Category: Asian Holidays


Elsewhere In Hanoi

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September 27, 2023

Not my first time here but I’m traveling with my Nieta who’s a first-timer in Hanoi. Had a list of touristy spots but she crafted her own itinerary which included a visit to Vietnamese Women’s Museum, another café crawl and some honky-tonk noodle joint. Not to forget, she wanted also to check out a rooftop bar with a city view and thankfully , our hotel in Hanoi has a really lovely SkyBar . Would have included a shopping adventure on our last day in Hanoi but there wasn’t enough time . After all, our trip was really focused on Sa Pa in Northwestern Vietnam and we just had to fly in and out of Hanoi. So we made good use of those 2 days in the capital. No war museums, no mausoleum, no prison visits, really nothing that we’d find depressing. Just all positive vibes!

Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Vietnamese Women’s Museum

First off my Nieta’s list is the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. Went there for 2 principal reasons: the permanent collection of women’s costumes is awesome AND we were also intrigued by gender issues within some mountain tribes we met when we visited Sapa. One of our guides there recounted how women in her tribe have no say in choosing their grooms. As early as age 15-16, a man can choose a girl to be his wife, “kidnap” her for 3 days, and then arrange their marriage. Bride kidnapping is a tribal custom still practiced in this day and age. How and why? Let me just say it’s utterly bizarre that the custom is still practiced now. But it’s a culture thing and so let’s skip the subject 🧐

Bun Cha Huong Lien
The best Banh Mi in town?

We also didn’t miss that Bun Cha noodle shop made popular by the show “Parts Unknown”. It’s a hole in the wall now listed in the Michelin Guide. Check out my earlier blog on this. Another popular spot is Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. We grabbed a couple of banh mis to eat in our room but I must say the banh mis I’ve tried in Hoi An is a notch or so better. Just the same, Banh Mi 25 is reasonably good and value-for-money. Once you’ve had your fill, you should be ready for the nightlife. We’re not party people but we sure know how to enjoy a drink or two. Choosing to enjoy a nightcap in our hotel, we tried the Ignite Sky Bar’s cocktails. Strawberry Daiquiri, Mango Margarita, and more. Sunset and city views are perfect from this rooftop bar. La vie est Belle!

Strawberry Margarita
Ignite Sky Bar
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The Coffee Scene in Hanoi

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September 23, 2023

We are back in Hanoi and still seriously in search for the best egg coffee — and where else should we look but where it all started? First discovered, or rather concocted in 1925, when an ex-bartender of the famous 5-star Metropole Hotel thought of substituting fresh milk with egg to make Hanoi’s “cappuccino”. It was the perfect solution at a time when milk was a luxury and scarce. Only problem then was that it took an entire half hour to beat the high-quality free-range eggs to make a cup of egg coffee! Thankfully, the egg blenders have made this tedious process a thing of the past now. It can only be expected that the man — Nguyen Van Giang — who created and introduced the egg coffee runs the best egg coffee place in Hanoi. Still in the same unpretentious building and yes, still the same recipe but likely using egg blenders. For the life of me, I was kind of hesitant to try raw egg yolks in my coffee but Mr. Giang’s recipe reportedly uses only eggs from free-range hens fed on natural food! They say there’s a secret ingredient but I bet Mr. Giang shared that with his daughter who now runs the 2nd best egg coffee shop “Dinh Cafe”.

Egg Coffee. One with cinnamon.
We took a Grab to reach Cafe Giang

Since we’ve already tried the iced coconut coffee of Cong Ca Phe when we were in Sapa, Northern Vietnam, we skipped their Hanoi outlet and instead booked another grab ride to arrive in the Hidden Gem Cafe. Truly hidden! The narrow alley snaked past a garage and two flights of stairs. But we’re so happy to be here. Amazing how the owner recycled so much stuff and seamlessly put them all together here. Here, we tried the sticky rice iced coffee, a good looking lemonade with blue tea and an iced coconut coffee. Their bahn mi and rolls may not be the best but they’d do if you’re hungry. It simply is exciting to be in this spot which we found bohemian and artsy. Just be sure you beat the crowds by coming real early or at odd hours. I’m sure it gets busy and because it’s not air conditioned, you may not get the spot we had where there’s a breeze to ward off the heat.

