I was looking forward enthuistically to this long awaited short break for a holiday in a cold country.
Well, Japan was out as KT has been there for several time. Korea was out as well as KT doesn't like the people there as he find them rude.
Finally decided to go Hanoi as it was quite well recommended by his friends as well as my friends.
Who knows this 8 days holiday turn out to be a nightmare.
Upon touching down at 9pm in Hanoi,
I was greeted with sounds of non stop horning from the bikes and cars travelling on the road.
Hanoi is a country where bikes taking up 90% of the vehicles on the road.
Road was bumpy, small and fully packed. Traffic was bad and slow moving.
Thou you can feel the cooling air, you can smell that the air is really polluted.
It didn't help matters when I am having a bad flu and cough already.
Well I thought it was still ok as I will be going Sapa(mountain area) the next day for 4 nights where I will get lots of fresh air from the mountain.
Well, Japan was out as KT has been there for several time. Korea was out as well as KT doesn't like the people there as he find them rude.
Finally decided to go Hanoi as it was quite well recommended by his friends as well as my friends.
Who knows this 8 days holiday turn out to be a nightmare.
Upon touching down at 9pm in Hanoi,
I was greeted with sounds of non stop horning from the bikes and cars travelling on the road.
Hanoi is a country where bikes taking up 90% of the vehicles on the road.
Road was bumpy, small and fully packed. Traffic was bad and slow moving.
Thou you can feel the cooling air, you can smell that the air is really polluted.
It didn't help matters when I am having a bad flu and cough already.
Well I thought it was still ok as I will be going Sapa(mountain area) the next day for 4 nights where I will get lots of fresh air from the mountain.
Bridge during trekking at Sapa
Village at Sapa
Nice Scenery of Sapa
After 8 hours of overnite train rite, it was freezing cold when I reach Sapa at 4am as it has been raining the whole night.
It takes another 3 hrs of bus ride to go uphill...I almost fainted as i hate to take long bus ride
due to motion sickness.
Well, when you join a package tour, I guess the expectation is that there will be tour guide accompanying you during the whole journey. However, it doesn't work this way in Hanoi.
1) 2nd Nov
The driver pick us up from Hanoi hotel and sent us to the train station in Hanoi
2) We have to take the train ourselves, get down the train with notour guide and go the the Sapa train station who have another Sapa tour guide waiting at Sapa. I thought that is pretty weird as usually tour package are accompained by tour guide.....
3) 3rd Nov
Today was still alright other than the weather. Went trekking on the mountain area and visiting the villages and waterfall.
Trekking was great except that the weather is bad as is has been raining. Obviously my new Adidas cross training shoes was not spared.
4) 4th Nov
It was a bumpy 3 hrs ride to visit their Ba-Ha market that opens on Sunday. Well it is supposed to be their largest market....But guess what, I went there and ended the day empty -handed. Guess I seriously hate to bargain especially the people doesn't know English. Tourist there will only be "CARROT HEAD"
The driver pick us up from Hanoi hotel and sent us to the train station in Hanoi
2) We have to take the train ourselves, get down the train with notour guide and go the the Sapa train station who have another Sapa tour guide waiting at Sapa. I thought that is pretty weird as usually tour package are accompained by tour guide.....
3) 3rd Nov
Today was still alright other than the weather. Went trekking on the mountain area and visiting the villages and waterfall.
Trekking was great except that the weather is bad as is has been raining. Obviously my new Adidas cross training shoes was not spared.
4) 4th Nov
It was a bumpy 3 hrs ride to visit their Ba-Ha market that opens on Sunday. Well it is supposed to be their largest market....But guess what, I went there and ended the day empty -handed. Guess I seriously hate to bargain especially the people doesn't know English. Tourist there will only be "CARROT HEAD"
5) The journey back to my hotel uphill sucks..
Apparently, the tour guide in Sapa left the tour bus before going uphill...to go home(without even finishing his job of sending us back to our hotel)..
So we are left with the driver (Who doesn't know English). He stopped a few times on his way back to the hotel to pick up some (don't know who) of his personal customers
for his own extra earning. Wasted my time....
At Sapa town, he had to make a few extra drop off for those persoal customers....well again wasting my time....
In fact, he actually got the cheek to chit chat in the hotel with (don't know who) and kept us waiting in the car....
6) Some people was so pissed off with the waiting that they decided to get off the bus and walk back on their own. As my hotel was quite far from the palce where he stopped,we hesitate to get down. Until finally after KT was too piss, he decide to get down and walk. It was then that the driver came back. However, the driver didn't know which hotel we stayed nor did he know how to speak english. Can you imagine how frustrating can that be? It was until we were at another hotel reception that he asked for the receptionist help to translate. Then we finally got back to our hotel.
