Welcome to Hanoi!
Vietnam's capital city boasts 3.5 million people, yet within the picturesque Old Quarter, it can seem as though it's a small town.
Here, the bustle of thousands of motorbikes, walkers, hawkers, and food stalls disappears as if my magic around the hour of 11 pm.
At that hour, many streetlights are turned off, and the city becomes serenely quiet, taking on a new sense of majesty.
Those looking for trendy nightspots will be happier in Saigon, while those wishing to experience a jewel of a city transforming itself into a country town will prefer Hanoi.
Hanoi is also the jumping-off point for beautiful Halong Bay to the east, and the tribal hill station of Sapa to the west.
A big city with a small-town feel, Hanoi has a modern side to it as well.
Many of the country's best painters and sculptors work here, there's a thriving gallery scene, and you'll find terrific fashion shops on Hang Gai Street.
You're never far from French colonial architecture.
Although Hanoi has many up to date, modern hotels, many upscale travelers prefer to stay in inexpensive, clean, and air-conditioned family hotels in the Old Quarter.
Hanoi is also home to several very good museums.
Food is a delight in Hanoi, whether you're eating a chicken dish at a street stall, drinking a Han Noi Beer at a corner café, or enjoying a cooling sugarcane drink, fresh-squeezed on the spot.
Hanoi is even more motorbike-intensive than Saigon, so be prepared always to look in all four directions when you're crossing the street.
Very soon, you'll get the hang of it, and once you do, you'll realize you probably stand less of a chance of getting hit than you will crossing the street in your own country.
Hanoi is also the jumping-off point for beautiful Halong Bay to the east, and the tribal mecca of Sapa to the west.
On the outskirts of town, you can visit a series of interesting crafts villages, as well as the Ethnology Museum, where artifacts relating to Vietnam's fifty-four tribal groups are displayed.
We think Hanoi's perhaps the best-kept secret, in terms of large cities, in Asia.
The lack of nightlife has kept it relatively free of the tourbus hoards that descend on other scenic cities of its size, which makes it a welcome break on any itinerary.
Hanoi Highlights
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A walking tour through the Old Quarter is a must.
Many of its tiny streets are dedicated specifically to various crafts and trades, from tinwork, to lanterns, to headstone carvers. Don't fail to stop at Hoan Kiem Lake, which sits in the quarter, and have an ice-cream or beer.
Walking tour maps will be available at your hotel.
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The Municipal Water Puppet Theatre in the Old Quarter features two astounding shows every night, showcasing the hundreds of years old art of water-borne marionettes careening around fireworks, accompanied by one of the best traditional music ensembles in Vietnam.
Located at:
57 Dinh Tien Hoang Street.
Tel: (04) 824-9494.
Shows at 6 and 8:30 pm
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The Temple of Literature is the site of Vietnam's oldest university, founded in 1070.
The architecture and grounds are breathtaking.
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Ho Chi Minh is as revered in Vietnam as King Rama V is in Thailand.
In Hanoi, you can queue to see his body under glass, at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum museum complex.
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Fashionable Hang Gai Street, in the Old Quarter, has dozens of shops selling wonderfully-designed clothing and accessories.
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Just outside of town, the Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum, combines a war museum with a civil engineering museum, filled with outstanding exhibits and photographs documenting the remarkable engineering feats performed in arduous conditions, that led to the successful building of the trail into south Vietnam.
Getting into Hanoi from the airport
Noi Bai airport is 35 km north of Hanoi, and it takes 45 minutes to one hour by car or bus to get into the city.
There are plenty of taxis ($10 USD), but another option is taking the Vietnam Airlines minibus just outside the terminal into the Old Quarter.
It leaves every half hour, costs $2 USD, and makes several hotel stops prior to its final stop at the Vietnam Airlines office just southwest of the Old Quarter.
