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| My family of 10 in Heavenly Cave, Halong Bay |
In December 2018, my family of 10 had an
unforgettable holiday in Hanoi! We had fun walking, trekking, rowing, singing,
laughing and of course, eating.
When my husband suggested a holiday together with
our 2 sons and their families, we selected Hanoi, in North Vietnam. We had
heard glowing reports of its beautiful landscapes and enticing food, and the
visit proved that it was true.
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| Map of Vietnam - showing Hanoi, Sapa and Halong Bay in North Vietnam |
Travelling with my family has some advantages. There
was a role reversal - my sons and grandchildren were looking after both my
husband and I! While my sons took charge of the big luggage, my grandkids
looked after our hand luggage and throughout the tour, they saw to our safety.
Starting at 5 am from home, we took a MAS flight from KLIA and arrived in Hanoi at about noon. Mr Tu, the local tour guide, was there to meet us. Without wasting any time, he took us on a long ride out of the airport.
Starting at 5 am from home, we took a MAS flight from KLIA and arrived in Hanoi at about noon. Mr Tu, the local tour guide, was there to meet us. Without wasting any time, he took us on a long ride out of the airport.
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| 10 excited tourists in a comfortable 12- seater van |
Travelling in the 12-seater van, my 4
granddaughters, aged 5 to 10 years, were full of excitement. Glued to the windscreen, they watched with awe
as hordes of vehicles - cars, vans, motor cyclists and trishaws - weaved in and
out around us as though there were no traffic rules.
Thankfully, we arrived safely
at a quaint restaurant for a well-deserved Chinese-Vietnamese meal.
Our 7 day holiday, organised by my husband, included
a day-trip to Halong Bay, 2 nights in Sapa and 5 nights in Hanoi.
Highlights
of our holiday:
1.
HALONG BAY
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| Beautiful scenery of limestone islands in Halong Bay |
The journey from our hotel in Hanoi to Halong Bay, in northeast Vietnam, took about 4 hours. We boarded a clean and new boat and set sail for a 4-hour cruise to explore the amazing Halong Bay.
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| Our boat of adventure |
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| All on board? MIA : 2 guys |
All of us went on deck to take in the beautiful scenery. Astounding limestone islands with rainforest vegetation greeted us, creating bewitching landscapes against the clear blue sky above and the shimmering emerald sea below.
Below are some of the amazing breath-taking limestone islands of Halong Bay:
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| Imposing limestone landscapes |
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I awoke from my slumber to Tu’s announcement. “Come here for a better view of the limestone islands,” he exclaimed. He pointed out some distinctive islands as well as a pair of kissing rocks.
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| The 2 rocks seemed to be kissing when viewed at an angle - "Kissing rocks" |
Thien Cung Grotto (Heavenly Cave)
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| Map of Thien Chong Grotto on Dau Go Island |
The interior is a cavernous space, with unique rock formations. It was
awesome! Brightly lit stalactites and stalagmites emerged from all angles, very
much like a museum of fine art.
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| Walking through steep stairs |
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| A view of the impressive limestone islands from a high platform in Thien Cung Grotto |
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| Colourful pearls on display |
After about an hour in Thien Cung Grotto, we got back on our boat - to a rewarding delectable fresh seafood meal.
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| Delectable fresh seafood lunch inside the boat |
On the way, we visited a pearl-harvesting demonstration which was an eye-opener for everyone.
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| Demonstration on how pearls are harvested from oysters |
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| Removal of a pearl with a forcep from an oyster (above) Selecting quality pearls (below)  |
. 2. TRANG AN GROTTOES
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| Trang An Grottoes |
Trang An Grottoes is a gathering of 31 valleys and
50 cross-water caves. Home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna, it
was like an "outdoor geological museum". This happened to be a favourite location for movies.
We took 2 ½ hours to travel to Trang An from our
hotel for another boat adventure. This
time, we boarded a little boat called “sampan”, 5 to a sampan, manned by
a strong-armed woman.
She rowed us along wide expanses of water, passing through dark caves that were so low that we had to duck quickly to avoid the stalactites above us, and cruising through mountains with green vegetation as well as temples built for worship at various sites.
It was a very hot afternoon. We were asked to help in the rowing. In spite of the overbearing sun, my grandkids were thrilled with the rowing experience.
