Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Full experience of my visit to Hanoi can be accessed through the list below:
Attractions: St Joseph's Cathedral | One Pillar Pagoda | Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum | Thang Long Water Puppet Theater
Dining: New Day Restaurant | Sketch Coffee | Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền | Dương Hoa Kem Caramen | Thu Nga Kem Xôi & Chè Thái Lan
More about Hanoi can be read through the list below:
I was unfamiliar with my surroundings when I arrived, only trusting that we were not kidnapped to places unknown with the gathering of touristy faces disembarking various tour buses and vans. Even through my bleary eyes and stiff back resulting from the 3 hour long monotonous journey could I see that we were at a pier of some kind. Entering the squat building with its glass exterior, we waited for our guide to purchase tickets while stretching our sore muscles, glad for some exercise.
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| Our entrance ticket to Halong Bay, with the date stamped 1 Nov 2013 and a price tag of VND80,000 (~RM12). |
The pier was a simple squat building with lots of glass fronts. Its interior was comfortable enough for us to avoid the heat although the weather was not too warm for the day. Our guide joined the rest for a queue for ticket and we were left to either wander out to admire the scene or stay within for the cir-conditioning.
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| Arrival |
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| Halong Bay: The Gathering |
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| Everyone arriving and departing at almost the same time. |
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| A congestion of ships would have leave their marks on the bay. |
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| Sailing away |
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| Ready for departure (but not ours) |
The pier was packed with swaying ships, each serenely rocking along the waves. I was surprised how many ships there were for a supposedly natural heritage site. Oh well, you just cannot avoid the crowds at somewhere famous, more so in a place that is UNESCO famous. When the tickets were ready, we boarded our ship and got ready for our cruise.
Environment: A UNESCO Natural Heritage Site with beautiful karst formation
Suitable for: Landscape lovers, UNESCO hunters
Visit worthiness: 8/10 (I have to cheat here by marking up the worthiness value, because it is truly beautiful!)
Historical value: 4.0/5.0
Architectural value: 0.0/5.0
Photographic value: 4.0/5.0
Landmark value: 5.0/5.0
My cheating value: +1.5
Entrance Fee: usually included within the tour
Opening Hours: anytime
Best Moment to Visit: Anytime, but most probably your time is decided by the tour
Length of Visit: >8 hours (can last overnight)
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