Amazing North Vietnam

Hanoi – Ha Long – Ninh Binh

In the early morning in North Vietnam, we went to the airport and pick up the guests at Noi Bai International airport. It took a long time to wait for the airport. When tourists came, they were very tired and seemed not to be welcomed, but when we introduced about Hanoi and the itinerary of the day, they became more interested. After leaving the airport, the driver took us to the temple of literature, the first university of Vietnam. It was on the 3^rd of Vietnamese New Year holiday, so there are so many tourists came there. We had chances to see the tradition of Vietnam people of Tet Holiday (according to the Vietnam’s words) with many “old teachers” sitting in front the temple writing the lucky parallel.  It was so lucky for us to see that. Lunch in Hanoi was very different; we ate “Pho” – special of Hanoi.

First gate of the temple

Constellation of Pavillion in Temple of literature

In the afternoon, we came to see the Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple. That time, the guide told us about the legend of Hoan Kiem Lake related to the golden turtle and Le Loi King. It was really interesting story. Ngoc Son Temple is much different from the temple we had visited in the morning. Besides worshipping Confucius, they also worship Taoism in that temple. We had chances to see the golden turtle. Is the legend of Hoan Kiem Lake a true story? That question the guests still wonder until now. Before coming back to dinner, the guide took us around the Hanoi Old Quarter with many ancient houses, narrow alley and beautiful structure. The evening food was much better than the lunch as we can try rice, normal food of Hanoian as well as Malay people.

Next morning, we came to the hotel very early to pick up guests to Ho Chi Minh complex as we knew that these days, if we did not come early, we need to wait for a long time, so many tourists came there to visit Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh President due to Vietnamese). After 1 hour and a half waiting, we came inside the mausoleum to see our own eyes how Unlce Ho looks like. After that we visit some other places in the complex like the house on stilt, the government house, One pillar pagoda… 

Mausoluem of Ho Chi Minh

The next destination of the morning is the museum of Ethnology with many objects about ethnic group of Vietnam like the houses, the clothes and other tools inside. After the museum, we came to KOTO restaurant to have lunch. KOTO means “Know one teach one”, very meaningful restaurant in Vietnam. At 1:30pm, we drove to Ha Long. It took us 4 hours to drive there and just when we reached Ha Long, checked in the hotel for the guests, we took them for dinner in Ha Long with many delicious sea-foods. In the evening, we took the tourists to the night market in Ha Long for them to choose the souvenir they like and for other kinds of products.

The third day, we took a ship to go around Ha Long, listen to the legend of Ha Long Bay and visited the beautiful caves there: Thien Cung grotto and Wooden Steak cave. These are the most beautiful caves in Ha Long Bay. Inside the cave, there are many stalactites with different shapes of the dolphin, couple of lovers, the eyes of dragon… We also visited the Incense Stick Burner cave in the middle of the bay. Moreover, there was an interesting cave Fighting cocks islands. The shape of that one like two baby cock facing together. The trip ended with the lunch on boat, we can enjoy the view  of the bay while trying our meals with delicious dishes from sea food that we chose and bought from the bay. It was so interesting. The whole afternoon, we drove back to Hanoi to enjoy the water puppet show at 6:30 pm. It is the most attractive kind of art of Vietnam that hardly can anyone pass when coming to Vietnam. The third day ended with the delicious dinner at the hotel.

Memory in HaLong Bay

The next day, we once again drove to Ninh Binh, a province in the south of Hanoi to visit Dinh – Le King Temples. Many interesting and attractive things there, the Kings beds with dragon and phoenix, ther exhibition of the citadel… Lunch in Ninh Binh is different, no more seafood, no more noodles, in Ninh Binh, we tried the goat meat with bare-foot chickens. But it seemed not suitable to the one guest as he has no teeth. It is a pity for him. In the afternoon, we took a sampan in Tam Coc to visit the 3 caves. In the way to the cave, we saw the beautiful picture of Vietnam, the field of rice, it is really impressive. Moreover, we can also receive many pictures without taking. Many of the local people they are very friendly and they helped us do that during the trip in Tam Coc. They were pretty picture for a good memory in Vietnam.

The last day in Hanoi, we had to wake up very early to take the guests to the airport to fly back their country. It was too hard to say goodbye to them. A tour with many memory about Vietnam and Hanoi.