Hoi An Street Scene

After my month in China, I knew I needed to spend a month somewhere less expensive. I love Vietnam so it was a pretty easy choice. How much do I love Vietnam? Words cannot express. The food! The food…it is amazing. I could eat Vietnamese food every day for the rest of my life and die happy. I think it’s all the garlic and rice vinegar and fish sauce? Not sure but I love it all. Also, the people! Everywhere I went in Vietnam, people were so happy to see me. (And have me write a TripAdvisor review…)

Vietnam is a great destination — it has something for everyone. There are big cities like Ho Chi Minh/Saigon, UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Hoi An, and beaches likes Nha Trang and Da Nang and Phu Quoc. And it’s all distinctly affordable if you stay away from the big luxury hotels. You should visit! And soon! Here’s how I used my time and spent my money.

One Week by the Beach in Nha Trang

My Room at the Hotel Aaron in Nha Trang. Photo from the Hotel Website.

After a month of go-go-go in China, I just wanted to hang out on a beach somewhere. So Nha Trang it was. I flew from Xi’An to Guangzhou where I spent a wonderful few hours in the amazing Guangzhou airport lounge thanks to my Priority Pass membership — and then onward to Nha Trang. In Nha Trang, I stayed at the Aaron Hotel, which is pretty close to the beach and main shopping mall. While not luxurious by any stretch, it was nice and clean and the staff were super sweet and friendly. There was also a small rooftop pool which was nice. I liked this hotel for the price and the staff (they hugged me goodbye) and the location. Also, the speedy WiFi! (Another thing I love about Vietnam.) The hotel probably isn’t for everyone, but if you are on a budget, it’s a great pick. Also, I loved the more Vietnamese-style breakfast, served in the cramped little dining room. It made me feel like we were all in this together. Hah. This is a solid 3 star hotel.

Nha Trang Beach

In Nha Trang, I went for a long walk on the beachfront path each morning — I like the beach in Nha Trang a lot. There are lots of loungers to rent where people will bring you fresh coconuts.

Delicious Seafood Noodles in Nha Trang

There’s a lot of seafood in Nha Trang and I ate a lot of it. I also drank a lot of Vietnamese coffees in a few of the beachfront cafes, got a few massages, and bought some random stuff like instant Vietnamese coffee (G7 and it’s AMAZING). Nha Trang is an interesting place in that it’s one of the few direct flights to Southeast Asia from Russia so I had to keep reminding restaurant staff that I was “Amerikanski” and ask for the English language menu instead of the Russian menu. Also, I found that what I really wanted was the menu for the Chinese tourists because that’s where they keep the good stuff. (The Russian menu has borscht on it. English menu is all fish and chips. The Chinese menu is full of fresh vegetables. Morning Glory all day every day! Maybe there was a Vietnamese menu too but when I would ask for the local menu, they’d hand me the one in Chinese so I went with it.)

One thing about Nha Trang that I didn’t like…construction. The streets are pretty hazardous because there are new hotels going up everywhere. And there are no sidewalks. So central Nha Trang is not the most fun place to walk around. Add pouring rain for most of my stay and well…

Total cost of my stay including transfers: An amazing $325.76!! Dude, I need to spend more time in Nha Trang. We all do!

One Week with UNESCO Charm in Hoi An

The Silk Luxury Hotel in Hoi An

After Nha Trang, I flew to Da Nang for Hoi An. (Hoi An is a 30 minute to one hour drive from Da Nang airport, depending on traffic.) In Hoi An, I stayed at the Silk Luxury Hotel, conveniently located right outside the old town. It is a very nice hotel with a nice (but cramped) swimming pool and an uninviting gym. (The pool is fine once you’re in it. It’s just the seating that’s cramped.) It’s a pretty affordable hotel through for the quality and the service levels. This was a 4 star hotel. Everyone knew my name by Day 2 and was just super friendly and charming. And honestly, the location is perfect if you want to visit the Old Town frequently…just a five minute walk, really.

