Something to try in Hanoi, Vietnam

Today, saturday the 11th of August 2018. We went to this Street around Hoan Kiem Lake.P_20180811_152450

We walked around to find a place to eat which is not a fast food. Because of too many choices and we’re hungry. We stopped at this place where they sells sandwich. We bought one to try, we tried the one with honey flavor and chicken, if will like it and plus it’s cheap, 1 sandwich cost 28,000 dong, less than $2 plus 1 free banana. While we still deciding where we can have our dinner.P_20180811_152322P_20180811_152316P_20180811_150404

Well, after trying 1 sándwich, we decided to just eat here and we ordered 2 more sándwich.P_20180811_145558They have a bar inside too..P_20180811_152718P_20180811_152414Accross is a Café.

P_20180811_152423P_20180811_152345There’s more to see in this streets.

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Before traveling to Vietnam

First, I suggest you download the Google translate, the one that works offline to save your data, only if you don’t speak or undertand vietnamese dialect/language. Because, vietnamese people hardly speaks english..I’m not trying to be mean to them.hehe. There’s a moment that you will get frustrated when  they don’t understand you or you don’t understand them.lol.

Second is make sure to carry a Photo ID’s with you when traveling to Vietnam. Better to have a couple copies of photo ID’s. Because, you will need this upon arrival in Vietnam or else you will be charge $2 and also if you already have a photo with you, it’s less hassle.

Next is to write down the address of the place you will stay at. I’ve noticed people have a long time filling up this form. Upon arrival in Vietnam, you will have to fill up a form of your information and for your visa. Kid’s don’t need to fill up the form. My kids are 9 and 6 yrs.old.

Last is to keep $50 for the visa, adults fee is $50 and kids is $25. So upon arrival, you fill up the form, take photo and pay the visa fee and you go to the exit and this guy’s will stamp your passport and you’re done!

Welcome to Vietnam!

This information is based on my experienced, traveling to Hanoi, Vietnam.

I wished, I’ve asked google first before traveling to Vietnam. Because when you arrived in Vietnam, you don’t realize that you need this things, even just a photo ID’s with you.

Also, keep a copies of your passports in case you need it and that you won’t have a problem looking for a place in Vietnam that does photocopy.

 

Where to take Photo ID in Hanoi, Vietnam

You need your Photo taken in Vietnam or you need a passport photo and you don’t know where to go?

We leave in Hai Ba Trung at Times City. We found this Photo shop, they also do photocopy, and scan. It was pretty decent. For 6 copies of 4×6 and 6 copies of 2×3 it cost 40,000 dong, almost $2.P_20180807_180108Address: 528, 26/454 Minh Khai-Hai Ba Trung- HanoiP_20180807_180122P_20180807_180009accross of this buildings is the Photo shop. It is before the bridge, if you’re coming from Times City. P_20180807_184241In this street on the right, you will see more Photo shops. It was close by our apartment in Times City by the VINCON MEGAMALL. First we took a taxi and we asked to take us where we can get our photo taken. We didn’t know there were Photo shops nearby, the fare was 18.000 dong, less than a dollar. In fact, on the way home, we just walk. P_20180807_184821It’s alongside of this Tower 1 and before Tower 1, you will see a Bank.. In this photo we’re on our way home. If you keep going, you will see the mall entrance.

Exploring the city of Hanoi

Ngoc Son TempleP_20180729_140026

This Temple alongside Lake Hoan Kiem was built in the 19th century, and named after Saint Van Xuong. Confucian scholar Nguyen Van Sieu had a larger pen-shaped tower built at the entrance of the temple in 1864, featuring three Chinese characters, Ta thanh Thien, which literally means ” to write on the blue sky is to impotencia the height of a genuine and righteous person’s determination and will”.

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This street is where the kid’s can ride their favorite toy vehicles.

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Truc Bach lake at #9 Than Nhien Street. This Highlands coffee is a boat docked near the lake. The view is AWESOME. P_20180803_133202

P_20180804_182535We went to this place on the weekend, it is a tourist spot. Each street, you will see tables outside where people eat and drinks. And also you will see bars with live music.

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This is where we ate, it was heavily raining, we were seating outside by the tables and with this umbrellas. But we asked to transfer inside because it was crowded and we’re seating at the corner.P_20180804_191319

Here my daughter just learned to use chopstick. We ordered an egg roll which is good and fried rice, rice noodles with grilled beef and my husband’s favorite, the kangkong in the Philippines, in English is a water spinach.P_20180804_203858

Lots of people here, there are also people selling food in this area. We saw a guy Joggling, and dancing.P_20180804_204755P_20180804_195620

Weekend is the night market here, you can find cheap clothes but good quality, bags, shoes, souvenirs, food and a lot more.P_20180804_205511P_20180804_205237

Here, the kid’s are playing a jumping rope. It was fun to watch and they are surrounded with people watching.P_20180804_204917You will also be able to watch the vietnamese guys perform in this small stage. P_20180804_205706

I just took of this restaurant named Mr.Wish. I just thought it’s cool.hehe.P_20180804_193512And if you need to use a restroom, just look for a sign that say’s “WC” meaning toilet. There is a guy that collect payment to use the toilet, I payed 3,000 dhong..it’s nothing. And the restroom is clean.P_20180804_210825

This stores say’s, “Life is too shirt” instead of short. That’s why I took a picture of it.hehe. They sells shirts.

