Every once in a while, as I have a day off, I try to get away to a secluded spot outside of the chaos of Hanoi for some fresh air and calm. I’m not a fan of long vacations so I try to keep it short, i.e. the destination must be at most one hour’s drive away. Sitting on a bike for too long can be really tiring.
I like something physical too, so a climb up a hill makes the perfect trip.
I scouted Google Earth for hills around Hanoi and found several candidates. I’ll visit them all.
First Trip, August 2018
I took the first of these trips on a Saturday, August 4th 2018. I picked Núi Trầm which is about 27 km from Hanoi. I packed some snacks, a water bottle, a pair of massive binoculars, my Kindle, and a tube of sunscreen, and off I went in the early morning. Took me about 40 minutes to get there.
The scenery was stunning. Normally, the typical landscape of Hanoi is made up of green hills and paddy fields, but somehow the surface of this mountain is made of white rocks.
I parked my bike near the bottom of the mountain, climbed my way up, found a spot, sat down and just read a book on the Kindle. Occasionally I’d glance at the houses and people in the distance with the binoculars. It was fun.
(These binoculars are very powerful. I can see faces in that house with the red roof way far down the horizon with unreal clarity.)
The book I read that day is When Breath Becomes Air. It receives a lot of praises but I didn’t quite get it. Too much medical jargon. Read about 3/4 then gave up.
About 3 pm I drove back. Overall an excellent spot to drive out to. The air quality and the scenery are both outstanding. I’ll definitely go back to this place.
April 2019
After that first trip we got so busy I didn’t even have a day off for myself. It wasn’t until this longass 30/4 – 1/5 holiday that I decided to head out for another getaway trip. This time I took my dad’s dirt bike and drove to Đồi Chè in Bắc Ninh.
This place is also about 27 km away, but the drive there is far more pleasant as I rode along the newly built Hà Nội – Bắc Giang expressway.
That dirt bike is really fun to ride. Feels far more solid and powerful compared to my puny 110cc Honda Wave.
So I rode up the hill. Met a builder who was working on renovating a local temple (Đền Nguyệt Hằng) and had a chat with him. Dude’s really friendly and welcoming.
I didn’t stay for long. Took in some fresh air, walked around the place a bit, and just headed back to Hanoi. There wasn’t really much of a view — just houses and paddy fields and trees. I also wanted to get back quick in case there’d be a sudden downpour like the day before.
Future Plans
There are a few more spots around Hanoi that I’ve yet to set foot to, many in Sóc Sơn and Hà Tây. Next time I’ll get to the places early to hike up. Got to admit I was pretty lazy today and just rode my bike up the hill haha.