The Hoi An Old Town

In Hoi An, I went for long walks through the Old Town every morning during the traffic free hours between 9 and 11, but I started to love getting there just a bit earlier to hang out at some of the corner “cafes” (little red stools on the street really) drinking Vietnamese coffee with everyone before we all headed off to work.

The Hoi An River at Night with Lanterns

In the evenings, I would return to the old town around sunset and watch as colorful lanterns floated slowly down the river. (Seriously!) During my afternoons, I worked for the most part but I also found time to get some clothing made which was a super interesting process. (The right fabrics and necklines are everything.)

Words cannot fully express how much I love Hoi An. I really want to go back!! You should go. Go go go.

Total cost of my Hoi An stay including transfers, a few meals, and laundry service: $557.47

5 Nights by The Beach (Again) in Da Nang

My Room at the Paris Deli Hotel

After Hoi An, my hotel drove me up the road to Da Nang where I stayed at the Paris Deli hotel which was not bad but not my favorite place either. (Small rooms.) The hotel probably considers itself 4 star but I’d put it more in the 3 star category given the rooms.

Da Nang Beach from the Rooftop Pool of the Paris Deli

The Paris Deli is close to the beach so surprise — I spent my mornings taking long walks along the beach. The beach in Da Nang is really vast…it goes on forever. I didn’t do much in Da Nang unfortunately because of work but I know a lot of people think it’s great so  maybe one day I will go back to figure it all out. (I tried to hire a driver to get me to that golden hands bridge in the mountains that you see everywhere on the internet but it was ridiculously expensive for one person and going on a tour meant an 8 hour commitment and spending 8 hours on a tour bus is not my idea of fun.)

Total cost of my stay in Da Nang including transfers and a few meals and drinks: $499.89 In general, I kinda feel this was a bit pricey and meh for what I got. Just on a per night basis, I got much more for my money at the Silk Luxury hotel in Hoi An which was a much nicer hotel. If I go back to Da Nang, I’ll stay somewhere else. And actually, I’d stay closer to the river than to the beach. The river seems to be where all the action is.

One Week in Crazy Busy Hanoi

I spent time in Hanoi back in 2014 and I swear to God I was the only tourist there. It was really weird. I walked around that lake in town and saw no one except the people cutting the grass. Honestly, watch my video above from 2014 and notice the absence of tourists. (I took a golf cart ride around town back in 2014.)

5 years later and man how things have changed. (I should have taken another video.) Hanoi is overrun with tourists and now the old town is full of tourist tat. It’s not a bad thing — economic growth through tourism is a good thing — but it’s just different.

My Room at Hotel Marvelous

In Hanoi, I stayed at the Hanoi Marvelous, a nice centrally located hotel with lovely, lovely staff. Rooms were a bit dark — in the old quarter, the buildings are narrow and long so there aren’t many windows — but you couldn’t ask for nicer people. Each time I left the hotel by car, they all came out and waved me goodbye! I was more of a tourist in Hanoi than I was in Da Nang, taking a food tour and a history tour and generally just exploring a bit more to make up for my pretty uneventful five days in Da Nang The hotel calls itself a 4 star hotel but I’d probably put it more in the 3 star category. This was a fine stay but I’d be tempted to try somewhere else next time.

Total cost of my stay in Hanoi: $728.76 including transfers, tours, and a few meals at the hotel.

2 Nights in Beautiful Halong Bay

Halong Bay

From Hanoi, I headed out to Halong Bay.

My Room on My Orchid Cruise of Halong Bay

After a lot of research, I decided on Orchid Cruises. They are billed as 5 star but they are more like 3.5 to 4 stars. Everything has potential but it’s just not there yet. It’s one of the nicest cruise ships on Halong Bay so I definitely recommend that you check it out but it just didn’t have that luxurious feel that I was after. (My Yangtze River cruise on the other hand was much more five star.) I think I will write more about this cruise in a later post so stay tuned.

