Though considerably quieter and more reserved than its younger sibling to the South Saigon, Hanoi has managed to maintain a lot more of its original Vietnamese charm and character. What the capital might lack to her rival in terms of modern high rises, shopping and nightlife she makes up in a lovely and unique landscape of lakes, old temples, verdant parks, shaded boulevards and Indochinese colonial architecture.

While the proximity to Halong Bay and Sapa Valley are the main reasons most people initially pass through the capital, Hanoi remains one of the most fascinating cities of Vietnam that definitely shouldn’t be rushed through if you happen to be in the region. The best place to start any trip to Hanoi is by exploring on foot the confusing maze of narrow cobblestoned streets that make up the historic Old Quarter.

Having served as a center of commerce for close to a thousand years now this is your best bet to sample Hanoian life at its most authentic. Bustling with activity, the streets are lined with old buildings of colonial and pre-colonial architecture featuring the usual traditional businesses like cafés, restaurants, markets and shops stalls as well as a few tourist geared establishments such as travel agencies, souvenir shops, guest houses and art galleries.

One thing you’ll quickly notice as you wander the side alleys and back streets of the Old Quarter is just how easy it is to get lost in them as no streets seems to meet at 90 degrees but hey, that’s all part of the fun! The experience can get rough at times though, as being in the center of any major Vietnamese city this means it’s going to be noisy, polluted, choked with traffic and the non stop frenetic honking of motorbikes as they pass you by can quickly become overwhelming.

Also plan on learning to develop a new set of skills if you want survive crossing streets unscathed. From my personal experience, only in India did I remember it to be worst. So half a day at a time is the best way to approach the Old Quarter with a few stops along the way to unwind at a local café whenever needed. The good thing about Hanoi is a lot of the city’s the top attractions are found in relatively peaceful surroundings and Hoan Kiem Lake is a great example of that.

Located just next to the Old Quarter the locals consider this place to be the soul of the city and with its peaceful tree shaded walkways, the lake really feels like a like an oasis of calm in the middle of chaos. Once done with the center area of Hanoi it’s time move on and explore the multitude of other cultural and historical sights, parks and lakes around the city.

While there are over 600 temples and pagoda from which to chose from in Hanoi, The one you definitely don’t want to miss for it’s beautiful gardens and serene set of buildings is the Temple of Literature. Dedicated to Chinese philosopher Confucius the 1000 years old long and narrow temple complex is of the few remaining examples of well preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture.

The other main attractions are the War Museum, a good place to start off if you want to better comprehend Vietnam’s troubled history of war and revolution. Inside is featured a large collection of war photography with compelling descriptions of the events unfolding which are vivid, poignant and sometimes heartbreaking.

Outside is displayed an impressive collection of captured hardware from the American and French wars. You’ll find tanks, vehicles, aircrafts, artillery pieces and automatic weapons just to name a few among the various pieces of equipment found in front and in the back of the museum.

Then there’s the Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Vietnam’s holiest of holiest where you can catch a glimpse of Uncle Ho’s embalmed body. Just next door is the Ho Chi Minh Museum, dedicated to the man’s life and accomplishments. Interesting for those who would want to get more familiar with the most revered figure of Vietnam to this day.

A mere few meters away is One Pillar Pagoda which was originally built by Emperor Ly Thai Tong from 1028 to 1054 in honor of goddess Quan Am. Making a prayer here is said to bring good health and fertility. The other main sights that I didn’t have time to visit are the Botanical Gardens, Hoa Lo Prison (commonly known as the Hanoi Hilton), the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts, Quan Su Pagoda, and the Museum of Ethnology.

Concerning your stay in Hanoi I have a little tip if you want to sleep beyond 7 AM on any given morning. Book a room that is not facing the street. Why? Huge megaphones are strategically installed all over the city that bring the daily propaganda early in the morning between 6h45 and 7h15 in hour long news broadcasts repeating at various time throughout the day.

