ASIA TRIP 2013: Hanoi, Vietnam

ASIA TRIP 2013:
Travel to Hanoi, Laos and Cambodia

Hanoi

How many people can YOU fit on your motorcycle?!

Hanoi or as the Vietnamese spell it Ha Noi is an urban city full of sounds and smells and people driving crazy on their motorcycles.  It seems as though the motorcyclists have the right of way so be careful in this crazy city.

Hoan Kiem Lake

We arrived after 21 hours of flying (YIKES!) at 10:00 pm local time.  Because this was not my first visit to an Asian city, I had pre-planned having a VIP arrival.  Great choice!  The lines were insane!!  Rather than wait like everyone else, we were met by our guide, Ming (more about Ming later) and escorted to a separate waiting area while our passports (with Vietnamese Visa that I had gotten in advance) were inspected.  Ming's assistant retrieved our luggage and away we went for a 40 minute drive to downtown Hanoi.  

Sofitel Hotel Metropole, Hanoi

We are staying at the Sofitel Hotel Metropole, Hanoi near the Opera House.  The hotel is 101 years old and we were placed in their Opera Building.  The hotel offers a spa (our appointment is this evening - 90 minutes for $98) and a fitness center including complementary Tai Chi classes.  The boutiques are nicely stocked but we will be venturing out of the hotel for our shopping.

Le Beaulieu Restaurant at the Hotel Metropole

Hotel Metropole is beautiful.  You can see Vietnamese and French influences everywhere.  Our room was an Executive Room with access to the Club Lounge located on the 7th Floor.  The linens are comfortable.  The beds...not so much.  They are on a platform and need extra cushioning.  The bathroom is quite comfortable with dual sinks a large soaking tub and a separate shower.  The service so far has been wonderful.  We registered, bleary-eyed in our room with our "Butler" (everyone has one).  Breakfast this morning was in their French Restaurant, Le Beaulieu.  The food options were a lovely combination of French, Vietnamese and Japanese.  Other breakfast options included their Club Lounge, the Vietnamese Restaurant, Spices Garden or we could have chosen breakfast in our room.

Hanoi Old Quarter

We decided to take a walk after breakfast toward the Old Quarter.  Of course, the first stop (and stop #3) was at a children's clothing store for Maddy, my granddaughter.  I found 3 adorable outfits for under $40.  Stop #2 was to buy 2 skirts.  I was measured and made arrangements for 2 cotton skirts to be delivered to my hotel.  The cost?  $42 for both.  Let's see what happens...

Later...
We had our massages which were very good.  The spa itself was medium sized and has a large fitness center.  This hotel is quite lovely.  Excellent service with 5 restaurant options.  I love the feel of the hotel.  I love that the restaurants open to the bar and pool area.  Also, for the early birds like me...the hotel has a wonderful early morning complementary coffee service next to the reception desk with coffee, tea and breakfast breads.  I would recommend that my clients stay here when they visit Hanoi.

(Not us - but looks FUN!)

The reason that I'm visiting Hanoi, Laos and Cambodia is that I was chosen to be part of a FAM (familiarization group).  There are 8 people plus the representative of Trails of Indochina, the host of our group.  Six of the people are travel consultants and the other two are a friend of one of the agents and my husband, Jeff.  Before I was a travel consultant, I had used Trails of Indochina hen I had visited Phuket, Bangkok and Siem Reap 6 years ago.  This is a wonderful company and I am eager for this tour to begin!

Stayed tuned.

p.s.  Solo travelers - ask me about A & K tours!  They have either waived or minimized the single supplements!

The World is Our Playground!

Mari