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31A Hang Mam St, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, 84, Vietnam
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Inside Little Hanoi
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One of the VIP guards by Ho Chi Minh's remains
Hi everyone,
I'm planning a road trip from UK to Singapore however I'm a little stuck on the Hanoi to Vientiane route. I gather from many forums there is a bus running between the two cities but the information on the bus is quite outdated. I've contacted my hotel (Thai Son Hotel) and they've mentioned that they can do the booking for 27 USD. But I would still like to find out more.
- There are discussion about a scam bus that literally takes tourist for a ride. Is there anyway of knowing if my hotel is booking such a bus?
- Can anyone recommend a good company I can use to book this journey?
- Is there anything I should look out for?
Thanks for any advise you can help me with
Regards
Mercuryz
Being off peak season, this bus still operates, but may not be daily. Having shopped around for a bus from Phonsavan to Hanoi, $27 from Vientiane sounds reasonable.
The transportation buses are not scams. They will get to you to your final destination. The only thing you must be careful about is the price. Many tour desks and hotels add on significant cost to pad their pockets. Shop around before you buy.
Thanks Mate,
I will def shop around before booking anything, from the reviews on the hotel they appear very reputable though. I might just go with them for each of mind. Hope the bus doesn't rock my teeth out :D
Have a good new year!
You might want to search for comments by people who have done this bus trip. Some expressions I have read from website forums/blogs: never again; bus ride to hell; I'll fly next time; etc. Certainly convinced me to never do this bus ride. Just a thought.
I was traveling with a g/f and we parted ways in Phonsavan. She took the bus from there to Vihn, then took the train up to Hanoi. That in itself was still a 22hr trip. She said it was not comfortable at all, but thankfully she is a small frame and can get comfortable in buses easier then others.
If you are going to Vientiane, add an additional ~8 hours or more.
If you do opt to do this overland, I would break it up in Phonsavan or somewhere else along the way.
If you've been around Asian cities enough, you've come to expect mostly drab, modern concrete structures without style. That is DEFINITELY not Hanoi! the homes in Hanoi are the most architecturally remarkable in all of Asia, in my opinion (not that I've seen all of the cities in the continent). Colorfully painted and an interesting combination of Vietnamese and French designs, you will definitely enjoy looking at homes as you drive through the city.
Lenin Park has already been described as a place to watch people doing Tai Chi early in the morning. However, there's also sport in the evening. If you enter the park from its south side (opposite Bach Khoa University), and walk to the right, you'll soon come across a paved circle on which people gather in the evening to enjoy dancing classes. I came there with some friends of mine and we were immediately joining the group and having fun! There's even an instructor, in case you lack the skills to do a proper waltz... no equipment needed - only curiosity
The famous Old Quarter area north of Hoan Kiem Lake is very good for shopping, especially for ladies. While walking along the maze of chaotic and small streets, you will be many shops selling all kinds of stuff. For ladies, you can buy shirts, dresses, skarfs, handbags, shoes, silk sleeping bags etc. There are also many shops selling local crafts (e.g. beautiful lanterns) and souvenirs (some of which are very good for decorating your house), as well as nice paintings. You need to bargain hard to bring down the prices, which they normally will reduce about 20-30% maximum (this is unlike China where they will reduce the price as much as 70% sometimes!).
Sometimes the best place is where you can be yourself, sit on a stool and watch whaterver 's on TV. Despite being an excellent restaurant ( " Bun Cha" here is superb ), the bar has series of small tables which is good for doing nothing particular. The staff dont care if you just hang out, which is good because the many football fans watching the Premier League do just that. Has a selection of interesting rice wines for the more adventurous, and its location on Ma May street makes it a good rest stop for tourists.
The Vietnam MiniBus pick up point is located just outside the airport exit.
You only have to pay USD2 per person and give them the exact address (best in writings) you wish to go to.
So what is the catch?
After alighting another group of 6 pax to their hotel, it was our turn to reach our hotel.
I told them to send me to Phan Thai (Camellia Hotel) at Hang Giay St. In the end, they send me to (their friend hotel) Dan Thai and insist that this was the hotel.
I was already warned that they will pull this kind of trick on us to earn extra commission.
I refuse to alight until they dump me somewhere near Dong Xuan Market. I have to walk for about 10 mins with my luggages in search of the my hotel.
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