One day is not enough to see cool things in this city…you may want to come back for the next day to continue exploring the city.

Here are some of my video’s of the street’s..to give you an idea, how it looks like..

Seeing this wall full of ceramic arts alongside walk. We’re in a taxi going to the Lake.

Traveling to Vietnam

First of all, I suggest you download the Google translator, the one that works offline. Because vietnamese people hardly speaks english. But they are nice people.

Ok so, upon arrival in Vietnam, you will have to fill up a form for your information of your stay in Vietnam and for your visa. Adults fee is $50,P_20180805_171717_1 and kids is $25. My kid’s are 9 yrs.old and 6yrs.old. Our visa is good for 3 months. After paying the visa, you go through immigration and the guy will stamp your passport. Then, you are done…Welcome to Vietnam!

When we arrived in Vietnam, we have someone to pick us up at the airport from my husband’s work. It’s about 20 minutes from the airport to the city. We stayed at TIMES CITY where you can see this mall named VINCOM MEGAMALL TIMES CITY..Its is an underground mall.P_20180726_130432

Located at 458 Minh khai Street- Hai Ba Trung District- Hanoi. This place is perfect for me because I don’t need to have a ride to go to the mall or if I need to go have grocery shopping. The mall is just right downstairs of our apartment. P_20180726_114444A view from our apartment.

 

The mall main entrance you will see this Kois.P_20180801_133755Inside the mall, you will find branded clothes, P_20180801_134811bags, shoes, home stuffs, food area. P_20180801_140431

A Chinese restaurant’s, if you are a fun of sushi they have it here too. Also Thai food and if you are in a budget, you can try the KFC where they don’t only serves fried chicken. We used to get this marinate chicken with rice and some cucumber. They also serves a salad and a soup. For 4 of us we spent about $17 for our meal included the drinks.

Also they have aquarium here,P_20180801_132932the fee is $7 per person. If you love bowling, you will enjoy it here.P_20180801_140147And if you have kids, they have playgrounds too.

Do you like karaoke? Here sing with your friends. No worries no one can hear.lol.P_20180801_140502And oh don’t forget the movie theater..

This mall is good for family entertainment. And of course, if you live nearby, you might wanna go on grocery shopping. They have a supermarket here called Vinmart and what is nice about this, is if you got a lot of groceries, they can deliver it to your doorstep for a fee of $5. Phew! You don’t have to carry your groceries.

Outside the mall, you can find more shops, like coffee shops, restaurants, spa, hair salon, nail salon.P_20180730_102651and accross is a Hospital and a school, the school behind me is called VINSCHOOL. Living in this area is you don’t need a car..it is a walk away to everything. There is also a gym around this area. After walking around and your hot because of the humidity. You might wanna go for a swim in their underground wide swimming pool but if you like to see the outside view, there is a swimming pool for outside view too. But to be able to use their swimming pool, you should be a resident in one of the tower in Times city, best spot is at Parkhill, the pool is just at the entrance of the apartment.

But of course you may want to explore the city and try new things. You may want to see the lake. We took a taxi named Taxi Group..this is the taxi recommended by my husband’s work. We have a taxi card and also the driver can’t charge you more.  And they seemed nice, one time my husband left his phone in a taxi but the driver drove back where he dropped us and gave back my husband’s phone. We gave the taxi driver a tip..it was so nice of him.P_20180803_122216

Hoan Kiem Lake

P_20180804_204643a night view…

Shrouded in mystery and legend, “the lake of the returned sword” is a tourist hotspot on any visit to the city. You can sometimes also spot turtles swimming in the water! Around the lake you will find restaurants, P_20180729_131207here we tried their famous Rice Noodle soup called Pho. I heard that they also eat this for breakfast and anytime. Well, based on my experienced I love it. If you are not a fun of spicy food, make sure to tell them not spicy.

There are more shops around here like, clothing stores, shoes, paintings, souvenirs, bars and if you love coffee there is a street where the shops only sells coffee. You will see people sipping and sitting on low plastic stools on the sidewalk while gossiping with friends. You should try their egg coffee or they called it “Ca phe trung” at Café Giang.  Egg coffee is a Hanoi specialty. A creamy soft, meringue like egg white foam is perched on dense vietnamese coffee.