Floating 7-11 Halong Bay

In general, I loved cruising Halong Bay. I mainly just sat out on my balcony and read books and enjoyed chatting with the other passengers who were from all over the world. I did a few of the cruise activities but honestly the highlight of each day was the “Floating 7-11s,” basically women in rowboats who would come alongside our cruise ship every evening and attempt to sell us beer, wine, and Pringles. One woman I swore just tried to stare deeply into my eyes for five minutes repeating “Pringllllles….Pringlllles…” It was pretty entertaining.

Total Cost of My Cruise: Ouch. $679.98 (This included all meals and excursions. If I was traveling with someone, it would have been half the price. Cruises are a bad deal for most solo travelers.)

Other Costs Including Those Pesky ATM Fees…

In Vietnam, you can only take small amounts out of ATMs. Most ATMs limited me to $80 a day, but in Hanoi, I was finally able to take out $100! So I recommend that you use no-foreign-transaction fee credit cards wherever credit cards are accepted to avoid ATM fees. Apparently, the ATMs in Saigon are more generous and let you take out more than $100. Beyond the costs I’ve already mentioned above, I spent about $700 in cash in Vietnam which was all on massages, facials, food, drink, tips and ATM fees. (The ATM fees are killing me. Why Krista? Why!!) I also took three flights: one to Vietnam from Xi’An, one from Nha Trang to Da Nang, and one from Da Nang to Hanoi. These cost $675 in total which includes hefty baggage surcharges for my — gasp — 40 kilos in luggage. (Don’t judge. I know you’re judging.)

Regrets…I Have a Few…

I really wish I had visited Sapa but I was worried about Internet access and I had a lot of work to do. 🙁 Next time.

Total Spend in Four Weeks

About $4200 all in, or about $150 a day.  Pretty much what I budgeted for myself going into this whole adventure. Note I am also working from the road so it’s important that I have a desk and high speed internet wherever I stay– hotels are where I live and my work schedule is too unpredictable to rely on internet cafes. In hindsight, I could have picked a cheaper Halong Bay cruise but my thing is that the last place you want to be alone and miserable about your accommodation is on a boat! Also, I had to pay for two people  on the cruise even though I was one person which is kinda sucky. Oh and I forgot to mention…I celebrated Thanksgiving by myself in Hanoi at the Melia Hotel which was hosting a Thanksgiving Buffet (WITHOUT GREENBEANS!!!!). That wasn’t cheap…dinner and one glass of wine was $80…but I didn’t really fancy bun cha for Thanksgiving so I’m glad I did it.

Ah, crucial detail…I booked the Silk Luxury Hotel and the Paris Deli Hotel on Hotels.com, using the non-refundable rate which got me a decent discount. (Sorry, it was ages ago so I don’t remember how much it was but enough that it made sense to do it.) I don’t recommend booking a non-refundable rate like this unless you are sure of your plans but it’s a nice way to save money. Also, Hotels.com gives you 1 night free for every 10 nights booked so that was another reason I did it.

The Verdict

You should go to Vietnam!! It’s amazing!!! And if you do it right, it’s pretty cheap!! You could totally get away with decent two and three star hotels in Vietnam and save a bundle. The food is especially delicious and especially affordable. Go go go go go.

Why I’m Writing about The $$$, Honey

I don’t think people talk about how much stuff costs on the internet enough. Everyone’s like, “Look at my amazing over- water bungalow in the Maldives!” Do you know how much that shi*t costs? I’ll tell you because I just spent the last week looking at resorts in the Maldives. Like $5000 A WEEK. And that’s before you’ve eaten anything! Crazy stuff.

If you haven’t already, check out my posts on my costs in Thailand and China.

