Hanoi

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I visited Hanoi for the weekend during end of August for a short 3d2n trip. The weather was crazily hot since it is summer. It was just a short trip so we decided to cut off Halong Bay ; so it was just chill around in the city . 

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I got kinda excited seeing glass bottle coke. 

#1 Giảng Cafe

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I was really excited to try out Vietnamese egg coffee ; and my thought of coffee changed ever since because it is THAT good. 

Cafe Giang is one of the most old school cafe that serves egg coffee in Hanoi. It is pretty easy to miss out the entrance if you are not careful since it is not a shoplot itself. You need to passed through a short tunnel to get in, and head upstairs. 

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It is a little more thick than usual coffee , and the sweetness is just right. The coffee is very very creamy, and you could gulp it down easily. I like how the bitterness mix so well with the egg. I think they do put a little butter in it because I tasted butter.

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good coffee = happy me. 

#2 Che Ngon 93

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This one of famous 'Che' in Old Quarter Hanoi . ' Che ' means a bowl of dessert , probably almost the same like Kakigori in Japan, Bingsu in Korea and Ais Kacang in Malaysia. 

This place serve hot dessert as well as cold desserts. The weather was really hot so we opt for cold ones.

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I think this is pretty special .

It is pandan glutinous rice , coconut jelly and cempedak. 

#3 Hoàn Kiếm Lake

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This lake is one of the famous tourist attraction. The lake surrounds Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the center on a small island.

#4 Pho Thin by the Hoan Kiem Lake

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Was a little skeptical about this place because it is pretty dirty . The smell of the drain was pretty bad due to the hot weather. However, it is famous too so we need to try it.

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We ordered pho and Viet 'yao char koay' ; they usually dip it into the soup. I prefer to have it alone since I don't want the oil to sip into the clear broth. I need to say that the bowl of pho was pretty nice and they give generous amount of coriander ( yes, I like coriander). However, this is not the best I have - and until now, I am not sure if it is because of the environment or the pho was just a so-so . 

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Busy streets of Hanoi.

I risk my life just to take pictures .

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#5 29 Phung Hung Hotpot

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We walked quite a distance to look for this vietnamese hotpot restaurant. When we arrived, we were actually disappointed because it is not a restaurant at all. We sit by the roadside and they have stools to put the pots and ingredients. However, the food turn out to be great. 

Lau is what they call their hotpot ; it is almost the same as Chinese hotpot but their soup based are usually clear soup based and their food is usually eaten with their own viet dipping sauce which is a mixture of fresh chilli, garlic, salt and lime juice. Their dipping sauce is really the key to their food. it made them taste so much better.

#6 St. Joseph's Cathedral

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St. Joseph's Cathedral is a 19th-century Gothic Revival  church in the Hoàn Kiếm District 

#7 Stroll Around Trang Tien Street

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Stroll Around Trang Tien Street and visit Trang Tien Plaza where it is the first and only luxury shopping complex in Vietnam ; it is a really small mall so you can easily find what you need in there.

#8 Bun Cha Ta

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It's pretty difficult for me to find Bun Cha back here in KL , and this is also the first time I have Bun Cha. Definitely, the best local Bun Cha can only be found on streets. I did try one of the famous one by the corner of the street. Unfortunately , I did not have many pictures.

If you opt for a more comfortable place for lunch, Bun Cha Ta is a good place to head over. After having Bun Cha here, you can actually walk down the streets to Giang Cafe for egg coffee in less than 5 minutes.  One thing I love here is actually like pork spring rolls - too good!

#9 Highway 4 Restaurant

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There are four branches of Highway4 restaurants in Vietnam ; and one of their best out of the four is in Vietnam. I insisted to visit after reading all the good reviews online and I am not disappointed at all. This place serves Vietnamese-Western fusion to cater the locals and western foreigners. 

Of course, they mainly promote Viet cuisine.

I would recommend their Crab Spring Rolls and Fried sweet potato ball!

#10 Cafe Nuôi

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Having viet coffee by the roadside/outside the shop , sitting on the wooden stool and overlooking the busy narrow streets seems like a culture in Vietnam. I am glad that I experienced it. I wouldn't say that it was bad - it was indeed one of the most fun thing I experienced there. Maybe it was because of the coffee. 

This place wasn't in the itinerary . It is just a place few steps away from where I stay. It is crowded day and night with the locals. I suppose that this is one of the to go place for them. 

After I came back, I googled this place. It is listed as one of the best cafe in Hanoi . 

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Of viet coffee in glass , blue stools and cigarette buds on the floor.

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Bareface. 

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Everyone I know told me that Hanoi is great and enjoyable but I did not enjoy myself at all due to the hot weather. It is summer over there and the temperature went up to 39 degrees. It was so stuffy since the city is pretty small and there are always people around. I was a little sick too. And I missed out Halong Bay due to the time constraint. 

I remember wanting to go home on the first night itself because this is not what I expect to be. This city is something I am really unfamiliar with and I genuinely did not like it. But looking at the photos I took, I slowly realize the beauty of it. It wasn't that bad at all. It was just me , and the goddamn hot weather. 

I will definitely revisit Hanoi. I deserve a chance to enjoy Hanoi , to visit Halong Bay and that very next time, I think I'll love this city. The next time, I will visit during winter. Hanoi deserves a chance to show me their beauty. And I deserve to enjoy it.

xx.

