Here are a few notes on northern Vietnam, namely Sapa (Lao Cai), Hanoi, & Halong Bay.
Halong Bay
We really enjoyed our 3day/2night tour of Halong Bay with Bai Tu Long Bay company. We wanted to get out of the well-known and therefore crowded Halong Bay, so we chose the less famous Bai Tu Long Bay area. Incidentally this meant, also traveling with Bai Tu Long Bay boat company on their ship called the White Dolphin. The first and third day we were a bit crowded in with other boats, but the second day we (the 4 of us) had the whole boat as well as the whole area to ourselves, which was very peaceful and relaxing. We were able to enjoy the scenery without feeling we were just one of many out see the same thing. Obviously tourism has taken off here and its possible to get away from other tourists, but not easy.
Our boat (White Dolphin) was very nice and the food was excellent. They even tried to cater to the non-fish eaters among us. The staff’s English was limited and they didn’t do a very good job of telling us the plan or preparing us for what was to come next. Nonetheless, we had an excellent tour of Bai Tu Long (Halong) Bay. Cost (3D/2N) including roundtrip transport and all meals (but not drinks): $195/person, which was rather on the expensive side, which I attribute to the deluxe boat.
Travel agent
ET Pumpkin
89 Ma May Street
04.926 0739 www.et-pumpkin.com
We booked both our Lao Cai - Hanoi return train tickets and our Halong Bay tour with ET Pumpkin and were overall very satisfied with their services. They were thoughtful and willing to help us with confirming other reservations and offering other services as necessary. They were also cheaper than some of the other places we looked at. They accept credit cards. Funny name, good company.
Hotels
Hanoi Holiday Hotel - Old Quarter, Hanoi - This place was a good value, with breakfast included and airport pickup for $10. The rooms were nice and well-cleaned. However, the water heater in the bathroom was so noisy that it woke me up throughout the night.
Phu Do Hotel
68 Hang Bo Steet, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
+84.04.3828 1324 www.phudohotel.com
This hotel was nicer and a little more deluxe than some of the others we stayed in, and the price reflected it, as it was about $10 more than the other hotels we stayed in. This was the only hotel we were at that had a bathroom that was properly designed and executed such that the entire bathroom wasn’t covered in water after taking a shower. That was a plus. The breakfast was mediocre. The staff was a bit awkward at times and didn’t seem to offer the best rates/deals or be completely honest with us. Their hotel car service was $15, more than the Holiday Hotel and more than ET-Pumpkin’s ($12) so we opted for Pumpkin.
Cat Cat Viet Hotel
046 Cat Cat Road - Sapa
020 871 946 www.catcathotel.com
Excellent Hotel! Stunning views from the terrace. Some of the most affordable and best food we found in Sapa. Friendly, helpful staff, including a Westerner. Able to organize tours to markets & villages as well as do laundry very affordably and pickup/drop-off from the train station in Lao Cai. The hotel sent a driver to pick us up at the train station and he was there waiting for us when we got off the train. Then when we arrived at the hotel, the hotel was expecting us (though the rooms weren’t ready). This was reassuring after the driver tried to charge us for the ride, but we insisted on being taken to the hotel first so we could check whether we were supposed to pay through the hotel or pay the driver (the hotel did in fact pay, then bill us with the rooms). This hotel is a little off the main strip but this makes for lower prices and a more relaxed enjoyment of Sapa.
Restaurants
Ladybird Restaurant
57 Hang Buom Street, Hanoi
84-4 926 1863
www.handintravel.com
I think this restaurant was all of our favorite restaurant during the trip. The food was flavorful, but not over powering. An excellent selection and some of the best prices we found on the trip.
Baguette & Chocolat
Hanoi - Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
84-4 243 1116
Sapa - Thac Bac Street
84-20 871 766 (I could never get this phone number to work; it said it had been changed)
hoasuaschoolsp@hn.vnn.vn
Baguette & Chocolat is run by the Hoa Sua School for disadvantaged youth. Their pastries were absolutely scrumptious, some of the best I’ve had in Asia. I highly recommend, particularly their Sapa location when the chocolate is pure indulgence after a long trek.
Taxis in Vietnam
In Vietnam, unlike in mainland China, its most of the time better to bargain for a taxi, assuming you know what a good rate is. Both of the times, that I got scammed in Vietnam were due to taxis. A good rule of thumb is to offer them about 30-40% of their starting price when bargaining. For example, a metered taxis from the Old Quarter to the Museum of Ethnology might run anywhere from 100,000VND to 210,000VND, but a bargained taxi should less than 70,000VND.
In Hanoi, there are a number of taxi companies some more reputable than others. It seems they can all set their own rates. Airport Taxi seems to be on the cheaper side, whereas Hanoi TourisTaxi was much more expensive per kilometer and the driver drove us around to run up the meter. (Although when we arrived we paid him less than 3/4 of the meter price). Anyway, be wary of taxis.
Other notes on Hanoi
The shopping is amazing! The chocolate croissants are so good. I highly recommend the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, especially if you’re visiting any of Vietnam’s minorities. Watch out for the traffic. In only 8 days in Vietnam, 3 times (three!) the mini-bus I was in hit a motor scooter. If you don’t get hit by monsoons, November has the perfect temperature for this region, but not really warm enough to go swimming in Halong Bay.