She rowed us along wide expanses of water, passing through dark caves that were so low that we had to duck quickly to avoid the stalactites above us, and cruising through mountains with green vegetation as well as temples built for worship at various sites.
It was a very hot afternoon. We were asked to help in the rowing. In spite of the overbearing sun, my grandkids were thrilled with the rowing experience.
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| Passing through unique caves - we need to duck down low to avoid being grazed by stalactites |
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| It's a hot hot day - forgot to bring hats! |
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| Row row row your boat, gently to the Grottoes |
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| Passing through a dark cave |
After one hour of strenuous rowing, we stopped at Kong Island to explore the Bai Dinh temple and the site for the filming location of the Blockbuster “King Kong Skull Island”. We viewed with interest the big boat, and sportingly took part with the actors in the native village. That was fun!
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| In Kong Island - with backdrop of temple and mountains |
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| Bai Dinh Buddhist Temples with deities inside as shown below |
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| With the famous boat used in the movie "Kong Skull Island" |
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| "Ambushed" by guards with sharp spears |
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| "Captured" as prisoners in front of the village huts |
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| A "little lost girl" - wandering in the village huts in Kong Island |
Returning to the pier, my grandchildren were exhilarated
by a shoal of fish that answered to the sounds of hands-clapping.
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| Clap clap - wow! so many fish come to the surface! |
1 3. SAPA
Lao
Chai and Ta Van
We took 5 hours to arrive in Sapa from Hanoi. After
a hearty meal, we trekked 2 hours along 2 villages, Lao Chai and Ta Van, passing
along Muong Hoa River. This gave us glimpses of the way of life of ethnic
groups, Hmong and Dzay.
As we started on the trek, ethnic women tried to sell us their wares, but we were not interested. We walked uphill and downhill, traversing muddy paths, sometimes in single files, often stopping to give way to inhabitants passing by on motor bikes.
As we started on the trek, ethnic women tried to sell us their wares, but we were not interested. We walked uphill and downhill, traversing muddy paths, sometimes in single files, often stopping to give way to inhabitants passing by on motor bikes.
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| Ethnic women selling their wares |
My grandchildren learnt first-hand simple basic
farming and were blissfully happy to see farm animals like pigs, buffaloes,
cows, chickens and ducks on the trek.
If it were Spring time, we would be able to see lovely
hues of golden and green rice fields. But we were there in winter time, and
only managed to see some dull-coloured terraced rice fields and some green
vegetables.
At a certain section, I was impressed by a practical irrigation system - hollow bamboo stems were connected by a simple pulley system to transport water.
We passed through some Homestay where tourists could
experience the villagers’ way of life.At a certain section, I was impressed by a practical irrigation system - hollow bamboo stems were connected by a simple pulley system to transport water.
There was a well-built school for the ethnic children too.
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| Dull-coloured terrace farming |
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| Green vegetables |
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| Buffaloes and passing motor bikes were comm (above) Fascination with ducks (below)  |
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| Grandkids learning basic farming and walking long hours without complaints |
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| With ethnic children |
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| A school for the ethnic children |
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| A shop selling handicraft souvenirs made by the ethnic people Mr Tu is second from left |
Heaven’s Gate
In Sapa, we stayed in Sunny Mountain Hotel, which was
excellent and everyone enjoyed the modern amenities. Early next morning, we were
absolutely thrilled to see white fluffy clouds
moving among black mountains at such close range outside our dining hall.
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| In front of our excellent hotel in Sapa |
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| Scene on the balcony outside our hotel's dining area |
Scene of the fluffy clouds outside the dining area
After breakfast, we were off to Heaven’s Gate to enjoy the cool crisp air along the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range (180 km long and 30 km wide). This Range has Fansipan Mountain (highest mountain at 3,143m) popularly known as the roof of IndoChina.
Fansipan Mountain can be reached by cable car, but we were happy to enjoy the rolling black mountains at Heaven’s Gate!
According to Tu, the weather would be cloudy and
misty and even rainy most of the time. But on that auspicious day, it was
perfect - sunny and bright, with a strong breeze.
