Vietnam - first visit and first TR

[GDSman]

Lunch was another delicious 4 course meal with pumpkin soup, large prawns and fish followed by fruit salad. We decided we'd earned a lazy afternoon so relaxed, played cards, read as we motored along. At 1600 the choice was a village walk in the rain or a cooking lesson...let's learn how to make Vietnamese pancakes. Good family fun and a tasty afternoon tea (like we needed another meal).
More cards and a movie before a late dinner - again just delicious green mango salad, catfish, pork ribs and chocolate cake....the chef is a lovely lad and I hate to disappoint him so I have to eat everything...
Tonight has been peaceful- a really nice day....
Tomorrow we have another market tour and then it's goodbye to the boat and back to Saigon for a night.

 

[Jim Walsh]

Which River Cruise company did you use, it looks great

 

[GDSman]

Which River Cruise company did you use, it looks great

Hi Jim. It was Mekong Eyes Mekong Eyes - they seem to have 3 sizes...the 14 cabin ship, 2 cabin and 1 cabin 'honeymooner'.... pretty sure they have some German ownership... We loved the teak rice-barge style, cabins were large and comfy and chartering it all to ourselves was a touch of luxury...felt really spoiled to have 5 crew looking after us. Their communication during the booking process was excellent - prompt and clear. I had hoped to go up to Phnom Penh but time didn't permit...

 

[GDSman]

We woke on the last morning to another beautiful view of the Mekong from our window. Last night there was a wedding party with dreadful karaoke a bit too close to the anchorage for my liking but slept ok in the end.
Another great breakfast up on deck - no need for more descriptions as I think you've got the gist - then down to pack up the cabin. This morning we have a market tour in Can Tho. I don't think I mentioned that the cruise basically went Can Tho to Cai Be and back. Can Tho is the largest city in the delta with 2Mill people (so the guide told me)....10 x Hobart - I'll see your provincial city and raise you....
The market both floating (which seemed to be fruit and veg minimum 10kg purchases) and on land (everything with big focus on fish) was very impressive and interesting. Saw how thin rice noodles were made - had no idea that rice paper was passed through the equivalent of a paper shredder to get the lengths....
We finished our tour and checked out. The bill came to many millions - always find it harder somehow to calculate when there are so many zeros....
We tipped the crew. Tipping has been a confusion in Vietnam (oh god, here we go) as guides and websites range from 'no tipping culture' to 'tip like in US'. We have the crew US$10 each and the guide $20...I have no idea if that's good bad or indifferent but we liked them so hope that it was at least reasonable.
Now back to Saigon to visit the odd shop my wife has her eyes on and possibly have a dip in the pool of the Majestic.
BTW, the bamboo poles sticking up from the boats at the floating market are mini adverts - they hang whatever it is they sell so it's easily seen...

 

[GDSman]

The 4 hr trip back to Saigon went by without too much pain and we checked in just after 4pm. Quick dip with the boy and then up to the room to get ready to go out. Then the rain came...and came...full on tropical storm.
Being the brave sorts we are we went off to one of the restaurants we'd tried before (this one thanks to amaroo) and ordered far too much food and drink....but it was good.....
My wife was keen on a decorated plate she saw in a shop from Ban Trat in Hanoi. My suggestion was to wait until we get up there and hopefully get a few choices.....now I fear I may suffer the fate of he who suggested much but delivered little...god I hope there's some more pretty plates in Ban Trat.....

Tomorrow we hit the half way mark and fly up to Hanoi....

 

[GDSman]

A great sleep although a pinch at the back of the throats suggests a lurgie coming on....probably not helped by the aircon. A gentle start to the day and a 30min taxi to the airport - our flight had been brought forward by 20 mins (glad I checked!) but I'd given us an hour and a bit to navigate the airport. Last checkin is 40mins prior for domestic VN.
As I checked in it seemed the Optiontown fairies hadn't don't their thing - and I didn't receive an email from them. As she printed the BPs I casually said "So nothing from Optiontown then?"
This sent her into a flurry of activity before she announced she had 2 seats in J and the chance of the 3rd one at the gate. As a gentleman I told her to give them to my wife and son and that I'd take my luck at the gate...bingo! All 3 in the 787 J. Only a 2hr flight but what the hell for $100 each.... I reasoned that it was worth the speedier process through the airport, hopefully better baggage delivery and perhaps a decent lunch?

