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HALONG BAY

In Hanoi we booked a 2-day tour around Halong Bay with Handspan Tours (78-80 Ma May, Hoan Kiem, www.handspan.com). It was definitely expensive (US$130 each) compared with other prices (we saw the same type of tour for as low as US$23), but some friends strongly advised us against very cheap boats as they even saw rats in theirs and the food was bad.

We left Hanoi early in the morning by bus and it took some 2 hours to reach the bay. The boat  was simply excellent: beautiful, very clean, great and varied food, mainly seafood and fish, friendly staff.The tour itself was also good, with some stops: one of the biggest caves, a beach with a view-point, night in the middle of the bay where we could swim, visit to a lake in a rowing boat… We headed back to harbour the following day after lunch.

Halong Bay is such an amazing and spectacular place that deserves a post for itself.

NINH BINH

From Halong Bay we wanted to go to Ninh Binh  without having to go back to Hanoi, so once we got off the boat we asked around if that was possible. Soon we found a I-can-do-anything-for-you guy who, after agreeing the price, managed to get us on a minivan full of locals that took us directly to Ninh Binh. Looked like a regular service, but not sure. Despite going directly it took quite some time, around 4 hours, but the landscape was interesting and it did not feel long. In almost every trip there is a place where you don’t expect that much and you end up placing it at the top of what you liked, Ninh Binh was exactly that in Vietnam.

The bus dropped us directly at Xuan Hoa Hotel (www.xuanhoahotel.com) not really sure why, but we took a look and decided to stay there and it was great. The rooms had a good size, were immaculately clean, with A/C and the staff friendliness was spectacular. We  paid around US$18 for a double room with bathroom, breakfast included.

We had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant terrace and it was very tasty, specially the grilled goat meat. The price was average.

We agreed to rent a car with a driver through the hotel and we could not be happier with the driver’s attitude and friendliness. His english was limited but enough for the basics, and he never seemed to be tired to drive us around, taking us to a place we had not agreed with no extra charge.

We started the day going to Cuc Phuong National Park, the very first National Park in Vietnam. We did one of the designated hikes (Big Tree hike) through primary tropical forest and a couple of grottoes. Surprisingly it was not as hot as expected and we had a great time. There is a famous Primate Rescue Center but we decided to give it a pass as we did not have enough time.

Hiking in Cuc Phuong National Park

After the hike we had lunch at the hotel and then headed for the main attraction of the area: Tam Coc (dubbed “Halong Bay of the rice paddies”) and it was spectacular, with the rock needles popping out of green fields. We took a rowboat along a canal (it was strange to see the how they rowed with their feet) and passed leisurely through 3 long caves. The scenery was stunning and peaceful. A very nice surprise. (Beware: the boat owner will try every trick to make you buy something, from the stuff they have to drinks for them).

Tam Coc

Feet rowing in Tam Coc (Photo by Francisco Amigo)

Tam Coc (Photo by Aiko Yokozuka)

Instead of driving us back to the hotel the driver took us to a fantastic place: Hang Mua temple. It is in one of the rock needles and to reach the top you will have to climb steep steps, but the views of Tam Coc and the rice paddies from above are wonderful. Also there was nobody there, so we could really enjoy it.

Huang Mua Temple (Photo by Aiko Yokozuka)

Climbing Huang Mua Temple (Photo by Aiko Yokozuka)

Views from Huang Mua over Tam Coc (Photo by Francisco Amigo)

Views from Huang Mua over Tam Coc (Photo by Francisco Amigo)

We had dinner at the hotel and then waited for the night bus to Hue. The hotel staff took care of everything and let us know when the bus was coming.

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MEKONG DELTA

As we did not have much time in order to do it by ourselves, we decided to take a 2-day tour to the Mekong Delta. The company we booked it with was Delta Adventures Tours

http://www.deltaadventuretours.com/English/Default.aspx

The price was US$35 per person.  We took a hotel upgrade in Can Tho, which added US$55 more for the 3 of us, so the final price was US$53 per person. The quality of the tour in general was good.

We were taken by bus to HCMC harbour and we took a boat there. Leaving the city by the Mekong River happened to be one of the highlights of the trip, as it gave us a completely different perspective of the surroundings of HCMC. We had the chance to see the floating slums and it was very impressive.

