Vietnam’s Hanoi and Halong Bay prove to be the perfect destinations for a tenth-anniversary trip for AMY BROOK-PARTRIDGE and hubby James.
I’m not sure if it’s to do with my age, being a parent, or my increasing reticence to flash the flesh in swimmers, but beach holidays hold little appeal for me nowadays – which brings me happily in line with James, who never really liked them in the first place. I’ll admit that it was primarily my addiction to pho, rather than James’s interest in history, that made me put a pin in Vietnam as the favoured destinations for our tenth wedding anniversary; and the pairing of a trip to the historic city of Hanoi with a cruise through the UNESCO World Heritage site of Halong Bay seemed an easy choice.
DAY 1
Arriving early evening, and feeling fresh after a breezy three-and-a-half-hour Silk-Air flight from Singapore, we were delivered by taxi to our first hotel for the night. Having scoured TripAdvisor for a low-cost boutique hotel, I was overwhelmed by the number of two- and three-star hotels in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Ultimately, I opted for La Beauté de Hanoi. Right in the middle of the action, it was clean, with helpful staff and some lovely hints of French architecture. We were, however, on the second floor, and with the benefit of hindsight I would have requested a much higher level. The constant noise and buzz of the city, which is all part of the appeal when you’re awake, is in no way fun when you’re trying to sleep!
Keen to get a taste of the city, we headed first to Avalon Café Lounge (avalon.vn), a rooftop bar within a five-minute walk. This in itself was an adventure, as traffic and pedestrians share the roads in a crazy, symbiotic way. We were given a sheet by our hotel that explained how to cross the road – make eye contact with the drivers, don’t hesitate or step back – but it’s easier said than done when you’ve come from a country where jaywalking is a serious offence.
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