Exploring Hanoi: Part 2

Ha Long Bay - it means descending dragon!

Experience
adj. an event or occurrence which leaves an impression on someone



Following up from my last post Here is the second and last part of my trip to Hanoi :(

First Stop - the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum when we went it was late in the afternoon so we didn't get to go inside the memorial but the outside was pretty cool, kinda calm and the garden outside is very neat! There's also a Ho Chi Minh Museum nearby as well as a Science museum. Be sure to check the opening hours on all these because they don't open every day and I think the Mausoleum only opens from 9am-11am!

Next stop - The Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, its something we didn't expect to see in Hanoi but its there and its cool. Reserve at least 2 hours for it because its quite big and definitely don't go an hour before it closes (like we did) because you'll be quite rushed and won't get to see everything which is a big shame :( But everything was so nicely made and preserved it's totally worth a visit. It's also walking distance from the Mausoleum if my memory's correct.

 Then quite a long distance away, theres the West Lake where Tay Ho Pagoda is. This place did not have many visitors, it was mainly locals going to the temple. But there is a water park nearby as well as many hotels like Intercontinental. The lake itself if huuuuge. It would look spectacular on a clear day! It's quite a nice walk around the lake and its incredibly peaceful and quiet which is rare for the busy streets of Hanoi!

Temple next to West Lake

And last but not least, we went to Ha long Bay. It took a 3 hour car ride to get to the harbour and once you get your ticket you board onto a junk and the tour guide will take you around the bay and the caves depending on their schedule. So make sure to find an agency that packs lots of sights and activities for you to do. If you want to explore more of the bay definitely stay overnight! You also get to canoe around the little caves depending on which agency you go with :) Ha Long Bay is a magnificent place. It would look even more fabulous on a clear day because the water... oh my the water would look so so good!

And I doubt the agency won't take you around to the Heavenly Palace as well. This cave rock formation is humongous! It's also kinda scary because the rocks hangs down like icicles ono top of you but it's definitely worth the little climb of steps to get in!

And that wraps up my Vietnam trip! It was honestly an unforgettable time, and I can't wait to explore more next time! If you ever get the chance, do go, but plan well. It will definitely be worth your time. I've also heard people getting bad stomach aches which leads to number 2s in the toilet, I didn't encounter that problem thankfully so a word of advice, stick to restaurants, unless you know what you're ordering and if it looks like its frequented my tourists! other than that, you can also just join a food tour, I know I definitely would've joined if I had an extra day :P

Where have you been recently?

See you next time//

Elle