Check out Some of My Other Vietnam Posts

• Getting a Visa to Vietnam
• The Best Tours in Saigon
• My Review of the Intercontinental Saigon
• Instagram Fun in Hanoi
• My Review of the Sofitel Hanoi

The post Cost of My Four Weeks in Vietnam first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

How to get a Vietnam visa

Getting an eVisa for Vietnam Online and Preparing for Your Trip

Citizens from most Western countries including the US and UK can now apply for an e-visa for Vietnam through the official government portal.  (There are some Vietnam visa scams and bogus sites out there that claim to be the government site so be careful.) The Vietnam e-visa gets you a 30-day, single entry visa.  In September of 2018, I applied for a Vietnam eVisa through the government portal using my US passport and everything went swimmingly. It’s now November 2018 and I am updating this post from Nha Trang, Vietnam! When my flight landed from China in Nha Trang airport, I just queued up with my passport and the paper eVisa and waited my turn. The immigration officer reviewed my eVisa, stamped my passport, and then hand-wrote my visa’s expiration date in my passport. I’m keeping the paper copy of my Vietnam eVisa with my passport just in case I need it again. (Update: 28 days later, I left Vietnam and no one asked to see my paper eVisa.) In general, I found the Vietnam eVisa process easy so my review is very positive.

Please note that for some countries, there’s also visa-free travel for 15 days so please make sure you read the rules carefully.

Getting a Vietnam Visa on Arrival

If you don’t plan far enough in advance for an e-visa, you may need to go the “visa on arrival” route. This is where you receive your visa a the airport after registering your details with an embassy or 3rd party agent. Likewise, if you are from a country not on Vietnam’s list of e-visa countries or if you need a longer visa or are just more complicated, you may need to go the visa on arrival route. The rest of this post reviews my previous experience with Vietnam’s visa on arrival system.

Vietnam-eVisa.org Review for Visa on Arrival

For my original Vietnam visa on arrival, I used Vietnam eVisa.org and recommend them as a legitimate and relatively cheap vendor for visas on arrival. I know there are a number of reviews online that talk about visa scams, but my review is positive. I recommend making sure you get Fast Track or VIP Fast Track if you will be arriving at a peak traffic time. (Read on for more on this.) Vietnam-eVisa.org also offers extra services like airport cars, hotel reservations, and tours. (If your hotel doesn’t offer airport pickup, book a transfer to avoid the crazy bad Saigon airport chaos!) Another visa service that comes highly recommended and has positive reviews is Vietnam Visa Online; they offer Fast Track services and airport pickup, they are also fairly cheap, and if you email them, they respond very quickly.

Bear in mind that I applied for my Vietnam visa on arrival through Vietnam-eVisa.org as an American and so if you are of any other nationality, getting a visa for Vietnam 1. might not be necessary or 2. might be harder OR easier than what I describe below. Also note that visa rules have changed since my visit and will continue to change given the rapid increase in tourism to Vietnam.

OK, now for the full Vietnam-eVisa.org review of my visa on arrival experience…

Should I Get a Visa on Arrival in Vietnam? 

Although I loved my time in Vietnam, I learned a few hard lessons in the visa process. Lest you make the same mistakes I did, let me tell you about my visa situation first and then share some of my other mistakes in other posts.

There are two main ways to obtain a Vietnam visa for most people as I mention above: get an e-visa through the government portal or or go the “visa on arrival” (VOA) route. For various reasons, I needed to go for “visa on arrival” for Vietnam. I did some research and read some reviews, but apparently not enough. Because…

GETTING A VISA ON ARRIVAL IN VIETNAM IS LIKE STABBING YOURSELF IN THE EYES. UNLESS YOU PAY FOR FAST TRACK OR VIP FAST TRACK.

Have you ever tried to buy a train ticket at the train station in Italy while the Italians are striking? Go to a U.S. grocery store the morning of the Superbowl? Visit any post office around the world three days before Christmas? This is what it’s like to get a visa on arrival in Vietnam without paying for fast track. Do not do this to yourself. Really. Don’t. Let me give you the logistics and review of my experience.

Firstly, IF you go the “visa on arrival” route, you apply for your Vietnam visa approval letter online in advance through a 3rd party provider. I used Vietnam-evisa.org and I had a good experience and they seemed to be legitimate and not a scam.  Consider this my Vietnam-evisa.org review. I submitted my application online at 8:28 a.m. on Sunday, February 16th. I received my visa approval letter on Monday, February 17th at 4:26 a.m.  which was earlier than they told me to expect a response, which was nice. (They had said  Feb/18 at 18:00 GMT+7)

No matter what, you will need two passport photos. Get those in your offline world.