 

[GDSman]

VN232 SGN-HAN
787-9
ETD 1100
Pushback 1115
Takeoff 1137
Duration 2h05
1G/5K/6K

Well this is fun. Optiontown is '2 for 2' so far (better not jinx it). It's nice to try the J product to see if it could work for us on a Europe trip...so far I think so. Service and food is domestic of course.

Offered a cold towel and juice or water Pre takeoff and given a menu. Order taken so the crew should be able to get through the service comfortably in the 2hr flight. Captain warns of some possible turbulence- there's been a lot of storm activity of late.

Flight was excellent. I tried out the bed in lie-flat and it was good - could definitely do long haul very comfortably. I had the chicken with noodles from the menu and it was good. A small salad, fruit for dessert - what's not to like? Wine was even better....the flight from MEL to SGN had something rather unpleasant but I started with a white and went on to the red. French and very nice. My son had the fish and he pronounced it as nice with no bones...
I swapped to a window seat for landing as I wanted to get some views of Hanoi on approach. A bit of cloud cover but lovely green terrain nonetheless.

 

[GDSman]

Taxi into town was quite a lot 500k VND so $28. We drove through the rain towards the Sofitel and got our first taste of Hanoi.
Vietnam has a healthy north/south divide and in the south they'd warned me that northerners were serious, greedy and unfriendly. I can't say I've seen it.
The south comes across as being 'on the make' - everyone's moving fast trying to climb. Our early feel of the north has been that Hanoi is more charming, has very friendly people who are more proficient at dealing with tourists, and that there seem to be many more tourists, particularly Europeans.
We checked into the Sofitel (inspired by Rick Stein). Stunning. Beautiful. Checkin handled beautifully, our room in the old section is quite lovely....while I loved the Majestic in Saigon, the Sofitel has the same historical bones but is in a totally different class...the photos don't do the room justice.
We headed out as I wanted to get suits made (more on that later) and finished up getting soaked in a massive storm but then having the best restaurant meal of the trip so far at a little place off silk street- Duong's. It wasn't just the food - the wait staff were totally engaged and delivered so much more than food....real warmth. So far it's Saigon 0 - 1 Hanoi...

 

[GDSman]

I wanted to get a couple of suits and some shirts made if possible on this trip. Looking at our itinerary I decided the best approach would be in Hanoi as it would give time to have measure, fit, fix and deliver. Trying to be smart I thought that if I locate a tailor near the InterCon it will make it easy to collect them on day of departure. With no word of mouth to go by I resorted to TripAdvisor and found a place, Hoa Fashion, walking distance from the InterCon.
It's a small tailor's shop but I was fussed over by 3 ladies who helped with style, fabric, decisions and measure. As a, ahem, larger gentleman, I want to get a good fit that doesn't make me look bigger than I am (if that's possible).... I also am a stereotypical 'shopping hating bloke'. I just don't enjoy the experience very much - fortunately my wife is the opposite so she dug me out of a hole to make some choices. First fit is tonight so we'll see how we go. Prices weren't super cheap - suit with 2 pants around USD350 for the 'best' fabric. Shirts $40. So it's going to come down to quality of work as I could just buy a cheap off the peg in HBA at that price.

 

[kpc]

I love this TR...and it is not about F class travel and lounges ...makes me want to go and book a trip to Vietnam ASAP!

 

[RB]

I wanted to get a couple of suits and some shirts made if possible on this trip. So it's going to come down to quality of work as I could just buy a cheap off the peg in HBA at that price.

I had a few pairs of travel trousers made in Hoi An in 2001. They are only worn on walking holidays but they are still in good condition & all of the zips are still working. Mrs RB had some horse riding jackets & work clothes made at the same time & they were also top quality-not worn any more though.
We thought the Water Puppet show & Binh Minh Jazz were worthwhile when we were in Hanoi

 

[GDSman]

I love this TR...and it it is not about F class travel and lounges ...makes me want to go and book a trip to Vietnam ASAP!

Thanks @kpc. We're having a great time here and so far everything's gone really well....I know we'll be back to see more...