7) I thought it was pretty bad of the driver working attitude to use our time to do his own personal things and very unprofessional of the tour guide not to finish sending us back to hotel before he end his day.
9) I was supposed to take the night train back to Hanoi the next day. I reached Hanoi at 430am and was told to catch a taxi of my own back to Viet Anh Hotel in Hanoi....I thought there will be a driver to pick us up and send us to hotel at this wee hours...Well I was totally caught out of suprise as I joined the tour packaage and is supposed to pick us and send us back to hotel.
10) Reached the hotel at 5am, I was glad everyting is over and got a room to check in and have a hot shower before I sleep. Who knows, when we reached the hotel, the hotel was in total darkness. Lights were switched off and door was locked...
11) The guard was sleeping inside the hotel infront of the door...After a few knocks, he woke up and open the door for us to go in.
12) Guess what, he said we cannot check in because the receptionist was at home sleeping and will only be at work at 7am.
13) At this point of time, can you imagine how angry I felt? I paid $$ for the previous nite so that I can go to my room the moment I reached Hanoi and now I am stuck at the hotel lobby waitingfor the receptionist to come. "Never stay at Viet Anh Hotel again". It is either their management / process got problem, or their staff is plain lazy, irresponsible or bo chap. Anyway is the first time that I see a hotel not open 24hrs with the door lock at nite and all the staff asleep.It's really a eye-opener.
14)The next day I went around Old Quarter area for walk and shopping...well nothing much to shop as I was pissed off by a staff assistant. I was in a shop looking at some accessories when one lady slap my hand....telling me I cannot touch the accessories.I thought that is ridiculous.Why can't a shopper even touch something that is hanging on open space? After being pissed I walk out of the shop immediately and went to their high-end cafe(equivalent olio dome in Singapore) as I did not have any more mood to shop.
Apparently, the tour guide in Sapa left the tour bus before going uphill...to go home(without even finishing his job of sending us back to our hotel)..
So we are left with the driver (Who doesn't know English). He stopped a few times on his way back to the hotel to pick up some (don't know who) of his personal customers
for his own extra earning. Wasted my time....
At Sapa town, he had to make a few extra drop off for those persoal customers....well again wasting my time....
In fact, he actually got the cheek to chit chat in the hotel with (don't know who) and kept us waiting in the car....
6) Some people was so pissed off with the waiting that they decided to get off the bus and walk back on their own. As my hotel was quite far from the palce where he stopped,we hesitate to get down. Until finally after KT was too piss, he decide to get down and walk. It was then that the driver came back. However, the driver didn't know which hotel we stayed nor did he know how to speak english. Can you imagine how frustrating can that be? It was until we were at another hotel reception that he asked for the receptionist help to translate. Then we finally got back to our hotel.
7) I thought it was pretty bad of the driver working attitude to use our time to do his own personal things and very unprofessional of the tour guide not to finish sending us back to hotel before he end his day.
9) I was supposed to take the night train back to Hanoi the next day. I reached Hanoi at 430am and was told to catch a taxi of my own back to Viet Anh Hotel in Hanoi....I thought there will be a driver to pick us up and send us to hotel at this wee hours...Well I was totally caught out of suprise as I joined the tour packaage and is supposed to pick us and send us back to hotel.
10) Reached the hotel at 5am, I was glad everyting is over and got a room to check in and have a hot shower before I sleep. Who knows, when we reached the hotel, the hotel was in total darkness. Lights were switched off and door was locked...
11) The guard was sleeping inside the hotel infront of the door...After a few knocks, he woke up and open the door for us to go in.
12) Guess what, he said we cannot check in because the receptionist was at home sleeping and will only be at work at 7am.
13) At this point of time, can you imagine how angry I felt? I paid $$ for the previous nite so that I can go to my room the moment I reached Hanoi and now I am stuck at the hotel lobby waitingfor the receptionist to come. "Never stay at Viet Anh Hotel again". It is either their management / process got problem, or their staff is plain lazy, irresponsible or bo chap. Anyway is the first time that I see a hotel not open 24hrs with the door lock at nite and all the staff asleep.It's really a eye-opener.
14)The next day I went around Old Quarter area for walk and shopping...well nothing much to shop as I was pissed off by a staff assistant. I was in a shop looking at some accessories when one lady slap my hand....telling me I cannot touch the accessories.I thought that is ridiculous.Why can't a shopper even touch something that is hanging on open space? After being pissed I walk out of the shop immediately and went to their high-end cafe(equivalent olio dome in Singapore) as I did not have any more mood to shop.