The volume that emits from these loudspeakers is so loud there’s no way you’ll be able sleep through them even with ear plugs on if you just happen to be near one… I swear if you’re close enough you won’t even be able to hear the traffic anymore!

Here the complete set of photos taken in Hanoi, Vietnam:

]]> http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/11/08/hanoi/feed/ 16 http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/08/29/cua-dai-beach/ http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/08/29/cua-dai-beach/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:38:50 +0000 Vincent http://vincentvanderveken.com/?p=1487

At only 5 KM from Hoi An, Cua Dai beach makes for the ideal day trip destination if you are ever looking to escape the heat and humidity for a few hours and fancy a little dip in the water at one of the most beautiful beaches of central Vietnam.

Fringed with palm trees, the 3KM long and 300 meters wide beach is nice enough to justify the short bicycle or motorbike ride from the city. The calm blue waters of the South China sea give a good view of the of the Cham Islands and their mountains in the background. Those looking for a little island getaway can arrange day tours of the Cham Islands easily through any of the travel agents in Hoi An. Prices vary from around 25 to 30 USD.

While the place is decent this can by no means be compared with Thailand and other renowned beach destinations of Southeast Asia. This said, Cua Dai is still well worth the short distance and makes for an interesting enough change of scenery from the city on a hot and sunny day.

Safe swimming is usually only possible between April and September, but it’s still a nice place to just hang out and enjoy some nice selection of fresh seafood with a few refreshing drinks all year long.

Here the complete set of photos taken in Cua Dai beach, Central Vietnam:

]]> http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/08/29/cua-dai-beach/feed/ 5 http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/08/21/the-ancient-town-of-hoi-an/ http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/08/21/the-ancient-town-of-hoi-an/#comments Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:54:30 +0000 Vincent http://vincentvanderveken.com/?p=1310

Looking for a place to relax a few days in between visiting Vietnam’s two biggest cities, Saigon and Hanoi, Hoi An ended up being just the ideal country town retreat I was looking for.

One of the few Vietnamese cities to have largely escaped the ravages of wars, Hoi an is a remarkably well preserved example of what a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Century looked like. While all serious shipping business has long been transferred to Da Nang, the silence that now prevails in the city is not the least of the charms.

Throughout the town, numerous congregation halls (picture below) can be visited. For centuries this is where the large Chinese expats community has been gathering to socialize and hold meetings. Each of them is named after the home region of their members, such as Hokien, Cantonese, Fujian etc.

At it’s core, the Old Town, whose streets are too narrow for the passage of modern vehicles were a much welcomed change from the rush hour traffic in Ho Chi Minh City..

Most of the buildings that have been restored or maintained close to their original form include assembly halls, private houses, bridges, family chapels, communal houses, temples and pagodas.

And wandering through Hoi An’s endless rows of ancient low roofed merchants houses covered in fading, pale yellow worn paint and decorated of silk lanterns makes for a very pleasant experience.

While the ancient town is free to visit and wander around If you want to go a bit further and enter inside the various types of historical sites you will need to purchase a 75,000 VND or 5$ ticket.

Hoi An is however definitely a tourist town and just about every business caters to it so expect no shortage of tailors, art boutiques, restaurants, bars, etc. On the upside things are relaxed and touts are much less aggressive than in other town of the tourist circuit.

All in all well worth the visit and if you need a little break from Hoi An there’s quite a few sights in the region you can easily visit like a trip to Marble Mountains or the My Son Sanctuary and if you need to cool down from the heat the Cua Dai Beach is only 4KM away.