 

[GDSman]

We thought the Water Puppet show & Binh Minh Jazz were worthwhile when we were in Hanoi

Thanks RB - hadn't thought about the jazz....want to see water puppets but not organized yet (planning is still evolving on this trip...).
Hopefully my clothes are good quality too...your story gives me some hope they'll last...

 

[TomVexille]

I love this TR...and it it is not about F class travel and lounges ...makes me want to go and book a trip to Vietnam ASAP!

It's certainly making me want to go back and explore properly

 

[amaroo]

Being the brave sorts we are we went off to one of the restaurants we'd tried before (this one thanks to amaroo) and ordered far too much food and drink....but it was good.......

Love a live TR.... glad you liked it.

Across the road from the Sofitel is a nice bar/restaurant - Press Club Home » Press Club HaNoi

 

[GDSman]

The Sofitel is just lovely.....I love fine colonial architecture (having grown up in various spots around the world I got to enjoy it in its many forms). The history is great and the service immaculate. The concierge answered a raft of questions but refused my attempt to tip (in a very gracious way).
This morning we went to Bat Trang - the ceramics village. My wife had seen some plates in Saigon and I had been the baddie and said let's wait....now we arrive in a village with about 1000 shops and I think I may have made a small tactical error..... but then as we're driving in she spots a shop she says looks like it has the right stuff. The taxi driver kept going about half a km but I paid attention to the turns and with a little luck we retraces our steps....unbelievable - the shop is THE ONE for what she wants....
We selected a couple of pieces and with a bit of amateur negotiation got to a point that were all simultaneously happy and unhappy with (I explained to my son that in my business experience this means we've probably hit the right price).
We headed back to the Sofitel and had a drink and snack at the pool bar - can't spend all that money and not enjoy the facilities!
Back to the old shopping quarter with a new challenge....we've bought the ceramics..now how to get them home?? I may not have mentioned that we now have 2 platters about 50cm diameter....and weighing about 5kg together. A new bag is needed. I've been annoying my wife by refusing to buy a dreadful 'hand woven by mountain people' overpriced monstrosity....

Next door to our room is a suite used by both Grahame Greene and then the Aus Embassy during the war...

 

[GDSman]

We gave up on the bag and went for a drink instead. At home we're wine drinkers but in the tropics both price and climate point us towards beer and coughtails....I've had a couple of interesting beers, the strangest of which was this one

It's an IPA that they make near the flower market using whatever cast offs come to hand. This one had something unknown to me and left it with a pleasant taste but a disgusting colour - green/brown.
Headed to the tailor for first fit. So far so good. It was the best fitting 1-armed, no-collar suit I've ever worn....if the rest of it comes together as well as this promising start I should get a good result.
The tailor also gave us a cardboard box for our platters with the promise of a bag on Monday (when I go back for final fit/fix). With our box in tow we decided to head for dinner and, I must confess, went back to the place we went last night. Duong's near the Cathedral. I used to be highly adventurous....but sometimes it's easy to go somewhere you know everyone likes. We had a massive scoff for 3, beers and a couple of coughtails and walked away with a $40 bill......it's rated as an expensive place in TripAdvisor....
Taxi back to the hotel. Tonight the bleeding obvious struck me - there's obviously a 'tourist' rate and a locals rate on the taxi meter. Same trip 2 nights running. VND100 last night and VND25 tonight....
Have just spent a fun few minutes cursing over the cardboard box as I try to fit the platters in and not lose it.....all ok now. Some poor customs officer will work their way through 100 layers of tape to uncover a load of dirty laundry and hopefully some intact porcelain...

 

[GDSman]

Ha Long bay tomorrow. We need to be in the lobby at 0745 for pick up for the 1 night Indochina Junk cruise. Looking forward to this....so many have said it's utterly beautiful....

 

[LadyC]

Enjoying your TR so far.

 

[CMA222]

I wanted to get a couple of suits and some shirts made if possible on this trip...... Prices weren't super cheap - suit with 2 pants around USD350 for the 'best' fabric. Shirts $40. So it's going to come down to quality of work as I could just buy a cheap off the peg in HBA at that price.

The perfect fit of tailor made clothes makes them worth every cent in my experience. I have mine made in Singapore so I will be interested to hear how the Hanoi product compares.