The Vietnam Bicycle

Bicycle-Taxi at Hanoi

1) Spend 2-3 days on  Phu Quoc island. It's a small island on the south of  Ho Chi Minh, in the Gulf of Thailand. It is still an unspoiled paradise and when we were there 2 years ago they were still building roads... This is the ultimate do-nothing and rot-on-the-bench destination. We stayed at Chen Resort, a complex of luxurious beach bungalows just in front of the sea! Every night the staff would come to the roomss and light lemongrass scented candles , to indulge all the senses. For a more cosy and lengthy stay Mango Bay was also very good with the most fantastic cafe/ restaurant, dining literally on the sea!!

2) Have a 2 day cruise at  Halong Bay. Halong bay is a natural wonder: a lake with almost 3000 green islands rising from the emerald waters of the bay. The atmosphers is stunning and the best way to enjoy this is by taking a cruise. There are many companies in Hanoi orgnanizing cruises to Halong, my suggestion is Handspan and go for a small junk which feels more private. I totally recommend to go for the 2 day cruise and spend one night on board  It is like going back to the time of Indochina! Either sipping cocktails on the deck while the night sets or fishing shrimps on  the boat, the breathtaking nature & atmosphere of  Halong is a lifetime experience!

3) We didnt dine in many restaurants since the best place to eat in Vietnam are the outdoors food stalls. Once you overcome any hygience concerns it is guaranteed to taste the best  food of your life and be introduced to a new world of gastronomic delights. If  howeverer you want to stick to normal restaurants then I would suggest Green Tangerine in Hanoi for fine french vietnamese cuisine and Nha Hang Ngon in Shaigon. But again, nothing compares to the authentic vietnamese cuisine you can eat on the road!

4) Stroll in Hanoi lanes,sit together with the locals for a lemon tea, and look for Ma Ena Xanh store: they have the cutest handmade hats and beanies, sewed together by differnet materials and each one being a unique piece.Ma Ena Xanh 40 HANG GAI ST., HANOI; 84-4/826-7883.  Walk around the Hoan Kiem lake, watch locals performing Tai Chi or cute couples walking hand in hand and get the vibe of a lively and yet low key and romantic city.  Stroll by the old quarter for a glimpse at the original architecture of Hanoi where every street had merchants and households specializing in a certain trada.  The names of the streets still reflect this specialization.

5) If you do find some time, take cooking classes at  Red Bridge Restaurant at Hoi an. You will need to pay forward all this Vietnamese bliss and share it with your friends once back!
After writing this post,  I simply want to go there again!