We flew from Ho Chi Minh for Hanoi on VietJet Airlines. The baggage for the four of us barely fit in the van taking us to airport. Fortunately, we had booked business class seats on VietJet. This allowed us to check in as much luggage as we wanted as long as it didn’t exceed 132 pounds. At Ho Chi Minh Aiport, we had access to the lounge where we ate pho before our flight. We even had a special shuttle bus that took us to the plane from the gate. No waiting in lines! Once on board, the Vietjet flight attendants were waiting to assist us with stowing our bags. On this two-hour flight, I enjoyed a banh mi and a coconut dessert that was served in a fresh coconut! The flight was almost too short. Upon landing in Hanoi, our driver whisked us to the JW Marriott Hanoi. This was a beautiful hotel with amazing customer service. The concierge helped us with recommendations and reservations for dinner and spa appointments. The concierge had also booked a private driver for the two days we would be in Hanoi. We dropped our bags in our one-bedroom suites and found yummy welcome rice cake treats waiting for us. We immediately headed out for some shopping in the old-quarter district in case we wanted to order some custom-made clothing. We didn’t find clothing we wanted to order. But we did find a sidewalk cafe where we ordered some street-ish food and beer. After this fun stop, we hired some tricycle carts to take us to Train Street. This was a totally touristy and fun activity. We made it to Train Street and found a coffee shop along the tracks. The next train was scheduled to whiz by in about 30 minutes. It was the perfect time to sit and enjoy our egg coffee. What a fun experience.

On our first full day in Hanoi, we started with an amazing international breakfast buffet. The breakfast was included with our stay and we got pho! In addition to Vietnamese food, the buffet included Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, and continental foods. I could enjoy natto and kimchi! We met our guide who took us to a lacquer store. We found and bought fine lacquerware and art made in Lacquer Village in Vietnam. Our second stop was at a Vietnamese fine arts and products store. We bought embroidered silk, coffee, tea, and snacks. Our guide brought us to the Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucious. I loved this stop. We saw so many people visiting during the days leading up to the Lunar New Year. We stopped for lunch at Hương Liên where Obama and Bourdain had their famous meal. We ordered the same thing as they did, now known as the Combo Obama. I was expecting a cold bun cha salad but it turned out to be a warm and slightly sweet soup. As we enjoyed our meal, we were surrounded by photos of Obama and Bourdain on the walls of this eatery. After lunch, we stopped at Hoa Lo Prison that you may know as the Hanoi Hilton. I want to educate myself more on the history of Vietnam. It was interesting to hear our Vietnamese guide refer to the war as the American War. Lerning more history is another project/goal to add to my retirement list. I think I can combine this with reading more too. We stopped at Train Street again to check out the daytime vibe. The last sightseeing stop of the day was the the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and the changing of the guards. We ended the day with a visit to Mido Spa. I got a 110 min facial for less than $50. After our relaxing spa time, we walked to Tam Vi, a one-Michelin star restaurant. The total price of this dinner for 4 people was $32. This included 4 beers and 4 bottled waters. So affordable. But — truthfully, I’d recommend getting food at an even cheaper, more authentic Vietnamese restaurant.

We went back to the breakfast buffet before heading to Halong Bay on our last full day in Vietnam. On the way there, we stopped at a pearl farm/factory and bought some pearl moisturizers. After 3 1/2 hours, we arrived at Halong Bay where we had a private charter boat for 4 of us. I highly recommend the private charter since it takes you to the less crowded routes and caves. It includes lunch and photos and was a worthwhile and beautiful stop. We got back to the hotel at around 6 p.m., headed to the executive lounge for free snacks and cocktails. We ended the day with our last spa visit of the trip. After the treatment, we went back to the lounge for more snack and cocktails before packing up to leave Vietnam.

We left Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines on a Dreamliner. It was so comfortable and the service was amazing with freshly mixed cocktails and a sukiyaki meal. We arrived in Haneda and got and stored our bags. During the layover, two of my travel mates enjoyed a final salon visit at the airport (Terminal 1). My other friend and I got sushi and sake. Our flight from Haneda to Hawaii was on Hawaiian Airlines and I slept through all services. Thank goodness for lay-flat seats! Living Hilo Style in Hanoi.