Just imagine, in that 10 deg, we decided to cycle around the village in Tam Coc. Crazy but we did it...Its about 45 min cycling trip....enjoy the scenery which also known as Halong Bay in Paddy field.Ready to cycle...

the journey begins

Entering the village

The route that we took is apparently heading to restaurant which we going to have our lunch. Its a buffet with various food including seafood, vege's, pork , beef and all. So , just choose what u like to eat..and as usual, pay for ur drink (every trip package includes lunch but not drink, kind of funny actually,eat all u can but buy your own drink)

Lunch done. I ate a lot of egg fried rice, vege's, fish fillet...really stuff my stomach after 45 min cycling in very cold weather. Next activity, get on boat ride..its better to call paddle sampan ride..its all in the package.

Boat ride...bon voyage

Can u figure out how cold it is..

the journey

everywhere can shop

4th day trip done when we arrive Hanoi at about 6pm. Already dark, again we had our dinner at Nisa. Then we proceed to some street to buy some souvenirs...linger around night market, bought glove for each one of us(prepare for 2moro trip,another boat ride)

process of choosing the painting

Process of choosing the silk

late at night, we got back to our room..without word...sleeppppppp well...i think I heard someone bargaining in her sleeping...really wanna get a good price perhaps... ;-D

5th day (25/2/2009)

On the 5th day, we proceed to another province. This place called Perfume Pagoda. Its been called as such because, during spring, all the flower blossom and produce a fragrance. This sweet fragrance will be smelt around the area of Pagoda. SInce we were there during winter, no fragrance smell but no bad smell either. This pagoda will be visited by most buddhist few days after Lunar festival to pray for good thing to happen throughout the year.

the boat ride

still long way to go


inside the cable car


Take a boat ride for about 1 hour before start the trekking.THere are 2 ways to go up to this pagoda. (this pagoda located at the cave on the hill..) 1. going up by foot..2.going up by cable car. We opt 2nd option but we went down by foot just to save time and have diffrent exeprience.

this is perfume pagoda..after going up, the pagoda is down there

trek going down..long way



our lunch for a day...just leave anything u cant eat to others. there's vege's and sweet sour fish.everything here eat with sticky rice...so, for those who really worried what to eat, just eat rice then..

Later, we took our ride back to the port(so called), get into our van...back to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi about 7.30pm. little bit late for shopping.(shop close early due to Lunar festival eve). we decided to celebrate the eve later, so have some rest at room, trying to finish up all food in the room(we dont want to take it back to KL)....and we actully slept till 11pm. 11.30pm, we started walked heading to Hoan Kiem Lake to celebrate the festival together with local....

5 of us bought a kind of lantern, burn it and let it fly to the sky. its kind of tradition so we tried it. its fun. 12 mdnite sharp, fireworks begin dancing in the sky.....so beautiful and feel like part of the locals. Next trip ,we wanna plan to celebrate CNy at Laos...

final day (26/02/2009)

Our return flight will be in the evening...cab will come and fetch us at 4pm. So we decided to walk around the lake , make some final shopping and of course photo session.


local come here to pray..we come here to pose

the art by the lake

aiming for cheap Deuter and North Face. Every body finally bought one for themselves except me and Shida..not much choice on Deuter

our last lunch at Hanoi..we had tuna sandwich afterwards. So juicy and the bread so rich..i love it..

Time to go home.....

We arrived KL at almost mdnite. Splendid vacation ever, with same companion, will go to Laos next year...

Whoever wants to know more about my trip , can simply email mailto:me....runiz_zul@yahoo.co.uk..

I welcome question but cant promise the answer will satisfy you...;-D