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| The majestic panoramic Hong Lien Son Mountain Range |
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| Backdrop of Hong Lien Son Mountain Range |
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| The scenic Mountain Range with the Vietnamese flag |
Breath-taking view of Hong Lien Song Mountain
Silver Waterfall (Thac Bac Waterfall)
The Silver Waterfall, 15km away from Sapa towards Lai Chau and Dien Bien Province, gave us a lot of exercise. We climbed the stone steps to a height of 30 meters (about 300 steps) and then came down again.It was an exhausting climb for me but the children never seemed tired, still jumping with joy after the descent.
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| A long long climb to the top |
The fall, as the upstream of Muong Hoa Stream, is about 200m high with water cascading down as white as silver, hence the name. The Silver Waterfall, against the backdrop of pine forests and chayote gardens, was a splendid sight to behold.
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| A sight to behold |
Sapa Town
Sapa Town is quiet and serene. The Stone Church (Holy Rosary Church) in the town centre, built in 1895, is made entirely of stones, and is considered the most ancient vestiges of the French.
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| The Stone Church in the twilight |
In the morning, we took a walk in the market. It was a weekday. There were only a handful of shops opened.
After lunch, a few of us went for a body massage – that was really relaxing!
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| The quite deserted market |
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| Only a few shops were opened in the Market |
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| Vegetables an other produce for sale in the market |
At night, the town came alive. We saw some cultural performances in the huge square in front of the church. We browsed around a big shopping mall, and a large hotel in front of the square. Along many sidewalks, the local villagers pedaled street food and souvenirs.
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| Performances in the square |
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| A modern hotel in Sapa |
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| Sun Plaza in Sapa |
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| At night Sapa town came alive - with displays of pedlars' wares |
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a typical oriental city, with tree-lined
boulevards and lakes and its blend of French, Chinese and Vietnamese
architecture. The streets are busy with
traffic – pedestrians, motor bikes, cars, bicycles, vans – all moving simultaneously
but in such a way that they do not knock into one another.
We stayed in a comfortable Hotel, Helios Legend
Hotel, near the Old Quarter. Its location is good for we could get around
easily on our own.
A Cyclo ride and a Puppet Show were hot favourites for my grandkids. We visited Hoen Kiem Lake, Noc Son Temple and the Temple of Literature, all on the same day as these were near each other. Other places of interest included Ho Chi Minh Museum and Hoa Lu, the old capitol of Vietnam.
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| Our comfortable Helios Legend Hotel - in the lobby with a decorated Christmas tree |
A Cyclo ride and a Puppet Show were hot favourites for my grandkids. We visited Hoen Kiem Lake, Noc Son Temple and the Temple of Literature, all on the same day as these were near each other. Other places of interest included Ho Chi Minh Museum and Hoa Lu, the old capitol of Vietnam.
A. Cyclo
Tu designated 6 Cyclos for our family of 10. We toured the charming "36 streets and 36 wares" of the quaint Old Quarter, with each driver pedalling laboriously and skilfully on the trishaw.
What I found most peculiar and charming was that each street was named according to the ware it sold eg Beer Street, Silver Street, Clothes Street and so on. There were streets selling lanterns, sewing paraphernalia, paints, drinks, hardware and many more.
Tu informed that the shop owner often stayed upstairs with his business downstairs. This was similar to the shops in Malaysia in the 1940s -1970s.
Everyone enjoyed the ride through the Old Quarter, which gave us a very close view of the shops and their wares.
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| Clothes Street |
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| coffee Street |
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| Motor Bikes Street |
A thrilling Cyclo ride
B. Water Puppet Show
The Water Puppet Show
The Water Puppet Show, performed in a pool of water as the stage, was a hit with my grandchildren. The puppets were controlled by puppeteers hiding behind a bamboo screen. The orchestra played traditional music using drums, wooden bells, horns, bamboo flutes and cymbals.
The Performances were on ancient
village life, agricultural harvests and dances of mythical creatures. However, the
commentary following each act was in Vietnamese. It would be helpful if a commentary
in English followed each act, as most of the audience were children and
tourists.
Nevertheless, my
grandchildren were fully engrossed throughout the whole show. They were guided
by a leaflet (in English) to help them follow the action.
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| Entrance to Puppet Show |
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| Audience (mostly tourists) eagerly waiting for the show to begin |
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| The musicians |
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| The puppeteers taking a bow at the end of the show |
C. Hoan Kiem Lake
Hoan Kiem lake (area 12 ha) is a fresh water lake in
the centre of Hanoi. Hoem Kiem means "Lake of the Returned Sword".