The Vietnam approval letter is a bit strange in that you will get a letter that includes your name and a bunch of other people’s names from all over the world. My inner stalker kinda wanted to try to find them all on Facebook. (Note that you can pay extra to get a private letter with no other names on it.) OK, no problem. I can print all that. HOWEVER, also in the e-mail was something I failed to review. It said…

This link is for you to download and write down visa form at Airport. (To see the form, go to Vietnam-eVisa,org, click Download Forms on the top right of the screen, and then look at Download Immigration Form entry and exit at the airport.)

Yeah, I didn’t do that. So when I finally got to the window (more on that in a bit), I got sent to the side because I hadn’t filled out the stupid form. But here’s the thing…because I had filled out “a” form on the Vietnam-evisa.org website, I thought I didn’t need to fill out another form that included similar information. Call me a dumbass. I am a dumbass.

Here’s the part that I REALLY totally regretted later. On Monday, February 17 2014 at 2:29 a.m., Vietnam-evisa.org emailed me and said this. (This is their English, just to be clear.)

Dear Sir/Madam:

Thanks for choosing http://www.vietnam-evisa.org/

After taking a long flight, do you feel very tired to get the line to get visa stamp at arrival airport?

You do not want to wait a long time at arrival airport to get line visa stamp, you want to get it ASAP and go to hotel to relax?

Many customers said that it is very uncomfortable to wait for a long time to get visa stamp because there are many people also get visa on arrival like them and it is also very hard to take back their passports because the differences about pronunciation

Many people is very confused at arrival airport in the first time they use visa on arrival because they don’t know where the Immigration Department counter to get visa stamp is

To avoid wasting your valuable time, especially after having a long flight or other personal reasons. We establish additional services to assist you at the airport when you arrived, and will bring to you with the  highest satisfy. You are welcome as highest VIP person, and you don’t need to get line for pick up visa stamp at the airport, let our staff do it for you.

We offer 2 options for you to chose, and let us do the rest for you:

A. Fast Track at the airport  

·         Fast Track: Welcome and help to get visa stamp without get line. More details

·         VIP Fast Track: Welcome and get visa stamp without get line at Immigration checking desk, then staff will escort you to luggage lounge and help you passing the customs checking counter, and after that we will take you to the car park. . More details

*** OK, back to me again ***

Yes! I was very tired! No, I didn’t want to get the line to get the visa stamp! No, I don’t want to wait a long time to get line visa stamp! Yes, I want to go to my hotel and relax! I want highest satisfy!!

But no…I didn’t pay for the Fast Track. I wasn’t highest VIP person. I did not use my personal reasons. I WAS NOT HIGHEST SATISFY!!!

Instead, I chose to STAB MYSELF IN THE EYES. In hindsight, I really wish I had paid for VIP Fast Track for my Vietnam Visa on Arrival. I also wish I had read the instructions more closely and printed out the relevant forms.

Vietnam Visa on Arrival Cost

Currently, Vietnam-evisa.org is charging $12 for normal processing of a one month single entry visa for US citizens. (Pricing could be different depending on your nationality.) Note that you will still have to pay the $25 stamping fee at the airport.

Why You Should Pay for VIP Fast Track for Your Vietnam Visa On Arrival

OK, so I got off my flight from Singapore in Ho Chi Minh Airport and me and a million elderly French hikers and a dozen or two total stoners in flowy pants and flip flops from all over the world all tried to get visas on arrival at the same time. Just like in Italy during a train strike or at a U.S. grocery store before the Superbowl or that day when you decide to go to the post office THREE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. It was chaos. I was lucky in that I had most of my information ready and got up to the window relatively quickly…but that’s when I learned I didn’t have that stupid form (it’s the N1 form for Vietnam visa) so I had to go fill that out, bring it back and wonder how the two guys behind the window kept track of everything.

And then I had to wait. And wait. And wait.

Then I had to listen to the poor Vietnamese woman try to pronounce all these Western names. And you know, the French only respond when you pronounce correctly, so that worked REALLY well (sarcasm font).

