Job Discussion Forums

[chopstix]

Hi all. I am travelling alone to Hanoi at the end of December and am wanting some info from those in the know. I would like to stay in the 'Old Quarters' part of Hanoi where the markets are and apparently decent clubs. Could anyone suggest a hotel in the area that is reasonable/clean? I am also interested in some day trips in the area? Any info woud be appreciated.

[jestert79]

Well, at the end of my contract in Hanoi I moved out of my flat and into a hotel called "Rising Dragon Hotel." It was pretty nice for Vietnam, with free breakfast, nice rooms, and a very central location. This also means, though, that it's a bit expensive for Vietnam at $25/night. Here's the website if you're interested:

http://www.asiarooms.com/vietnam/hanoi/rising_dragon.html

A few day trips from Hanoi...

The Perfume Pagoda (chua huong): bus trip + boat trip + long hike (or cable car) takes you to a pagoda inside a cave. It was alright, not incredible.

Ha Long Bay: Well, a bit more than a day trip - most people book a tour that includes sleeping on a boat in the bay.

Tam Coc/Hoa Lu: About 2 hrs away, similar to Ha Long Bay with the rocky terrain and water, except you get rowed through in a smaller boat.

There are also a lot of craft villages, but that's not really my thing so I didn't research it much.

I'd recommend shopping around a bit - sometimes hotels will tack on an extra charge to tours. When I went to the perfume pagoda, the other couple asked us how much we paid, and it turned out we had paid $17 and they had paid $25 for the same trip.