Food and Drinks at Highland Coffee
15) I ordered a ice mocha, vietnamese coffee cheesecake and KT ordered a black coffee...Well obviously the stuff looks yummy.....As I was halfway through the cheesecake, guess what I saw?A fly that is stuck at the side of the cake...."Yucks" can you imagine how I felt at that point of time,I brought the pcs of cake back to the counter staff....Guess what she did..."She smile at me and says a Fly".
16) Then she took a straw and scrap away the fly from the cake...she thought that will be ok.What is this crap? This is supposed to be a high end cafe, hygience and customer service is so bad.
17) I told the staff that I am not going to eat this piece of cake. She then run to the manager and come back to tell me she will change the cake.
18) Well when the cake came back, she gave me a new piece with half the size of the original cake. "simply ridiculous".People only return one whole piece. This is the first time I saw people giving half a piece back.
19) I was just too overwhelmed by all the events that has happen. Decide to head back to the hotel at 3pm. I stayed in the hotel throughout hoping my nightmare in Hanoi will end soon.
On the boat in Halong
Nice Scenery of Halong
beautiful sunset at Halong
20) Next day was a trip to Halong bay. This was the best trip I had so far out of the past 6 days. Halong was beaufiful. It was nice cooling weather, peaceful and fresh air.
21) Well the Halong bay trip was 2 days and 1 night. I thought everyting will end soon with the nightmare in Hanoi.Who knows, on the day when we are on the way back to APT office(travel agent that book the tour), I asked the tour guide several time if she is going to drop us at APT office and she replied yes.
22) When we reach Hanoi, she drop us at 2 street away from APT office. I was pretty pissed coz I was pulling my big luggage. In hanoi, the pavement were all park with motobikes, there are no proper space or road that I can even pull my luggage properly. I had to pull my luggage on the rough road fighting space with the motobikes and cars travelling on the road. Don't you think that is sickening when they had already promised to drop us at the office and after several times of confirmation from the tour guide.It was later when they drop us at the street that the tour guide said the car is too big to go into the street.
23) I thought she should have stated that upfront? Anyway I was very dissapointed with the service provided by the people there despite a more expensive amt that I have paid for.I did not get the service or quality that I was expecting for.
24) Finally dragged my luggage to the Apt Office and took a airport transfer back to airport.At this moment of my mind, I just want to end this nightmare as soon as possible. Lucky nothing bad happen on our way back to airport.
25) Well, it wasn't the end. My flight was delayed. It was supposed to depart at 930pm. Now is reschedule to 1030pm. Only touched down at SG airport at 2am. Slept only around 3.30am. Is the worst holiday I ever been to.
Nice backview in Halong with KT
Cat on boat
20) Next day was a trip to Halong bay. This was the best trip I had so far out of the past 6 days. Halong was beaufiful. It was nice cooling weather, peaceful and fresh air.
21) Well the Halong bay trip was 2 days and 1 night. I thought everyting will end soon with the nightmare in Hanoi.Who knows, on the day when we are on the way back to APT office(travel agent that book the tour), I asked the tour guide several time if she is going to drop us at APT office and she replied yes.
22) When we reach Hanoi, she drop us at 2 street away from APT office. I was pretty pissed coz I was pulling my big luggage. In hanoi, the pavement were all park with motobikes, there are no proper space or road that I can even pull my luggage properly. I had to pull my luggage on the rough road fighting space with the motobikes and cars travelling on the road. Don't you think that is sickening when they had already promised to drop us at the office and after several times of confirmation from the tour guide.It was later when they drop us at the street that the tour guide said the car is too big to go into the street.
23) I thought she should have stated that upfront? Anyway I was very dissapointed with the service provided by the people there despite a more expensive amt that I have paid for.I did not get the service or quality that I was expecting for.
24) Finally dragged my luggage to the Apt Office and took a airport transfer back to airport.At this moment of my mind, I just want to end this nightmare as soon as possible. Lucky nothing bad happen on our way back to airport.
25) Well, it wasn't the end. My flight was delayed. It was supposed to depart at 930pm. Now is reschedule to 1030pm. Only touched down at SG airport at 2am. Slept only around 3.30am. Is the worst holiday I ever been to.
Nice backview in Halong with KT
Cat on boat
3 comments:
Well, I am not so surprised if there is some unprofessional ppl but I am very surprised since you met a lot and a lot such ppl in Hanoi.
I wish such travel agencies / hotels would have no business at all.
wah.. what happen to you? how come you slim down so much??
cherri....hur i got slim down meh? I thought I put on weight and my face seems swollen with that enormous steriods I am taking.
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