Cebu Pacific flies high in Hanoi

MANILA, Philippines - Suddenly, we were in high spirits as our Cebu Pacific plane soared to the heavens for its maiden flight to Hanoi. “This inaugural flight marks a very important milestone for Cebu Pacific as we become the only airline to operate direct flights between Manila and Hanoi. This reinforces our commitment to continue expanding the largest Philippine national flag carrier’s reach in the Asia-Pacific region, and promote air travel to destinations not previously easily accessible to our passengers,” said a beaming Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific’s dynamic president and CEO, at a press conference in Hanoi.

Gokongwei noted that Hanoi’s addition to Cebu Pacific’s international network would enable this fast-growing airline to cater to the air travel needs of a broader Filipino and Vietnamese market. “Cebu Pacific becomes the only Philippine carrier to serve both the northern and southern areas of Vietnam, providing more access for Vietnamese residents to enjoy the shopping, eco-adventure, and entertainment attractions the Philippines has to offer. This will also open more avenues for business collaboration as well as trade and investment opportunities.”

Presidential sisters Viel Aquino-Dee, Pinky Aquino-Abellada, and Ballsy Aquino-Cruz happily join Cebu Pacific’s maiden flight to Hanoi.

But before everything else, the first passenger to check in for this history-making flight from Manila to Hanoi and back was awarded by Lance Gokongwei and the Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Nguyen Vu Tu. The winner was Ervin Bautista More! Gracing the awarding were presidential sisters Ballsy Cruz, Pinky Abellada, and Viel Dee who later hopped aboard this inaugural flight.

Arriving at Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport, we were whisked to our home sweet hotel, Baoson International Hotel on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. Saying hi to Hanoi, we spent our first day soaking in the sights, scents, and sounds of this pulsating city. First stop: The Temple of Literature, Confucius temple in Hanoi. There are many other Temples of Literature throughout Vietnam, but the most famous is the one in Hanoi that’s dedicated to Confucius, the greatest eastern philosopher of all time, and to sages and scholars. It’s amazing how Vietnam has preserved its ancient architecture. Also found in this compound is the Imperial Academy, Vietnam’s first national university, built in 1076 under the reign of King Ly Nhan Tong to train young men, including crown princes, for the nation. Destroyed by war and natural disasters, the temple has gone through several major restoration works. Today, it is one of the important historical and cultural sites in Vietnam.

Having had our fill of the sights, it was time to fill our hungry stomachs. Lunch was at the Quan Bac Restaurant in the newly built Vincong Shopping Center, where we had Hanoi spring rolls, papaya salad with dry beef and an awesome hot and fresh serving of Ha Noi traditional grilled fish.

Pedal power in Hanoi

Like the Philippines, Vietnam is famous for its handicrafts, like the ones churned out by Bat Trang that draw droves of tourists to this bustling pottery village, about 13 kilometers southeast of Hanoi. It takes a hardworking village such as Bat Trang to produce beautiful handmade ceramics and pottery of high quality. What makes them coveted by collectors is their glaze and variety of colors. Bat Trang’s vases, bowls, dishes, teacups, kettles, wine bottles, flowerpots, wine bottles, lamp shades, candle holders, incense burners, altar boxes, etc. have found their way into many parts of the world, like Japan, The Netherlands, Britain, Portugal, and Southeast Asia. Why, you could be sipping tea from a Bat Trang cup! Many of the village’s products can now be customized for aristocratic families and religious needs.

Next on our itinerary was President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, perpetually guarded by two men in white uniforms. To get inside, you may have to join a long queue. It is closed Mondays and Fridays, and also closed to visitors in October and November so that only pilgrims can visit and pay homage to the respected Uncle Ho.

We capped a hectic day with dinner at the Old Hanoi restaurant, which opened in June 2010. Truly Hanoian in style, the restored old French villa has a courtyard fringed with bamboo. While taking in the Vietnamese antiquities and scenes of Hanoi, we savored old Hanoi-style steamed rice pancake with pork, banana flower salad with chicken, pan-fried prawn with tamarind sauce and stewed pork with cinnamon sticks.

Hanoi’s lacquered beauties

After dinner, we watched the most exciting Water Puppet Show, a must-see when you’re in Hanoi. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides the background music as singers sing and the story is acted out by puppets.