Ubud.

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This is all about what I did in Ubud. We stayed in Ubud for 2 days before heading to Seminyak since Ubud is a little further . I went to Bali numerous times before this but Ubud is never in the plan . It is always around Kuta, Seminyak and Nusa Dua. 

So I was pretty excited to be around Ubud. This part of Bali actually keep many of their traditional architecture and houses so there is no buildings . There are many holiday villas for rent in every part of Ubud - but to be convenient, we chose to stay in the Central

# The Artini Resort 

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We chose Artini Resort out of the few choices - there is two hotels from the Artini Group but we decided to stay in the one nearer to the Monkey Road. Besides convenience , this resort that we stayed in is designed in traditional Balinese styled with nature. The view from the Hotel is very amazing ; they maintained their own garden and they also have a view of the rice fields. Despite located in central , it is located in the midst of rice fields. 

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Morning View.

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The hotel room is pretty huge. They have different range of rooms but we opt for the one with view and near the poolside bar so we top up a little more. The breakfast is pretty decent too. 

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The mini infinity pool view - instead of the sea or buildings , we are looking at nature.

This resort is so worth it , and I actually wished to stay a lil longer. This is the definition of leisure. 

#2 Tirta Gangga 

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Tirta Gangga requires entrance fees but it is reasonable since they need to maintain this beautiful royal garden. The first thing that comes into view when you step in, is a pond where guardian figures are arranged. The place are not very huge so it could be done in half an hour because I don't think it's a good idea to stay under the hot sun for so long. 

You can try to finish the steps on the pond and many people will be trailing behind. As for pictures wise , please be careful not to fall into the pond. 

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#3 Pura Lempuyang Temple

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This picture is the classic picture you see on instagram that screams ' Bali represent' . 

This is taken in the Lempuyang Temple where it is one of the oldest and most highly regarded temples in Bali hence there are restrictions. Like, you have to wear sarung , and not allow to lean on the statutes. You need to do a 5mins hike up to the temple from the bottom. 

Inside of the temple , you can already see the Gateway of Heaven where it grants spectacular view of Mt Agung. If you want your picture to be more beautiful , come before the sunset. 

However, you need to queue for around 45 mins or more just for the photos - so be early or be prepared to wait. 

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#4 Bali Asli 

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Bali Asli is a combination of restaurant, cooking school and a tourism destination. They are located far from the hectic bustle Bali and serve authentic flavours of Bali. This place is worth visiting since it is so beautiful - with the stunning location overlooking Mount Agung. 

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This lunch view.

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There are only two set menus available so it made it really simple. The choices of dishes are seasonal each day , depending on what the chef find at the market in the morning. 

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The food is great however the portion is definitely not for someone whom is really hungry or has a big appetite. It is pretty 'fine' in portion but it is really worth trying.

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#5 Monkey Forest Street / Ubud Palace

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Take walk around the Monkey Forest street ; where you can do some shopping and sit around for cafes. As you walk down the street , you will reach Monkey Forest Sanctuary however, we skipped the part and walk right down to Ubud Palace as seen above. 

The whole walk from the resort we stayed in to Ubud Palace is around 30mins walk or longer . It didn't feel far since we were looking around the street. I think it is a kind of experience to do so. If you are too lazy , you can order grab which is a cheaper option compare to their taxi services. One downside is , it is very difficult to order grab since it is not as popular yet in Ubud. 

#6 Hujan Locale

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Hujan Locale serves heritage Asian cuisine with a twist, highlighting balinese cuisine. The restaurant is very beautiful as he carries a vintage theme with colonial style windows and doors but not lacking of modernization. We were seated upstairs which is a little tight since it was full house on the second floor. The environment is pretty dim, and romantic - perfect for a date night. 

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I am not a fan of pork belly, but this pork belly is to die for. Crunchy skin and the meat melt in my mouth. It's not on the all day menu. It was on special menu.

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Quality Food.

#7 Ubud Market

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This is the best place of handcraft souvenirs. 

Don't forget to negotiate! 

#8 Bebek Bengil 

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Bebek Bengil which means 'dirty duck' in Indonesian , is the specialty here as you can see from the name of the restaurant. It is not particularly amazing for me because it's a little too dry. I like the duck satay a lot though! The whole combination is good with the spices and sambal tumis given . Personally, I prefer the nasi campur here instead of their classic dish . 

#9 Tegallalang Rice Fields 

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The weather was really crazy when we were there so I did not go down to the paddy fields. 

It is even more beautiful in real ; and pictures did not do any justice. 

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We found a small hut near by the paddy fields and enjoyed the view from there because NOPE, no sun!

#10 Akasha Restaurant Bali

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I've blogged about this in another post - you can click HERE . 

This restaurant serves everything Vegan. The jackfruit pizza is amazing .

Here is my post for you regarding to Ubud. 

xx

Bali Asli Restaurant  -  Jl. Gelumpang, Karangasem, Kec. Karangasem, Kabupaten Karangasem, 

Hujan Locale - Jl. Sri Wedari No.5, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali

Bebek Bengil Ubud - Padang Tegal, Jl. Hanoman, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 

Akasha Restaurant - Jalan N Sinta, Keliki, Tegallalang, Kelusa, Payangan, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali