Halong Bay

You simply can’t visit Vietnam without casting eyes on the awe-inspiring natural wonder that is Halong Bay. We’re not exaggerating here when we say that this trip may just be one of the highlights of your entire backpacking trip! Known to the Vietnamese as ‘Bay of the Descending Dragons,’ this UNESCO world heritage site is an area made up of almost 3000 limestone islands that jut out of emerald waters everywhere you look, creating a truly magical landscape. As you sail through the waters on your Chinese Sail Boat or ‘Junk’ you’ll glance floating villages, buoyant huts tied to rocks, tiny beaches and local children fishing in the plentiful waters.

 Trips include the chance to sea kayak and swim amongst the rocks and into breathtaking lagoons. From the water’s surface, you can really feel the vastness of the area, peering in caves, listening to sea birds; it’s a wonderful way to experience the beauty of Halong Bay.

Then as the sun begins to set on this remarkable environment, you’ll position yourself on the boat deck and crack open a cold beer… the life of a backpacker is good eh?! Spending the night on the boat with the backdrop of islands silhouetted all around is an amazing experience. Choose a trip with Hanoi Backpacker’s on board the suitably named ‘Jolly Roger’ if you’re in the mood for a party! Endless beers, good tunes and an almost guaranteed group of ‘up-for’it’ backpackers will ensure that you have a great night! (Skinny dipping is optional)

Getting there

Trips can be booked from any of the travel agents and many guest houses in Hanoi. Trip prices range from $35 to up to $200 and you definitely pay for what you get. If you can afford it, we suggest you go mid-range, where the boats and food served are a lot better quality. Depending on what trip you book and where, will determine what crowd you are with. (E.g. The Halong Bay trips booked at popular backpacker hostels tend to turn into ‘Booze Cruises!’) Make sure you ask about the activities and itinerary before you depart. One tip would be; don’t rush it. You need time to savour the environment fully – and an overnight on Cat Ba is well worth it.

Bac Ha Market - Sapa

Every Sunday, Bac Ha hosts the biggest fair near the mountainous highlands and the Chinese border. It is the largest and most colourful market in the area and attracts throngs of villagers from the surrounding hill tribes. Some walk several hours for the weekly opportunity to trade and barter food, animals, clothes and household goods. 80km fromSapa, Bac Ha Market is not only the place for buying and selling, but also a place for cultural and sentiment exchanging. On the market days, right from the early morning, all paths and mountain roads are full of people and horses pouring to the market. People usually sit in groups around a soup pan ("thang co") eating and chatting.

Many different ethnic groups such as Flower H'mong, Phu La, Black Dao, Tay and Nung minorities gather to buy and sell local products that cannot be found elsewhere. The market was very crowded, local products for sale or barter are carried on horseback. Besides the usual items like pigs, cows, chickens, and ducks, Bac Ha Market sold dogs. As dogs were available as cuts of meat, they were also available live, right next to the live pigs, chickens, and other livestock. There was a brisk trade at the market for everything from hand-embroidered skirts to all manner of 4-legged animals. The "fresh" meat section is not for the faint of heart and might steer more than a few visitors in the direction of strict vegetarianism.

Though tourists were not in short supply, they were not the focus. Most locals paid little attention to them, rather choosing to focus on their business and the short Sunday-sized window of opportunity. Rounding the corner and pungent fumes of alcohol accosted your senses of smell, from corn whiskey – the speciality in Bac Ha. The potent moonshine is decanted by vendors from large white plastic jugs to used bottled water containers. If you doubt the ability of a vendor's hooch to peel paint or light your senses on fire, you can try a shot for free.

If you are an adventurous gastronomies, you can try “Thắng Cố” (Blood poridge, a popular dish of H’Mong and others local people. Most of the Flower H’Mong minority here so the market dress of colourful custumes of H’Mong people.

From Sapa town, on the early morning Sunday you can take a bus to go Bac Ha Market before you get back to Lao Cai and get your train back to Hanoi. Or maybe you should go to Bac Ha on Saturday morning to Bac Ha town and have a chance to visit Coc Ly market as well.

