Hanoi

Yeah! Finally! The start of my awesome motorbike adventure to Flipside Hostel, Ho Chi Minh City from Flipside Hostel, Hanoi by doing the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Ho Chi Minh Trail…Is…Just wow, such a mind blowing, spectacular, awesome, amazing and beautiful road to go on. And it is heaven for motorbike riders and wanting to travel to either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, or even anything along the way.

I bought my motorbike from such a good reputable motorbike shop, called “Hanoi Motorbike Adventure” And they have got pretty decent and reliable motorbikes either to sell or for rent. They treat you like friends, and not as a customer, which really amazed me. They are such good bunch of friendly, kind and caring people and offered you free beers which is lovely, having a good conversation with them about anything from sports to our cultures. They will also provide helmet, map of Vietnam, extended luggage rack and bike chain to secure your bike for parking. And they always will be there for you while you are traveling down south to Ho Chi Minh City, and they message me around twice a week which is a nice touch.   Hanoi Motorbike Adventure, if you are reading this, I want to say thank you!

Hanoi, what can I say about Hanoi…Hanoi is an awesome city, but trying to get out of Hanoi is so crazy! I started my journey at 7am, thinking I will miss the rush hour, but I was wrong! It is sooooooooooo busy! Took me ages, approximately around 30 minutes to get out! I have witnessed two crashes, it is mainly between cars and motorbikes! So always use your horn, it is your life saver! To warn them and get them out of your way! Horn is your best friend in Hanoi or even in any major cities in Vietnam if you want to stay alive! I know I used it a few times! Always keep your eyes open! Don’t even blink!

Mai Chau

Journey to Eco Homestay, took me around 3 hours and 30 minutes from Flipside Hostel, Hanoi and it is approximately 140 km (87 miles), it is an alright drive, but nothing special about it, since I had to get onto a highway, but not on the highway itself, no motorbikes are allowed there. But there is a road right next the highway for motorbikes. It was dull driving there and boring, but afterwards when I got on QL6 road, it was a more pleasant ride, and seeing lot’s of mountains along the way and just enjoying the scenery, the wind  on my face and sun warm on my back. I went on Ho Chi Minh trail for a little while as it was faster, since, I wanted to get to Mai Chau as quick as possible and just relax.

While, I stayed in Mai Chau for 3 nights, I had a wonderful time staying there, the family who owned the homestay was so lovely, kind and caring. I ate their food, home cooked meals for 3 nights, it was such good food. It is well worth the money. You get a free breakfast for staying with them which is a nice touch along with amazing Vietnamese coffee. I met interesting people who stayed there, ranging from Colombians to Czech Republic and English,  Jarmila and Will (Sorry Colombians I can’t remember your names!)  and we played a few card games. On the 2nd day, I went for a ride around Pu Luong, seeing the views was just breathtaking and seeing the sights, and how Vietnamese people live. On that day I rode for nearly 4 hours and lost track of time because I was enjoying it so much, but needed to get back to the homestay before nightfall, driving at night can be really dangerous because sometimes you may not see potholes and no time to swerve out of the way.

On the last day, I decided to wander around the local area by walking, But you can borrow a bicycle from the family to move about easy, but I chose to walk. I was amazed to see many Rice Paddies,  Vietnamese women were working  the paddy fields, and no sight of any men . I went to a cave, called Hang Chieu, to get there, you have to climb 1002 steps! I took a few  photos while I was there, the photos unfortunately were not very clear, that’s why I haven’t put any photos up.

Tamcoc, Ninh Binh

Journey to Tamcoc Riverview Homestay, Ninh Binh, took me a good 3 hours and 30 minutes and around 142 km ( 89 miles). It was a pretty good smooth ride all the way, a pleasant ride and sunny. Not a single drop of rain! I did not use the Ho Chi Minh Trail at all, since it will take me even longer to get there, an extra 1 hour 30 minutes.  I found it not worth the fuel and time. But the views while riding was pretty awesome and still a pleasant drive.

On the day I got to Tamcoc, I met my friend, Gabriel who I met recently at Hanoi he came from Hanoi, while I was riding from Mai Chau, we decided to ride to Da Nang via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, we arranged to meet up with Marco who joined us the next day, from Hanoi (who we all met at the Flipside Hostel). Now there are three of us, British, American and Canadian on the road around Vietnam, like top gear  (I’m obviously the good looking one) and we will be going to Hai Van Pass soon to get us to Da Nang. Along with our motorbikes.

