Good Morning Vietnam! This trip to Hanoi was completed with Tiger Airways from Singapore. Flight cost was S$338/pax and hotel was booked on Agoda for S$39/pax/night. As a side note. there are several "hidden" costs when flying with Tiger. Should you wish to sit in a specific seat, that will cost you an additional S$10-30. Early check-in aka BoardMeFirst will be S$6 (is there really a need to board first?) and convenience fees of S$28 are chargeable (I guess you need to pay to use the toilet on board and for them to roll out the stairs to the plane).
Hanoi is a mere 3h flight from Singapore and is 1h behind Singapore time. Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, you will be greeted by a decent immigration counter and do check if you should be checking out from Gate A or B on the screens provided. Your driver, should you have engaged one, will be waiting for you at the respective arrival gate. I'd arranged a driver from the hotel for US$18 (1-way) as the incidence of taxi touting in Hanoi is on a high. On average, the cab ride to your hotel should be US$10-16 for 40-50mins.
The cab ride to the Hanoi Elegance Diamond in the Old Quarters took 40min. At first glance, the Old Quarters seems like an old, derelict and smelly place. Do not be fooled by this first impression; there is much character and activity in this area. A word of advice: if you arrive early in the morning and intend to go to Halong Bay the next day, do book your trip as early as possible and buy tickets to the Water Puppet Show as they sell out early.
Map of The Old Quarters courtesy of Hanoi Elegance Diamond. Click to Enlarge.
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