The Hidden Gem Cafe
Lemonade with Blue Tea

This coffee place didn’t waste any walls nor corners. There was always something going on on some walls — a mural, a garden, something both artistic and odd. The 2 flights of stairs get you on the 3rd floor that’s more “al fresco”. Better than the 2nd floor which we found more stuffy. I am not sure we’d find this place on our own. Booking a grab ride was easy and real cheap! So install that app if you haven’t.

More Iced Coconut Coffee?
Bahn Mi and Rolls at Hidden Gem Cafe

But in case you haven’t tried Iced Coconut Coffee — that modern-day concoction of coffee, coconut cream, milk and ice cream — there are several outlets of Cong Ca Phe in Hanoi. Choose one nearest you, and have that iced coconut coffee fix! This time, feel the communist vibe here with the cafe’s military-green walls, a server clad in military uniform and comm posters straight out of the 1970s to instill that vibe! Mind you, we had the best iced coconut coffee here. Oh, there’s the green rice coconut coffee too which I particularly liked. More like a dessert. Enjoy ☕️ 🧋

Cong Ca Phe
Hidden Gem Cafe
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Parts Now Known (Hanoi)

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September 21, 2023

Parts Unknown by Anthony Bourdain is one of my fav shows. Lamentably, Tony is no longer around to guide us. Not only in terms of what and where to eat, but on how to appreciate food in the context of culture and even traditions. One show on Hanoi food adventure is that one where Bourdain dined in some honky-tonk joint with no less than THE PRESIDENT OBAMA. So what do you expect from a food show that features a dinner date between Tony and Barack?

Bun Cha

I remember searching for a pho joint in Ho Cho Minh City whose claim to fame is that President Bill Clinton happened to eat there. Pho 2000 isn’t bad but I’d say food taste is really just your average Joe. Or average Huy or Nam, if you like. And now, there’s Bun Cha Huong Lien. But first a lesson on what is pho vs Bun Cha. Pho is a noodle soup while bun cha is more dry. Like having barbecued pork over your vermicelli plus some really, really good broth flavoured with sweetened vinegar and fish sauce. I love bun cha!

They call it Combo Obama👌
The Combo Obama goes with this Seafood Roll

Price-wise, this joint is a winner. You can’t go wrong at these unbelievably low prices for some truly good soupy dishes. And the servings are soooo generous. The veggies and vermicelli are all laid out on a platter even before you order anything. I guess the veggies and thin noodles go with anything you order. Go help yourselves, folks. Just don’t expect fancy tableware nor linen service 😂 . Service is not impeccable but fairly prompt and standard. Honky tonk that it is, we actually enjoyed the same bun Cha and Combo Obama that Barack and Tony Bourdain enjoyed. Value for money it is.

Bun Cha 👌

Oh, btw, “bun” in Vietnam means vermicelli and “cha” means grilled pork. Bun Cha is one of the iconic dishes here in Vietnam and certainly worth a try! And once you’re done eating, how about going up to the upper floor to check out the glass-encased box on display where Obama and Bourdain ate their bun Cha along with their dining sets and tiny stools. Such is Bun Cha Huong Lien’s claim to fame. Enjoy!

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A Few More Scenes from Sapa

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On our last full day in Sapa in Northern Vietnam, a rainbow adorned the skyline amidst the mountain range and terraced rice fields. It’s like a reward for us braving and enduring the more than 6 hour drive from Hanoi just to check out the highest mountain peak, hill tribe folks in Bac Ha Market, glass-bottomed suspension bridge, Ta Phin village with Red Dao herb bath, as well as the lively coffee scene and interesting garden parks in the “boondocks”.

Rainbow in Sapa
Image Sourced from the Net. The Pao Sapa Luxury Hotel where we stayed.

Two of the touristy activities here are visits to the Moana Park beside our hotel or to Heaven Gate and to experience the red dao bath in Ta Phin Village. Not exactly my preferred outings but if you’ve got time, it would be an experience to meet more hill tribe folks who seem quite at home with tourists curious about their costumes and handicrafts. I think the red dao baths would be a good experience. The folks in Ta Phin Village claim these herbal baths have healing powers. Interestingly, each bathing house has its own “family recipe”, with an assortment of medicinal leaves, roots and herbs foraged from the forests.

The Tribal Women from Ta Phin Village
The Healing Baths

Some hotels such as where we stayed offer similar healing baths in a more convenient setting. And you may check out the spas too which combine herbal baths and massage for a total experience. And while you’re checking out the medicinal baths in our hotel, go visit the nearby Moana Park too for some photo opps. 😜

Ta Phin Village is dotted with many red dao
bathing facilities.
This photo opp park is just right beside
Pao Sapa Luxury Hotel.

