Hanoi

Weather gods to be consulted henceforth before every trip

I had landed at Hanoi with the hope of finally getting some respite from the monsoon which has been chasing me from Saigon, to Da Lat and then to Quy Nhon. At every location, many days were completely washed out due to rains.

Oct-Dec is the peak rainy season in Central Vietnam & May-Sept in Southern and Northern Vietnam. My trip was based in Southern and Central Vietnam – I had extrapolated from Indian monsoons and thought my stay would be rain free in October. However, every region has its own rainy season and Vietnam is unique to have three different rainy seasons – Northern and Southern Vietnam slightly similar but Central vietnam has a very different time of rainy reason.

To salvage the remaining days of my vacation, I made an ad-hoc plan and flew on a short notice to Hanoi. And I was rewarded, there were no rains in Hanoi.

Airport Bus 86 & Attempt to catch overnight train to Lao Cai (Sapa)

After a bit of googling, I found out that there is an airport bus which can take me to the Hanoi railway station. I came out of the airport and went to the bus parking area only to find that the next bus would be 40mins later according to the printed timetable.

Luckily for me, there was a bus after 15mins of wait which gave me the impression that the timetable was not followed (however on my return back to the airport, I did find them sticking to the timetable). It’s better to plan according to their timetable but keeping a buffer of 30mins is recommended. The same bus 86 goes to Old Quarter as well, where all the hustle bustle of tourism is located. Hanoi railway station is the last stop.

I was famished but I did not eat to save time. My eyes were set on the trains to Lao Cai which I had learnt to be at 930pm and 10pm. Somebody had told me that the ticket counters close 2hours before departure. So, I had to reach the railway station before 8pm anyhow. The bus dropped us at 750pm (after 50mins of ride and several traffic signals around Old Quarter). I had to draw cash from the ATM to pay for the train tickets. I tried both of my visa cards to no avail. After almost losing hope and amidst a possibility to buy the ticket by card payment, I reached the ticket counter.

Heartbreak – The train was full that night and even for the next night.

Deviation from online research – I was told at the train station that there is only one train to Lao Cai, in comparison to two, claimed by online articles.

Lesson learnt – Have the tickets booked upfront which can be done online at https://12go.asia/en/train/hanoi/lao-cai.

I changed my plan and thought of going to Sapa by the early morning bus the next day.

Lake view Backpackers Hostel and Rooftop Bar

I was mentally drained after my flight journey from Quy Nhon and a pathetic lunch I had before flying. On top of that, the train fiasco – I opened booking.com app and booked the first decent hostel I saw. I booked a grab taxi for 40k VND and reached my stay for the night.

The hostel was surprisingly good, so much so, that it became the best part of my day. I got the upper bed due to late checkin but I was content as all I wanted was a clean bed to crash for the night.

The terrace at Lakeview is awesome with a full 360 degrees view of Hanoi and a glimpse of Hoan Kiem lake as well. They have a two level rooftop with a jacuzzi and a bar – beer starts at 40k.

Tour Booking Agency

In Southern Vietnam, I had come to conclude that The Sinh Tourist is the best travel agent to book with, as their prices were the best and their office in Saigon looked the most authentic. More on this in Saigon blog here.

I had to book the next morning bus to Sapa and it was already 830pm. On scouting for The Sinh Tourist, it quickly dawned on me that there are 100s of such offices in Hanoi Old Quarter – all trying to get mileage out of the brand with absolutely no way of finding out which one is genuine.

I compared the prices from a few agents and finally zeroed in on a Sinh office on the opposite side of the road to Lakeview – I couldn’t find it on google but it is the Sinh office nearest to Lakeview somewhere here. However out of exhaustion, I left the task of booking the tickets for the next morning.

Please keep in mind to book your travel the previous evening itself to not land into my situation – I got ready by 830 am (contrast this to the fact that I don’t normally even wake up by that time 🙈) and when I went to get the tickets, the office was closed. The bus was to leave at 830am – luckily for me they responded on their whatsapp number and I was picked up from my hostel in 15mins 😁 I got a VIP cabin bus to Sapa for 450k VND – what followed in Sapa is captured here.

RK Spice Indian Restaurant

I was so fed up by non-veg food all around me for the last two days in Quy Nhon and after landing in Hanoi, not being able to get onboard Lao Cai train – I felt completely drained out.

Now the thing is – I do eat non-veg food – chicken, mutton and homemade fish, however Vietnamese food in Quy Nhon had left me so overwhelmed that I had to eat a solid Indian meal to end this difficult day (it’s very rare to find vegan restaurants in Quy Nhon – too few and far in between – most of the restaurants would have only seafood and beef on their menu – what I can tell you, I ate many a meals in Da Lat and Quy Nhon which was steamed rice with boiled morning glory aka water spinach 🥲🥲🥲).