Here is my complete set of pictures taken in Ancient town of Hoi An, Central Vietnam:

]]> http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/08/21/the-ancient-town-of-hoi-an/feed/ 1 http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/06/07/long-week-end-in-saigon/ http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/06/07/long-week-end-in-saigon/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:10:57 +0000 Vincent http://vincentvanderveken.com/?p=1216

Long before I ever set foot on the continent, Vietnam had always been the first Asian country to peek my interest through American soldiers depiction of life during the war. I remember always being eager to read the next volume of my monthly subscription to NAM: The Vietnam Experience book by Time Page and fascinated by all the great movies of the time such as The Deer Hunter, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon or Apocalypse Now. While Vietnam remains a Communist country on paper there is little sign of the political legacy of Uncle Ho that lives on in Saigon today. Yes, red flags are still flying off official buildings and you might pop into a few kids of the youth pioneers with red ties around their necks but Vietnam has definitely chosen the path of China’s market economy and capitalism is apparent everywhere. The only thing really left from the revolution is the one-party dictatorship…

Ho Chi Minh City, still commonly known as Saigon to its seven million and growing inhabitants is Vietnam’s largest and most exciting city. While the best way to explore it is on foot, things can prove to be challenging at times. First thing you’ll have to deal with is the boiling 38 °C+ heat and humidity that will make you quickly sweat like a pig by just walking a few blocks. Next comes the traffic, as there seems to be more motorbikes than grains of sand on the beach and the fact that they honk every 30 seconds makes it a very cacophonic experience. With very few cars and even less traffic rules it can be exhausting at times. But, once you do get the hang of it, wandering through Saigon’s streets and alleyways is a whole lot of fun soaking up the lively atmosphere and watching the locals go by their daily routine. There’s plenty of markets, pagodas, temples, churches and parks to discover and once your hungry no shortage of nice restaurants to savor the delights of Vietnamese cuisine on the cheap.

The South Vietnamese people themselves are a friendly bunch and besides the obvious touts of the tourist area of Pham Ngu Lao things are relaxed. I was lucky enough to be invited back a girl’s family’s home I met for some food where I spent most of my 2nd day living on a very local level. Though the language barrier can be a problem the younger generation is slowly catching up, a sharp contrast with 20 years ago when you could have been arrested for speaking English. Expecting little I was also surprised of the good range of nightlife in Saigon. Ok, this is no Manila but they have a few live music venues and the disco I happened to try out was still going on strong when I left around 2-3am. Grabbing a last beer or two with some food in the De Tham area wasn’t a problem neither at that time. I would definitely be happy to return and explore a bit more of Southern Vietnam. A bit of beach time in Nha Trang followed by the crossing the Mekong Delta into Cambodia sounds like an excellent idea for a future trip. But as always so little time and so much to do…

Photos of Saigon:

Owning a well deserved spot in 1994 on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, the beautiful and majestic scenery of Halong Bay is the main reason why people come to visit the north of Vietnam these days. So what better way I thought to make the short 170 KM trip away from Hanoi’s noise, traffic and pollution to end the Vietnamese portion of my trip. Although I had already experienced similar landscape of limestone islets in El Nido’s Bacuit Bay of the Philippines and on the Phi Phi islands in Thailand the sheer size and numbers of them found inside Halong Bay takes things to a whole new level. Watching some of these 3000 limestone islands sculpted into all kinds of bizarre shapes and sizes slowly going by from a junk definitely has a distinct charm of it’s own and doesn’t fail to impress. These rock formations slowly appeared millions of years old ago as they were pushed above water due to the movement of the earth’s crust. A real pleasure to the eye as well is to witness the daily lives of a community of around 1500 fishermen who reside in four floating villages among the bay. Like they have been doing for the last hundreds of years they still ply the waters for various species of fish and mollusks which in turn they resell on the mainland or to bigger boats.

If you are not pressed for time the best way to visit Halong Bay is on a 3 day, 2 night trip which include lots of sightseeing and various activities such kayaking, swimming, trekking, bike riding and cave visits. Keep in mind that with day trips you’ll be spending as much time traveling on a mini-bus than the cruise itself. The main problem with overnight cruises though is finding the right one… As of the hundreds of agencies that will sell you tours in Hanoi or elsewhere in the country almost none run their own boats. They act as resellers which makes it very hard to know what you’re actually going to get down the line once at the harbor. For a little word of advise on picking one read here.

Pictures of Halong Bay:

While Vietnam itself is fairly new to tourism don’t get your expectations too high in finding here one of those last undiscovered gem of Asia. Once at the port you’ll immediately notice the hundreds of boats awaiting to be assaulted by a never ending stream of tourists. Fortunately, the bay’s massive 1500 km² proportions partly make up for that.

Strategically located only half a day by bus from Bangkok, the little 6 by3 KM dagger shaped island of Ko Samet is known as the perfect Week-end escape route for Bangkokians, expats and tourists alike looking to chill out with friends and family for a few days. Pattaya? Definitely out of the question if you want some relaxation… Ko Chang? Too much distance to travel on such a short trip, so Ko Samet is just right. The island is mostly famous for its coastline made up of fourteen beautiful powdery white sandy beaches lapped by crystal clear waters. Not to forget the perfect all year long weather since statistically wise, it offers more days of sunshine than any other island of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Ko Samet’s east coast is by far the most popular among visitors since it has the vast majority of the island’s beaches, all the nightlife and most of the bars, restaurants and accommodations. The west coast features only a minuscule tucked away beach surrounded by a few expensive resorts. The north is the calmest of all with just a few guesthouses built along the rocky shoreline that you can notice as you approach the island by ferry. Be aware that as things get packed and while the nightlife is without any doubt fun on weekends and public holidays the rates can accordingly skyrocket by 60%. If you are lucky you might still be able to find some basics bungalows in high season at 500-600 baht but since this is on a 1st arrived, 1st served basis those are the ones who tend to go the fastest.

While Ko Samet probably can’t compare with places in the south such as Ko Phi Phi in pure beauty, I found the overall experience to be more pleasant and authentic.  The balance was just perfect and I didn’t feel like in some tourist ghetto surrounded by 85%+ of other Caucasians. I know some people have absolutely no problem with this but in my case you definitely need to be around Thais to feel like being on vacation in Thailand and not like some beach in Spain back in the Europe.

Since Ko Samet is part of the Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park  you will have to fork out an entry fee of 200 baht per person for foreigners and 40 baht for Thais.  One wonders where the money really is invested since like so many other Parks in the rest of Thailand the typical ban on buildings has been brushed off and you’ll find over 30 resorts operating here. Anyhow the good news is the Royal Forest Department actually very recently cut the price of entry in half from the outrageous 400 baht they used to charge. Who knows maybe they had a bad conscience…

Pictures of Koh Phi Phi

]]> http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/05/16/week-end-in-ko-samet/feed/ 3 http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/02/17/koh-phi-phi/ http://vincentvanderveken.com/2010/02/17/koh-phi-phi/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:29:59 +0000 Vincent http://vincentvanderveken.com/?p=894

After a day spent on Phuket’s Karon beach recovering from a substantial hangover due to four days of partying during the Thai New Year celebrations in Bangkok I headed early in the morning for the short boat journey to the Phi Phi (pronounced ‘pee pee’) islands. With just a few days left to spend in Thailand before moving onto Indonesia I definitely had to give a try at one of those mythical Thai tropical island of the Andaman coast so I decided to play it safe and choose the most talked about for it’s unparalleled natural beauty as a destination.

The two main islands of this protected marine reserve are uninhabited Koh Phi Phi Lei, the one that put firmly it on the mass tourism trail overnight when the movie “the Beach” with Leonardo Di Caprio was filmed on location and Koh Phi Phi Don, where the ferry will drop you off and the only one where accommodations and (over)development is authorized.