While the tourists go crazy with healing baths, hill tribe markets and mountain trekking, many locals seem to enjoy these parks offering photo opportunities with a variety of installations like a Balinese gate, suspension or hanging mini-bridges, grand piano scenes inspired by some Korean dramas, art sculptures, etc. Amusing, if you ask me. If it’s not your cup of tea, there’s shopping and the coffee scene! Or simply go around town to visit the church, town plaza and pond.

Moana

The Coffee Scene in Sapa

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Café Crawl In Sapa, Vietnam

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September 20, 2023

Back in Manila, we’d schedule our cafe or bar dates at least once a week. The prospect thrills us and the actual experience is always a delight. On our trip to Sapa in Northern Vietnam, we spent an entire afternoon for our post-lunch cafe crawl. We haven’t had a proper dessert since we got here but first off, we just had to try the popular egg coffee and coconut coffee.

Cong Cafe
Coconut Coffee now tops my list of iced coffees

This is our first time to try coconut coffee. Cong Ca Phe is 👍that we recommend it — iced! More dessert than coffee, actually. Back in Hanoi, we tried egg coffee but it wasn’t the best so we went in search of good egg coffee here in Sapa. Found one in Le Gecko. In both coffee shops, we took “front seats” to appreciate the street scene. People-watching can be habitual if I were to live here. The cars and motorbikes with passengers or cargo (unbelievable!) passing by is what life is all about here. Sapa may be 6 hours away from cosmopolitan Hanoi but it certainly isn’t a sleepy town or ghost town. Sure, it’s in the boondocks but commerce and tourism has touched this mountain town and even the hill tribe folks are quite comfortable plying their wares in the streets here.

The street scene from Cong Ca Phe.
Inside Cong Ca Phe

Cong Ca Phe is in a two-storey building, but the best seats in the shop are those in the porch. There is even a resident fur baby who seems so “at home” here. As for Le Gecko Cafe, it’s in another busy section of this mountain town near the pond area. Again, we took the “front seats” from where we enjoyed our egg coffee and an apple crumble pie. So yum! The egg coffee here is more dense, foamy and frothy than the one we tried in Hanoi. So so good that we actually thought of heading back after our dinner!

El Gecko
Egg Coffee
Oh, that apple crumble!

P.S. We actually trooped back the following day for another iced coconut cafe and to try the Cot Dua Com Xanh or Coconut Green Rice Coffee. So so refreshingly good!

Iced Coconut Coffee and Green Rice Coffee
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Dining in Hanoi

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 1 Comment
September 19, 2023

We are actually headed for Sapa in Northern Vietnam, some 5-6 hours away from Hanoi. But there’s time enough to check out some Hanoi eats before the “nature trip” up North starting with this Hanoi signature dish called Cha Ca. Served with dill, spring onions and vermicelli, this turmeric fish is a classic. Cha Ca La Vong is its full title but in Hanoi, they simply call it Cha Ca. One of the popular restos serving this Hanoi specialty is just right across our hotel. The Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant in the Old Quarter of Hanoi has 3 outlets IN THE SAME STREET but the one across our Hotel Peridot has a tiny, narrow courtyard leading to a two- storey French-inspired structure in faded yellow hues. The main ingredient is the grilled catfish marinated in turmeric and cooked with dill and spring onions right on the table. We were taught to fill our individual bowls with vermicelli before spooning in the turmeric fish with dill and other herbs like coriander and mint. There were also peanuts one can throw in with some fish sauce mixture to taste.

Cha Ca
Vermicelli goes into bowl first, then spoon in the fish and herbs. Next, throw in the nuts and some sauce.

If you’re dining here, don’t think there are many menu options. People come here really for the Cha Ca dish. You may order some fried rolls just for variety but I didn’t find them particularly good. The Hanoi beer is a good accompaniment, or you can go for some tea instead. This is not my first time in Hanoi but it’s my first time to try this Hanoi dish.

Egg Coffee
Hanoi Beer

Post-Chaka lunch, we trooped to the cafe a few meters away to try the EGG COFFEE. Introduced way back in 1940s during the French war, egg as a milk substitute just burst out as the perfect remedy at a time when milk was in truly serious shortage. I can’t say I was floored, but under the conditions when it was resorted to, I bet it was a hit! Now a popular Vietnamese coffee aside from that which uses condensed milk, the egg coffee is bold, foamy, dense, and syrupy. Best spooned than sipped. Almost like a dessert. An experience, if you like.