Tip: Make sure the back of your passport is easily recognizable. I’ve been a member of Global Entry for a long time, so I have the old CBP sticker on the back of my passport, along with a lot of general airline security stickers. The only thing that kept me sane was seeing my passport there on the desk and knowing that I was just waiting for them to call my name.

90 minutes later, I had everything I needed and the immigration queues had died down enough that I slipped quickly through. But they were a very painful 90 minutes and I really regret not paying the extra money for VIP Fast Track or regular Fast Track. Also, by the time I got through to baggage claim, my suitcase was one of five sitting next to our baggage claim. Everything else — and everybody else — was gone.

So…Should you get a “Visa on Arrival” in Vietnam? YES! BUT…please please please pay extra for Vietnam E-visa.org Fast Track or VIP Fast Track. Alternatively, try Vietnam Visa Online and ask them about Fast Track as well. This way, when you get off the plane, it is all taken care of and all you need to do is get your luggage. If I give you nothing in life, let my vietnam-evisa.org review give you this. UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO STAB YOU IN THE EYES. (That is a joke. I would never stab anyone and especially not in the eyes.)

Or, well bring a good book.

All the Necessary Vietnam Links

In short, here are all the links you should check out for your trip to Vietnam:

eVisa for Vietnam

• Official government e-visa portal

Visa on Arrival for Vietnam

• Vietnam eVisa.org
• Vietnam Visa Online

Vietnam Guidebooks

The country is changing rapidly so as soon as you’ve read my evisa and vietnam-evisa.org reviews, buy a guidebook! Something published in 2017, 2018, or 2019 please.

• DK Eyewitness Travel Vietnam & Angkor Wat
• Lonely Planet Discover Vietnam
• The Rough Guide to Vietnam
• The Moon Vietnam Travel Guide

Vietnam Tours

Check out Urban Adventures for food and motorbike tours in Hanoi, Saigon, Hoi An, Hue, and Nha Trang. (And see my post on my favorite Saigon tours over here.)

Travel Insurance

• World Nomads travel insurance

You Might Enjoy My Other Posts

• The Best Saigon Tours
• Review of the Intercontinental Asiana Saigon
• Review of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Pin It for Later!

Book a Tour in Vietnam

This post contains affiliate links. 

The post Getting a Visa to Vietnam: Don’t Make the Mistakes I Did! first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Sofitel Metropole Hanoi Review

I just finished a three-night stay at the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi. The video will give you an overview of what my room looked like. (But note I am uploading this from behind the Great Firewall of China so I am not sure if the video will come through. It should, but I can’t see it myself from Shanghai.) Overall I enjoyed my stay and my review of the Sofitel Metropoole Hanoi is positive, although in hindsight, I probably could have stayed in a cheaper hotel in Hanoi that was still pretty nice. Here is my review and my pros and cons of this luxury Hanoi hotel:

Pros of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

• Lovely and plentiful staff for the most part. When I checked in, there were about 10 people waiting on me. It was kinda crazy. Also, I had my own BUTLER. So that was totally awesome.
• Great food. The afternoon tea in the lounge! (I paid extra for the club floor.) The chocolates! The petit fours! And I don’t even like chocolate!! Amazing, really. Tears, actually. There was this one chocolate thing with cream inside and it was….it was…it was dreamy. Honestly, the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi gets a positive review from me just because of the afternoon tea in the lounge.
• Spa on site. I had a very nice 90 minute massage for about 90 bucks USD. I’m okay with a dollar a minute, although of course, I would prefer it to be cheaper. Check out the spa menu here.
• For a hotel of this caliber, the laundry service was CHEAP. $2.50 USD for underwear. That’s a good value, even though it still kills me to say so. Along with my Pringles Index (TM), I am also announcing the creation of the Drawers Index (TM). (This is where you report the price of your minibar Pringles and your hotel laundry underwear cleaning from various locations around the globe.)
• There is a secret  bunker under the hotel that you can tour! The shelter was constructed during the Vietnam war. Rumor has it that Jane Fonda has stayed here??!!