Money in Vietnam - How much you should tips for services in Vietnam

Money in Vietnam
You will be using local currency Dong (Vietnam dong). The dong (VND) is Vietnam’s official currency. Paper notes come in denominations of 200VND; 500VND; 1000VND;  2000VND;  5000VND; 10,000VND; 20,000VND; 50,000VND; 100,000VND and 500,00VND. In 2003, coins were reintroduced in denominations of 200 VND; 500 VND; 1000VND; 2000VND and 5000VND but after one year, coins are hardly to accept by people so now Vietnamese use papper money only.

The government Banks check rate is Vietcombank the website for exchange rates: http://www.vietcombank.com.vn/ExchangeRates/ , if you exchange money from other banks the rate will be a bit lower than head bank.

Money for spending or payment:
The shops in tourists places love to get cash than credit cards (not in local area such as northern provinces). Credit cards you can pay and the bank will charge on your credit card 3% or 4% or you can take money from ATMs. The ATMs dispense dong in 50,0000VND, 100, 000 VND, 200,000VND, 500,000VND denominations. The limit of 5,000,000VND for each withdrawal. ATMs will charge a fee of each transaction about 75,000d – 100,000d.

The USD, the government’s crackdown on the use of foreign currency within Vietnam, but all the most of shops still get US$. But the use of dollars is less easy than it used to be in the country. Exchange your money at the banks or other authorized currency exchange centers such as at the airport or post offices.

The banks are open from Monday to Friday from 8AM to 4PM lunch time is from 11:30 to 1PM you can exchange money from the bank, they will charge from 3 – 4%.
Credit cards payment: Many hotels, restaurants and shops centered in tourist area honor Visa, American Express, JCB Cards or Master Cards. Each transaction will be charged an additional 3 – 4%. VietcomBank offers cashes advances against your Visa or Mastercards Credit card if you need cash in a hurry.

Please Note with Travellers cheques:

The travelers cheques are accepted in larger cities in Asia but can only be changed at the money exchanges or bank (particularly in Vietnam). Should remember bring your passport to present. It will be charged 2 – 5% transaction fee.

This process of changing travelers cheques in Vietnam can be quite time consuming. An alternative to Travellers cheques are prepaid Cash cards that are preloaded with amount prior to travel. Funds can be withdrawn through local cash machines. If you travelling in remote areas you bring adequate funds in cash.

Tipping in Vietnam:
Major hotels and restaurants add a 5% service charge to bills you can choose no tip at these places.
Small tips are always a good things such as for drivers, waiters, boat and the tour guides.

For small services: if possible you can exchange money in Vietnam dong should be easy for you to tip

For Waiter, boat and other services: you can tips about 50,000VND to 100,000 VND (= $2 - $5) should be great for them.

For drivers: it depends on your using day, you can devide into day each day you tips for him $2/day.
For guide: $2/day/person should be good for him (her).

Hotel services: Government run hotels will add a 10% services charge on bill

Taxi:  a small gratuity should be greatly appreciated, tips are not necessary.

Restaurants & Bars: normally 10% service charge is already added onto your bill so many restaurants do not require tippings.

Porters: A tip for them will be greatly appreciated about US$ 2 – 5 that depends on you.

Other tips for budget:
Low budget: you can expect to spend up 25$ a day on food and lodging.
Middle – budget: You can enjoy good restaurant food,  stay comfortable in good hotels, hire cabs you can pend about $65 - $100/day.

High budget: Staying at the luxury hotel, eat at the luxury restaurant and good goods pend about $ 180 - $250/day should be good.

Useful tips:
You should store cash, credit cards, and other valuables in a safe place (in your safebox in hotel), if you have to bring with you should put in your back –pack and wear it carefully and keep an eye on your stuffs.

To calculate currency conversions you shoul bring a small calculator.

When you visit pagoda, you should leave some small donation into donation box just before you leave.