Rolls and Prawn Pad Thai
Chicken in Skewers

After Sapa, we’d stop by Hanoi again before flying out. Let’s see how we make out in the dining department. In the same hotel where we stayed, I wouldn’t mind repeating some of the dishes we enjoyed in the lovely Grand Peridot Boutique Hotel. Not exactly traditional Vietnamese cuisine, but the prawn pad Thai, rolls and chicken in skewers made for a delightful dinner with all the theatrics in presentation, capped by a dramatic cocktail concoction. Xin Chao!

Cocktails With A Flair
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A Beach Affair To Remember

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Musings & Ramblings, Philippine Travels, Seniors, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

The Resthouse

Once you cross 50 years since graduation, you treasure every moment, every minute, every get-together not knowing when the next one would be. Nor who’d be around at the next reunion. This sentiment prompted many based abroad to come home, and for the core organisers to line up as many events. Any excuse to see each other in the limited time everyone is around. Amazingly, the adrenaline of seeing each other again must have pumped up these “energiser bunnies” as every event, every single affair proved to be well-attended, well- organised, and superbly enjoyed! Best of all, that very same energy pushed these senior ladies to brave the long drive to LAIYA, San Juan in BATANGAS and to pull an overnighter in this wonderful paradise of a beach resort.

As one rolls into their 70’s, the service demands grow several notches higher. Food, customer service, cleanliness, convenience and leisure/entertainment option all become mandatory rather than simple wish lists. It would be a nightmare to fail their standards. But The Resthouse truly delivered. The 9-hectare beachfront estate provided the sea breeze, stillness, tranquility and scenic views to soothe the nerves after long drives. The memory of a beach affair among giggly, life-loving, cheerful and cool, rocking grandmas is a gift made possible by The Resthouse management and staff. Five stars won’t suffice. And the fond memories will last for a very long time.

Thank you, The Resthouse, for granting our wish of this lifetime memory. We treasure our time spent in this slice of heaven on earth. Till our next gathering there!

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Touchdown, SAPA

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From Hanoi, it took at least 6 long hours to reach Sapa in Northern Vietnam. We traveled by bus although there’s a train option. We passed many rice terraces and cinnamon forests along the uphill route. Lunch was way past noon and we finally arrived at Pao’s Sapa Leisure Hotel late in the afternoon. Well before sunset, thankfully. And without the rains despite the weather forecast.

View From Pao’s Sapa Leisure Hotel
Rice Terraces of Sapa

Honestly, I expected a sleepy, ghost town far removed from the commercial entrapments of city life. We were surprised to find Sapa teeming with tourists — both locals and foreigners. As it turned out, our visit was timed a few days before this mountain town’s Culture Week celebrating the 120th year of tourism. Attracting as many as 2 million visitors , this town in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai is bursting with preparations for the festivities and art performances of various ethnic groups. The town square where the Church takes center stage was teeming with people and littered with ambulant vendors.

View from our room’s terrace.
8pm Crowd at Town Square

One can feel the energy building up in the tiny stores lining the narrow streets and the mall housing the train station. It reminded us of “Sagada” back home as well as gave us “Baguio vibes”. The costumes from the hill villages provided local color and tribal feel. It took some dodging skills not to be trapped in the thick crowd as we navigated our way through the town square and narrow streets. Music was blaring from the many food shops and bars sitting side by side with massage parlours offering foot, back or whole body massage. Tempting!

Photo Credits: May B.
Sun Plaza in Sapa

We ditched our ride back to the hotel when we decided to walk but eventually hailed a buggy cart for as many as a dozen people to save our energy. We checked out the hotel outlets in search of desserts but only managed to order via room service. Called it a night for next day’s adventure. Let’s see what is in store for us when we next visit the Bac Ha Sunday Market some distance away.

Terrace of the restaurant where we had dinner.
Garbed in local costume, near the Church.