The Riverview homestay is located next to the  river or lake. Is it a Lake or river? After couple of minutes having a discussion with Gabriel, we still have no idea which it is Staying at Riverview homestay is so cheap, cost around £5.35 per night, and that is included breakfast which is pretty decent. You get fried egg, cheese, bread, pancake and their homemade marmalade, that marmalade tastes so awesome. I know my late grandad, Poppas would have  loved that marmalade so much. Marmalade was my grandads favourite food, more than anything. Every morning, he used to have a really thick slice toast with lashings of marmalade for breakfast as well as supper.

So let’s get back on topic of what I did, or we did, along with Claudi and Bianca (Two lovely and kind Germans that I met at Phuket, Thailand). We went to Trang An, along with Gabriel, Marco, Pra and Thomas as well as with Claudi and Bianca also know as Bi Bi for half a day which is the “38th session of the World Heritage Committee in Doha” (Yes I did use that words from google) Trang An is a boat cave tour and it is cost 200,000 Dong (£6.73) if you want to do the full tour, which we did  it is well worth the money, the views are just, wow…Breathtaking and we were guided by two lovely Vietnamese women . My god, these  women are very strong, paddling the boat all day and they are not even tired. (Women power!) The tour is so breath taking. There are many wonderful, amazing sights throughout the tour and going through the caves. Seeing temples, King Kong Island (They did the movie at Trang An for King Kong) Trang An is a place  definitely not to be missed. Mother nature is beautiful in Trang An.

 

Everything we did at Tamcoc, Ninh Binh has just been amazing. Doing it with friends makes things even more amazing and sharing memories together. We also went to Hang Mua to the top of the mountain and again, the view are just…Wow and so breezy! And cost around 100,000 Dong which is £3.37

 

 

Hoang Mai

After Ninh Binh in the morning, the three of us, Gabriel,  Marco and I along with our motorbikes made our journey to the south, a little town called Hoang Mai which is right on the beach. Took us approximately 6 hours via Ho Chi Minh Trail and around 250km (155 miles) That ride was spectacular.

Once we got there, we found a hotel for a reasonable price. Gabriel went out for a smoke and asked to see where we could get a bottle of spirits, which cost us £3.31 which is pretty decent, and we quickly drank it all, but we suspected that it may have been watered down as it was a weak vodka. only 29% prof.  Marco and Gabriel decided to wander and see if they could find another bottle while I, stayed in the hotel to do my blog. Marco came back to get me as they had found a place for us to drink, once I went to the restaurant, my god, these Vietnamese guys went crazy and wild when they met us, challenging for arm wrestling and giving us food, sadly none of these dared to ask me for arm wrestle, only Gabriel and Marco. They are scared of me, haha! They have said, that bottle of vodka was supposed to cost  £1.35 for a bottle! We had been ripped off, but it was still cheap compared to the prices back home in England. Afterwards, we went to the most crazy karaoke bar I have ever seen with so many strobe lights.

 

I really need to use my camera more than my phone to take these awesome photo’s!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, yeah Ha Giang! Ha Giang is a province in the North-East of Vietnam. It is very close to China, a cheeky cross over the boarder? Hmm, maybe, lets see! I think it is the most beautiful place in the north, breathtaking scenery, such an incredible drive through the mountains, forest and towns. I  highly recommend you to do it either with a tour group such as Flipside or buy a motorbike yourself and be your own guide. Have a look at their website, Flipside Adventure Travel

To discover the north of wonderful country, Vietnam! The trip between Yen Minh and Dong Van, and then across the Mai Pi Leng Pass to Meo Vac is quite mind-blowing and so spectacular. The most amazing road, and my, what a ride!

There are so many great passes to discover in Vietnam, Mai Pi Leng is one of them.

 

You will not regret it! It is the best thing I have done so far in Vietnam. You get to see small towns that are not properly developed for tourism, but many homestays and motels.  If you have got the time and money. I urge you to do it! I have recommended this to a few travelers in Hanoi, and they went for it and they did say. “That’s the best thing I ever did” So, don’t think…Just do it!

 

Motorbike Adventure! Vroooooom Vroooom!

So, with this adventure, I did it with Flipside tour because:

1. Iv’e never riden a motorbike in my life.
2. Going with a tour guide gives you peace of mind incase of break downs or run out of fuel ( That happened to a person who went on the tour with me!)
3. Moments you could never have.
4. And meet new friends.

 

Did I cross over to China to have a beer? Yes I did!

 

 

Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital city of North Vietnam and is known for its centuries-old architecture and a rich culture with Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences. At its heart is the Old Quarter, where the narrow streets are roughly arranged by trade. And it is mainly aimed at backpackers or low budget holiday/city breaks in the old quarter.

So, when I first arrived in Hanoi it was evening  5pm on 6th of October. My goodness! It is soooooooooo busy and crazy! There are millions of scooters and motorbikes in the city alone! (no exaggeration)It is no wonder that Hanoi is the most polluted city in  South-East Asia. That is why there are many,  Vietnamese that wear mouth and nose masks to stop them breathing in the awful air pollution.