RK Spice was a saviour to my soul that night. Very simple interiors, no frills Indian restaurant in Hanoi, it provided me foodgasm 😁 with myriad Indian flavours getting detected by my sensory system :P. Bhindi masala and Tandoori roti with Lassi and the free add on of mint chutney and onion raita – I came to life again. I dont think I have felt so much joy after having a meal that I felt that night 🥂

Amazing Breakfast Buffet at Lake View

Getting up at 7am was an achievement in my bid to catch the 830am bus to Sapa. All I could save were 10mins for breakfast which at best would be ordinary in a 155k VND hostel room inclusion – boy o boy when I landed at the basement level I was surprised to see quite a luxurious breakfast spread. I can say that breakfast alone would cost in excess of the hostel’s nightly price 😁

4 types of fruits, salads, bacon, sausage, bread/baguette, veg noodles, sautéed veggies, omlette, fried rice, canned juice, several spreads and tea/coffee. I had to memorize the list so as to not forget any item while blogging it here 🙂

Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake

In order to avoid crowds at Hoan Kiem Lake, I visited the West lake one evening for the sunset. I must say traffic in Hanoi city is overwhelming with traffic signal at every 500 meters or even less.

I spent the sunset near Tran Quoc Pagoda which closed by the time I reached. It closes at 5pm. There is a walkway next to the lake from where I got some good pics of the sunset.

Train Street

Most hyped up place in the city which I bet everyone would have seen already in Hanoi postcards. I visited the iconic Train Street after West lake to get a feel of it and walked back to Old Quarter from there – 15 mins walk.

It was indeed quite interesting with neatly decorated cafes on either side of the railway track. Drinks and food are a bit pricey for obvious reasons but yea, I feel it is something that one can enjoy on a relaxed evening in Hanoi. I learnt that trains still run on this track, in case you want to spot that, you would have to reach before 6pm.

Bumble Scam (Midnight Bar & The Circle)

This was an experience I would never forget my whole life. Probably it was for the best although I left with my wallet substantially lighter after the incident. But I am sure it will save me in the future when I am faced with similar situations.

Plot – Innocent looking young local girls would match with you and very easily agree to come on a date with you. On the date – the agenda would be dinner and drinks – Food at a street food stall with their order amounting to 300k for a single item which they wouldn’t even care to finish. It would appear the prices are purposefully inflated like a scam.

Then at the drinks, the real drama would unfold – They would want to order nothing less than a 1000k drink or a bottle which would be priced at 2000k or 3000k. To make it interesting, all the items in menu would be in excess of 1000k which is a lot of money (contrast this to the cocktail menu of 1900 which was only 210k). After careful scrutiny, you may find beer in some corner of the menu for 150k odd. I was still of the opinion – it might be a costly place and ended up ordering a 4beer and fruits combo for 900k. The date wouldn’t be content with that either and would order a couple of laughing gas ballons which would cost in excess of 200k a piece. Then, she would leave as if she has never known you.

Even after this, I wasn’t sure that this would be a scam or modus operandi for many people out there. When the exact same script repeated the next day, I understood this is a well laid out plot and your date might as well be getting a cut from the earnings by the clubs and the food stall place.

I observed such scam only in Old Quarter though and it was a shame. Night clubs to avoid for sure – Midnight and Circle.

Maazi Old Quarter Restaurant

Maazi is an Indian restaurant in Old Quarter with amazing reviews on google. Great interiors and service. I didn’t see any Indians dining over there and the complete staff were Vietnamese. I suppose the owner is Indian and the chef hopefully too 🙂

I found the food to be tasty but portions small. It was a bit costlier than the competition and no accompaniment like mint chutney or raita or pickles were provided. Pretty much what you pay for is what you get.

I chose RK Spice over Maazi several times on my trip.

1900 Le Theatre – Hit

One of the rare authentic nightclubs in Old Quarter. I would say if you want to party in a club in Old Quarter, this is your best bet.

Music is mostly pop and a bit of EDM – overall average. What stands out is their lights system which is indeed worthy of being called a theatre which they call themselves – 1900 Le Theatre. The crowd was good, mostly Vietnamese with a mix of expats and travellers.

Hoa Lo Prison Relic

This is a nice museum with a good insight on French colonization era of Vietnam, when the prison was used by the French to keep Vietnamese freedom fighters as captives.

Interestingly the same prison was used by Vietnamese government to keep the American pilots at the time of Vietnam war. The museum has exhibits on both of these times. Recommended if you are a history buff.

St. Joseph Cathedral

Tung’s Kitchen

This is another restaurant in Old Quarter having great reviews. They have cute interiors and attentive staff. I personally did not like the taste that much, however that is subjective. You might very well like it. What was a deal breaker for me – the staff asking for a google review right before serving my bill.

Savage Hanoi

Savage is a rare techno club in Vietnam, located near the West lake (about 5kms from Old Quarter). I couldn’t go there during my current visit which I regretted even after my return. I had been there earlier – good music, good crowd and nice interiors. Definitely worth checking out if you are into nightclubs and must visit if you are a techno fan 😁.

TPBank – ATM for no-additional-fee withdrawal

One of their ATMs is just round the corner from Lake view – here.