Wandering Through Vietnam #1: Reaching Hanoi, Exploring Tran Quoc Pagoda

Hello Fellow Travelers!

This post is going to be about my first-ever international trip. The trip lasted 7 days and covered two cities in Vietnam – Hanoi and Sapa. This was such a special trip because not only was it my first time traveling abroad, but I also got to explore a new country with Ramesh (@bighungrypanda). He had already been to Vietnam once and wanted me to enjoy the amazing experiences this country had to offer. Since he had prior experience, and is a professional trip curator, he planned almost everything to make sure our trip was smooth and exciting. And I have to say, he did a splendid job! He introduced me to this really cool app Wanderlog that we used to plan everything out. The interface is really simple and allows for easy collaboration. So many other cool features too!

Both of us like to have our itineraries packed and want to explore as much as we can. We hate missing out on anything and would rather be exhausted from sightseeing than feel like we wasted a day, or even an hour. I felt that the cold in Vietnam might derail this a little, since I have a very low cold tolerance. But we braved the weather and explored everything we possibly could.

We started our journey from Chennai, India. I had an early dinner and left my hostel at 8 PM to catch my Uber to the airport. Ramesh was already there waiting for me. But just when I thought everything was going smoothly, my Uber dropped me at the wrong spot. So, it was a bit of a struggle for Ramesh and me to find each other. After a few calls and some walking around, we finally met up and checked in.

We had a connecting flight to Bangkok. Our flight was supposed to depart at 23:25, but unfortunately, it got delayed by an hour. We had a 2-hour 55-minute layover at Bangkok, but because of the delay, we reached the airport just 45 minutes before our second flight was supposed to take off! I was freaking out the whole time. Since it was my first time traveling internationally, I had hoped everything would go smoothly. Missing our next flight would have been a disaster, but luckily, we managed to rush through the airport and board just in time.

Just as we landed in Bangkok, Ramesh realized that he had forgotten his jacket at the Chennai airport. Since Vietnam was going to be very cold, this was bad. However, he had his thermal wear and another jacket to keep him warm.

We landed at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi, at 08:45. The immigration process was fairly quick, and we were finally in Vietnam! The first order of business was to withdraw cash. We used an airport ATM to withdraw Vietnamese Dong, and then headed to one of the many SIM card stores. We bought a Viettel SIM card with a 4GB per day data plan valid for a month. This cost around 13.67 USD, which we felt was a good deal for the internet coverage it provided.

The cash part was very amusing to me since the denominations in VND and INR are very different. For example, for 300 rupees, you need to have 100 thousand VND of notes. We withdrew around 2 million VND, which amounted to a lot of cash. It was overwhelming, but I was looking forward to learning this new currency system.

As soon as we stepped out of the airport, we were greeted by a gust of icy air. We knew Hanoi was going to be on the cooler side, but still, we were shivering under our jackets!

Our hostel check-in wasn’t until 2 PM, so we thought it would be best to start exploring right away. We booked a Grab taxi and headed to our first destination—Trấn Quốc Pagoda. We still had our luggage with us, which was only one backpack each, but even that felt like a burden while roaming around. Excited yet slightly tired, we were all set to start our adventure in Hanoi!

"Pagoda" in Vietnamese translates to 'Buddhist temple' in English. The Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi. Exploring this place was a beautiful experience. From the moment I walked in, I loved how the entrance was decorated with lanterns. They were hanging all around, making the place look bright and colorful. It felt very peaceful and welcoming. Just outside the pagoda, vendors were selling different kinds of koi fish, their bright colors shining in the water.

The pagoda is built on a small islet, and a bridge connects it to the mainland. Since it is surrounded by a lake, the whole place looks very scenic. The water makes everything feel calm and quiet. I could see the reflection of the pagoda and the trees in the lake, which made it look even prettier. The entrance was painted in a vibrant yellow colour with ornate wooden decorations and a tiered roof.

Since the weather was cool and a little foggy, it added a special charm to the place. The fog made everything look soft and dreamy. It was nice to just stand there and take in the view. Even though there were other visitors, the place still felt peaceful. I was worried that the crowd and the cold would take away from the experience but fortunately it did not.

Another thing I really liked was the flowers. There were potted flowers everywhere, and they were so beautiful. Some were bright red, some were yellow, and others were pink and white. They were placed neatly, adding so much color to the pagoda. It made the place look fresh and full of life. Also, there were these potted kumquat trees, that look like smaller version of oranges. These bright orange fruits nestled among lush green leaves added to the natural beauty of the area.

Overall, I loved visiting Trấn Quốc Pagoda. It is a peaceful and beautiful place, perfect for just walking around and enjoying the view. The lanterns, the lake, the fog, and the flowers all made it feel magical. If you ever visit Hanoi, I think this is a place you should definitely see. It is simple yet stunning, and the peaceful atmosphere makes it a great spot to relax.