Hanoi 5 Day Vacation - Day 4 Halong Bay Day Trip

 Day 3

24 June 2013 Day 4 Halong Bay Day Trip

Today, we woke up at 6.30 am and heard the rain splattering outside our windows. We are supposed to go for the Halong Bay day tour.

Checked the weather forecast and it was not good - that it will rain the whole day in Hanoi as well as Halong Bay.

Checked with the tour operation and were disappointed to learn that they have to cancel the tour given the weather conditions.

So we spent the whole morning in the hotel room reading and watching TV. Can't go out too far with fairly heavy rain outside. Also, many of the museums and places of interests are closed on Mondays.

The rain finally stopped around 1pm. We went out for lunch and also to get a refund for our Halong Bay tour. We can't postpone it as we are returning home tomorrow. over the last 3 days, all Halong Bay trips were cancelled because of the bad weather. No boats and cruises were allowed on the Bay because of the stormy conditions. Many tourists, including us, were disappointed.

Our friendly hotel staff told us that the best time to visit Hanoi and the other attractions is from September to January where there is less rain, much cooler and less humid. December and January are the busiest months when most of the European tourists arrive.

Looks like we need to come back to Hanoi again, this time for a 3day/2night Halong Bay tour. We were told that a 1-day Halong Bay tour is too rush - it takes 6 to 7 hours for a return trip there so there is really not much time to spend in Halong Bay itself.

We then went for lunch ...

Then with our stomachs full we were ready to explored the Old Quarters ( green area) on foot. It pays to have a good pair of shoes as the pavements or the lack of them and the even even surfaces may prove a challenge to walk at times.



The Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem lake, has the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. At the beginning of the 20th century the city of Hanoi consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter.

Each street then had merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops.

The Old Quarter’s narrow streets are packed with family-owned shops selling silks, stuffed toys, artwork, embroidery, food, coffee, watches, and silk ties. There are plenty of great bargains to be had in the Old Quarter: you simply need to haggle the price down.Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also.

Shop houses of Hanoi constructed in their long and narrow style to avoid being hit by high taxes.

Packed with charming colonial architecture, Buddhist temples and pagodas, the Old Quarter, located near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, is Hanoi’s major commercial district.

The preserved shop-houses that lie along these roads were built a little over a century ago. Each has a street-facing façade and multiple courtyards inside. The front part of the buildings is where trading takes place while the family occupies the rest.

One of Hanoi’s most common sights is that of streets packed with scooters, bicycles and cars swarming around pedestrians like a school of fish

Though most of the specialties (cotton, jewellery, herbs, and silk) have changed over time and have been replaced with a variety of modern-day commodities and services, visitors can still appreciate some of the original goods as well as get a feel of rich old Vietnamese customs.

Cleaners and sweepers trong the streets to keep them clean and as rubbish free as possible

A night market along Hang Dao and  Hang Luoc (near Đồng Xuân market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food.

After a short rest, we went to soak in the sights of Hoan Kiem Lake which is only 5 minutes away from the hotel. Hanoi tourists and locals alike head to Hoan Kiem Lake trying to find a place to get away from the noise of the city. The lake looks peaceful but certainly not quiet with all the traffic and honking from every other vehicle. Hoan Kiem Lake lake surrounds Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the centre on a small island.

Hoan Kiem lake means “lake of the returned sword”. The story behind the name is a legend. In 1418, the Vietnamese emperor Le Loi fought a war against the Chinese. It wasn’t going too well for him so when he walked by the lake one day, he saw a giant tutrtle coming out of the water with a magic sword in its mouth. He took the sword and eventually defeated the Chinese army with it. When he was having his victory parade at the shores of Hoan Kiem, the turtle appeared again and demanded the sword back. Before he could do anything, the sword flew away from his hands to the tortoise’s mouth. It disappeared in the water. The emperor had a temple built which can still be seen today.

The lake is one of the major scenic spots in Hanoi, Vietnam and serves as a focal point for its public life as it’s located right in the middle of the Old Quarter. It is a large lake surrounded by urban landscape, roads, businesses and walkways.

This lake is a central gathering place in the center of the city. People come here to socialize, to talk, to do business, and to relax.. As early as pre dawn on any given day hundreds of people are exercising and have already started they’re days here, you will see locals of all ages jogging and practicing tai chi. Later in the day, you will find grandparents wheeling kiddies in strollers, and young couples strolling around holding hands.

Hoan Kiem Lake wasn't Hanoi's biggest, or its deepest. It wasn't even the cleanest. But it represented the spiritual heart of the city. It was possible to stroll its circumference in less than thirty minutes.

Hanoi tourists and locals alike head to Hoan Kiem Lake when seeking a place to get away from the noise of the city.

Entrance to the Ngoc Son Temple was built in the 18th century in the centre of the lake

And many couples, both locals and tourists, enjoy the peace offered by the water and the foliage

Many come here to exercise, on one side is the tranquil lake while to the other is the horrific traffic noise and smog.

A place to assemble for fellowship, chat and make new friends.

Next we walked to Hanoi’s main Catholic cathedral, the St Joseph Cathedral. It is just a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake. Built in the early days of the colony at the expense of a revered pagoda that was demolished in the name of France's mission civilisatrice, St Joseph’s opened its doors to worshippers in 1886. Many of the buildings in and around the area were built in the service of the cathedral in the late 19th century.


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Hanoi Cathedral, also known as Saint Joseph's Cathedral, was inaugurated on Christmas Day 1886, two years after its construction. Its design is similar to the architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. 

The special thing is that space around Hanoi Cathedral is an ideal meeting place for local residents in Hanoi, especially youngsters, to get away from the bustle and noise of the city.

Saint Joseph Cathedral, located at 40 Nha Chung street, Hanoi, is a Roman Catholic cathedral with neo- gothic style, which was built about 120 years ago