Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. Ninh Binh was my first destination after i completed my volunteering journey and started traveling from north to south of Vietnam. I took a bus from Giap Bat Station in Hanoi to Ninh Binh. It cost about $4.50 and takes about 2 hours. I didn't spend much time in Ninh Binh, it's just another city to me, instead, i immediately took a motorbike taxi to Tam Coc, which cost me about $2.50. I stayed at Tam Coc Homestay which has an amazing view of rice fields right outside the hostel. I wouldn't recommend it unless having nice scenery is all that you are looking for because i think the staffs working there are not honest (i paid a lot to get to phong nha from tam coc), and they are very pushy in trying to get you to eat dinner or book buses from them. It cost about $10 per night and i stayed 2 nights. There are plenty of things to do at Ninh Binh Area. Plenty of boat tours, which is what that area is famous for. There are Tam Coc Boat Tour, Trang An Boat Tour, and Van Long Boat Tour. I did the Trang An boat tour because it has plenty of caves there and it's cheaper than Tam Coc Boat Tour. But i heard from my local friend that Van Long is amazing. I did ride to Van Long in the end but i arrived too late to do a boat tour. The place is so beautiful and i heard that the boat tour will bring you around rice fields. You definitely should consider taking the boat tours at Van Long. On my first day, i simply rented a bicycle for $2.50 and rode around Tam Coc. It's a pretty nice place for cycling because the ground is flat. I rode pass Tam Coc boat tour area, which was pretty but touristy. I parked by bicycle and walked around that area. Saw some kids swimming, and some boatman sleeping. Felt extremely relax and peaceful. I visited the Bich Dong pagoda and adventurously tried climbing up the cliff. I must be out of my mind because it was freaking dangerous and challenging. Thank goodness i met two guys from France on the way up and they helped me a lot. I felt a sense of satisfaction when i was finally done with all the climbing. The view on top is worth the climb. There's also a massive bird valley at Tam Coc called Natural Thung Nham Bird Park. I heard that the best time to go there is around 4pm when all the birds are coming back home, it's beautiful. I didn't go for it because i didn't want to pay the entrance fee. Instead, i continued to cycle around exploring the area. I ended up spending my evening talking to a goatherd while walking his goats. He could speak mandarin and we had such an interesting conversation. I had a fantastic dinner at Duc Linh Restaurant. Tam Coc is famous for their goat meat and you got try it at that restaurant, it's delicious and the pricing is reasonable - $4. On my second day, i met a group of friends from the hostel. We rented two bikes and explored Trang An together. Motorbike rental was about $8 per bike and petrol was about $3 for full tank. We had such a fulfilling day together. We started our trip at Trang An Boat Tour ($10 entrance fee), which was nice. We were there during lunch time, so there weren't many people, which was fantastic! We then headed to Hoa Lu Ancient capital and spent some time walking around that area. Pretty nice. We ended our day at Mua Caves which has a stairs of about 400-500 steps up where you can see an amazing view of the rice terraces and Tam Coc landscape. Entrance fee $6. The view could have been better if the weather was nicer. It was drizzling when we were there. We spent our last day at the Cuc Phuong National Park, which in my opinion, wasn't worth the long hours of riding (~3hrs). You should only go if you have plenty of time, there's nothing spectacular to see. I would have gone to Van Long and do a boat tour there instead. Overall, Ninh Binh area is definitely worth going to! It's a place filled with nature and many wonders. Don't miss it!
