Hoan Kiem Lake | Vietnam 2015

It was my birth month back in 2015 when we left for Hanoi. Actually, it was just a few days away from my birthday, and I was excited to be celebrating it abroad. We arrived at Hanoi at around midnight, and we were picked up at the airport by the hotel representative. He drove us straight to where we will stay which was at Hanoi Guest House Royal. On a first glance, the location looked a bit sketchy. But after a few nights of staying there, I must say that it was indeed a comfortable and safe place to stay in.

Actually, nung dumating kami sa hotel, natutulog yung staff sa front desk. And when I say natutulog, hindi yung naka heads down ah. As in may comforter pa, and all. So syempre na-shocked kami. Lalo na ako, kasi hospitality management graduate ako, so nakapag intern na ko sa five star hotels. Haha! I'm just not so sure if sa Vietnam or dun lang ba sa specific hotel lang na yon ganon. Naiintindihan ko naman na syempre madaling araw na and mamaya pang morning yung kapalit niya ng shift, pero nawindang lang talaga ko. Haha! And para sa'min naman kasi, we were just after a place to stay and yung mga ganung bagay di naman kami yung para mag complain. So if hindi naman kayo choosy and naghahanap kayo ng maganda and murang place to stay in Hanoi, I recommend this place. Swear, super okay naman dito and mababait yung hotel staff. :)

Our hotel was located at Hoan Kiem. It was just three minutes away from Hoan Kiem Lake, and Ngoc Son Temple. Aside from a free wifi access, we also enjoyed a complimentary breakfast. The hotel staff was extremely incredible! In our few days of stay in Hanoi, I must say that they really provided us with excellent service.

Take a look at how fancy our bedroom was. Please don't get too intimidated by the looks of it, because its room rate per night was not as expensive as you may think it was. Well, it was based on how much we paid two years ago, I'm just not so sure if the room rate has already increased. Our room looks very elegant with a touch of some victorian style inspired designs and decors. I also love the color combination of white, gold and red. Indeed, you'll definitely feel like a royal!

DAY 1

#WhenInVietnam

You know you're in Vietnam when you see people wearing these conical hats. They consider these hats as a traditional symbol of the Vietnamese people. And I just adore the fact that they still wear these even up to this day. It's absolutely a great way to preserve their culture and traditions.

Our first stop was Hoan Kiem Lake which means "Lake of the Returned/Restored Sword." There was actually a legend story behind this tourist spot which you may read via Wikipedia. I'm just not a 100% true if all stated were facts.

Ngoc Son Temple is a Buddhist temple which means "Temple of the Jade Mountain." It was connected to the lakeshore through the Vietnamese style bridge in the photo above. P.S. I have only selected quite a number of photos. If only I could share everything!

Here are some of my random shots which include a wedding pictorial. If you're a nature and outdoor person, you'll definitely enjoy this wondrous place. Everything seems so calm and relaxing. You'll have a great view of the lake and sky, as well as the flowers and plants just by walking around.

And of course, our first day wouldn't be complete without trying an authentic Vietnamese pho. Ang lakas maka kambing ng mga veggies na nakahalo. Lol, halata bang tom jones na ko mga besh?

After having lunch and spending time at the mall, we have decided to have street food as our dinner. We tried out the doner kebab which was really good and can pass as a dinner meal already. To those of you who are planning to visit Vietnam, I suggest you try this one. Though, there were really some vendors who sell very good doner kebab as compared to the other sellers. 

And that sums up our first day in Vietnam. I suggest if you're planning to visit the country, be sure to only stay in Hanoi for a day or two, then move to other places such as Ho Chi Minh city, and take a side trip in different provinces. We spent a few days in Hanoi and there's really nothing much to see.