Going to Hanoi and Halong bay free and easy?

You definitely can make your trip more enjoyable by learning about others trip.

Here is mine......

Landed at Hanoi - Noi Bai International Airport

After searching online, reading their reviews, i decided to stay these hotels:
Spring Flower Hotel 
Meracus hotel 2
The Hanoi Club Hotel & Lake Palais Residences

And my Cruise for a night at Halong Bay

Good to know......

Population: 6,232,940

Main Spoken languages: Vietnamese
Electrical: 220 Volts, 50 Hertz
Phone/calling code: +84
The Tourist Information Center +84-4 926 3366

This map of Vietnam found at Google


This map will let you have an idea which point you be landing. Northen Vietnam, that is Hanoi, and on the right is Halong Bay. Sapa is on the left which is a favourite spot as well. Ho Chi Minh is Southern Vietnam.

Before leaving for Vietnam, things to check:
1. Map
2. Weather
3. Currency
4. Passport (more than 6 months of validity remaining is essential)
5. Charger (Voltage is 220V, 50Hz -Two-pin plug is more popular than the three-pin one. *Out of 4 hotels i stayed, only one with three-pin avail.)
6. Luggage list 
+ Camera (good to bring along a camera then just rely on your mobile phone)
+ Medication (Panadol you can buy there but its better to bring along, for diarrhoea)
+ liquid less than 100ml (even tap water will be ask to throw or drink up. *You may hold a empty bottle and then fill up at water cooler machine after scanning. Suntan lotion. Moisturizer.)
+ Clothes (*i wore old clothes that i intend to give away so i don't have to bring back to reduce luggage weight. Isn't that a good idea? Swimming gears. )

Hanoi Weather 
May-Sep (hot or rain), and Oct-Apr (Cool, less rain). Best time to travel said to be Oct.

You may have booked your trip long ago but you still can plan your day trip to go with which weather.
*Like i chose to go Halong Bay the next day after arrived at Hanoi on my 5D4N because......... the forecast were amazing!
I was given these weather in Month - May.

Day1 Partly Cloudly  (really hot, i sweat in the taxi)

Day2 Partly Cloudly  (Depart from Hanoi to Halong - *journey about 4hrs include 30mins break)
Day3 Scattered T-Storms (Change of rain 60%)

Day4 Scattered T-Storms (Change of rain 40%)

Day5 Scattered T-Storms (Change of rain 40%) 

Currency

US$1.00 = 21,165 Vietnam Dong (VND)
*I used Dong for my trip and have no problem with small change. All dollar notes, and no coin in case you wonder. Common things like small bottle of mineral water cost 5000 VND.

Taxi
Taxi ride from airport to the city center takes about 30 minutes. Make sure they charge you by meter.
Reliable Taxi company:
1. Hanoi Group 38535353 (I took this white taxi with red horizontal line across)

2. Mai Linh, 38616161 (Green+white with Mai Linh listed on the side of the Taxi)

*i was pick up by hotel transfer which pre-arranged. i thought was FREE, but was collected US$20 when i checkout my hotel (Spring flower Hotel). I paid them VND instead of US$. By the way my hotel make through Agoda. On my last day, i took a taxi from hotel to airport which cost 430k VND - journey 30mins)


Hanoi Food
Vietnam’s northern city of Hanoi, the city is a wonderland of low cost eats and drinks, offering an endless variety of soups, noodles, buns, rolls and sandwiches paired with plenty of fresh herbs — and fresh beer, too. You could spend a week eating your way through the hectic, motorbike-clogged streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and never eat the same meal twice. I know I didn’t on my recent trip. I did not read up about what i have to try. I will just take it easy! Eat whatever i like on what i see! Check it out HERE