Floating slums in HCMC

Floating slums outside HCMC

After some 3 hours in the boat we arrived at My Tho. It was really hot and humid in the delta. My Tho itself did not have much to see apart from the river area and some islands that are in the vicinity (Dragon Island, Unicorn Island and Tortoise Island). They gave us a tour around this islands and then stopped at Unicorn Island, where we visited the coconut candy workshops, went for a (short) ride in a canoe, had lunch and we could explore around a bit with rental bikes .

Once we were done with the day activities we took a bus to Can Tho, the main city and capital of the Delta. The city had a relaxed atmosphere, with life completely dominated by the presence of the river. There was not much to see but still it was nice to go for a walk around and experience such a different environment. The hotel was very good (seems the upgrade, though expensive for VN prices, was worth it, as the other provided hotel we were told it was gloomy).

Next day we visited Cai Rang, the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta and one of the main reasons we decided to go to this area.It was really interesting, packed with lots of boats of different sizes and shapes. The bigger boats selling wholesale fruits and veggies had a long pole with a sample of what they were selling hanging from it.  There were smaller boats everywhere going to the big ones and making transactions. We went around for an hour or so, from one side to the other side of the part of the river taken by the market. After that they dropped us so we could walk around the inland market, also interesting.

Cai Rang floating market

Cai Rang floating market

Buying goods at Cai Rang

After lunch we got on a bus for a ride back to HCMC (around 3 hours). During the ride back one of the guides took the microphone and told us stories about life in the Delta (like for example that the way to spot a wealthy person was checking how many boats he had, rather than a big car or even a big house).

The tour is ok to have an insight, if brief, into the Mekong Delta area and how people live there. Still, I found it a bit disappointing, a bit too touristic…definitely not used to group tours. Not sure if it is worth it visiting the area for just 2 days.

Eating at Can Tho:

We had dinner at Mekong restaurant (38 D Hai Ba Trung, recommended by LP).The place did not look anything special but the food was good and cheap.

The following day we had lunch at Nam Bo (50 D Hai Ba Trung, nambo@hcm.vnn.vn, also recommended by LP), a well known restaurant. Beautiful colonial house, good views over the river and the silver statue of uncle Ho (better sit in the second floor) , and also excellent food and atmosphere. Try not to miss it.

PHU QUOC:

We flew to Phu Quoc with Vietnam Airlines, return tickets were 120$. Plane was an ATR72 propeller plane, flight around 55 min.

When we arrived at the airport people from different hotels were around in the lobby offering their services. We decided to stay at the Tropicana Resort (recommended by LP among other guides). The ride to the hotel was free and took around 15 min. The hotel was a little bit outside Duong Dong, the closest village to the airport and lined up with other resorts along Long Beach.

The bungalows by the beach costed US$35 per room. Garden view bungalows (off the beach) were US$20. The rooms were good, big and clean. Breakfast was included and it was good, just a little bit not enough amount (at least for me). The hotel had some amenities (pool, darts, board games) all for free.

http://www.vietnamstay.com/hotel/tropicana/

There were not many tourists as it was not high season. It was not possible to do scuba diving as all the diving companies were closed. In general the weather was just good but not great, but worth noting that in the west side of the island (where Long Beach is) it was more windy and unpleasant than in the west side.

Next day we rented a  semiautomatic motorbike for US$8 and set off to explore the island. We went all the way down south to the fishermen village of An Thoi, quite picturesque. Roads were ok.  On our way up by the east side we stopped at Bai Sao, a very beautiful and quiet beach, hardly anyone else there. We had lunch in the waterfront restaurant, the food was good and prices slightly higher than in other places inlands. Most of the island is hilly and with tropical vegetation, very good to enjoy while riding a motorbike.

Bai Sao beach

The following day, together with a group of friends, we tried to rent a 4×4. Price was 700000 VD and we could not get it any cheaper. Finally we decided to rent a mini van with a driver for 10 people at the hotel. The price was 1100000 for the whole day. First we went south, again to An Thoi and Bai Sao, where we had lunch. While at the hotel the weather was rainy and unpleasant  at Bai Sao was much better. After that we headed to the northwest tip of the island, Bai Dai beach. It felt very remote and non touristic at all. The tide was very strong and we could not swim, but the views were worth the ride.

Hon Doi Moi Island from Bai Dai

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HANOI

We took a plane from HCMC to Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines. Price was US$120 (one way). The plane was a Boeing 757 in good condition and a meal was served.