Cons of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

• My personal butler organized a wake-up call for me for Friday at 6:30 am. Only problem? It came on THURSDAY at 6:30 am. “So sorry, so sorry.” Not a problem really because I was pretty much awake then anyhow — Asian jetlag is a killer —  although then I got all worried that the hotel thought I was leaving on Thursday and not Friday so then I had to sort that out. Multiple phone calls, etc etc.
• When I was reviewing my departure with one of the lounge concierges, I was checking on how long it would take to the get to the airport and what time I should leave. She kept saying “You should leave 2.5 hours before your flight” and I kept saying “So I should leave at 7:50 am?” To which she would reply “No, 8:30” and I was getting really confused. (My flight was at 10:20 am.) I must have said 7:50 am one too many times because she got more than a bit of an attitude with me to the point where I had to say, “Don’t get mad at me. I’m just trying to understand what you mean and it’s not adding up.” I finally got out a piece of paper and wrote it down to clarify, at which point she realized her mistake and was very “So sorry, so sorry.” But at a hotel of this caliber, she should not have an attitude. Also, once she agreed that I should leave at 7:50, she said “7:30, it’s safer.” BIZARRE.
• The club lounge, for me, had too much European food and not enough Vietnamese food. I missed the mix at the Intercontinental in Saigon.
• Location: Although it’s a nice area to walk around, I think I would have preferred to be in the old quarter. I took a lot of taxis in Hanoi.
• Cons: Hermes bath products. I hate this stuff. Makes me smell too much like a dude. It’s all musky and shit.

My Sofitel Metropole Hanoi Review

So…would I stay at the Sofitel Metropole again? Overall, my review is positive but I’m also open to exploring other parts of town. That being said, if I found that those other places weren’t to my liking, I would come back here. The Club Lounge and the Spa were pretty great. And I never even made it to the Sofitel’s pool!! (The weather was pretty gray and drizzly during my visit.) In short, if you like the finer things in life, you will like it here.

You Might Enjoy These Other Posts

• My Review of the Intercontinental Asiana Saigon
• All the Best Saigon Tours
• Archive of All My Vietnam Posts

What Else to Do in Hanoi

The post My Sofitel Hanoi Review first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Delicious barbecue dinner with Hanoi Urban Adventures Food Walk

Breakfast of Pho at the Softel Metropole

Lobby of Sofitel Metropole

More pho for breakfast!

Shop in the Old Quarter during my Hanoi Urban Adventures Food Walk

Taking a coffee break during my photo tour with Vietnam in Focus

Beer break during my photo tour with Vietnam in Focus

Mixed meat noodle lunch with Vietnam in Focus

Last breakfast at the Sofitel Metropole. Mixed it up a bit this time and got mixed seafood noodles

Leaving the Hanoi airport

Buddha's Fingers in the market. Not edible. Used for offerings.

Silkworm snack in the market with Hanoi Urban Adventures. Tastes like blue cheese!

Hanoi street scene with Vietnam in Focus.

The post Instagram Fun in Hanoi first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

I have so much to share about Saigon but I am low on time and I want to keep up with my commitment to myself. See, when I began this journey, I promised myself that I would try to get back into the rhythm of blogging and blog every day about what I had done and what I had seen. I’m already falling behind. I need some more “logistics and operations” days to get me sorted. (“Logistics and operations” days are the days where I travel and don’t press myself to do anything more than fly on a plane, get money from an ATM, check myself into a hotel, get connected to the Internet, confirm my travel plans, book a spa appointment, and hang out at the hotel bar. See, when I write that all out…that’s a lot, isn’t it?

With thanks today to Viator, I booked a private tour of Hanoi this morning It included stops at all the major tourist attractions (Ho Chi Minh entombed!), a ride in an electric golf cart through the old town, and a pho noodle lunch. A decent value at $90, including hotel pick-up and drop off. So thank you Viator, for making travel easy. I appreciate it.

Here’s some of what I saw from the back of that electric golf cart in Hanoi. Enjoy.

The post Hanoi from the Back of an Electric Car first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.