Pha Long Market - Sapa

Located: It belongs to Pha Long commue, Muong Khuong District. Pha Longmean big market. This is centre exchange culture and goods of people in commues Pha Long, Din Chin, Ta Ngai Cho, Ta Gia Khau of Muong Khuong District. It is opened on Saturday.

On the very early Saturday, from every paths, roads, mountain you can see people from villages come to market, they go with their group, couple or even single with their goods behind their back or even they use horses to carry goods go to market… they wear their nice clothes with colourful umbrellas which make a romantic and beautiful picture.

Pha Long market is beautiful because of people and goods, they sell their products inside the camps on both side of road. It is very clowded people from ethnic minorites H’mong, Lolo, Tay, Nung, Dzay… They meet, sell their products and talk to each other, the noise make market more pretty and more  vibrant.

The horses carry goods will be tied in one place maybe it comes up to hundreds. Buffalos, cows, pigs, chicken is brought to market to sell. They sell Coins, rices, soybeen and other goods you can not count all.

The famous product here is "Séng Cù" rice which is aromatic and delicious, one of the thing can not be lack here that is chilly and chicken-boned sugarcane.

The most attractive area is brocade area, go to Pha Long market, many people would like to choose a most beautiful dress so they choose very carefully, they try on and check, very clowded and noisy places. The food area has a lovely smell from buffalo meat, horse meat,  beef with smell of coin-wine of H’mong people, the Coc Ngu wine of Pa Di people is made from good coins in the border area. Besides, porks from black pig are very aromatic and delicious here.

The most wonderful time to visit Pha Long market is after Tet on 3^rd to 6^thLunar month, the Gau Tao festival means Climbing Festival people come from surround area, even from Bac Ha town, Sapa town, Mu Cang Chai in Yen Baiprovince or even people from China gather festival. To start festival , a Shaman will pray around 2 bamboos which decorated with wine, meats. After that,  inside round old people will sing a song to praise ancestors, tell story; outside round young people will sing to each other, dance with trumpet… Festival will be vibrant with other games such as raise horse, birds flighting, play hard… until sun goes down people will join to group around kitchen and sing whole night.

The colourful clothes from many ethnic group combine with green of forest  is impression of people come to Pha Long market. Go to market as a traditional and custom of people in the north of Vietnam.

Good Restaurants in Hanoi

If you are looking for a Good Restaurants in Ha Noi you should choose some of places:

1.    Quan An Ngon (Ngon Restaurant) – 18 Phan Boi Chau street and if you go at the weekend you should book table before you go then you don’t need to waste your time for waiting. Their number is (04)39428162/63

This restaurant are always clowded with Vietnamese and tourists either at lunch time or dinner. The Restaurant serves all special foods in Ha Noi and the north of Vietnam which are very delicious and special.

When you are in restaurant you can see  small houses display for old house in the Red River culture…

2.    Nhà Hàng Ngon (Ngon Restaurant Tran Hung Dao) – 26 Tran Hung Dao street, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi Tel: 04 39336133

Or you can choose other place is brother of Ngon Restaurant it is located in 26 Tran Hung Dao street… with different design and space than in Ngon Restaurant, the foods more stylist and specialize

3.    Song Thu Training Restaurant – 34 Chau long, Ba Dinh tel : (04) 3942 44 48,

This restaurant is located near West Lake area, the foods are good and well presented with Vietnamese and French Foods.

Also, the reason you are here to support young people who are training to work in the restaurant. This is a special place in Hanoi because it trains disadvantaged teenagers, and the staffs are very enthusiastic and kind.

4.    Com Viet Restaurant – 20 Bao Khanh street, Hoan Kiem tel 04 38 288 430

This is a small restaurant located next to Hoan Kiem Lake with delicious foods and friendly staffs… all my customers when I took them there they loved their foods very much, reasonal prices and good places…. Very traditional Vietnamese foods.

There are some good places to eat serve Vietnamese foods in Hanoi… I will update other restaurants with Hanoi French foods restaurant in next blog. I hope above information are helpful for you.  if you would like to know more about good vietnamese restaurants in Hanoi just contact me I will be your friend in Hanoi to help you