Accommodation

The first hostel we tried in Hanoi was Mike’s (1 Hang Phen Street, Hoan Kiem Distrct, Hanoi 1000). The place was fine: clean, big rooms and in the heart of the backpackers area. But the staff  was surprisingly unfriendly and rude: once we had agreed the price and we were unpacking, they decided to give the room to someone else and we were kindly kicked out without an apology.

One of our friends was joining us that day and she had made the booking in advance at Mike’s. She had paid the deposit in advance online. The same person of the stuff that had kicked us out did not want to give her her money back till next day with no apparent excuse. At the end, the next day we had to leave early and she could not get her deposit back.

At the end we finally stayed at:

Hoang Thanh Hotel

21 Hang Phen, Hoan Kiem district         Tlf 84 4 923339   info@hoangthanhhotel.com     www.hoangthanhhotel.com

The hotel was really good, although a little bit more expensive, 30$ per night for a spacious and clean double room, with a good breakfast served in the roof terrace (very nice views). I’d definitely recommend it

Eating

The first night, as once we were done checking in and unpacking was already late (well after midnight), all the restaurants we saw were closed.  We decided to eat some pho and a beer from one of the street vendors sitting in a tiny bench in the street. The pho were very tasty and it was a different experience (25.000 VD each).

Using a japanese food guide my wife had brought we found a very interesting and highly recommended place for dinner:

Hoa Sua Training Restaurant       Ad:28 Ha Hoi St               Ph:04/942-4448         www.hoasuaschool.com

It is a cooking school were you can get sophisticated french-vietnamese cuisine for a very cheap price. The restaurant is in a gorgeous colonial house with a beautiful garden. The food was very good (amazing deserts) and really original recipes (a refreshing change in VN). Staff was very friendly. Prices were fantastic, we just paid around US$10 per person for a real feast. The restaurant is walking distance from Hanoi’s backpacker area.

Sightseeing

I found Hanoi much more interesting and authentic than HCMC. The Old Quarter with its colonial flavour and the scattered pagodas was perfect for a stroll. I followed the walking tour proposed in the Lonely Planet, starting at Hoan Kiem Lake, then the Old Quarter and after that wandered off to Hoam Kiem district and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

Some of the highlights were Ngoc Son Temple in Hoan Kiem Lake, One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature with its stone turtles and the atmospheric Old Quarter

Both in HCMC and Hanoi we saw often graffiti of names with phone numbers in almost any wall of the city. After asking we were told that they were contact details for mechanics who would show up on the spot and repair a flat tyre

All the entries about Vietnam

The first time I ever met someone who had been to Belize was in 1999. I was in Puerto Iguazú, on the Argentinian side of the border, visiting the legendary waterfalls. In an improvised travellers gathering around some beers, a chap from Belgium was telling us about his visit to Belize a few weeks earlier. As it was a place that I had never considered visiting or knew much about I asked him many questions.

He told us that it was a fairly complex place, it could be quite dodgy as it had replaced Panama (after Noriega’s fall) as a stop point for the Colombian cocaine on its way to the USA. There were narco related gangs of youngsters and the police was also in the business, closing roads so the small planes from Colombia, loaded with drugs, could refill and continue their way without being bothered. Funny enough, I bumped into him by chance in Buenos Aires tube, as a goodbye he said: “you have to go to Belize and get your own feeling of the country”. I thought that after the stories he had told me that was the last thing I had in mind but I assured him I eventually would.

In 2006, 7 years and a different life later, Belize was a real possibility. We were organising a trip to Guatemala and thanks to the amount of info in the internet I knew many more things about Belize as a destination: the Cayes, the second biggest reef barrier, crystal clear waters ideal for diving and snorkelling…so Belize felt like a perfect break from Guatemala and we decided to go.

If there is a border I have crossed that has a far west feeling to it and deserves an outlaw movie, it should be the one from Guatemala to Belize. Very disorganised, strange looking people with stacks of banknotes offering currency exchange, people who seemed to be crossing the border from one side to the other continuously…

When trying to enter Belize with the car, the border agent seemed not to like us that much (or at least me), so he asked me lots of questions with a very unfriendly face. At the end he let us pass after handwriting the car license plate in my passport. After the car was fumigated and with a brand new insurance for Belize purchased in the border we headed east trying to reach Belize City as early as possible, and from there to the cayes.

In 1961 a tropical storm badly damaged Belize City and the government decided to move the capital inlands. Thus Belmopan was born, and although it was finished around 1970 it took some time before it became the country’s fully functional new capital. When we drove pass it felt like a small quiet village rather than a capital.

