Hanoi (Vietnam)

Hanoi is often the first taste of Vietnam that many tourists get and if you were to go by first impressions your stay there would probably be a short one. Hanoi is the capital of the north and can be a little overwhelming. The city is overrun by motorbikes which makes the task of crossing the road an arduous one. Add to this the thousands of touts flogging every product imaginable and you have a cocktail of noise and interruption. In saying all this ...
...that the next ATM after Hanoi is to be found in Saigon at the other end of the country (so stock up!).


ACCOMMODATION

The best place to look for accommodation in Hanoi is in the old quarter. The Old Quarter lies just north of Hoan Kiem lake and is made up of a maze of 36 streets. Each of these streets is named after the trade which is conducted there so for example if you visit Hang Non you will see many shops ... more

Hanoi is often the first taste of Vietnam that many tourists get and if you were to go by first impressions your stay there would probably be a short one. Hanoi is the capital of the north and can be a little overwhelming. The city is overrun by motorbikes which makes the task of crossing the road an arduous one. Add to this the thousands of touts flogging every product imaginable and you have a cocktail of noise and interruption. In saying all this it is hard not to love the place.

For a city of 3,500,000 million people the pollution levels are nowhere on the scale of, say, Bangkok. Hoan Kiem lake in the middle of the Old Quarter (where most tourists base themselves) and is a beautiful place to relax and ignore the cavalcade of engines that buzz all around in every direction.

Getting into the city from the airport couldn't be simpler (if you know how). The airport is over 30 km out of town so there is a variety of transport means available. You are likely to be confronted by taxi drivers offering rides in the airport lobby but if you are on a budget the fare (up to $15) is prohibitive. By far the best way to get to the Old Quarter is by mini bus for $2. There are numerous mini buses stationed outside the airport so they are hard to miss. Quite often the buses carry hotel touts as well as tourists so watch out when a local is overly friendly as it's likely to be a sales pitch.

The Vietnamese currency is the Dong and it typically has a rate of around 15,000 per US dollar.The other currency that does proliferate is the dollar itself. Most hotels and tour agencies quote in dollars even though almost all accept payment in Dong as well. There are several ATM's spread throughout the city but the nearest to the Old Quarter is the ANTZ bank on the edge of the lake. Maximum withdrawal per day is 2,000,000 Dong and it is wise to remember (if you are relying on your credit card) that the next ATM after Hanoi is to be found in Saigon at the other end of the country (so stock up!).

ACCOMMODATION

The best place to look for accommodation in Hanoi is in the old quarter. The Old Quarter lies just north of Hoan Kiem lake and is made up of a maze of 36 streets. Each of these streets is named after the trade which is conducted there so for example if you visit Hang Non you will see many shops selling hats (Non is Hat). Other notable streets in the area are Hang Manh (Bamboo Furniture), Hang Bac (Silversmiths) and my girlfriends favourite Hang Gai (Shoes).

Most of the Old Quarter's streets have at least one hotel and to a large extent they are very similar in terms of price and quality. We stayed on Hang Ga street (chicken) at the Thuy Lam hotel (see Hotels in Vietnam for review) which we cannot recommend more highly for budget travellers.

Most hotel rooms throughout Vietnam come with TV and ensuite facilities so a little shopping around for the best deal would probably be worthwhile. Remember if you are staying for a couple of days to ask for a discount. Vietnam is a country where you can literally bargain for anything and this apparently includes the police if you have to pay for a fine!

ATTRACTIONS

If you are staying in the Old Quarter area then it is possible to see quite a few attractions by foot. Hanoi is renowned for its water puppet shows and the main theatre in the city is located just off the lake. Water puppetry is an intricate art that is generally centred on 2 or 3 themes. Shows last for just under 2 hours and at less than 2 euro a pop makes a cheap yet extremely enjoyable night out.

The Hoa Lo Prison (aka the Hanoi Hilton by captured US soldiers during the 'American' war) makes for an interesting visit. The notorious main prison has been knocked but many of the furniture and tools of torture remain in the museum. Cells are recreated to good effect with stone dummies take the place of the prisoners. There is plenty to read although you do get the impression that a disproportionate amount of blame was placed at the doorstep of the occupying French who built the prison. When the Vietnamese took over you'd be forgiven for thinking that prisoners actually enjoyed their time there! You will find the museum on Pho Hoa Lo just south of the lake.

