Northern Vietnam in 4 ½ days

From the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, peace and serenity on the water of Ha long  to the beauty of Sapa…. our trip to Northern Vietnam in 4 ½ days

To see Vietnam in 4 and ½ days, our plan was to only visit the northern part which included half a day in Hanoi, followed by a two-day cruise in Ha Long Bay and two days in Sapa with Indochina Junk “Sapa and sea” package.

Hanoi

Our trip started in Hanoi where we spent one evening at the Impressive boutique hotel.

Their location was perfect,  walking distance to some beautiful sights and a small restaurant called Little Hanoi that was recommended by a friend, where you make your own spring rolls. Not all of our spring rolls came out looking too great but still tasted good.

Hanoi is busy, scooters everywhere and so many of them too, trying to cross the road was something I quickly had to learn. Wow!

The following morning we had to check out early for our trip to Halong Bay,  so the hotel arranged that we have breakfast in our room on our little balcony overlooking the St Joseph Cathedral. How cool is that,  it had a certain charm to it, romantic in a sense.

So here it is a little bit about me,  I’m good at misplacing things (even when I place it somewhere safe I at times forget where that is too). So this trip was not without its drama from me.   Silly me, about 30 min into the drive to Halong Bay I realised I left my ring in our hotel room,  oh my word seriously, now I only remember. Ugh. I almost went into a panic but our guide to Halong helped by phoning the hotel.  They will look and get back to us. Okay, breath.   Not long after they called back,  they found it! and will be keeping it until our return to Hanoi before our flight back. Impressive,  thank you!

Ha Long Bay cruise

Okay, we arrived in Halong Bay after a 3-4 hour drive (and my bit of drama).  Our retreat for the next 2 days would be on the new Dragon legend. Although it was overcast and we never really saw the sun it was truly peaceful and serene, with no other boats in sight, except a few fishermen.

We were told according to legend a mother dragon and her children where send down to help protect Vietnam from invaders, she spat out jewels which formed the islands and islets of Halong bay creating a wall keeping the invaders out.

Exploring and kayaking around some islands

Being on the junk was quite relaxing,  no city sounds, view of ocean and islands as far as you can see.  We had some opportunities to explore off the junk, the first was the afternoon, where you can either explore by kayak or go in a smaller boat around the islands. The other was the following morning when we went out with the smaller boat to a beach on Hon Co Island, from where we could explore Thien Canh Son Cave and kayak around to explore more. Nerve-racking for me but I really enjoyed it at the end (I have this thing with being in a small boat out on the open water,  I want to see what is below me! I was also the kid that had this thing with pools,  my imagination and the shark that I imagined in the pool haha).

For those who know me, I’m not to good with doing water-related activities, but this was worth it (and I will do it again).

 

 

Overnight train to Sapa

Slowly climbing up from Hanoi to Lao Cai, the King Express train was a real treat, with the world passing by slowly. Spending the evening reading and playing board games,  no technology. Comfortable and clean, we took with snacks and enjoyed the coffee when the coffee trolley came along before ‘bedtime’ and early morning to wake us just before arriving in Lao Cai.

Sapa

As I used the same tour company throughout our trip, they had our guide for the next two days pick us up from the train station, what a scenic drive up to Sapa as the road winds through the mountains, such a beautiful sunrise. We came during the dry season but it still was so beautiful and green, I can just imagine what it will look like after the rain.

Tour around Sapa

Over the next two days spent in Sapa we did quite a bit of exploring with our guide, starting from Cat cat village, to Y Linh Ho village home to the Black Hmong people, then through beautiful scenic nature paths, that led us to a beautiful waterfall on day one.

We also did a longer trek on the second day through more villages learning about everyday life in Sapa starting at Lao Chai onto rice fields, from there we set off to Ta Van where we enjoyed lunch at a local house. After lunch, we walked to  Giang Ta Chai. On this trek we were accompanied by a few ladies for some part of the day, telling us their stories and just chatting.

From fibre to embellishment

Being within the fashion industry myself, one of my favourite parts of the tour was seeing and experiencing how the Black Hmong clothes are made. It is true eco-friendly slow-fashion and handicraft methods. From fibre to embellishment, all are grown and produced by them around the area.

 After they harvest the fibres are dried out under the sun and then tear it into thin long pieces which they then join and spin together. The threads are then woven on a weaving loom.

The fabric colour at this point is still the natural colour, the next step they will either add batik patterns with beeswax for decoration or colour it as a solid piece. The dye they use is an all natural dye method using indigo dye-plant base, the dark blue colour comes from the indigo leaves which they soaked in water within a massive barrel for a few days (somehow I managed to get a drop on my shirt when I look inside). When the dye is ready, meaning the correct shade of indigo, they will add the fabric for some time, remove and wash it. If they are not happy with the colour they will do this process again and again, until the perfect colour.

Lastly, the embellishment details are added with detailed cross stitch and embroidery, the time that goes into each piece makes it true art pieces for me. The clothing is really beautiful!!

Nothing goes to waste either as they up-cycle as well, recycling their old clothing into souvenirs. I spotted a few ladies sitting at the market and around town busy with detailed embroidery and stiching pieces together.

Back to Hanoi

The evening we took that same beautiful drive down to the train station and again spent a night on the overnight train. Arriving back in Hanoi at 5 am we enjoyed our last Vietnamese coffee (oh and I collected my ring from the hotel, thank you!)

What made this trip even more special for us was that we experienced Easter in Vietnam, both on Good Friday in Sapa and on Easter Sunday in Hanoi, how blessed.

This was St Joseph on the Wednesday before Easter and on Sunday morning.

Would have loved to have stayed longer but at least we saw all we wanted too, hope to come to visit again.

Ps…best Coffee EVERYWHERE!!!

Our travel plan:

• Where we stayed: Impressive hotel Hanoi
• Tour company/package used: Indochina- “Sapa & sea” package
• Interesting finds/souvenirs: local handicrafts and coffee

*Disclosure: This post has been republished as the site has been down and under ‘construction’  & this trip we did in 2015