Sapa. The experience begins. 🌸

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Bac Ha Sunday Market

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The Bac Ha Market some 3 hour drive from Sapa totally overwhelmed me. But what’s most interesting isn’t so much what they sell but how the hill tribes of Northern Vietnam have created a community here. The Flower H’Mong, the Phu La, the Black Dao, Tay and La Chi Nhung minorities. How to tell one tribe from another? Don’t ask me 🧐

The forecast was one rainy WEEK, but we’ve been enjoying sunshine since we reached Sapa here in Northwestern Vietnam. On the day we visited this Sunday Market, it was totally humid. The animal trading — horse, buffalo, dogs, etc — wasn’t my cup of tea. So my travel mates and I spent more time in the fabrics/textiles area. Along the way, we passed some organic plants, herbs, nuts and fruits. There was a display of assorted natural “viagra” and the sales pitch is one for the books. We chanced upon a couple on a mission to stock up on a few of these herbs and the entire sales spiel was quite an entertaining spectacle. 😜

Local Color To The Core

The once-a-week market is truly both a community and commercial affair — a social and trading event that has lasted over a century now. It’s a privilege to witness this exotic cultural experience. The open, outdoor market stretches over an expanse that it would be easy to get disoriented. In particular, I enjoyed the local color and flavor such as finding a “barber shop al fresco”. It’s your mobile barber in action! Or a motorbiker with a basket full of chickens. I didn’t have the heart to try horse stew there though. Not for moí. Sorry.

Bac Ha Sunday Market
Barber Shop?

After lunch somewhere within the Sunday Market’s periphery, we headed for the Ban Pho village just a few minutes away. Corn wine was available but I took one sniff of the stuff and promptly avoided it. Must be over 50% alcohol, enough to knock one out after a few sips. If you ask me, you can give this visit a miss. The market is quite interesting even if some of the products can be found in the town and city malls, but the local color and experience cannot be replicated in the more cosmo and commercial spots. Nor the local herbs and ethnic vibes. The locals are also very friendly yet not pushy to make a sale which I like. The “pros” in the city shops give me a headache, actually. I’m glad we came despite enduring 6 hours on the road. Along the way, we also checked out the Vietnam/China Border. Separated only by a river, it’s amazing how these “neighbors” can literally wave to each other across the river. 👋

The Way to Bac Ha Market
Vietnam-China Border
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Of Cable Cars, Funiculars And Glass Suspension Bridges

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Fansipan
Fansipan Cable Car

Too much excitement in one day! The Fansipan adventure involved cable car and funicular rides to reach Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam. Touted as the “roof of IndoChina”, it is actually higher than Machu Picchu at over 3,000 meters. Hoang Lien Son mountain range spans the horizon as the cable car climbs up to the peak. Once there, some 600 steps await you. Along the way, there are temples, outdoor Buddhas and restos. One can even ride horses in the complex run and operated by Sun World Legend. We were a big group of adventurers who endured the long drive from Hanoi to Sapa just to get here. Seniors, young professionals and toddlers all out to enjoy each other’s company and savor the sense of family we’ve come to adopt, having traveled together way too many times and seeing the family grow.

The Fansipan Complex is huge! The cable car and funicular rides are run efficiently and the dining outlets and food courts within the entire park look promising. There are also snack booths and massage chairs to fill up one’s time and the crowds seem to be manageable. The entire time we were here, the day grew from cloudy to sunny back to sunny with some breeze. Luckily it didn’t rain. Just a slight drizzle.

Fansipan Funicular

Easily, one can spend 3 hours or more here. Longer, if you linger over lunch or snacks or if one is doing the temples. The ride to the peak via the funicular can be crowded and once at the top, it is quite magical to see, even feel, the fog envelop the area where one finds the tallest flagstaff of IndoChina. Be warned though : it can get windy and cooler once you reach the top so be sure to wrap up.

Glass-Bottomed Bridge

After Farsipan, we took on another challenge. The Bach Long Glass-Bottomed Bridge is touted as the longest in the whole world. Not one for the weak of heart. Nor one short of patience. We took too many transfers — 2 short van rides, an elevator that took all of 3 minutes, along with some waiting time in between transfers. Now, this phenomenal structure left us confused and inconvenienced. There are vans to take visitors from one level to the next. An elevator that takes a full 3 minutes to reach the suspension bridge. Why was this built, you’d ask? Just to land in the Guinness List? To draw in tourists, visitors seeking thrills and excitement? We found many locals when we visited. Thrill-seekers? I took a few steps and that’s enough. Why walk the entire stretch of 700 meters, pray tell?

Glass Bridge
Nearly 1 Kilometer Suspension Bridge

So there. Two major altitude challenges in one day. The first challenge was justified by the magnificent view of the mountain range. As for the glass-bottomed bridge, we must be insane to even consider coming here. 🤣

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