Spellbound in Hanoi
Hanoi's captivating natural beauty is sure to have you spellbound
Tired after all the travel stress, my friend Susi and I decide to grab a bite and make sure we get a good rest before exploring Hanoi.
We find fresh and flavourful food at an unassuming little restaurant very late at night. Good food, hmm, a good start to any holiday.
In the morning Silk Street is a bustle. Street vendors are carrying baskets of luscious fruit and vegetables like scales around their necks, or on the back of bicycles.
We take a cyclo to Little Hanoi restaurant in Hang Gai, for breakfast. The local coffee has oomph to it and with food in our tummies we are ready to walk around the Old Quarter, where French colonial architecture and Asian scents exist in harmony with the narrow, congested streets and carefully made handicrafts.
That's one thing about Vietnam; the products really are made with care.
Lacquer work cannot be mass produced because it involves a timely process that has to be done by hand, while the embroidery and silk work is proof that the Vietnamese take pride in quality, not quantity.
Even the noodles they so love to eat are freshly made, every day - and have to be used or discarded by the end of the day.
Pretty pictures
Everywhere I look is a pretty picture … lantern shops, cyclists wearing pointy straw hats, pavement cafés … that's until we get to the fish market — chunks of meat sitting out in the sun, fish or not, has never been pretty and it makes my stomach turn.
Soon Susi and I get weighed down by our shopping bags and decide to head back to our hotel, stopping at Ocean Tours to arrange a boat trip around Halong Bay.
Hanoi was formerly known as Thanh Long, which means “City of the Soaring Dragon''.
The legend goes that the dragon came down into Halong Bay and splashed its tail to split the land into a million little islands so that hostile ships would not be able to navigate through it and instead go down before reaching the shore.
We cross Long Bien Bridge on the way to the coast, where we will see these karst islets for ourselves.
The original bridge was built by the architect who designed the Eiffel Tower and parts of it are still standing. During the American War (as it is known in Vietnam) the US military bombed this bridge repeatedly and the Vietnamese repeatedly built it up again.
Apparently the bombing only stopped when US prisoners of war were made to rebuild it.
Along the way, pointy hats and water buffalo pop out of the rice fields and motorbikes overloaded with produce further add to the romantic scenery.
The limestone formations become more intense until the sea appears on the horizon.
Our little bus stops at the harbour where a host of traditional junks are lined up for tours along the Gulf of Tonkin.
We board ours with only a handful of other tourists and sail off into a magical world.
Artistic heritage
In 1994 Halong Bay was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. I can't help but think this is where the Vietnamese got their artistic eyes from.
Being surrounded by such beauty must somehow inspire the locals to a higher form of craft.
We leave our boat for some kayaking around the National Park. Susi and I glide over the water as though it's a smooth gem.
The lagoon doesn't sparkle. Instead it glows, basking the whole area in an ethereal silence. When I look up, the limestone cliffs seem to be even higher.
The hidden caves are dark and eerie but I exhale when we paddle into a small lagoon where the birds and plants are in their element.
I don't think I have breathed in such fresh air, perhaps ever. When we get back we cross the open sea towards Cat Ong Eco Private Island where we are staying for the night.
Our tummies are rumbling and after a sunset swim in the sea we are ready for a feast. Small plates of Vietnamese delicacies arrive at the table: fresh and fried spring rolls, fish balls, stir-fries, barbecue prawns and fish, fresh dragon fruit ...
The crowd seems festive but I cannot keep my eyes open anymore. As soon as I have closed the mosquito net around my cosy bed in the bamboo hut, I fall into a peaceful sleep.
A swim in the sea is a great way to wake up; then breakfast and leisurely morning on the beach where I continue reading Life in Hanoi by Pam Scott, an account of locals' and expats' experiences.
My favourite story is that of Christine Yu, who traded a luxury lawyer's life in Hong Kong for the fickle world of fashion.
She moved to Hanoi with her husband and used her imagination combined with the skills of the craftswomen to design handbags.
The best part is that her label made it on to the great catwalks of the world and the arms of Hollywood stars and famous politicians.
I make a mental note to visit the Ipa Nima store when we get back to Hanoi.
The last stop
On the way back we jump into the lagoon for a swim before anchoring in Halong Bay with many other traditional junks.
As the sun is about to set over the surreal landscape the faces around me confirm it is not only me who will remember this trip as a highlight of my life.
Our last stop is the Amazing Cave, where Vietnamese soldiers used to hide during Vietnam's many wars.
Today it is set up for tourists with lights accentuating the natural wonder of the stalactites and stalagmites.
Towards the end of our journey a thick mist clouds the limestone cliffs and dark thunder rolls in. When it starts raining the scene takes on a fantastical edge.
We all become quiet. By now we are filled with about as much wonder as human beings can take in a few days.
Susi and I grab a final taste of Vietnamese food at Little Hanoi in the city. This Little Hanoi is located in Po Ta Hien and has nothing to do with its namesake.
Successful businesses in Hanoi often see their name copied all over the place.
We have our best meal here: a crunchy stir-fry, mine with tofu; Susi's with tender pieces of beef. Hmm, the best way to end a great holiday.
Go there ... Hanoi ... From the UAE ... From Dubai
Package includes flight on Singapore Airlines; four nights stay in an Opera room with breakfast at the Sofitel Metropole; return airport transfers
Fare from Dh6,143 per person
— Information courtesy: The Holiday Lounge by Dnata.
Ph: 04 4380454
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