Once in a Lifetime: a brief Itinerary of Hong Kong, Northern Vietnam, and the Philippines

Here is but a glimpse, a snapshot, a brief record of events – a trip I planned for Alex’s parents through South East Asia December 2015. Three weeks of pushing their comfort zones, of trying new things, of exhausted, tear-induced laughter, of exotic food, strong coffee, and sleeper trains. This post is a testament to them – their strength, courage, resilience, curiosity, and wanderlust. They labelled this trip a once in a lifetime opportunity, but hopefully that is no longer the case. 
As became our motto to get us through and spur us on –
“Adventure! It’s an adventure!”

1. Hong Kong, December 12-14

These few days consisted of shopping and wandering and eating delicious food!

Highlights:

• Causeway Bay
  • Time Square
  • Night time wanderings and whole in the wall restaurants
  • Din Tai Fung (Michelin Star dim sum restaurant)
• Chinese product Emporium Yue Hwa (in Jordan)
  • Jade, silks, elaborate vases, teas, tea sets, etc.
  • Tea ceremony
• Ladies Market (in Mong Kok)
• Kowloon Park – Kung Fu competition (in Kowloon)
• The Globe (British pub in Central)

 

2. Hoi An, December 14-17

While in Hoi An in rained and rained and rained some more (except day 1). What Hoi An lacked in sunshine, it made up for in delicious food and ice cold beer!

Highlights:

• Tailors (BiBi Silk was the one I ended up choosing! The quality is outstanding and still holidng up today!)
• Night Market and nightlife
• Old City
  • lantern strewn cobbled streets
  • Leaving a lantern wish in the river
• My Son (ancient ruins)
• Bar hopping in the rain (sheesha!)
• Banh Mi
• Da Nang
  • Ho Chi Minh museum
  • Marble Mountain
    • Pagodas, temples, and cavernous caves
• Streets restaurant (NGO that trains street youth in the culinary arts!)
• Cooking Class
  • There are tons to choose from but we went with Eco Cooking Class tour
    • Some of the highlights included a tour of the early morning markets, boat ride, paddling in the basket boats, fishing, clay piñata, and delicious food (fresh spring rolls, crispy pancake rolls, and clay pot caramelized pork)!

 

3. Hanoi, Dec 17-19 and 22, 24-25

After an 18 hour sleeper train we arrived to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi! First sight that greeted us was a whole street selling nothing but Christmas decorations with glitter coating the gutters…

Highlights:

• Night Market
• Beer Corner
  • Bai Hoi
  • Old City
• Coffee
• St. Paul’s cathedral
• Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton)
• French Quarter
• Vietnamese BBQ!

 

4. Sapa, Dec 19-21

After another sleeper train, we found ourselves in the northern mountains of Vietnam! We arrived in Lao Cai, were packed liked sardines into a bus and switch-backed our way up the mountains to Sapa. From here we hopped on our bikes with the trusty guide from Sapa O’Chau and disappeared for 2 two days into the wild.

Highlights:

• Mountain passes
• Traffic…
• Silver Waterfall
• Love Falls, Fansipan Peak Park
• Ma Tra for lunch and lesson on design and handicrafts of Black H’mong women
• Dodging livestock on windy roads (ducks, chickens, water buffalo, dogs, pigs, and piglets!)
• Mud slicked, narrow slippery lanes…
• Homestay with Chao May Ma and her family (Red Dzhao tribe)
  • Mud brick walls, large open floor plan, balcony over-looking the valley, meat smoking in one corner, kitchen in the other, stove was an open fire with coals, home was dark but warm by the open fires
  • Family feast!
  • Dinner was a constant dance of cheers and thanks and blessings
  • Homemade rice wine
  • Herbal baths
    • 15 different plants and leaves soaked and boiled for hours and then poured in wooden tubs; like soaking in a cup of tea!
• Driving through the clouds
• Ass-bruising roads
• Rice terraces
• Villages closer to Sapa (tourist-ified; overrun with souvenir shops and pushing hawkers)

 

5.Hanoi, Dec 22

Sleeper train #3 brought us back to Hanoi bright and early. So early we had to wait on the streets to get into the hostel – the morning commotion of pop-up restaurants and cafes hadn’t even opened yet!

Highlights:

• Breakfast soup on the street – low plastic chairs
• Cafés and coffee
• Water Puppet show with orchestra and traditional instruments
• Hot Pot

 

6. Ha Long Bay, December 23-24

Though we were all glad to forgo the trains today, we didn’t realize the bus from Hanoi to Ha Long harbor was 4 hours… However, we did enjoy our overnight cruise with Ha Long Bay Imperial Cruises!

Highlights:

-Tour bus (4 hours to Ha Long harbor)
– Handicraft market (trains and supports the disabled)
-Overnight cruise
-Kayaking
-Great food
-Mountains and islands emerging from the mist
-Local fishing boats
-Floating village
-Garbage in the water…
-Heavenly Palace cave
-Squid fishing
-Pearl farm
-Lounging on the sun deck

 

7.Hanoi, Dec 24-25

Our final day in Vietnam consisted of a nice Christmas Eve dinner (no hole in the wall restaurants tonight!), souvenir shopping, egg coffee, and a surprise Christmas party at another hotel where there was lots of beer, party hats, and few other guests.

 

 

8.Malapascua Island, December 26-1 (Manila Dec 25 and Cebu Jan 1)

Christmas day found us on 2 planes and 4 different airports – from Hanoi to Bangkok (transfer in Bangkok) and from there to Manila! We stayed the night in Manila, attempted some sketchy skype calls home for the holidays, and then hopped on a plane to Cebu the next morning. We were picked up by our private driver and driven 3 hours to the pier in Maya. By that time it was night and the brilliant full moon sketched our path across the waves to the beautiful Malapascua island.

Highlights:

• Christmas day = 2 planes and 4 airports!
• Private driver from airport to the pier in Maya (3 hours)
• Catamaran to Malapascua in the dark with a brilliant full moon (45 min)
• Diving with Tresher Shark Divers
  • Macro marine life
  • Illusive thresher sharks
  • 2 dives a day
    • Get up, eat breakfast, go to the dive shop, get on a boat, dive, have lunch back on the island, get back on the boat, dive, shower, drink while filling out log books, wander until finding somewhere for dinner, and then crash early
• New Years Eve! Celebrated Sandra’s birthday with fireworks and shots!

 

 

9.Hong Kong, Jan 2-3

With a surprise fancy dinner at the beautiful Aqua restaurant, stunning views of the Hong Kong skyline, a laser show from the full length, 38 story windows, a ferry across famous Victoria harbor, and a quick drink and sheesha at Felfela in Central, we said our goodbyes!