Visiting the Countries in South East Asia had been in my wish-list for some years; Myanmar and Siam Reap happened a while ago; so Vietnam was a predictable choice while deciding for a summer holiday. The rich lineage of Indian History being the reason, Danag was the highlight of the seven days itinerary; Hanoi and Halong Bay were fitted in for their popularity among tourists. We took an early morning flight to Hanoi, in order to utilise the full day; our two nights Halong Bay Cruise was scheduled for the next day itself. The journey was seamless with hardly 1hr 35 minutes of flying time; the hotel car arrived on time to pick us up at the most orderly and clean airport. The weather was very pleasant even in end of April and a respite from sultry Bangkok summer.
We stayed in Old Quarter of the city which basically had been the French residence during the colonised days. The place was a heritage district with symmetrical alleys full of French architecture, scenic parks and a lake breathtakingly beautiful. The grand official buildings of the old era were now converted into Museums, Corporate offices, Police station etc.; the Opera house stood by its past glory still serving the purpose though. The boulevard around the Opera House somehow reminded of the Champs -Elysees of Paris, probably because of its planning. After an early check in that was graciously facilitated by our boutique hotel, we headed for the National Museum of history that primarily housed the remnants of the revolution against French occupation and the Archaeological Museum that housed artefacts of Champ Kingdom (termed as Champa Desha ancient by Indian sailors). The numerous coffee shops with low height stools and rich aroma indicated towards the affinity of the locals for the caffeine drink that surely were induced by the French Occupants.
 |
| The Archaeological Museum |
 |
| Hanoi market |
While
making our way towards the Museums on foot, we had to ask for guidance at
roadside; people were friendly, but language became a barrier for any help. One
rickshaw puller came to our rescue with his broken English that finally led us to
our destination. He followed us till the Museum and offered a city tour in his
rickshaw, we politely refused. We finished our visit in no less than one and
half hours and then started strolling towards the City Centre. In front of the
Opera House, the same guy came to our help; this time offering to click picture
of both of us together. We gave in and decided to take the ride of half an hour
in 2.5 Lac Dang (roughly 750 INR), our most expensive rickshaw ride ever. I was
a bit cross with my husband for not bargaining too hard, ‘consider this as a
reward for his perseverance’ was his response.
 |
| The Opera House |
 |
| The boulevard |
 |
| The Rickshaw ride |
Next
day sharp at 7.30 in the morning we were picked up from our hotel by the Cruise
Company (Paradise Elegance) vehicle. It took three hours to reach Halong Bay
that included a stopover at an elaborate Handicraft shop that offered good
stuff in reasonable price. After light refreshment at their Bayside Hotel, we
were taken towards our Junk; with previous experience in an Ocean Liner in
Singapore Cruise, I found the ship quite small, though pretty. Surprise came as
we boarded; an enormous reception with showering of rose petals, cool drink,
wet towel to a welcome dance by the staff absolutely stole my heart. Our
surprise wasn’t over I realised as we entered our suite (this luxury cruise offered
suite with private balcony for all boarders), it could easily put to shame a
specious luxury hotel room. From my previous cruise experience (despite staying
in a superior cabin), I expected a much smaller set up, especially the Toilet,
I was awestruck. It was a three storey ship with 1st two floors for
boarding, top floor for restaurant and the Deck top elaborately equipped for
Sun bathing and Sun down drink. The elaborate spread at breakfast and lunch and
the personalised four course dinners that were served every night surpassed my imagination
in terms of quality and variety. The beauty of the Bay that we enjoyed in the
course, I would rather express through few snapshots than my limited words.
 |
| view from hilltop |
 |
| At night |
After
the cruise, we came back to Hanoi and stayed in the same hotel for one more
night. We spent that evening in Vietnamese Spa (they will soon be a competition
to Thailand for sure), took dinner at a Lakeside restaurant and watched a water
puppet show that was simply astounding.
 |
| Hanoi at night |
 |
| The Lake |
 |
| The water puppet show |
 |
| Coffee culture |
Next
day morning we flew to Danag, an hour of domestic flying with amazing view of a
long coast and lush mountain valley while landing, made the journey memorable. In
Danag we decided to stay by the Sea in the New city as it would be near to the
Danag National Museum and also nearer to My Son, the UNESCO site for ancient
Champ Kingdom. For the travellers not so interested in ruins, the ancient port
city named ‘Hoi An’ could be a good option and a different experience
altogether.
The
beach was long and pristine, encircling the entire city coast and absolutely a
visual treat. We were really enthralled even being exposed to the exotic
beaches of Thailand. Sitting at any of the beachside restaurants with a Sundown
drink could be a cherished experience for holidaymakers.
 |
| Danang beach |
 |
| Sunrise |
The
City was newly built and world class in terms of smart planning and good
maintenance; the riverside boulevard and the area around were interesting to
stroll around. Vietnam in general was a great place for shopping, especially
handicrafts, clothes and shoes, Danag had specific market for these domestic
products.
 |
| The bouleavard |
 |
| Fennel soaked chilled water complementary |
 |
| The Dragon bridge |
The
Danang National Museum housed amazing collection of remnants from the My Son
ruins which was both intriguing as well as explanatory.
 |
| My Son artefacts |
Next
day we took the flight back home, saying goodbye to Vietnam only for this time;
as in our mind we both were nurturing the idea of a future trip, may be to
explore the other coastal areas of the beautiful and friendly nation.
All photographs of this blog are personal property of Mr. Dilip Pal. Copyright (c)dilippal 2018
Copyright (c)ananyapal2018 ALL RIGHT RESERVED
