| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Transport | Minibus and junk |
| Cost | $34 per person |
| Blog | 22nd Jan - Ha Long Bay |
| Gallery | Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay |
The journey
Hanoi traffic is absolutely manic with scooters. If you're on a bike, go slowly, move deliberately and have faith. Keep your wits about you but it looks worse than it is. It doesn't help to look behind - just react to what happens in front. Ignore the beeps from other traffic, it's just to make you aware.The entrance and bike park for the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is on the east side of the complex. Don't pay strangers who offer to lock your bike up to a bus stop! Parking costs Ð1000 per bike, entry is free (we found later) but the brochures cost Ð4000 - we paid Ð4000 each, only took one brochure and returned it afterwards.
If you're waiting for a train in Hanoi, Kinh Do café on 252 Cua Nam near the station is very cheap and does excellent food. Train information is very difficult to get at Hanoi station, especially at the Information desk. In the main concourse ticket office you can buy passenger tickets in advance. In the baggage office (south of the main building) you can buy bike tickets on the day of travel. Carriage fee is Ð4000 per bike then a varying fee for the journey. The southbound trains you can take bikes on are TN1 and TN3.
The excellent Baguette & Chocolate is at 11 Cha Ca Street, Hoan Kiem District. Highly recommended! There is a cluster of bike shops on Bá Triêu, about three blocks south of Hoan Kiem lake. We had our bikes cleaned and serviced by Duy Khang, 53 Bá Triêu, Tel: 8227 538. It cost Ð80,000 per bike and took three hours for both. They were very clean but needed some adjustment and re-oiling afterwards.
Cat Ba Island and Halong Bay
We paid $34 per person at Sinh Café, 65 Hang Bac, Hanoi for our Halong bay package. It included a night on the boat, a hotel on Cat Ba, all meals (which were very decent, varied and plentiful including vegetarian dishes), admission to the cave, kayaking and a guided trek on Cat Ba. As an extra, we got a free accommodation in Hanoi for the night we returned.
It's a 3.5hr bus journey to Halong City, with a halfway break at a toilet/snack/souvenir stop. It doesn't matter which travel agency you book with, all buses end up going the same route and stopping at the same place. There's a bike lane separated from the road by a crash barrier along the highway out of Hanoi towards Halong City. Our tour consisted of 26 people on the boat for the day then 14 overnight on the junk. Drinks were extra (Ð5000 for tea, Ð15000 for beer). The junk sold snacks and when we stopped, women in small rowing boats sold fruit and other snacks. We visited an impressive cave which we got off the boat to walk through and spent 45mins in kayaks. The bedroom on the junk was very comfortable: double bed, bathroom with very hot water. The power (including lights and shower) turned off at 10pm.
On Cat Ba island we trekked to the top of a hill - a very steep 2km each way which turned into a scramble at the end. It was surprisingly hard work for such a short walk. In the afternoon we were free to explore theCat Co beaches, although it started drizzling.
On the way back to Halong City we stopped and had the option to take a boat trip to a cave for Ð30,000 per person. The boat was overcrowding and the "cave" was very underwhelming - it's definitely not worth the money. The bus back to Hanoi stopped at the same toilet/snack/souvenir stop and arrived at 4pm.
The rooms
F Hotel (Family Hotel)Hanoi
$8 for double room, bathroom with hot water, TV with movies, free breakfast (baguette with jam and butter, hot drink) and internet.
Reasonable standard room. There were only about 6 rooms in the hostel; our room was on the 3rd floor which was quieter than street level. They let our room the next day rather than wait to see if we wanted to stay another night, because we didn't book a tour with them. We saw several customers complaining at the F Hotel about problems with tours or promised rooms. Our bikes lived outside during the day and were brought in at night.
Camellia Hotel 5
http://www.camellia-hotels.com
81 Thuoc Bac Str, Hanoi
Tel : (84 4) 828 2376- 828 3128
$12 for double room, bathroom with hot water and bathtub, TV with movies, internet and breakfast (a choice of baguettes and eggs with hot drink and banana).
Big clean room and good service. Window onto internal courtyard which was very quiet. The bikes lived inside at the back of the hotel.
Giang Son Hotel
Cat Ba Town, Cat Ba Island
Part of Halong Bay package. Triple room, bathroom with hot water, TV with movies.
Good standard. Long climb up to the 5th floor but the balcony had great views.
AZ Queen hotel
Hang Bac, Hanoi
Part of Halong Bay package. Double room, bathroom with hot water and bath, TV with movies but bad reception, balcony.
Window was very draughty and didn't keep out any noise. The hotel looked after our bikes while we were in Halong Bay - they lived outside during the day and were brought in at night. The bike lock key was bent and the brakes needed adjusting when we got back. It's better to leave them somewhere they aren't moved.