Day 2 of our Hanoi visit found us shaking hands with the deputy director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Mai Tien Dzung. He told us that they are now building the skyway and in six years, they will have a subway for motorcycle use, Hanoi being motorcycle city. He also shared that in terms of tourism, Hanoi is competing with Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Giving tourism a big push, Hanoi drew six million tourists last year, earning a revenue of US$6 billion.

And then it was time for picture-taking  lots of it! We were excited to pose for mementoes at the Hoan Kiem Lake where a turtle resides. Near the lake is The Huc bridge (meaning rising sun), a favorite destination of couples planning to marry and probably the most photographed place in Hanoi.

We had lunch at Tonkin restaurant on Ngo van So Street. We enjoyed ample servings of crispy fried eggplant with plum sauce, grilled pork and rice pancake rolls, steamed fish with ginger, steamed rice in coconut milk, and baby coconut.

A grand night of music: Bui Cong Duy, Rachelle Gerodias, Joanna Ampil, and Raul Sunico combine talents for the Philippines-Vietnam Friendship Concert at the Hanoi Opera House.

Then we proceeded to the press conference for Philippine and Vietnamese media. Intramuros administrator Jose Capistrano presented the Department of Tourism’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” bid. Also gracing the event were Lance Gokongwei, CEO/president of Cebu Pacific, Dr. Nguyen Van Tinh, director general, International Cooperation Department, Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Jerril Santos.

After dinner, we were treated to a great night of music via the Philippines-Vietnam Friendship Concert at the Hanoi Opera House. Hosted by Cebu Pacific, the evening showed the best of Philippine and Vietnamese talents. It featured our very own Raul Sunico, internationally renowned pianist and president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines; Joanna Ampil, currently playing the lead role of Maria in The Sound of Music at Resorts World’; and Rachelle Gerodias of the UST Conservatory of Music. The Vietnamese artists included Honna Tetsuji, music adviser and conductor; Duc Tuan, a famous pop singer; and Bui Cong Duy, gold medalist at the 1997 Tchaikovsky International Music Competition for Young Musicians in St. Petersburg.

In his speech, Dr. Nguyen Van Tinh was happy to note, “Cebu Pacific’s launch of the first and only direct flight between Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and Ha Noi, the capital of Viet Nam, is a remarkable event, which contributes to tightening the cooperation and relations between the two countries in the fields of commerce and tourism. And this very first and meaningful flight has brought the leading artists of the Philippines to the concert tonight to mingle amid the friendly atmosphere of music with talented artists of Viet Nam.

The Water Puppet Show is a must-see in Hanoi.

“We highly appreciate the dedication and enthusiasm of the artists of Viet Nam and the Philippines, and the honorable participation of the Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji, a close friend of Viet Nam. Those artists, in such a short period of time, have made great efforts for the concert tonight, which is believed to be a wonderful show.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Embassy of Viet Nam in the Philippines, the Embassy of the Philippines in Viet Nam, and Cebu Pacific Air for the cooperation and support to organize this event.”

On the final leg of our tour, we went to One Pillar Pagoda, which showcases the architectural splendor of Vietnam. The legend goes that back in 1049, King Ly Thai To saw in his dream the goddess Quan Am sitting on a lotus leaf and giving him a son. Soon after, he married a peasant girl and they had a son. The king was so happy that he constructed a wooden pagoda on a stilt in a lake so that the goddess Mercy-Quan An could be venerated and his son’s long life ensured. The pagoda was built resembling a lotus emerging out of the water.

With architecture harmoniously blending with nature, the pagoda complements the beautiful scenery around the lake. We also saw the oldest pagoda built in the sixth century, Tran Quoa Pagoda. On a small island near the center of the lake is the legendary Turtle Tower.

Standing on a small island near the center of Hoan Kiem Lake is the legendary Turtle Tower.

And then it was time to say goodbye to Hanoi. Time flew so fast, and I was still high on Hanoi when I boarded my Cebu Pacific flight for home.

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Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to Hanoi every Tuesday and Saturday leaving at 10:30 p.m. and arriving at 12:30; Hanoi to Manila leaving at 1 a.m. and arriving at 5 a.m. Manila is one hour behind Hanoi. The Hanoi media familiarization trip was arranged by Viveca Singson, corporate communications manager, J.G. Summit Holdings, Inc.; Mark Parlade, Stratworks; and Michelle Eve de Guzman of Cebu Pacific.