17:25 DPS Bali (Denpasar)
21:35 HAN Hanoi
25 Jun – 25 Jul 2026 · 2 people
Hanoi
One month. He works the weekdays, we take the weekends.
- Arrive
- Thu 25 Jun 2026
- DPS 17:25 → HAN 21:35
- Base
- Swan Lake, Ecopark
- Văn Giang, ~13km SE of central Hanoi
- Stay
- 2 weeks firm
- + option to extend 2 more
- Rhythm
- Weekdays he works
- Weekends we explore
01 · Getting there
One hop north.
A single nonstop out of Bali. Land in Hanoi the same night, transfer straight to the lake.
03 · Where we stay
Four doors on Swan Lake.
Four apartments on Swan Lake, all in the Ecopark Landmark towers. Every one has a private in-room hot-spring tub + sauna, a 1000 Mbps workspace, full kitchen, free gym, and an AEON supermarket in the building. Tap any card for the live price.
Private in-room hot-spring tub + saunaWorkspace · 1000 Mbps fibreFull kitchenFree gym + AEON in building
04 · Minutes from home
Everything is close.
Everything we need is minutes from the door. Hanoi proper is a weekend, not a commute.
◍ Swan Lake, Ecopark
- 0min AEON supermarket In the building
- 5min Mori Onsen Ecopark Hot-spring soak
- 10min Vincom Mega Mall Ocean Park Mall + cinema
- 10min Pilates / yoga studios Ocean Park
- 20min Aeon Mall Long Bien Big-box shopping
- 30min Hanoi Old Quarter Egg coffee + lanterns
- 35min Tay Ho / West Lake Aerial yoga + spas
05 · The rhythm
A week, colour-coded.
The shape of a week. He works it; she fills the days; the weekend is ours.
- Konstantin · work
- Allaia · solo wellness
- Together · weekend
Mon
K · work Deep work, 1000 Mbps desk
A · solo PBS Pilates + onsen soak
Tue
K · work Calls + focus
A · solo FourT Pilates, AEON run
Wed
K · work Mid-week push
A · solo Tay Ho day — aerial yoga
Thu
K · work Work + gym
A · solo BY Pilates, lake walk
Fri
K · work Wrap the week
A · solo Spa + cook prep
Sat
Together Weekend trip
Sun
Together Weekend trip
06 · Her weekdays
Pilates, onsen, repeat.
Her solo weekdays, sorted. Local studios for the daily rhythm; Tay Ho batched into one trip a week.
Local · Ocean Park
Daily — all within 10 minutes of home.
- PBS Pilates ~250–400k₫
- FourT Pilates ~300–500k₫
- BY Pilates ~300k₫+
- Mori Onsen Ecopark ~250k₫/soak · free with apartment
Tay Ho · West Lake
Batched — one trip a week, ~35 min out.
- NoMad Om Factory from 200k₫
- Om Factory — aerial / Lyra ~1.2–2m₫ packs
- Sky-Lab Aerial Class packs
- Zenith Yoga ~150–200k₫
07 · Food & home
Steak in, food delivered.
Steak in, food delivered. Cook the good cuts at home; let the apps handle the rest.
Beef · cook at home
- WinMart / MEATDeli In-township, local cuts~250–400k₫/kg
- Annam Gourmet Imported ribeye~700k–1m₫/kg
- Classic Deli / Nam An Deli cuts + charcuterieDeli pricing
Delivery apps
- GrabFood Restaurants
- ShopeeFood Restaurants + cheap eats
- GrabMart Groceries
- Chopp Premium grocery
Note: Baemin has left Vietnam — don't bother downloading it.
08 · The weekends
Four trips, ours.
Four weekends, four moods. Prices are per person and confirm at checkout.
Bat Trang & the Old Quarter
Ceramics village in the morning, Old Quarter wandering, water puppets to close.
~$15 both, entry-level
Ninh Bình & Tràng An
Bai Dinh, the Tràng An boat caves and the climb up Mua Cave. A full-day pinned tour.
~$45–60 pp confirms at checkout
Lan Ha & Ha Long Bay
Luxury day cruise through the karsts — kayaking, swimming, lunch aboard. Overnight from ~$145 pp if we want it.
~$50–84 pp day cruise · confirms at checkout
West Lake spa — or Sapa
A slow West Lake spa day, or trade up for a Sapa long weekend in the rice terraces.
~$30 / $120 pp spa day / Sapa weekend
09 · Shopping
Malls & silk.
Malls for the everyday, the Old Quarter for the things worth carrying home.
Malls
- Vincom Mega Mall Ocean Park Closest — 10 min
- Aeon Mall Long Bien Big-box + Japanese brands
- Lotte Mall West Lake Premium + aquarium
- Trang Tien Plaza Luxury, central
Silk & markets
- Hàng Gai "Silk Street" Áo dài tailoring
- Đồng Xuân Market Wholesale everything
10 · Solo experiences
Her own afternoons.
Her own afternoons in the city, priced and bookable.
- Áo dài tailoring Hàng Gai silk street $40–120
- Cooking class Half-day, market + meal $25–45
- Egg coffee Old Quarter institution ~$1.50
- Temple of Literature Vietnam's first university ~70k₫
- Day-spa Half-day reset $25–40
- Lacquerware browse Studios + galleries Browse
11 · The numbers
The ledger.
Two people, one month, in euros. Living costs plus the big rocks.
Living costs
Food €680
Wellness €280
Weekends €350
Transport €130
Shopping / misc €150
Subtotal €1,590
Big rocks
Airbnb · the month €2,000
Flights · one-off €185 *
Total €3,590 per month + one-off flights
* one-off, not monthly.
12 · The fork
Extend — or fly south?
Two weeks are firm. Around day 10 we make one call.
Extend in Hanoi
Keep the apartment two more weeks. The onsen, the studios, the rhythm are already working — no re-packing, no re-learning a city. Long-stay rate holds under the €2,000 ceiling.
- Routine is settled
- Work setup is dialled in
- Cheaper than moving
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
Trade the lake calm for southern energy — denser, hotter, a different food map. Good if two weeks of Ecopark is enough and we want contrast before flying home.
- A second city in one trip
- Warmer, busier, faster
- Different scene to close on
13 · Pre-flight
Before we go.
Pre-flight checklist. The e-visa is the long pole — do it first.
- Open ↗
Allaia's e-visa
Do first90-day multiple-entry, evisa.gov.vn (~$50, 3–7 days). Philippine passport = 21 days visa-free, so the month needs this.
-
Konstantin's passport check
German passport = 45 days visa-free, covers the month. Just confirm 6+ months validity.
- Open ↗
Book the flight
VietJet DPS → HAN, Thu 25 Jun, ~€185 for two one-way.
- Open ↗
Pick & book the apartment
Choose from the four on Swan Lake and lock the long-stay rate.
- Open ↗
eSIM + apps
Airalo Vietnam eSIM, plus Grab, Xanh SM, GrabFood, ShopeeFood.
-
Reset the clocks
Hanoi is 1 hour behind Bali.