I enjoy flying. Who doesn’t? But this year, I haven’t been travelling much as I was preparing to shift into a new place (though I haven’t entirely shifted in). Besides, you could say that I was a little tired of travelling, especially if I am travelling on my own. I still prefer travelling with my partner but he is always giving excuses not to travel. Oh well, let’s just hope that the year-end trip we planned would happen for us this year.
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My first flight in 2019
On a side note, I am just glad that I will be flying out of Singapore. But sadly, it is entirely for work and there’s a fixed itinerary that we had to follow. It was not the most enjoyable trip for me, partly due to the warm and humid weather and also partly due to the circumstances we were in. Let’s just say that we did not have a really professional guide with us so we did not learn much during the trip?
Vietnam, my second home
Nevertheless, I am glad to be back in Hanoi. Vietnam is like a second home to me after Bali. This is probably my fifth time here in Vietnam and because I could speak a little of their language, it felt like I could connect with the people there better.
My 4-day itinerary in Hanoi
During this 4-day trip in Hanoi, I’ve visited places which I haven’t been before. Thus, to me, it was quite refreshing to explore and uncover the different side of Hanoi. It was more of a cultural trip for us to experience the Vietnamese culture, traditions and their way of life.
If you’re are planning for a trip to Hanoi like no other, you can consider visiting the following places and attractions we’ve been to. I’ll also be posting separate articles on each of the main attractions covered in this itinerary.
Day 1: Changi Airport, Singapore to Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi
We took a 3.5-hour flight with Singapore Airlines to Hanoi. Food onboard was great and I enjoyed the in-flight entertainment. Flying with this world class airline is simply a treat.
9.20 AM: Brunch onboard SQ (Hainanese Chicken Rice + Lemon Cake)
1.00 PM: Chinese-style Halal Lunch at D’lion restaurant (Cosiana Hotel)
2.00 PM: A visit to Bat Trang Village for a hands-on pottery-making session
7.30 PM: Check in Sunway Hotel Hanoi
Day 2: Making Vietnamese Conical Hats and Exploring Hoan Kiem Lake
The weather got warmer on the second day of our trip even though Hanoi is experiencing autumn in early September. It was a two-hour bus ride to Chuong Village where we visited one of the local’s home to learn how to weave the traditional Vietnamese conical hats. The second half of the day is spent visiting a local school and exploring Hoan Kiem Lake. Of course, you had to make special arrangements with regards to school visits. We were there for an educational purpose.
9 AM: Visit Chuong Village to experience traditional Vietnamese conical hat making from the locals
12 PM: Lunch at D’Lion restaurant
2.00 PM: A local school visit
4.30 PM: Visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
Day 3: Experiencing the Agricultural lifestyle at Duong Lam Village
The weather got more unbearable on the third day. Some of us were also suffering from heat exhaustion. Blame it on Global Warming or us, humans? Nonetheless, we got to catch a glimpse of what rural life is like in Vietnam. In the evening, we watch the infamous water puppet show which is one of the touristy things you must do in Hanoi.
10 AM: Visit Duong Lam Village, an agricultural village of the Northern Red River
This place is a 2.5-hour bus ride from the old quarters in Hanoi.
11 AM: Rural farm activities – Padi planting and catching fishes
12 PM: Vietnamese Spring-roll making
1 PM : Lunch at Indonesia Halal restaurant, Batavia
2 PM: Visit Temple of Literature
5.20 PM: Watch Water Puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
Day 4: Museum Hopping in Hanoi
On our last day, we also had a very packed day as we covered some of the main city attractions like the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and Ho Chi Minh City complex. My favourite museum is none other than the
8.30 AM: Visit Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
10 AM: Visit Ho Chi Minh Museum
1.30 PM: Visit Museum of Ethnology
6.30 PM: Flight back to Singapore via SilkAir
This pretty much sums up our 4-day itinerary to Hanoi. If given a choice, I would have gone for the city tour during the first half of my trip. Given more time, I would have covered Ha Long Bay too.
Here’s the last meal of the day on Silk Air.
Stay tuned for more of my upcoming Vietnam trip posts, speckled with interesting tales and stories!