While the ferry slowly approached Koh Phi Phi Don the first impressions were all but disappointing as the first glimpses revealed long stretches of white sand beaches where vivid turquoise waters gave way to massive Limestone cliffs surrounded by miles of trackless forest on each side of the island. Immediately comparisons with El Nido in the Philippines came to mind as both share similarities. While Koh Phi Phi Don is set on a much more grandiose scale it lacks the variety and virgin state of the surrounding islands in the Bacuit Bay.

If it wasn’t for that thin and long strip of sand that make up the central and busiest portion of the island Phi Phi Don would actually be made up of two islands with the bays Ao Loh Dalum located north and Ao Loh Dalum south. The water itself at Ao Loh Dalum beach is almost impracticable due to the incessant flow of ferries and long tail boats coming and going leaving but Ao Loh Dalum really accessible for a swimming. But since 80 to 90% of the Phi Phi Don’s accommodations are around this central portion of the island in the Tonsai Village the place can get a bit claustrophobic and packed so you might want to escape a bit further down southwest to Had Yao or “Long Beach” which is considered the best with the softest and finest white sand.  Further North on the East coast as location gets more remote things calm down and become much more peaceful.

I definitely had a love-hate relationship with Koh Phi Phi and ultimately whether you like it or not will depends on your idea of what good times on an island in paradise is.  Being one of the prominent destinations on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail, expect to be surrounded by hundreds of other Caucasian foreigners (mostly in their early 20′s) enjoying the bars and all night parties as much as beaches and water-sports. While there still is a chance for you to get a moment alone on Phi Phi,  it’s not easy… This by all means is by Southeast Asian standards, as it’s still but a tiny fraction of what you’d get in the most sought after beach destinations in Europe.

Though on average expensive compared to the rest of Thailand it’s still much much cheaper than similar premier island destinations around the globe. Good luck finding a decent room on the French Riviera in or Hawaii for fifteen dollars a night.

Pictures of Koh Phi Phi

How to get to Phi Phi islands by boat

From Phuket:  A one way ticket will set you back 300 baht and the ferry leaves Phuket at 08h30, 13h30 & 14h30 taking just about  90 minutes. From Phi Phi back to Phuket the ferry leaves at 09h00 & 14h30.

Krabi: A one way ticket will set you back 300 baht and the ferry leaves Krabi at 10h00 & 15h00 taking just about  90 minutes. The port itself where the ferry leaves is around 5km from the town of Krabi so just arrange pickup with your hotel in Krabi. From Phi Phi back to Phuket the ferry leaves 08h00, 10h00 & 14:30.

Ao Nang: A one way ticket will set you back 350 baht and the ferry leaves Ao Nang at 09h00 taking an hour. From Phi Phi back to Phuket the ferry leaves at 15h30.

Ko Lanta:  A one way ticket will set you back 350 baht and the ferry leaves Phuket at 08h30 & 13h00 (only during high season) taking just about 90 minutes. From Phi Phi back to Phuket the ferry leaves at 11h30, 14h00 & 15h00.

The last portion of my trip took me to the southern part of the state of Goa. Having read a lot and then experienced first hand how grinding traveling in India can be at times the best antidote is to leave yourself some space for a short vacation within your vacation to unwind at the beach. For me this took place around the sleepy town of Palolem that is known for having one of the most beautiful beaches of India. Surrounded by mountains on each sides, the kilometer long crescent shaped beach gives way into the calm and idyllic Arabian sea which you can walk up into about a hundred of meters or more depending on the tide. Due to a ban on permanent development the beach is filled six months a year with an unbroken line made up of hundreds of temporary shacks offering the usual bamboo and palm leaf huts accommodations, restaurants and bars. Those in need of a bit more luxury or visiting out of season can find concrete air-con style guest houses a few streets back in town all year long. The mood is definitely laid back and those looking for a party atmosphere should skip Palolem and head up in North Goa as loud music is banned past 10 o’clock here. Though there is  somewhat of an alternative as on certain nights they open up silent discos parties where wireless headphones allow people that want to party into the wee hours of the night to do so while no one else is bothered. A good thing to mention is that the whole state of Goa has an unusually easy going attitude towards alcohol that you will find freely available everywhere and at cheap prices being that this is the only state in India to have tax-free beer.