The lake surrounded the Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda
sitting in the centre on a small island.
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| The tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake |
It was a cool day when we
visited the serene and peaceful Lake. Large soft-shell turtles had been sighted
in the lake for many years. The last known turtle was found dead on January 19,
2016. Nicknamed “Cu Rua” which means “great grandparent turtle”, it was thought
to be between 80 to 100 years old when it died. Another similar turtle was
encased in glass in 1968, which was on display.
Tu had the children engrossed in the legend of the lake. He said, “In the 15th century, Emperor Le Loi was given a magic sword by the Lake’s Golden Turtle God, to fight off Chinese invaders. In 1428, while Emperor Le Loi was boating on the lake, the same turtle surfaced and asked the emperor to return his magic sword. Later, Emperor Le Loi gave the sword back to the turtle after he had finished fighting off the Chinese”.
D. Ngoc Son Temple
Tu had the children engrossed in the legend of the lake. He said, “In the 15th century, Emperor Le Loi was given a magic sword by the Lake’s Golden Turtle God, to fight off Chinese invaders. In 1428, while Emperor Le Loi was boating on the lake, the same turtle surfaced and asked the emperor to return his magic sword. Later, Emperor Le Loi gave the sword back to the turtle after he had finished fighting off the Chinese”.
D. Ngoc Son Temple
We crossed the iconic red wooden bridge of
classical Vietnamese design Huc Bridge (Rising Sun Bridge) to the Jade Island.
On the island is the Ngoc Son Temple, built to commemorate the 13th century
military leader Tran Hung Dao who was renowned for his bravery in the battle
against the Mongols in the 13th century in the Yuan Dynasty. Homage
is also paid to scholar Van Xuong and Confucian master Nguyen Van Sieu.
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| Huc Bridge (Rising sun Bridge) |
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| Entrance to Noc Son Temple |
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| Cu Rua - 170 kg turtle, about 80 - 100 years old, found dead on on 19 January 2016 (picture above) Turtle encased in a glass in 1968 (picture below)  |
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| Deities - Revered Confucius, philosophers and teachers |
E. Temple of Literature
The Temple
of Literature was built in 1070, during Emperor Ly Thanh Tong’s
reign. It is dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars.
It shows the traditional style of Vietnamese
architecture. This temple is featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese dong bank note.It became an Imperial University,
Vietnam’s first national university.
There are 5 courtyards – 2 landscaped gardens, a pond
(Well of Heavenly Clarity), a sage courtyard (Confucius statue) and Thai Hoc
(large drum and bell tower). Inside are Statues of Confucius and his disciples
as well as statues of animals.
I was drawn to a crane standing on a turtle. According to Tu, there are many myths about this relationship. One myth says the turtle and crane each symbolise enduring power and longevity. The 2 standing together, represent a healthy long life of happiness.
I was drawn to a crane standing on a turtle. According to Tu, there are many myths about this relationship. One myth says the turtle and crane each symbolise enduring power and longevity. The 2 standing together, represent a healthy long life of happiness.
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| Entrance of Temple of Literature |
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| One of the courtyards with Temple in the background |
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| One of the courtyards - a large pond |
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| Crane standing on a turtle |
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| Most revered Confucius |
F. Ho Chi Minh Museum
Ho Chi Minh Museum, constructed in 1990s, is
dedicated to the late Vietnamese leader, Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam’s revolutionary
struggle against foreign powers. The Museum has a comprehensive overview of his
life and leadership for Vietnamese independence from the early 1940s until his
death in 1969. We had a brief visit there, looking through the collection of
artifacts, miniatures and various gifts gathered nationally and internationally
by the leader.
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| Ho Chi Minh Museum |
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| Ho Chi Minh statue in the General Introduction Hall |
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| Ceramic portrait of Ho Chi Minh, a gift from the Japan-Vietnam Information Exchange Association (J.V.I.A) |
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| Food for the soldiers |
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| Soldiers who fought in the war |
Hoa Lu, capital of Vietnam in the 10th
and 11th centuries, is 90 km south of Hanoi. It is protected by high
limestone mountains and earthen walls. It is an ancient city that was the
economic and political centre then.
We visited 2 temples there, King Dinh Temple and Le
Temple.
Dinh
Temple worships King Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Temple worships King Le Dai Hanh. These temples were built in
17th century.
