Hanoi Travel Forum

Will be visiting Hanoi soon with my wife. Appreciate info on the following;

1.0 Any recommnedation for a good, decent 3-star hotel in the Old Quarters' area, say around USD30+ per nite? Heard about a Phan Thai hotel here?

2.0 Recommendation for a Halong bay tour, stay overnite in one of the boats or take a day trip?

3.0 Any idea about those artists in the Old Quarters' area? How much does it costs for a portrait black / white or oil colour painting?

Thanks, jetschin

There are many hotels in Old Quarters but i have compared before and realised it is cheaper to engage a local tour operator because they have special rates with the hotels. Never heard of Phan Thai.

I have done the Halong Bay tour, but did not stay overnight. A friend of mine stayed overnight in a junk - but told me he didn't enjoy it. Thus I would recommend for a day trip.

On the last question - sorry could not help.

If you would like to have a proposed itenary for Hanoi, do have a look at my travel pages - and if you do need help to engage my previous tour operator, do let me know.

Mate, a day trip would be an utter waste of time. It simply takes too long to get there and back to Hanoi. You will notice that some visitors rave about Halong Bay, others say they were disappointed.
I believe you get what you pay for. We spent a bit more and booked on the Bhaya for 2 nights/3 days and it was fantastic. We could easily have stayed another night!
If you go budget, you have to expect rubbing shoulders with backpackers, basic fare, threadbare sleeping quarters etc. Do yourself a favour and go with one of the luxury cruises - for most people it is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Satyed at Majestic Salute in Old Quarter of Hanoi - hotel clean and tidy but rooms very small. Moved onto the Huyen Trang for two nights, only difference was rooms were huge but no lift which is ok because the porters carry your bags up and down the stair (glad it was them and not me) breakfast was basic but excellent and staff very helpful.
Definitely do at least an overnighter on Halong Bay, beware of the water in the esky. Even the small amount left in the rim of a beer can can make you sick (it did me)
We haggled with an artist for about 1 hour, left the shop three tinmes and she called us back three times. The price went from $80 US dollars for one down to $60 US plus 20,000 dong for two (I showed empty pockets and she finally said yes). So happy haggling and grab a bargain.