Hanoi Travel Forum

This may have been asked and answered several times, but I still haven't found a clearer direction/instruction on how to cross overland from Hanoi to Luang Prabang. And some entries are quite old.

I am a female traveling alone in October. From Bangkok to Siam Reap to PP to Saigon to Hoi An to Hanoi to Luang Prabang to Vientiane to Chiang Mai and back to Bangkok. But with this route, the vaguest one was with the Hanoi and Luang Prabang route. Please, i need info on this one. Would really appreciate. Thanks! :)

My friends and I are spoilt for choice between a trip to

1. Perfume Pagoda,
2. a city tour,
3. Tam Coc (Inner Halong Bay),
4. Hanoi - Bich Dong Cave and
Thung Nang - Capital Hoa Lu,
5. Hanoi - Cuc Phuong National Park
6. Kenh Ga Hotspring - Phat Diem Cathedral.

We can pick two from the above. Any suggestions or recommendations (taking into account the heat in Hanoi at the moment)? Thanks.

Has anyone used ODC Travel Company for Hanoi day trips and Halong Bay boat trips? I would like to read reviews about them, whether they're a good operator to sign up with.

I would appreciate if anyone has other good local operators to recommend. Thanks.

C

Anyone has fashion boutique, tailor (for the local wear "ao dai") and restaurant recommendations for our holiday in Hanoi? Thanks.

Hello, fellow travellers! Does anyone know how I can get in touch with the Vietnam Airlines Airport Taxi company (preferably, a website or email address)? I had a situation with one of their drivers on my recent trip to Hanoi and my attempts to get to the bottom of things at their office in Hanoi were basically impossible, as I don't speak Vietnamese and they didn't speak English. I have also tried a Google search but have not been successful. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hi all,

I have look through the web and saw this hotel "Hello Vietnam Hotel Hanoi" the review was really good, however if anyone here have stayed here before, would like your feedback, or if you would recommend others (I am on a budget when it comes to hotels) thanks

Hi all,

I am planning a short 5 days trip to Hanoi before flying off to Bangkok, I am still doing my research of Hanoi, like where to stay, where to go, a must visit place, how to get around, do's and don'ts and etc, however I would like hear from some of you guys who have been there and done that to give some inside tips or advised. One things that I am looking for this trip is the Padi Rats delicacy in Hanoi which I really wanna try, however I can't seem to find that place, I have read some blog with video clips on it, it only mentioned 15km from Hanoi, anyway here can help me?

thanks

Hi we will be in Hanoi next week for 10 nights (we are getting real excited to) There seems to be a lot to buy for little girls for gifts but I am stumped as to what to buy for little boys ages 9 and 8 years old. Can anyone make any suggestions please. Thanks for your help
Tattugran

I would like to know the price for entrance ticket for puppet showing.
Do we need to book.?

Hi

we are visiting Hanoi for the first time and are very excited about a trip around Halong bay.

Could anyone please let us know of any reputable tour companies from personal experience and advise of good budget places to stay in Hanoi.
Thanks

I will be flying into Hanoi arriving ~10pm.
I will be then making a domestic connecting flight the following morning ~10am.

Any recommendation on hotels that will be convenient to make it between the airports?

My travel agent had many names come up, but neither of us recognized them and I must admit that I have not seen many reviews of any. Only one that comes up is Somerset Hoa Bigh. Open to suggestions.

If we were to travel to Hanoi and then go to Halong Bay for the overnight cruise, would it be feasible to bring our luggage along or is there a place where we can leave our left luggage?
I was also given to understand that we could either spend a night on a chinese junk( which I was told is more of a tourist trap than anything else) or in a hotel on Cat Ba Island- which would be the better option?
My concern is also that my husband suffers badly from seasickness so it may not be a good idea to spend a night on the boat but how's the sea there? is it rough?
appreciate some feedback here. thanks.

Hi,
Looking desperately for info on getting a chinese visa in Hanoi. Anybody have any recent experineced of obtaining a chinese visa in Hanoi (or Ho Chi Minh)
Is it possible? How long does it take? How much does it cost? Do I need proof of accommodation/onward travel
Thanks
Brian

My plan to Hanoi is in June, worry about communication in Hanoi. is english speaking common in Hanoi? can local people understand english or mandarin?
I'm worry I will be having communication problem while looking for tour information later.

Besides, I would like to have day tour to Halong bay and Ning Binh (Tam coc). Shall I book in advance or is it easy to get it done after arriving in Hanoi?

Total 4 of us, shall we go for private tour or SIC tour?

Hi,
Forgot to mention that we are Australian citizens in our question eralier on. Sorry about that.

My family and I are going to Malaysia for holiday next week. We might then plan (impromptu!) to go to Hanoi for 5 days. Wondering if anyone can tell me if we can and able to apply entry/visitor visa on arrival at the Hanoi airport? If possible, what do we documents do we need beside the our passports?

Thanks in advance in anticipation of anyone help.
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Hi,
My family and I are going to Malaysia for holiday. We might then plan (impromptu!) to go to Hanoi for 5 days. Wondering if anyone can tell me if we can and able to apply entry/visitor visa on arrival at the Hanoi airport? If possible, what do we documents do we need beside the our passports?