The old quarter is affordable,  you can get a decent sized sandwich  for less than $1.20. Phở Gà which is a Chicken Noodle Soup and Phở Bo which is Beef Noodle soup. These soups are traditional noodle soups of Vietnam. It is one of the most famous street food all over the world, and it is cheap! Cost around $1.10-$2.20 (20k VND- 50k VND) You see lots of commuters riding their scooters/motorbikes in the morning, parking alongside the cafe and slurping down a bowl before they continue on to work. And it is not just mornings, you can have them for lunch and/or tea. These famous dishes, are the first things I tried before tasting anything else. It is really tasty, you can add lime juice and chilies to make it spicy. These Vietnamese chilies are very spicy!

Bia Ha Noi

Many beers, famously “Bia Ha Noi” is the worlds cheapest beer. Not only is Bia Hoi the cheapest beer in the world, but it is also the freshest! Bia hoi is a very light beer, not strong at all. Bia Hoi is made in Hanoi every night and delivered to drinking establishments early every morning. Each day you’ll see men and women driving motorbikes with 4-6 kegs strapped onto their motorbike delivering the beer or removing empty kegs. I have been told, it is the freshest beer because it is made without any preservatives and must be drunk within 24 hours of production. For this reason, Hanoi and its surrounding areas are the only places you can find Bia Hoi. After 24 hours, it have to be thrown away.

Beer Corner is located at Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Although it is referred to as “Beer Corner” or “Bai Hoi Corner” it has become such a popular drinking spot for locals, expats and backpackers. It is also one of the busiest street in Hanoi where everyone gets together and drink away! So, drinking Bia Hoi is a great way to start the evening!

 

 

 

Flipside Hostel

If you are looking for  a good lively atmosphere, I recommend staying at Flipside Hostel.Flipside Hostel is a Kiwi owned and operated hostel in Hanoi as well as in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) the staff are very friendly and speak excellent English. Bare in mind I have not been to Saigon yet, but I am planning to stay there when I get to Saigon.  Flipside Hostel  is  affordable and provides free breakfast to give you a good start to your morning! This hostel is based in the old quarter within walking distance to Bai Hoi corner, Ho Hoan Kiem Lake and many others. They are many activities, for example,  Happy Hour and Pub Crawls. But the best thing I ever did so far in my travels in Vietnam is the “Northern Motorbike Adventure” which I will tell you about on my next blog post. Not to be missed!

A quote from Flipside hostel on Hostel World. “It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a cheap, comfortable, clean dorm bed for you and your friends to rest your weary heads, or if you’re looking for a private room for a slice of peace and luxury that we all need from time to time – we have you covered! And they all come with a yummy free breakfast! More reason to join at Flipside Hostel and it crew. They also have an awesome rooftop bar where you can meet the travelers from all over the world and drink awesome beers!

 

Train Track

I  found a little place, near Flipside Hostel, where there are train tracks running  between narrow houses, and it is so incredible how they build the houses around the train tracks. And also the houses look like they are blending into one. It is one of the most unique places to visit in Vietnam, not to be missed! It is really easy to find, and I was shocked not to see many tourists, I only saw a handful of tourists! Many Vietnamese live there on these streets, next to train track! They have a house on one side, they have to cross the track to get to other side of the  for the bathroom. It is a residential street. It is such a crazy place to live, but  they are so friendly. I even offered to help a Vietnamese lady in her early 20’s to move goods from her motorbike to the shop! Every little helps and make their day! Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture with a group of Vietnamese to prove that I had helped them! Oh well, I’ll remember for next time!

Before you say something, I have asked for their permission to take photographs of them. All is well!

 

 

 

If you want to know whereabouts this track is in the Old Quarter, I have provided a map for you. It is on the left side of the map with 2 markers in between.

 

Lotte Centre Hanoi 

Lotte Observation Deck is approximately 15 minutes drive from the centre of Old Quarter. And it is the 2nd tallest building (272m) in Hanoi after Landmark 72 which is 328m. Lotte Centre is a pretty cool building! You will  also walk over the clear glass and see below! when you get on a lift from the ground level to 65th floor, it takes just fifty seconds. Really fast! I could feel my ear my ear drums popping! It was that fast! It is also the first ever  Sky Walk built in Southeast Asia. The best time to visit is just before sunset to see the changing skies. on my visit it was 7pm and it was cheaper than going during the day.  the views are breathtaking, as you can see from the pictures below. (not for the faint hearted).

 

 

As you can see, I tried my best to take few decent pictures but you know…Glass windows reflection! Grr! I need to learn about my camera and how it works! Haha!