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61 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, 00844, Vietnam
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Quan An Ngan,15 Pho Phan Boi Chau,Ha Noi,Vietnam.
View of balcony from ground floor
House-on-stilts
Presidential Palace - Hanoi
Will be visiting Hanoi soon with my wife. Appreciate info on the following;
1.0 Any recommnedation for a good, decent 3-star hotel in the Old Quarters' area, say around USD30+ per nite? Heard about a Phan Thai hotel here?
2.0 Recommendation for a Halong bay tour, stay overnite in one of the boats or take a day trip?
3.0 Any idea about those artists in the Old Quarters' area? How much does it costs for a portrait black / white or oil colour painting?
Thanks, jetschin
There are many hotels in Old Quarters but i have compared before and realised it is cheaper to engage a local tour operator because they have special rates with the hotels. Never heard of Phan Thai.
I have done the Halong Bay tour, but did not stay overnight. A friend of mine stayed overnight in a junk - but told me he didn't enjoy it. Thus I would recommend for a day trip.
On the last question - sorry could not help.
If you would like to have a proposed itenary for Hanoi, do have a look at my travel pages - and if you do need help to engage my previous tour operator, do let me know.
Mate, a day trip would be an utter waste of time. It simply takes too long to get there and back to Hanoi. You will notice that some visitors rave about Halong Bay, others say they were disappointed.
I believe you get what you pay for. We spent a bit more and booked on the Bhaya for 2 nights/3 days and it was fantastic. We could easily have stayed another night!
If you go budget, you have to expect rubbing shoulders with backpackers, basic fare, threadbare sleeping quarters etc. Do yourself a favour and go with one of the luxury cruises - for most people it is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Satyed at Majestic Salute in Old Quarter of Hanoi - hotel clean and tidy but rooms very small. Moved onto the Huyen Trang for two nights, only difference was rooms were huge but no lift which is ok because the porters carry your bags up and down the stair (glad it was them and not me) breakfast was basic but excellent and staff very helpful.
Definitely do at least an overnighter on Halong Bay, beware of the water in the esky. Even the small amount left in the rim of a beer can can make you sick (it did me)
We haggled with an artist for about 1 hour, left the shop three tinmes and she called us back three times. The price went from $80 US dollars for one down to $60 US plus 20,000 dong for two (I showed empty pockets and she finally said yes). So happy haggling and grab a bargain.
You will encounter many interesting people in the streets of Hanoi. For example, we came across this group of men who were playing some kind of board game right on the side walk itself.
As I didn't know what game it was, I figured it to be some kind of street chess.
I've been experimenting with the pics so it turned out kind of funny. Ooops- sorry about that!
Mai Chau is located in Hoa Binh province, 135 km from Hanoi. Here you can admire the superb panorama of green valley and stilt houses. Many minorities, including the Thai ethnic group, live in Mai Chau.
Seems most every store in Hanoi specializes in some merchandise, whether it is tin boxes, trophies, tools, etc. This store specializes in birdcages. There is a whole street in the Old Quarter where you can find goods made of bamboo, and a street for just birdcages.
You can rent a bicycle for about less than 1USD to explore the city. Its much easier and you get to experience first hand on being on the streets with the locals. Hanoi is a relatively flat terrain, so cycling is relatively effortless.
We went to this place because it was recommended in the French Michelin guidebook. It's a pleasant enough place in the Old Quarter, sort of a "colonial" interior, catering almost exclusively to tourists. It's a branch of a restaurant (can't remember the name right now) which is run by a French NGO for orphans I think, so you do feel that you may be contributing to something. Objectively though, we didn't think it was really worth it, coming from Paris, the French pastries and bread were French enough, but of course not like in Paris, even though it was a nice change to have a real croissant, the cakes are pretty heavy and there is no air-con (as opposed to what the guide said). They have Vietnamese food too, but it's really much better outside in the food stalls or local places. None. The main advantage to this place was that it's quiet and restful when you eat everyday at food stalls sitting on those very low plastic stools in the very noisy and dusty streets. Also, having no problems ordering since all the menu is in real English. We saw at least 2 families with kids who probably had trouble with the local food. It's good place when you have kids (we had a baby who was just walking) because even the floor is clean, and the food feels very safe.
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A: "> I know Halong bay is famous but i have been to Mildfordsound in Newzeadland and Guilin in China so i am not especially attracted by Halong bay since it's the similar..."
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