Year-end is always a special time for us as we celebrate Christmas and New Year with loved ones and gather for good food. This year was even more special as our older son returned from HK to spend time with us and we squeezed in a 1-week family vacation to Hanoi too.
24 Dec – Our annual Christmas Eve dinner was held at home where a few of us managed individual dishes to serve everyone. After dinner, we went for Part 2 by visiting a relative’s house to join a bigger group gathering.
25 Dec – The start of our 1 week Hanoi family vacation. A 630 am ride to the airport for a sumptuous breakfast at the First Class lounge before our 9 am flight. The Grab app was the main cab-hailing method used in Vietnam and we took it from the Hanoi International Airport to the Pullman Hotel. The fare was less than SGD 20 for the 40-minute journey. After checking in, we went to the Old Quarters for a Don Duck restaurant lunch specializing in duck dishes. After the meal, we accidentally stumbled into the picturesque railway line of cafes where the train passes within a hair’s breadth of our cafe tables. We took photos and had drinks while waiting for the train to pass within inches of us. We walked about 1 km in the cool evening from the hotel to Tam Vi restaurant, which was booked in advance by our younger son. It was a one Michelin-star place that served cheap and great home-cooked Hanoi meals.
26 Dec – We woke up early to meet our guide for an 8 am Hanoi walking tour in central Hanoi. We walked to the main lake and its temples, then visited the St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi. Finally, we went to the Hoa Lo Prison museum which was named Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. We then joined a food tour in the afternoon to sample varieties of Vietnamese street food. We headed to the Beer Street area in the evening for an outdoor Vietnam BBQ dinner.
27 Dec – Another early day for us as we had to set off at 8 am for the ride to Halong Bay. After boarding the cruise ship at noon, we had a buffet lunch before we set sail through the scenic bay. There was a brief stopover for us to kayak around an island mid-afternoon and soak in the jacuzzi aboard the roof deck after the exercise. Our connecting cabins had a lovely view of the cruise along the bay before the sunset for evening drinks at the rooftop bar before a sit-down dinner.
28 Dec – Morning buffet breakfast was served at 7 am before we set off to Cat Ba island via a smaller boat for an excursion through the famous caves. Check out by 11 am for the journey back to Hanoi to our new service apartment accommodations at Oakwood Residence. After checking in, we went for a massage at a local Spa experience which the tour guide recommended. It was very rustic with a local setup frequented by regulars. Dinner was Italian at La Fiorentina near our Oakwood Residence. We had a fantastic meal courtesy of my wife as a bonus. 2 bottles of wine and great food. That was the most expensive meal for the trip at VND 5.8 M (about SGD 300).
29 Dec – Another early day starts at 730 am for our full-day trip to the Ninh Binh province. We target to cover 3 places during the whole day. First was the Bai Dinh Pagoda complex followed by a buffet lunch. Then it was to Trang An for a small boat ride for 4 persons with a personal rower to enjoy the scenic sights. The final destination was to the Mua Caves where we climbed the 500 steps to the top of the mountain for spectacular sights from the peak. Arriving back in Hanoi at 730 pm, we dropped off at the Hanoi weekend night market to have a simple seafood dinner at a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the Old Quarters which had good reviews.
30 Dec – The final day in Hanoi was a chill day. We visited the gym in the morning before heading to the seafood Maison Buffet booked 2 days ago for brunch. The buffet spread was impressive, loaded with all the freshest seafood that Vietnam can offer for just VND 0.5 M (about SGD 25). Then we visited the newest Lotte mall before taking a short walk around the biggest lake in Hanoi. We spent a lazy afternoon watching the last few episodes of Squid Game 2 and opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate the end of a great holiday. We decided to explore the area around us for dinner and found Bao Wow, a quaint place for our final dinner meal in Hanoi.
31 Dec – Packed up and checked out by 9 am to set off to the airport for brunch at the lounge. The flight home was delayed and we finally landed at 6 pm. We then attended a lovely New Year’s Eve party till 1+ am. There was so much wonderful food filled with fun games and laughter till 1+ am.
2025 finally arrived… We are in for an exciting year that is likely to be eventful, and filled with twists and turns. Mostly thanks to the incoming American President. Hopefully, it will be profitable for my portfolio as we navigate the ups and downs of an unpredictable new management which will seek to destroy the status quo and move in a new direction. Happy New Year and wishing you a Prosperous 2025 ahead!!
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