Sept 25th Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi on Batik Air.

all packed and ready to go .....

BatikAir was on promo at only RM441 return ! A very good deal and on top of that, luggage allowance up to 20kg free. 

Arrive in Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.  After a brief efficient immigration check out, greeted by our pre arranged Hotel transport. 

Light showers , warm about 30C. 

About an hour drive through the bustling roads of Hanoi with thousands of bikes, bicycles , people everywhere , as in a typical city...finally reached our Hanoi Lakeview Premium Hotel.

Hanoi Lakeview Premium Hotel

comfortable, narrow hotel, good hot showers, strategically located 5 min walk from the famous touristy Hoem Kiem Lake and the Puppet Theatre.

Dropped our bags and head to the famous CAFE GIANG for our first taste of Vietnam...

The Cafe Giang is one of the most famous traditional coffee shops in Hanoi, located on the east side of the old quarters. Opened since 1946, the cafe was named after its founder Mr Nguyen Giang, a bartender at a colonial hotel in the French Quarters.

Tucked away in a small lane, this hidden gem draws endless lines of locals & tourists, to taste the original " ca phe trung or egg coffee "

To enjoy the strong and bitter French pressed Robusta coffee, both coffee makers and local coffee drinkers in Vietnam rely on a steady stream of sweetened condensed milk to balance it out  - the trick to make Vietnamese coffee today. What happens when the milk runs out ??? With a clever whisking in egg yolk, a much needed substitute for the diary product, the frothy cup of EGG COFFEE is created ...resembling a liquified tiramisu !!

EGG COFFEE

Walking to CAFE GIANG

found it 

 The coffee is brewed in a small cup with a filter before the addition of a well-whisked mixture of the egg yolk and other ingredients. The cup is placed in a bowl of hot water to keep its temperature. Before heading to Cafe Giang for the original egg coffee, note that the place has a bit of uncomfortable tables and super low chairs.... traditional little stools very close to the ground, which of course is part of the experience.

enjoying our first Vietnamese coffee at Giang Cafe

after sipping enjoying our first , with many comments of " too strong la, too sweet la,  etc etc ..." we moved on to the DINNER .... which turned out to be pretty good. However, on our way to the dinner restaurant, we were distracted by the many many shops selling all sorts .... from shoes to luggage bags to souveniers. Around Hoem Kiem Lake, thousands of shops for tourists and they all sell more or less the same things....

shops, shops, shops....

more more shops

at Hoem Kiem Lake

Located right in the center of the capital of Vietnam, Hoan Kiem Lake Hanoi is famous for tis peaceful beauty, its cultural as well as historical values.

Many beautiful words are used to describe the beauty of this lake such as picturesque, magnificent, dreamy, mysterious...its unique beauty attracts many tourists each year, Vietnamese as well as foreigners. 

However , we had a frightening experience on the very first hour in Hanoi !! Pick Pocket ! Lucky, our friend is super fast and alert...managed to shout out loud and scare the pick-pocket gang away! they work in pairs or three's. One to distract you by selling you souveniers and come very close to you , the other already had her hand in the bag! 

 It would be disastrous if we had lost our wallet on the very first day ! That would have just spoilt the whole trip. After that close-shaved incident, everyone carried their backpacks in front, literally hugging to it ...

NGOC SON TEMPLE 

Located in the center of the lake, you can easily find the NGOC SON TEMPLE. The name means " Temple of the Jade Mountain "

Built in the 18th Century, in the Jade island, it is dedicated to Trung hang Dao, a war hero who defeated 300,000 Mongolian soldiers invading Vietnam in the 13th Century. Inside the temple you can find altars, artifacts and the 250kg preserved specimen of the Giant Turtle. 

HUC BRIDGE

This bridge is a beautiful construction which was built to connect the Ngoc Son Temple and the lake bank. It was constructed by fine wood and stand out by its bright red color..The HUC bridge is a famous attraction in Hanoi, a symbol of the Buddhist architecture and well known as " the bridge where light is absorbed " 

TURTLE TOWER 

Turtle Tower is a significant landmark in the center of Hoan Kiem Lake. standing for almost 150 years, it used to be a resting place when the King went fishing and now the pride of the people of Hanoi.

OK everyone hungry ......head to BUN CHA 1....

Bun Cha is a traditional Vietnamese pork dish that is a speciality of Hanoi.  Seasoned pork patties and caramelised  pork belly slices are served in a broth along side Vietnamese soft rice noodles, fresh vegetables and a variety of local herbs. 

How to eat Bun Cha ?? 

The idea is to use the broth for dunking the noodles, vegetables and herbs. 

So you dunk your noodles, slurp your noodles, bite the juicy pork, try to cram in some herbs and vege.... and when you succeed, you get a mouth full of a bit of everything !

oh dont forget to squeeze some fresh juicy lime ....

And that is a big , fat mouthful that epitomises all that is great about Vietnamese food ! 

A perfect balance of fresh, savoury, sweet , herb, citrus (lime), tender noodles and the juicy caramelised pork !!! YESSSSSS !

OH MUST HAVE THE HANOI BEER TOO

This local restaurant known for its BUN CHA , recommended by our taxi driver.... turned out ok. the shop is small, narrow with multi level (probably 5 floors, we were seated on 3rd floor, so never manage to reach the top floor) .

more pictures in Hanoi....

shopping , checking out prices...

doing nothing...