Hanoi trip 18-22 oct 2014 by Keng Yam Sim

On arrival

kopiOme — 2014-10-18 07:08:28 UTC

After a 3 hr flight we have arrived at Hanoi!

Lunch

kopiOme — 2014-10-18 07:16:21 UTC

Time to settle down for some food. ..

At the rice field

kopiOme — 2014-10-18 14:51:46 UTC

Vietnam is the world largest exporter of rice. Here we witness a harvest at a small holding. The harvest was done manually and this is certainly back breaking work.

Dinner time

kopiOme — 2014-10-18 15:17:12 UTC

After a 4 hr journey, we finally arrived at Halong Bay. Its time for dinner.

Good morning Halong

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 00:25:02 UTC

Woke up to a magnificent sunrise over Halong Bay.

Breakfast time

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 00:26:41 UTC

A simple yet delicious breakfast.

Cultural exchange at Hung Thang School

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 10:56:55 UTC

This morning we visited a local school for cultural exchange. We made many new friends and even put up an impromptu performance

Having fun interacting with our hosts

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 11:01:48 UTC

More activities with our hosts

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 11:06:14 UTC

We had great fun interacting with our new found friends. Some engaged in sports activities while others learn about singing and even hair braiding.

Cruise to Cat Ba island

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 11:30:52 UTC

After saying goodbye to our lovely hosts we embarked on a cruise to Cat Ba island. We had a sumptuous lunch on board the cruise!

Tien Cung Cave

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 11:32:48 UTC

Before we reached Cat Ba island, we made a stop at the Tien Cung cave. This is one of the largest limestone caves in Ha Long bay.

Tien Cung Cave

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 11:35:31 UTC

An amazing wonder of nature, Tien Cung cave spans an area of 3000 sqm.

Sunset at Cat Ba

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 12:00:46 UTC

After arriving at the hotel we managed to get some rest before proceeding for dinner. The sunset is as glorious as the sunrise!

Dinner at Cat Ba

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 12:02:17 UTC

One thing we have observed... We have not seen round tables at any of the restaurants we dined in.

Visit to night market

kopiOme — 2014-10-19 13:41:39 UTC

After dinner, we proceed to the night market near the hotel. Enjoyed a treat of ice cream before selling back to hotel for the nightly debrief cum reflection session.

Breakfast at Cat Ba island

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 11:53:59 UTC

Preparation for the ascent

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 11:56:56 UTC

We arrived at the Cat Ba national park for our trek up to Ngu Lam. Ngu Lam means a king's place in English.

Up we go

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 12:00:00 UTC

Thigh breaking journey up this limestone carst...where Geography comes to life!

The peak

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 12:01:32 UTC

If the ascent was tough, the descent was tougher!

Finally, lunch!

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 12:04:07 UTC

After a tiring morning, we finally break for

Kayaking at Cat Ba

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 12:32:33 UTC

Kayaking is one of the few ways to explore the limestone structures found in abundance in this part of Vietnam.

Kayaking at Cat Ba

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 12:36:37 UTC

We really enjoyed ourselves exploring the limestone structures on a kayak. After kayaking, it's time to hear back to Ha Long

Sunset over Cat Ba

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 12:38:39 UTC

We made it!

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 12:39:10 UTC

A well deserved dinner after a tiring day

kopiOme — 2014-10-20 14:43:19 UTC

Finally, we dine at a round table! According to our guide, Vietnamese restaurants use rectangular and square tables because land is expensive and square and rectangular tables make the most efficient use of the space. Round tables are typically found only in larger restaurants with more space.

Life around Ha Long city

kopiOme — 2014-10-21 01:26:07 UTC

kopiOme — 2014-10-21 01:27:00 UTC

After a good night's rest we wake up to a refreshing breakfast. Time to depart Ha Long city

Arrival at Hanoi for a sumptuous buffet lunch at Khai Brother's cafe

kopiOme — 2014-10-21 05:58:26 UTC

Visit to Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

kopiOme — 2014-10-21 17:53:54 UTC

After lunch, we proceeded to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to learn more about the 54 different ethnic groups which made up the Vietnamese population. We acquired a greater understanding about their language and culture.

Visit to Hoa Loa Prison Museum

kopiOme — 2014-10-21 17:57:40 UTC

We next proceed to visit the Hoa Loa Prison Museum. Hoa Loa Prison was once listed among the world's worst prisons to be in. Used at different times to house anti-French activists, political prisoners, American POWs, the prison museum provides a glimpse of the various important periods of Vietnamese history.

Street survey at old quarters

kopiOme — 2014-10-21 18:07:49 UTC

After the visits, it's time to hit to the streets to talk to the locals. In groups of 4-5, we proceeded to survey the local residents in the impact of tourism in the city of Hanoi. We are glad to be able to complete this challenging task with whatever little Vietnamese we learned. We then proceeded to do a land use survey across the street.

Dinner

kopiOme — 2014-10-21 18:12:27 UTC

After a hard day's work we settled down for a well deserved dinner before proceeding to check in to out hotel. Shopping awaits

Shopping around the old quarters

kopiOme — 2014-10-21 18:22:06 UTC

After a short rest we proceeded to check out the old quarters and do some shopping before proceeding back to the hotel for our last night in Vietnam.

Good morning Hanoi

kopiOme — 2014-10-22 02:02:18 UTC

Street life around the old quarters.

Breakfast at Anise hotel

kopiOme — 2014-10-22 02:15:03 UTC

Our last meal in Hanoi