Crossing the country from the West to the East took less than 2 hours. When we arrived at Belize City a big storm had just finished and the city did not look that well: flooded streets, scattered garbage, strong smells..and lots of people, mostly young, sitting in groups in the porches of the houses and looking as they were not that busy. We looked a bit lost in a crossroads and a guy (football jersey, baseball cap) came to ask “wassssup???”.

So we asked him if it was better to go to Caye Caulker or to Caye Ambergris, something we had been discussing from the start of the trip. With a really heavy and hard to understand accent he said: “kee caaa caaa, gotta go to kee caaa caaa”, what after some brainstorming we realised it was Caye Caulker. We also asked him where to leave the car and, pointing to the corner where his friends were, he said: “just there, it will be alright”. After exchanging a quick nod we said thankyou and decided to park the car somewhere else where we had a better chance of finding it when we were back. We finally parked it at the Radisson and on our way to the harbour we saw a few really beautiful wooden colonial houses that improved our first impression of the city.

The speed boat that took us to Caye Caulker was new and modern and in 45 minutes we were there. CK is a narrow strip of sand (8 x 1.5 Km) with palm tress, sand and a lagoon on the Caribbean side shore. The first impression we got was that is was a very quiet place, with just onelong  sandy street and with no big resorts or tall buildings, only bungalows and wooden houses. Felt much more like a tourists area than the continental part of the country.

As soon as we were dropped in the pier, an old guy with dreads told us that he could get us a nice and cheap place to stay. We did not mind that much one thing or the other we went with him and finally stayed at a basic but clean bungalow.

After having for dinner the CK speciality, lobster hamburger, we went around the different diving/snorkeling agencies in the main street. Both diving and snorkeling are the real deal in the cayes and the main reason for tourists to go there. The Belize Reef  Barrier is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, second biggest in the world to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

When we woke up very early the following day it was pouring rain and our hopes of a great day out were gone. We went to see Mario, the guide, to confirm that it would not be possible to go out in the boat and he replied: “in an hour we are leaving and bring sun screen, there will be no clouds and your back will be fried”. Needless to say he was right and in less than an hour the sun was shinning and there was no single cloud the rest of the day. It was my first experience with tropical weather.

Before leaving I needed to send an email, it was a bit late and I rushed to the internet cafe. The rasta grandpa stopped me looking distressed and told me: “what are you doing???”. I was really surprised and just explained to him that I needed to send an email. He replied: “in this island you don’t run or rush. Look at me, all I have to do today is going to the end of the street and come back”. They guy was my hero. Maybe I just did not see the sign:

To this day snorkeling in Belize is one of the best ones I have ever done. The water is, possibly, the most transparent and clear I have seen, it felt like looking through a immaculate glass. In the coral reef there were lots of multicoloured fishes, sting rays (they came as soon as they heard the engine of the guide boat, as he used to feed them), reef sharks, underwater plants…

But one of the best moments, if not the best, was in the lagoon in front of Caye Caulker, when a group of manatees passed below us, almost still in their calmness. Mario asked us not to bother them or try to touch them, apparently if they feel threatened they grab you, go down to the bottom and they don’t release you till you drown. Not sure if that was true or just a trick to scare us as I have never heard that again, no reason to doubt Mario though. In any case nobody tried to go any closer to the manatees.

The second day we stopped in Caye Ambergris, which capital, San Pedro, is supposed to be “la isla bonita” from Madonna’s song. It was much bigger and touristy than CK (but don’t imagine a Cancun in any case) so we felt we made the right decision staying in Caye Caulker.

After 3 intense days in which we were hardly out of the water and the only set back was that Fran could not go diving to the famous and amazing  Blue Hole, it was time to go back to Guatemala. The car was still were we had left it and as we did not want to cross the border too late or driving at night for too long I tried to rush to the border.

As usual, the more you want to rush the earlier you find a traffic jam. We bumped into a long line of cars and people walking, then we realised it was a funeral and they were following a hearse. So I went out of the line and tried to pass all of them when a policeman stopped us, and he was really pissed. He shouted that it was a lack of respect doing that and that we had to go back in the line to pay respects to the deceased… unless we wanted a big fine. Back to the queue. And as soon as the procession turned towards the cemetery we left the scene like Mr Wolf in Pulp Fiction.