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You can find the details of my Ha Giang Road Trip here. :)
Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. Check out my Ha Giang Road Trip video here. :) Ha Giang is one of the most spectacular place in Vietnam. I did a 4 days roundtrip with my god brother and it is definitely one of the highlights of my Vietnam trip. Though it is rather dangerous - small and slippery roads, big trucks, long hours of riding, I am so glad that we did it. To anyone who is deciding on a route trip in Vietnam, don't miss it out. We took an overnight sleeper bus from My Dinh Bus Station in Hanoi to Ha Giang and arrived at 4am. It cost about $13. You need not alight when you arrive at 4am, you can ask the driver for permission to sleep till 7am, instead of roaming around the empty streets. That's what we did, and we were so thankful for it. Bike RentalFrom the bus station, we took a cab to Johnny Nam Tran (Motorbikes): 181, Phòng Giáo dục Thành phố, Lâm Đồng, Trần Phú, tp. Hà Giang. Johnny speaks excellent english because he used to live in California. He gave us a map, recommended us the routes to take, places to stay, and things to beware of. The motorbike rental for 4 days is about $50. You can also check out www.qtmotorbikesandtours.com.vn for bike rental. A couple that we met during our trip rented their bike from them and they mentioned about how warm and friendly the owners are. The RouteDay 1: Ha Giang to Quan Ba (~4hrs). We decided to cover a short distance on our first day because we didn't sleep well on the bus. Johnny recommended us a homestay at Thon Nam Dam, Xe Quan Ba. Very nice family but they can't speak much english. The son of the family brought us for a walk around the village and also to swim in the river. We had such a great time that we decided to stay there again when we head back to Ha Giang. It cost us about $15 per person for the stay including very delicious dinner and breakfast. Day 2: Quan Ba to Yen Minh (~2hrs) -> Break -> Yen Minh to Dong Van (~3hrs) -> Lunch Break -> Dong Van to Lung Co (Vietnam's north pole) (~1hr) -> Back to Dong Van. We made a mistake here, we should have gone directly to the north pole first before heading to Dong Van. Do take note of it. It was a tiring day of long hours riding, but the view was absolutely amazing. You definitely have to go to the North Pole, the view from the top is the prettiest! Let me show you some pictures: It's best to be at Dong Van on weekends because there's a huge weekend market and i heard it's very interesting to see. It's a pity that we missed that. Day 3: Dong Van to Meo Vac (~1hr) -> Meo Van to Yen Minh (~3hrs) -> Lunch Break -> Yen Minh to Quan Ba (~2hrs). The route from Dong Van to Meo Vac is probably the most beautiful path in the North East Loop. The weather weren't that good the day we were there, but it was still stunning. We chose to cover more routes on our 3rd day because the weather forecast stated that it will rain on our last day. Day 4: Quan Ba to Ha Giang (~4hrs) Indeed it rained on our last day and it was so scary! We skidded and fell off our bike. I was in shocked for awhile. We were turning on a downslope and i lost control of the bike. Thankfully we only had minor cuts and bruises. We kept going despite the rain because we had to catch a bus back to Hanoi. So guys, please be extremely careful when riding. We arrived in Ha Giang ahead of time so we chilled at Cafe KM 0. The lady boss there speaks excellent english and she recommended us to go to a Waterfall near Hai Giang and even allowed us to shower at her bathroom! Such a kind lady! I'm sorry i forgot the name of the waterfall, you should ask around and try to go there. We had such a fun time swimming and the route there is pretty too! Overall, Ha Giang trip was such an adventure. I'm so glad that we did it and i'm thankful that my god brother came to visit me in Hanoi and was spontaneous enough to join me on this. It wouldn't have been that fun without him.
If you are keen on route trip, you should also check out Hai Van Pass! Amazing coastal view! A whole different experience from Ha Giang. Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. Though touristy, Sapa is so beautiful! I didn't do what most travelers did (trekking) in Sapa though. I stayed with a local friend and she brought me around on her bike. But a friend of mine recommended me a place for homestay - Zuzu (01675312817). $25USD for 2 days/1 night, $35 for 3 days/2 nights and $45 for 4 days/3 nights. Prices include everything - food, stay and trekking tour. My friend said the food is amazing and the family is very friendly.
There are many nice waterfalls in Sapa, so you should check it out. Now... let me spam some photos of this stunning place: Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. I went to Mai Chau (Ban Lac) at end April and the greenery of that place amazed me so much. I don't have much to recommend because the only thing i did was to walk around the rice fields as i wasn't feeling that well when i was there. I fell sick on my way there from Hanoi. I took a local bus by the way, to Hoa Binh from My Dinh Bus Station in Hanoi, and transferred to another bus at Hoa Binh to Mai Chau. Buses depart from Hanoi to Hoa Binh every 15mins and it cost about $7. There are also direct buses to Mai Chau at the following time slot: 06:00, 07:30, 14:00 and 14:30. I missed the direct bus, that's was why i had to go to Hoa Binh instead. I didn't pay for homestay because i met a wonderful lady who hosted me when i was there. She's an art school student from Hanoi and she was there with her 10 other classmates to work on an art project. We met on the bus. She noticed that i was sick and offered me to stay with her. I can't express how glad i am to have met her. She and her friends provided me with not just a place to stay, but also food and medicine. I had so much fun hanging out with them! How fortunate i am to meet kind people everywhere. Very grateful indeed. I strongly recommend you to visit Mai Chau in April and also to try the bamboo rice there, it's delicious!
Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. My most memorable experience in Vietnam was at Cat Ba Island. I was there for two weeks volunteering at Cat Ba Langur Hostel and i must say that it was one of the most joyful moments that i had. I remember clearly how i teared so badly when i saw my lady boss crying as i board the bus, about to leave the beautiful island. The couple that owns Cat Ba Langur Hostel is extremely kind and friendly and they treated me like family. They organised free english lessons for the teenagers in Cat Ba island, so besides helping out as a receptionist, i was also an english teacher at night. Though it was rather tiring, i find it extremely fulfilling. I usually get 2 days off per week and i get to borrow their motorbike to roam around the island. I was also entitled to hop on a boat tour for free. Not forgetting the delicious meals that i had there - spring rolls, pancakes, sweet potato fritters. I still drool about them at times. I highly recommend anyone who are looking to volunteer in Vietnam to consider Cat Ba Langur Hostel. Transport (Bus - Boat - Bus) from Hanoi to Cat Ba is about $14. I have lots of things to recommend about Cat Ba Island. One thing to note that you should avoid going there during May to July, though the weather is perfect then, it's usually flooded with locals and the hostel prices tend to cost double during that period.
My trip at Cat Ba was so awesome that i got myself into some sort of withdrawal syndrome after i left. I miss everyone that i met there and i truly wish that i will be able to go back there again one day.
Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. I had a different kind of experience in Ha Long Bay. I didn't go on a boat tour, which is what most travelers go there for. I was there with a local friend to visit his hometown at Ha Long City. It was a wonderful experience for me, that involves a lot of eating and drinking with his extremely warm and friendly family. One experience that i'll never forget. The local bus from Hanoi to Ha Long City cost about $6. Head to My Dinh bus station and ask around for buses to Ha Long. Board the bus and have a sit, the bus ticket officer will collect the money from you when the bus depart. If you ever go to Ha Long Bay, you should try to visit the local hometown area and go for a short 45mins hike up a mountain to see a the view of Ha Long Bay. It's amazing! I'm sorry i do not know the name of the mountain but it's a very popular place for the locals, so i'm sure you will be able to find it if you ask around. You should also visit the Local Market, i was so amazed by the variety of seafoods they have there. It also have great view of the bay! I ate so much seafood at Ha Long, it's so fresh and delicious! Simply irresistible. Overall, i am extremely thankful for the unique experience i had in Ha Long Bay, I didn't feel a need to go on a boat tour because I intended to go Cat Ba Island, and honestly, the view is pretty much the same. Ha Long Bay is where tourists go and Cat Ba is where the locals go for vacation. I also didn't like that boat tours in Ha Long Bay are mainly about drinking and partying. Very pleased about how my plans worked out. :)
Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam, I was in Hanoi for 6 weeks but i spent most of my time volunteering. There isn't any itinerary that i can share, but there are a couple of wonderful places that i enjoyed very much:
Lastly, do check out Teatalk Cafe and Bakery, the social enterprise cafe that I volunteered at for a month. It was established by a fellow Singaporean who I admire a lot. Watch the video below to find out more about their story: I recently came across a youtube channel called The School of Life. It has lots of summarise videos on topics like Philosophy and History. Pretty interesting! I encourage anyone who have the slight interest on these topics to check it out: I wish philosophy was taught in secondary school. We were taught about math, science, but how about the way of life? We are often taught to be obedient - this is the way it should be, just follow and you will not go wrong. But i've seen so many friends having quarter-life crisis, asking themselves what is the meaning of life? Chasing after "The Nothing". I wish school taught us to be more critical and how important it is to have a mind of our own. My Views:These are a few guidelines that I have set for myself on how I should lead my life:
So you know a little more about me now. Thanks! ;) Date: 18 March 2016 - 18 June 2016Cities that i've visited:
Total Expenditure: SGD$1927.50 Transport: $528.30 (including one-way air-ticket from Spore to Hanoi at $128, and $60 from HCM back to Spore. Tiger Airline, without check-in baggage). Yes i only brought 12kg worth of stuff. Insurance (MSIG): $250.90 3 months visa: $155. I when all the way to the vietnamese embassy in Singapore to apply for the visa, thinking that it will be cheaper than doing it online. Apparently it's not. Check this out: http://vietnamvisa.sg/ International Riding & Driving Licence: $24 You probably wont need this. Food: $416.80 Necessities (phone card, laundry services, shampoo and other groceries): $416.80 Accommodation: $208 Attractions: $163.50 Miscellaneous (gifts, books and other shopping items): $61 Cities that I did not visit but would love to go in future:
TOP SAVING TIPS:
Best HOSTELS that I've stayedGreat atmosphere with friendly staffs is the most important thing for me in deciding which hostel to go for. Here are a few hostels that i would highly recommend if you have the same opinion.
Must EAT Vietnamese FoodThere are plenty of delicious food in Vietnam! My top favourites are:
There are many other food that i would recommend you to try, especially when you are at Hue, Dan Nang and Hoi An, plenty of awesome local speciality. But there isn't a particular stall or restaurant that i can recommend you to, simply because I don't think it was the best you can find. Overall, traveling Vietnam is definitely one of the highlights in my life. Biking around, admiring the beauty of nature was my favourite activity there. I definitely recommend you to go Vietnam, and if you ever do, feel free to ask me anything. :)
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