Dinh Temple was built in the shape of a Chinese
character. Through the first entrance called Ngo Mon, there is a stone royal
bed with Nghe (imaginary animals of the old times) standing on both sides.
Inside the temple is Khai Thanh in worship of Emperor Dinh's parents.
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| Dinh Temple |
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| Layout of Dinh Temple |
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| Stone Royal Bed |
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| King Dinh |
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| King Dinh's 2 sons |
Le
Temple
Le Temple is almost the same as Dinh Temple in term
of architectural design.
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| Le Temple (above) Tu explaining the layout of Le Temple (below)  |
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Vietnamese
Cuisine
We all like Vietnamese food. Besides its fragrance,
taste and colour, we like its spicy, sour, bitter, salty and sweet taste.
It is often well-garnished with colours like white, green, yellow, red and black.
Vietnamese food differs slightly in different
regions - north, central and south.
In Hanoi, it was a great opportunity for us to taste authentic
Vietnamese food. Tu said Hanoi, in the northern region, is famous for 3 dishes and we must try them. namely Pho, Obama Bun Cha and Grilled Fish.
Pho
Pho is a rice noodles soup dish with herbs and meat.
The famous shop, Pho Gia Truyen, that Tu recommended served pho with beef (fried, scald or
boiled). We simply had to try it. So one evening, after a long day, we queued
up for the famous pho. Patrons sit on low stools with a low table and it was
self-service.
Although there was a crowd, there was some sort of unspoken orderliness. Everyone was accommodating, sitting on any empty stool, had his bowl of pho and then left. We enjoyed the delicious pho especially the broth, and left with satisfied tummies.
Although there was a crowd, there was some sort of unspoken orderliness. Everyone was accommodating, sitting on any empty stool, had his bowl of pho and then left. We enjoyed the delicious pho especially the broth, and left with satisfied tummies.
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| The crowded pho shop |
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| We queued up, had our pho, and left with happy smiles. |
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| Best pho in Hanoi - with boiled beef |
“Obama
Combo” Bun cha
Bun cha is vermicelli with grilled pork (cha) and fresh
herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. It is the oldest and traditional dish
in Hanoi.
In 2016, President Obama, on his first visit to Hanoi, was treated to the bun cha meal by the late chef and travel writer Anthony Bourdain in a 3-storey restaurant called Bun Cha Huong Lien. “Obama Combo” of bun cha, fried seafood or meat roll and a cold Hanoi Beer, is now very popular with locals and tourists.
In 2016, President Obama, on his first visit to Hanoi, was treated to the bun cha meal by the late chef and travel writer Anthony Bourdain in a 3-storey restaurant called Bun Cha Huong Lien. “Obama Combo” of bun cha, fried seafood or meat roll and a cold Hanoi Beer, is now very popular with locals and tourists.
When we went to the restaurant for lunch, it was
crowded and we had to wait half an hour to be seated. Framed pictures of Obama,
Bourdain and the lady boss hanging on the walls on every floor were hot
favourites with tourists.
Although we did not order beer, the grilled pork was
crunchy and tasty and it went well with the vermicelli and soup.
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| The Bun Cha Huong Lien Restaurant in the background |
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| Obama Bun cha - the ingredients |
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| Obama Bun Cha - all the ingredients combined |
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| Framed picture of Obama with the lady boss of the restaurant Huong Lien |
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| Framed picture of President Obama and Anthony Bourdain |
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| Leaving the crowded restaurant |
Grilled
Fish (Cha Ca La Vong)
This grilled fish dish, Cha Ca La Vong, originated
in the Old Quarters of Hanoi in the 1890s, and is named after the street La
Vong. The fish is marinated in turmeric and dill, then grilled over a fire. It
is served with lots of fresh dill and other
assorted vegetables.
We went to Countryside Restaurant near our hotel for
our grilled fish. The grilled fish was really
fragrant with a tangy kind of taste.
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| Grilled fish - Cha Ca Va Long |
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| Dinner in Countryside Restaurant |
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| Front of the Restaurant |
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Travelling with my sons and their family is a great
way to bond. Holidaying with my family was fun and memorable. We
hope to do it more often in the future.
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| At Hanoi Airport - saying goodbye to Tu (second from right) |
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I wish to thank my sons for most of the photographs shared here.
