Bus and Taxi Passengers Beware

          Arranging the 45 minute ride from the Hanoi International Airport into the city looked at first like it would be a slam dunk, but turned out to be the only negative experience on my entire visit to this beautiful country.  After a short, pleasant flight from Luang Prabang, Laos I landed around 5 PM at the modern Hanoi Noi Bai Airport.  I quickly cleared customs with my prearranged visa and was able to change some money before making my way outside where several buses were waiting to take visitors into town for a small fee.  The bus I selected had several people already on board and the driver indicated he would be leaving momentarily.  After waiting about twenty minutes we realized that he was out looking for more passengers and probably wouldn’t be leaving until he filled the bus.  Four of us decided to share a cab instead and were soon heading into the city for a predetermined fee of $6 each.

Taxi Shenanigans

          I had decided to try the Hoa Binh Hotel based on a good review from Frommer’s Southeast Asia guide book and told the driver that was where I wanted to be dropped off.  Everything was going fine as we let the first and second passengers off at their hotels…and then came my turn.  The driver suddenly demanded quite a bit more money than we had agreed upon and when I protested he threatened to call the police, taking out his cell phone to make his point.  I stood my ground and handed him six dollars, all the while wondering if I would end up staying at the Hanoi Hilton that night, instead.  He backed off when I said we would have the concierge at the hotel help us resolve the situation.  The remaining passenger was a young lady who looked nervous about continuing on alone with this driver and I suggested that she get out, pay him off and get another taxi…which she did.  I stayed with her until the disagreeable cab driver was gone and she was safely ensconced in another taxi.  Lesson learned…in Hanoi, best stick to the taxi companies recommended in your guide book and beware of the shenanigans some of the less scrupulous drivers might try to pull.

Friendly People, Beautiful Places

          As luck would have it, there was a nice room available for me at the Hoa Binh Hotel for $65 a night with breakfast, so I booked it for two nights.  It was an elegant, historic old hotel in a perfect location near the train station and within walking distance of many of the major sights.  By now it was nearly 7 PM, but the hotel reception was still able to book me a seat on a tour to Halong Bay for the next day.  Future postings will feature a full report on my visit to this World Heritage Site, as well as a detailed review of the Hoa Binh Hotel.  After a rocky introduction to Vietnam, the rest of my time in this wonderful country was filled with friendly people and beautiful places.  Be sure to join me on my journey from Hanoi in the north to Saigon in the South with a stop at Hoi An right in the middle.