Dalat, Staying in the City Limits

From Hoi An we decided to fly to Dalat.  It would be much cheaper to take the bus, but we were much more interested in saving time, considering we only had a short 2 weeks in Vietnam.  For only $50 for the one way flight from Danang to Dalat, it was an easy decision.  We were both impressed with the airports and if you need a snack it is easy and not too expensive to grab a sandwich and a coffee at HighLands Coffee.

Once in Dalat we took the shuttle into the city.  Its a pretty quick 30 minute ride to the edge of the city, but then you will probably have to get a taxi to your hostel.  One thing about Dalat... NO ONE HAS MAPS!  It was nearly impossible to find a place that had a map of the city, so my recommendation is to make sure you have one BEFORE you get there.  When you don’t have wifi and don’t have a map,  you are left at the mercy of your own sense of direction and the locals who may not be very helpful.  The taxi ride shouldn’t cost much more than $2-3, make sure the meter is on!

Dalat was the one city where we decided to save money on a hotel.  It did the job.  For $10 a night we shared a room (that’s $5 per person!) and it wasn’t a dorm.  It was a “wet” bathroom, which we were used to from living in Korea anyway.  No frills, no breakfast, but what can you expect for $10?!  There is a great bakery or two not far from most of the hostels, so this is one city where it shouldn’t matter much that breakfast is not included.  

Just an FYI when visiting Dalat.  There is not much of a night scene.  Also, mixed drinks are pretty expensive.  All that said, I’d suggest hitting this city for its nature and waterfalls.  Great place to rent a moped and explore the countryside.  Moped rental is just $6 per day plus gas (about $4-$5).  Traffic isn’t too bad and easy enough to navigate if you aren’t a nervous driver.  Though do stay on your toes and learn the system (i.e. Honk while passing!)  If you are too nervous to drive in a foreign country then Dalat is also famous for “easy riders”.  You will be approached many times on the street offering an “easy rider”.  Its a lot more expensive ($30 or so) but you will have a guide that can tell you all about the area and you can probably go further because the bikes are bigger and faster.

I’d suggest one day in town exploring the Flower Park and Crazy House and then at least two days getting out and exploring the waterfalls.  Here are a few photos from Crazy House and the Flower Park.  Both places are a "must see" and super cheap entry fees. (Under $3)

Enjoy some photos, and then go see for yourself!

Pictures cannot capture what is "Crazy House"

No safety railings here!  Climb at own risk!

Ben is KING OF THE WORLD!

You can stay in themed rooms

We may have explored a little further than we were
supposed to, checking out construction...

Hoi An

After our "historical" time in Hue, and the cold weather we had experienced north of there, we were ready for the beach!  Hoi An was such a perfect destination and town to just relax and enjoy.  There are a few excursions that you can book on the outskirts of the city, but what the city itself has to offer, it seemed to me, there was no reason to leave.
Beach
Food
Coffee
Shopping

Ben and I had booked a home stay that was quite lovely.  A family had converted extra rooms into guest rooms and charge about $20 a night, breakfast included.  It was in between the "downtown" area where all of the cafes and shopping is, and the beaches.  I would say it was a pretty good location.  We rented bikes everyday for $2 a day and went one way or the other.  The city is made for bikes, or if you are feeling lazy, rent a moped.  There is very little traffic, and the cars that are on the road are easy enough to navigate around on a bike.

Hoi An has a few things that you should not pass by…

1) Beaches! There are two beaches to choose from.  Both are similar offering both sand and sea, however Cua Dai beach had a few more eating options than An Bahn.  Both had similar people selling trinkets to you while you try to sun bathe.  We found the women selling things quite delightful and their catchphrases were humorous as well, "don't be angry, be happy!  I have to make money somehow", "looking is free", etc.  I was very impressed with their English ability and their genuine "niceness", though I really didn't want anything that they were selling.  Shame.

   

 


2) Food and Drinks  The "downtown" area in Hoi An is lovely!  There is really no where else to go… or at least no where else that we went!  We were only there for 3 short nights, and riding our bikes to the cute downtown area was always pleasant.  There are so many restaurants to choose from, though I can't really recommend any above the others.  Do make sure that you try to Won Tons though!  Also, there are many cafes with delicious desserts.  Why not have 5 meals each day?  The night scene is actually ok, with the bars competing for customers and giving great deals.  We met up with some friends and went to a place that offered a free hookah if you had 3 or more people.  The beers were $0.50 and the mixed drinks only $1.50.  BE CAREFUL!~  Remember that you still have to bike back (probably).  Also, we felt bad because we returned at 2 AM and had to wake the owners to let us in.  Though I suppose it is their business.  BTW, the owners of the place where we stayed spoke very little English, however "google translate" works wonders and is very accurate translating English/Vietnamese. (Free tip of the day)

This is Felipe and Felipe!  They were on the same route (North to South) as Ben and I
and this was the second night in a row (different city!) that we saw them from the balcony
while eating.  This time they joined us! Now I simply MUST visit Brasil!

Party of 3 or more will get you a free hookah!

Make sure you try the WONTONS (multiple times!)

Our last night we had a mixed meat HOT POT.  It was delicious!

3) Shopping~ The old town area has hundreds of stores, most of them selling the same things!  CLOTHES.  Lots and lots of Clothes.  Everyone's mom or sister or cousin owns a shop and you will be given MANY cards.  You can choose your pattern, choose your material and have an outfit taylor made for you within 2 days.  It was all too overwhelming for me, so I just chose to choose some off of the "rack" instead.  I bought 2 dresses both under $30.  Great place to buy souvenirs and almost impossible not to!

So. MANY. LANTERNS!  But gosh, they're beautiful!

Here we go!  One day of shopping.
More than enough >.<

So many options for coffee throughout the day!

My favorite door

A quick fix on the straps before I walked away with a super cute dress for $20

Small trouble along the way in Hue

I made my biggest mistake in Hue, Vietnam.  It sounds like a big deal when I say it like that, but really, this being my biggest mistake of the trip makes my trip that much more wonderful!

Hue (pronounced 'hway') is a city rich with history, tombs, palaces, pagodas and temples.  Hue is a 12 hour train ride from Hanoi and we decided a "sleeper car" would be the best.  And it was!  You can fly for almost the same cost as the train, but the train is just so much more of an experience!  Plus- I LOVE traveling by train!  If you have the opportunity, do it!  If you need help planning, check out this site: http://www.seat61.com/index.html#.U3AWhca09Cg


So, after sleeping in a 4 bunk soft sleeper car, sharing it with a couple for the first 5 hours or so, we arrived in Hue at around 8 am.  We took a metered taxi to our hotel ($2) and our room was available to check in early!  (yay!)  So after unloading into our hotel room and a quick shower to freshen up, we headed to the old Royal Palace/ citadel.

It cost 55,000 Vietnam Dong (About $2.50) to get in and you could easily spend 4 hours exploring.  We probably only took 2 hours to explore and captured TONS of great photos!

Iconic flag tower

Very Asian

And so the "door" pictures begin!

Broken ceramic mosaics. Beautiful!

Now, here is where my mistake comes in.  We went just outside the walls to a little cafe on the North end to eat a great lunch.  Now, everyone and their grandma will try to get you to take a tour in Hue.  We had already refused about 20 earlier in the day, so I was just used to saying "no".  The owner of the cafe was ready to offer us the best tour in Hue.  He and his wife would take us on the back of their motorbikes around the different sites for $40.  This price was way too high for my liking.  We got him talked down to $20, but I wasn't convinced that we couldn't do it for cheaper.  After all, the next cite looked walkable.  What if we walked to the next cite and found a guy there?  The man tried to dissuade us and tell us that it was much too far to walk.  But the map made it look not too far… after all, this man doesn't know how much I like walking! (See previous post about Hanoi).  So… we left him and started walking.  It was 30 minutes later, still walking that I decided he wasn't trying to scam us and indeed we should have taken his offer.

After the not so short walk to the 7 tiered pagoda, we had realized our mistake.  We tried to get a cheaper boat ride, but there were none to be found.  Finally, we took a metered taxi.  They won't scam you.  After more UNESCO heritage sites and 100 more pictures we got back to our hotel exhausted, hot and after spending $21 on the taxi… not too pleased with our mistake.  So, if you plan to go to Hue, learn from my mistake!  $20 for a driver for the day to take you anywhere you want to go is a really good deal!  Hue is definitely NOT a walking city.

And on another note, dinner at HOT TUNA was amazing! Our server was a super friendly college student studying English and we enjoyed our conversation and our charade trying to figure out the word "circus".  :-)

We only spent one night in Hue, but could have done at least one more.  Our day of sightseeing was packed to the max and left us with a pretty early bedtime, but that's Vietnam for you!

Ha Long Bay

There is a magical world in those waters.  A world where rocks appear through the mist and even though  you are on the sea, the scenery is ever changing... and yet doesn't change that much.  If traveling to Vietnam, a night on a boat on Ha Long Bay is a must!  Each boat comes with its own atmosphere, though the government recently required that they all be painted while.  My friend and I paid $90 for two days one night on a boat.  It can range in price, but I feel like they are all pretty much the same.  Be aware that drinks (including water) are not included and will be charged extra.  As this destination increases in popularity, so will prices!  It was the most expensive thing that I did in Vietnam, but I would have definitely regret not doing it.  Hopefully you get a day that isn't raining, but even the fog adds to the magic of the area.

Our tour included a hike through "Surprising Cave" which ironically was surprising how large it was.  Then a short kayaking adventure in the cove.  Some people were disappointed that there was "nothing to do".  So, be prepared to create your own fun.  Some of the ships are party boats, but mine had an eclectic mix of ages and nationalities that provided a fun but chill atmosphere.

My best advice.  Don't spend more than $100 for a one day two night excursion, bring a large water bottle and It is what you make of it.  Something not to be missed, but not "high adventure".  Bring a book! :-)

Home for the next 24 hours

What the "cabin" looked like.  The beds were surprisingly comfortable.

Up on the deck enjoying the… fog...

Lots of time to dream.

A floating village.  People actually live here!

Surprising Cave… how surprising!

#nofilter

A short kayaking journey.  The one time on this little trip
where we were able to escape the crowd and feel a little peace and tranquility.

Enjoying from the window.

Oh the Places we will go!

Ben and I enjoying the scenery for a few more moments
before it was time to depart.

Hanoi, a walkable city

I have a fault I'm willing to admit.  I hate asking for help.  I hate asking for directions and I don't like confrontation.  All of this generally leads to a lot of walking while I'm traveling.  A LOT of WALKING.  Some cities I would consider walkable and others not… my list of walkable cities… Amsterdam, New York, Chicago, Shanghai, Auckland, Phnom Penh, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap, and Hanoi.  (*walkable for me may not be walkable for you!)

Because of the many negative blogs I read before heading to Vietnam, I felt like I really didn't want to deal with any Tuk Tuk drivers.  I didn't want to haggle a price and I didn't want to be taken to a jade factory or down some alley and left for dead… So my friend Ben and I looked at a map and started walking!

The weather wasn't that great.  It was foggy and raining (?) almost the entire day.  A little colder than we had hoped, but that wasn't going to deter us!  Here was our trail for the day.
1)Hanoi Cathedral  2) Hoan Kiem Lake  3) Ngoc Son Temple  4) Coffee Break
5)  Hanoi Flag Tower  6) Temple of Literature  7) BEST LUNCH IN VIETNAM
8)  Ho Chi MInh Mausoleum  9) One Pillar Pagoda  10) HCM Museum
11) President's Residence

We did all of this in one day, and although we were exhausted in the evening, it was all well worth it and I would say that you can definitely see all of the "important" things of Hanoi in one day.  If you want a little more of an experience then perhaps plan for 2 days.  Below you will find pictures from all of the places with a few descriptions to give you a little bit better of an idea of our day in Hanoi.

This is the Cathedral.  I don't recommend staying in a hotel too close to it,
like my friend and I did.  On Sunday morning they ring the bells at 5 am.
Consider yourself warned...

Pagoda in the middle of the lake.
There is a legend that there lives a giant turtle in this lake,
however with all of the pollution its too hard to tell
and no one has seen it for a few years.

Here is a petrified giant turtle that sits in a glass box in Ngoc Son Temple.

Intersection in Hanoi.  The view from our coffee stop.

Gray skies.  Hanoi Flag Tower.

At the Temple of Literature

This is my friend Ben and myself.
I suppose if you only smile in pictures it can get boring.
Thanks Ben. ;-)

Temple of Literature. Built in the year 1070 and dedicated to Confucius.
In this location was Vietnam's first University.

Just outside the walls of the temple of literature lies the best and cheapest dining experience
that I had in Vietnam.  It was INCREDIBLE and only $1.20!
Its just a street stand with tiny plastic chairs.  But golly is it good!

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  If you go early enough (before noon)
you can walk past the preserved body of Ho Chi Minh, the beloved leader.

One Pillar Pagoda

At the end of the day we were quite exhausted and opted for an $8/hour massage.  This was the one "bad" experience I had in Vietnam where I feel I was "scammed".  BUT at the end of it all I was mostly just disappointed that I felt I had been tricked.  On the door a one hour massage was advertised at $8 for one hour.  But when it was time to pay they charged me $13 because they used oil. (not telling me it would be an extra charge).  It was an average massage.  It was still within my budget.  I just had that icky feeling of, "hey, that wasn't very nice".

To be honest though, this was probably the worst thing that happened while in Vietnam.  Certainly I can't complain about that!  Stay tuned for more Vietnam travel stories!  Ha Long Bay is up next on the travel itinerary!