There’s lots to see and take in in Vietnam, including comparing and contrasting it to China and other Southeast Asian countries. Vietnam seems very up and coming, though its largely still less developed than China. Overall, I’d say Vietnam is a great place for travelers, particularly backpackers, as it very affordable and very interesting; however, don’t expect a high level of English and make sure you come prepared to bargain and keep a little wary of locals trying to take advantage of your tourism dollars.
While I think most people know China is all on one timezone. But a recent post on Wired mentioning both my home state (AZ) and my current country (China), necessitated a reposting. So here goes comparing Arizona’s and China’s timezone craziness.
Arizona is confused about daylight-saving
The state of Arizona doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time. But it is the law in the Navajo Nation, located in Arizona’s northeastern corner. The Hopi Nation—situated inside the Navajo Nation—follows the rest of the state and disregards DST. So if you drive the length of Route 264 during the summer, you might have to reset your watch three times.
[…]
All of China is on Beijing time
China spanned five time zones until 1949, when the entire country was synchronized to the same hour. So when dawn breaks in Beijing at 6:43 am, it’s also 6:43 am more than 2,000 miles west in Kashi, where the sun won’t rise for another two hours and 45 minutes.
I just finished reading the September/October 2007 issue (yes, I know I’m a little behind, but blame this one on my mom) of Probate & Property which had 3 extensive articles on Real Estate Law in China and the property market. The reason for the articles was the new Property Law of China that was enacted in March of 2007 and effective in October of 2007. The articles were much too detailed and in depth to discuss here, but the highlight, which many people already know, is that in China land may not be ‘owned.’
As the Communist Party, continuing to adhere to Marxist principles, the government owns the land. People can and do own the buildings on top of the land but they don’t own the land. The land is used for development under ‘land use rights.’ Land use rights last for between 40-70 years, depending on the type of development.
This explains to me why all the construction in China is so poor: there’s point in investing in quality construction when your lease term is only 40-70years. The construction only needs to last 40-70years, not a lifetime or even many generations like some of the great historical buildings we still admire today. Why spend the money on something that won’t be around for more than 50years, because you can cut corners and get it done for cheaper if you sacrifice quality. My apartment, according to my dad’s guess is 10-12 years-old, while in fact, its about 4 years. It just looks older due to number of factors, among which, shoddy construction, air pollution, and acid rain.
Sure this might sound like a sarcastic post (and it largely is) but have a look for yourself. Land ownership leads to stricter standards and higher quality construction than ‘land use rights.’
Apparently my previous post wasn’t lost to the mysteries of WordPress but rather to the prying eyes of the Middle Kingdom’s national internet spying feature. Nonetheless, very frustrating! Well, I’ve learned my lesson: use a VPN when reviewing or writing on my blog.
Despite mydoubtswhether Beijing would pull off a successful Olympics and the controversy over free press, human rights, the Opening Ceremony, and other issues, in my opinion, China hosted an amazing Olympics. The skies were blue, there were large tracks of greenery, the Olympic Green was very attractive, traffic was not a problem, the volunteers were helpful and spoke English, security was present (most of the time, until you hear my friend’s story) but not imposing, the city was clean (almost sterile), the new subway is sleek and modern, and people were friendly and helpful. Everything was very well done, with a few exceptions. Visitors who didn’t speak Chinese were still at a loss when trying to communicate with taxi drivers and average folk. The buses shuttling spectators between venues were overcrowded and no one knew how else to get between venues. But my biggest complaint is the re-sale ticket market. There were a few scalped tickets available but nothing to justify the many half (or more) empty events. Where were all the other tickets? Where were the tickets to the Water Cube? Nonetheless, those who know Beijing, I believe, were all similarly impressed with how well Beijing pulled off the Olympics.
Unfortunately, those changes were not lasting. Despite the fact that the Paralympics are currently going on, the skies have already greyed over, the pollution has returned, and the streets are jammed again. Some of the changes will remain, though: the renovated airport (now one of the largest in the world), the modern, extensive subway lines, the unique venues of the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest, and Beijingers pride in having hosted such an unrivaled Olympic games.
If you’re curious for more insight into China and reading the blogs of China-based expats isn’t enough for you, also check out NBC’s lessons in Chinese Culture 101. I can’t say I wholly agree with the portrayal, as many are far from complete and give only positive snippets of Chinese culture, but what makes them interesting is NBC’s take on Chinese culture.
I expect that with the upcoming election, China’s continued phenomenal growth, the 2010 Shanghai Expo, the 2010 Guangzhou Pan Asia games, and everything else, we’ll continue to hear a lot about and from China.
August 30, 2008 at 10:52 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Much like the Bird’s Nest, the Water Cube made a radical transformation from December of 2005 to August or 2008. While the Bird’s Nest has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Water Cube was perhaps the most beautiful venue of the Olympics.
December 2005
August 2008
Tags: Olympics, Beijing, #080808, Olympic Green, Water Cube
August 16, 2008 at 12:29 am · Filed under Uncategorized
The first time I came to Beijing was in December of 2005. At that time I had the privilege of visiting the Bird’s Nest, Watercube, and Opera House all while they were still under construction. Wow, has the city, particularly these notable landmarks changed in 2.5 years time. Below are some photos comparing the then (Dec/05) and now (Aug/08) of the Bird’s Nest.
December 2005
August 2008
Tags: Olympics, Beijing, #080808, Birds Nest, Olympic Green
Digg/USCfemme
Flickr/tofflerann
Facebook/Toffler
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Twitter/TofflerAnn
YouTube/USCfemme
italki.com/Toffler