Thanks in advance in anticipation of anyone help.

Hi there,

I am going to visit to Hanoi in May with my kids, I only know a little information about Hanoi city. But I have no experiences when travel with kids. I found some agencies for my choice.
- http://odctravel.co.vn : 142 Hang Bac (cheap, good guide, interesting itinerary, but booking online - payment method, it's ok?)
-ivivu.com : expensive, good guides, but I dont know about their services
-southpacifictravel.com.vn : LyNamDe/Hanoi - funny, expensive, good services

I want the best choice for my fee and services. If you have booked with Odc travel or others, give m some experience.

Thanks alot!

Hi all

any one know of any good budget accomodation in Hanoi im staying over Xmas this year but want to book up early to be sure of good deals...

Also can anyone tell me how easy is internal travel in Vietnam ie, i want to get down to Ho Chi Minh city and tra nang etc etc are internal flights easy to book once you are there .. like thailand or is it best to book early?

Thanks

Cat x

Hi,

I'm french and my girlfriend and i are going to Hanoi from May to August. I was wondering if someone could help us finding an appartment/studio for a couple during that period ? Even if you have just an adress or a phone number... or a website with offers...

We tried to look on the net but it seems to be a bit expensive, what is the price we can expect for something for two persons near the center of Hanoi ?

Thank you for the help,
See you,

Kevin

Dear VT Friends,

I am quite new to Hanoi and have several questions.

1. Hanoi

- Where's the best restaurant where I can eat authentic Pho Ga?
- I need to buy crumpler bags, can you recommend a reliable store along Hoan Kiem?
-If you can share places of interests aside from those regular posted in the internet...

2. Siem Reap
I plan to visit Angkor Wat one of these days and I've been looking at Viet Air Hanoi-Siem but it does not register in the site.

- what is the most affordable way to go there given limited time (2days probably)
- Can you recommend affordable hostels in Siem Reap (clean and secure place)

I know I posted a lot but my thanks in advance to those who can offer advice. Many thanks and Cheers!

hi, any suggestion for the best time visit in Hanoi and Halong Bay?

I had booked a room at the Hanoi Guesthouse. However, they moved me to "Classic Hotel at 71 Hang Luc Street," supposedly 2 miles from the Hanoi Guest House. I tried to look it up on the net, but only found Classic 1 Hotel and Classic 2 Hotel of the Sunshine Hotel group with different addresses. If the Classic Hotel at 71 Hang Luc street is an all right hotel for $16/night, I'll keep the reservation. However, if it's not recommended, I'll take my chances and look for another hotel. Please advise. Thanks. -Hieu

I will be arriving by air to Ha Noi around 10 am Mar 25. Ha Noi Guesst House was recommended. What modes of transportation are available from the airport to the Guest House (and other hotels) and how much? I'm by myself with a carry-on bag. I would appreciate any other recommendations for a budget hotel/guest house ($10-20USD rate). Thanks. -Hieu

I'd like to post this topic and ask if anyone has had any experience with cooking classes in Hanoi?

Dear friends,

Can you please tell me if there are some low cost airlines between hong kong and Hanoi or Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh.

Thanx a lot!!!

Cheers,
Dusan

We will be arriving to Hanoi on Saturday on the overnight train from Nanning, China. Once there, how exactly would I get to Hanoi Guesthous? Is taxi the easiest way? How do I pronounce "Hanoi Guesthouse" in Vietnamese to the taxi driver? How much should I expect to pay from the train station to Hanoi Guesthouse? Is it easier/cheaper to take a bus? Thanks to all who can help.

I am seeking a reliable tour operator for my 10 days in Vietnam. I am budget traveler. Package tours are okay but I am fine with a more relaxed schedule.

We plan to visit Vietnam in May and will fly into Hanoi, continue to HCMC before heading home. We would appreciate any suggestions on the Hanoi leg as follows:

Day 1. Arrive Hanoi past noon, check into hotel with plenty of time to explore.
Day 2. Hanoi - full day.
Day 3. Hanoi - full day. Overnight train to Sapa (2D/3N).
Day 4. Sapa. Overnight in Sapa.
Day 5. Sapa.
Day 6. Hanoi - full day. Arrive around 6am.
Day 7. Halong Bay (2D/1N tour). Overnight in Halong Bay.
Day 8. Hanoi. Arrive back late afternoon.
Day 9. Morning flight to HCMC.

We have probably 3.5 days in Hanoi. Is the plan do-able? What will the 'must-see' that I'll be missing......with such short time in Hanoi.

Hi guys, I wasnt sure if I can apply visa on arrival for vietnam? Any indonesian experienced it before or shall I apply in advance?

I plan to travel cheap to vietnam- Hanoi, Lao Chai, Halong Bay probably 20th Feb for about a week. Any advise in-term of budget? Plan to spend around USD600 or less.

Thanks in advance.

Emie

Hello there,

I'll be traveling around Vietnam for 9 days this February and after that want to enter China overland via Nanning. Need information on the ff:

Can I get a Chinese visa from Hanoi? Can I go through a travel agency to get one or do I have to go to the Chinese Embassy?
How long does it take?
How much does it cost in US dollars?

Many many thanks!

angie villanueva