9 Days in Asia: Taipei, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Shanghai

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May 26, 2017, 10:50 am

#16

mkjr

Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: Left

Programs: FT

Posts: 7,285

Great report. I love Taipei. I want to go back to Taiwan and god, I am just salivating over the beef noodle soup that I have yet to find something even REMOTELY close to what you get there in NA....

May 26, 2017, 1:21 pm

#17

grandgourmand

Join Date: Jan 2014

Location: yyz

Posts: 1,611

Great TR. Was in Vietnam earlier this year and loved it. Missed Hanoi, though.

May 26, 2017, 9:39 pm

#18

eeflyer

Join Date: Dec 2016

Posts: 578

Quote:

Originally Posted by sky303

I was the travel partner on this trip with ChiefNWA. It was the Hanoi Space Hotel. The Sales Manager Lily is absolutely amazing and handles all inbound requests for package information and booking on the website. They worked well to customize our tour package to fit our needs (extra night, driver to instead of from the airport, etc.). The staff were really incredible and eager to please, and the hotel was newish construction with nice rooms and solid AC. I'd highly recommend it--especially for the price. We saved a lot over our planned DIY.

On that note, great job capturing our experiences. It was a cool trip and definitely a good way to come up on the end of full pass privileges.

Thanks sky303 for such a detailed reply! Sounds like a great staff and I look forward to seeing what kind of planning they can help with.

Agreed on the great photographs!

Edit: Ooops, said thanks to the wrong person!

Last edited by eeflyer; May 28, 2017 at 7:00 pm

May 27, 2017, 6:33 pm

#19

lamphs

Join Date: Jun 2008

Posts: 2,202

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madone59

What an awesome trip report ^^. Thank you for sharing, your photos are stunning - especially the Vietnam ones.

May 27, 2017, 10:33 pm

#20

DanielW

Join Date: Jul 2013

Location: Dubai

Posts: 3,301

Looks like an great trip through Asia, ChiefNWA. A nice contrast of the bustling cities and the peacefulness of Ha Long Bay. Good news about the free/cheap flights continuing too

May 28, 2017, 3:24 am

#21

MA330

Join Date: Aug 2014

Posts: 97

Thank you very much for this report. Great photos, too.

May 28, 2017, 5:19 am

#22

Coathanger

Join Date: Sep 2004

Location: SYD

Programs: UA Premier Gold (*G), IHG Platinum & Hyatt Discoverist

Posts: 1,456

Nice balance of flight and destination photos.

I'll be visiting Hanoi for the first time in a few months and the food scene there looks great!

May 30, 2017, 2:37 pm

#23

ChiefNWA

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2009

Location: TPA

Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold

Posts: 1,256

Quote:

Originally Posted by bj27

Thank you for the respite from a long day at work. This was an excellent trip report which I thoroughly enjoyed.

A few points for you.
- I really enjoyed the TPE bit as my heritage is Taiwanese -- how I wish you would have gotten a few more days in TPE

- My friend has done the "buy refundable ticket/actually fly non-rev" back from China before and he had no issues, and I almost tried (albeit with confirmed tickets) and was too chicken. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they can enter your name and pull up the flights you are confirmed/standby on.
- Beautiful photography. You are an artist!

I was a little bit at ease doing it as the person I was traveling with had just done it in August. TBH, it was pretty straightforward and the EK refund processed in two days. Thank you for the kind words as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5DMarkIIguy

I went to the same pho restaurant a few years back per hotel concierge recommendation. It's probably the best pho anywhere.
^

The Pho there was incredible! I have a local place down the street I visit for lunch often but it doesn't even come close.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kalderlake

Thanks very much.

The Hanoi pictures brought back many good memories.

Though my visit was brief, it is one of the best cities I've visited.

asdf

Hanoi was certainly a lot of fun and unique. I look forward to seeing more of Vietnam in the future as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madone59

What an awesome trip report ^^. Thank you for sharing, your photos are stunning - especially the Vietnam ones.

Thanks so much!

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeflyer

Great trip report, thanks! I really enjoyed the photos of Vietnam. I hope Din Tai Fung was cheaper than it is in the US

Sorry if I missed it, but what hotel did you stay at with the package? Could you recommend one?

A little cheaper than the one in LA. I think we ran about $16/head.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueferrari

nice report; coincidentally I was thinking Hanoi or Taipei for next destination, and this report is very helpful.

great photos too, thanks for sharing.

My pleasure, thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnRain

Unbelievable photos, ChiefNWA! ^
I very much enjoyed your report.

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by trinhvilla

Beautiful pictures especially the night shots. Your pictures tell us what a wonderful trip you had. Thanks very much.

Thank you!

May 30, 2017, 2:43 pm

#24

ChiefNWA

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2009

Location: TPA

Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold

Posts: 1,256

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkjr

Great report. I love Taipei. I want to go back to Taiwan and god, I am just salivating over the beef noodle soup that I have yet to find something even REMOTELY close to what you get there in NA....

The beef noodle soup was to die for! I'm gonna have to try making my own one day and see how close I can get (not confident in that).

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandgourmand

Great TR. Was in Vietnam earlier this year and loved it. Missed Hanoi, though.

Thanks, I agree, Hanoi was fantastic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielW

Looks like an great trip through Asia, ChiefNWA. A nice contrast of the bustling cities and the peacefulness of Ha Long Bay. Good news about the free/cheap flights continuing too

Thanks DanielW. The flight benefits news is indeed great and something that I appreciate every time I travel. My life would be very different without the benefits...

I agree regarding the contrast. Most of my travels in the last several years have been day trips to large metropolises. Namibia, South Africa and Ha Long Bay have all reminded me that there's so much more out there than just another 10m+ populated city.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MA330

Thank you very much for this report. Great photos, too.

Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coathanger

Nice balance of flight and destination photos.

I'll be visiting Hanoi for the first time in a few months and the food scene there looks great!

Vietnam, and Hanoi in particular, is a great place for foodies. The Pho, Bun Cha, Cha Ca Thang, Bahn Mi, etc... I could go on and on.

Good to know the report was balanced. I included a few more flight photos than I did with the link sent to family and friends, they just don't care lol.

May 31, 2017, 9:01 pm

#25

worldiswide

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: ORD

Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond

Posts: 2,887

Been to all the places in this report and loved reading it. Vietnam is a beautiful place, try Hue next time.,great city. I really loved your picture of the bull with the Bund in the background. Been to Shanghai many times and trying to picture the spot and angle where you took the picture..

Jun 2, 2017, 4:01 pm

#26

ChiefNWA

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2009

Location: TPA

Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold

Posts: 1,256

Quote:

Originally Posted by worldiswide

Thanks and ya getting that picture was not easy... Stood there at least 15 minutes waiting.

Jun 2, 2017, 9:25 pm

#27

worldiswide

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: ORD

Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond

Posts: 2,887

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefNWA

Thanks and ya getting that picture was not easy... Stood there at least 15 minutes waiting.

Definitely worth the wait...

Jun 6, 2017, 10:05 pm

#28

adampenrith

Join Date: Mar 2007

Location: Bargara Australia

Programs: VA, SQ, IHG, HH,ALL, Europcar

Posts: 1,530

Great TR - Hanoi brought back many memories.

I did a day street food tour with Tuan from Gay Hanoi Tours

https://www.facebook.com/gayhanoitour/?fref=nf

totally amazing experience and highly recommended