Haipong rather than Hanoi

[mtennant]

We will be in Haipong for 2 days in January, on Rhapsody of the Seas. On the second day, we were wondering how practical it would be to go to Du Hang Pagoda and Hang Kenh Communal House ourself via local taxi. We are doing Halong Bay the previous day and have been to Hanoi before so want to try something different. However RCC do not seem to have any tours of the local area including these two places. Any information would be most welcome. I do understand that language difficulties may make it difficult to do.

[greatam]

We will be in Haipong for 2 days in January, on Rhapsody of the Seas. On the second day, we were wondering how practical it would be to go to Du Hang Pagoda and Hang Kenh Communal House ourself via local taxi. We are doing Halong Bay the previous day and have been to Hanoi before so want to try something different. However RCC do not seem to have any tours of the local area including these two places. Any information would be most welcome. I do understand that language difficulties may make it difficult to do.

 

I have spent quite a little bit of time in the last 2+ years in and around the container ports in Vietnam and Cambodia for business. Your only problem that I see is trying to find a taxi you can communicate with. I have not successfully been able to negotiate much out of the ordinary with local taxi drivers due to language problems. Therefore, I still rely on IndoChinaTravel to make transport arrangements when I need to travel out of the Haiphong/Hanoi corridor. You may want to call their San Francisco office and find out if they can't arrange for someone to pick you up at the ship and take you around the local area. http://www.indochinatravel.com/

[shemo]

I am very interested in your Vietnam cruise on RCL. We would like to go on the same cruise in late Jan.

How did you handle the visa situation?

Did you have to mail your passports and application to a Vietnam Embassy or did you use a commercial visa service to do it for you?

We plan on using airline freq. flyer points to fly to Singapore and depart from Hong Kong.

[greatam]

I am very interested in your Vietnam cruise on RCL. We would like to go on the same cruise in late Jan.

How did you handle the visa situation?

Did you have to mail your passports and application to a Vietnam Embassy or did you use a commercial visa service to do it for you?

We plan on using airline freq. flyer points to fly to Singapore and depart from Hong Kong.

 

Are you speaking January 2008???? Have you checked on FF tickets???? It is kind of late in the game to get award tickets, especially into Singapore and out of Hong Kong. Those tickets are highly desirable and usually go quickly. But you may get lucky.

 

Vietnam visa's are easily obtainable by mail. Here's the info:

 

http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/consular_services/visa_info/

[shemo]

Northwest has Freq. Flyer seats available for Jan 24, 2008 to SIN, returning Feb 8, 2008 from HKG. However I have to pay a premium to get them, 60,000 points round trip per person, which I am willing to do.

I was really surprised that there were FF seats at any level.

I have looked up the Vietnam Embassy website and they seem to be pretty straight forward.

When I go on RCL website they say for a small fee ($28) they will take care of the visa. Will have to call RCL to get the whole story.

[mtennant]

Just to confirm that RCC is organising the visas for Vietnam and Cambodia and they will be paid for on the ship.

[danapointsteve]

coocruiser, is it difficult to get a taxi or van into hanoi and back on your own.