Pictures of Palolem and the surrounding beaches of  Patnem, Agonda & Colomb :

While the beach was not too crowded and still felt largely unspoiled when I visited in November I am sure some might find it to be a different story in the high season of  December and January. Those looking for a more quiet and secluded getaway can walk down south from Palolem and find accomodations in Colomb and Patnem Beach or take a 10km Auto rickshaw ride to peaceful Agonda with it’s three-kilometer-long beach. I am sure that like countless others with a bit of a loose itinerary you’ll find it’s very easy to stay here for far longer than you  initially intended enjoying the lazy beach lifestyle.

A Sadhu priest more commonly knows as a Hindu holy man on the banks of the Ganges river.

After an initial short and uneventful stay in Delhi I was glad to arrive in Varanasi which happened to be the first destination to really triggered my interest in India. A place where you can experience first hand the magic of being in one of the most spiritual and colorful cities of India. Varanasi is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the holiest for Hindus. Pilgrims flock here from all over India and beyond to either wash away a lifetime of sins in the river Ganges, cremate their loved ones at the open air burning ghats or live out their final days. As it is said that anyone who dies in Varanasi attains instant enlightenment or “moksha” and is liberated from the cycle of reincarnation. I got to encounter just how important the city is to Hindus even before I arrived, as right next to me on the plane from Delhi was an elderly couple where the wife was caring for her terminally ill husband which didn’t seem to have much more than a few days to live and wished to go die there.

Varanasi is rather small and all it’s points of interest are within walking distance so all you really need to do is meander through the alleys of the old city and go on a stroll along the Ghats of the Ganges river and let yourself be absorbed by the experience. For those who might wonder ghats are a series of stone steps that lead down to the water which the city consists of an endless series of but before deciding to jump in for purification bath with the other average 60000 daily pilgrims, remember that on this same 7 KM stretch there are 30  sewers discharging heavy polluting into the river. While the World Health Organization suggests bathing water should have no more than 500 bacteria per 100mL; the Ganges has 1.5 million bacteria for the same quantity of water making it septic so think twice!

Pictures of Varanasi:

]]> http://vincentvanderveken.com/2009/12/08/varanasi/feed/ 4 http://vincentvanderveken.com/2009/11/30/old-delhi/ http://vincentvanderveken.com/2009/11/30/old-delhi/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:59:48 +0000 Vincent http://vincentvanderveken.com/?p=733

Like the bulk of the travelers coming to India, Delhi will most likely be the obligatory first and last stop of anyone’s journey across the country. The first Impressions of North Delhi you will get of India should be a brutal assault on the senses as you try to make your way through its noisy and frenetically jam-packed streets filled with rickshaws, hand pulled trolleys, scooters, trucks, etc. Add to this being pursued by a few limbless beggars and immediately besieged by touts trying to sell you just about anything from souvenirs, postcards, guide services, etc. The high levels of pollution and garbage, the non stop frenetic honking and you’ll stat to have an idea of just how chaotic it can feel.

The streets are lined with makeshift kitchens, myriad of bazaars, shoemakers, sidewalk dentists and all sorts of second-hand merchandise in this mixed but mainly Muslim part of town. Old Delhi served as the capital of Islamic India and was founded by Emperor Shah Jahan and remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of their dynasty in 1707. Most of the interesting sights of the Capital such as the Red Fort and Jama Masjid mosk relate this era though the food alone would make it worth the trip where unpretentious restaurants such as Karim’s have been rated by time magazine of the best of Asia.

Here are some pictures of the main sights of Old Delhi and around:

]]> http://vincentvanderveken.com/2009/11/30/old-delhi/feed/ 2