The main man Ho Chi Minh has his own Mausoleum and for nine months of the year you can view his preserved remains. The Ho Chi Minh museum has a lot more to offer on how Vietnam became the country it is today and is well worth a visit. You should be able to take a cyclo (peddled powered taxi) there for around 8,000 dong.

Just over 100 km out of Hanoi is one of the world's greatest natural attractions, Halong Bay. Thousands of limestone islands protrude through the surface of the turquoise water to provide a wonderful day trip by boat. Most of the islands are vegetated to some degree but only a handful are populated. The biggest island is Cat Ba which boasts glorious beaches and Cat Ba National Park which is wonderful for trekking. We booked a 3 day/2 night tour through our hotel to Halong Bay for $23. The price included accommodation and food as well as a tour guide.

SHOPPING

Hanoi is an excellent place to do some shopping. We spent most of our time in and around the Old Quarter which has dozens of different streets full of shops ranging from small cubicles to classy branded outlets. Prices are always to be negotiated as the first one you'll hear is always inflated.

The Dong Xuan Market is not particularly exciting but has a huge range of products available if you can stick being pummelled by the sometimes pushy vendors. It is located on Dong Xuan just north of the lake. There are also several food markets like the Hung Da market worth exploring in the same area. Even if you don't buy anything (advisable) seeing the locals go about their business preparing fish and meat and cooking strange cuts (dog) is an experience n itself. The level of hygiene is low as are the conditions for the live animals that are caged everywhere. These markets are probably best avoided if animal cruelty is something that upsets you.

If you like your music and are not bothered by illegal copying then Hanoi has a treasure trove of record shops. Selling for as little as .60 euro the sound quality is mostly as good as the originals. You can even arrange a discount if you buy in bulk. The best stores we came across were Music World and Victory both on Hang Bac street. Victory also stock DVD titles and some games. Buying music back home will never be the same.

Continuing on the same pirated thread we picked up an excellent photocopy of the Lonely Planet for 90,000 Dong. It was fully coloured and was excellently bound. There are numerous book sellers who have photocopied travel books and other best sellers. The trick is to bargain hard here as the sellers generally aim high (so you should deliberately aim low).

EATING OUT

If you are on a for good night out the place to head for is Hang Hanh street which is made up of a strip of restaurants and pubs. The cafes there are ingeniously called after the number they occupy on the street. So you'll find Cafe 99 at number 99 Hang Hanh, Cafe 38 at 38 and so on. Cafe 99 was our favourite because it had a neat view of the goings on below from the upstairs balcony.

Vinh Loi on Hang Ga street is great for a quick snack. Their coldcut sandwiches are particularly nice and the owner speaks fairly good English. It is affiliated with the Golden Cock pub on Hang Hanh street. Another good choice in the area with great views of the lake is the Rooftop cafe. The food is great and it tastes even better after climbing the 6 levels of stairs that lead to the cafe. A lift is being built!

Sing Cafe on Luong Van Can is a youth hostel, come internet cafe, come eaterie. It has a large menu that is quite cheap. The staff are friendly and the food is served quickly (hence the subtitle under its name - fast food). You also get a free banana after every meal which is nice.

With its special pasta, garlic bread and soft drink for 22,000 Dong Red Cafe was hard to beat. That and the extremely attentive staff meant that we breakfasted, lunched and dinnered in the place. Red Cafe is situated on the busy Hang Bac street (number 15) and can't be more highly recommended, just witness the big crowds each day.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Polite bar has a European feel to it (perhaps it's the footie that is shown on the pubs 2 TV screens) and is perfect place for meeting other travellers. At 9 pm the Polite can be quite empty but somehow within an hour or two it is wedged. All the local beers Tiger, BGI and Halida are served here and sell for around 1 euro per big bottle. The music in the background tends to get more frenetic as the night goes on (just like the patrons). The Polite is at the end/start of a strip of cafes/pubs on Hang Hanh street near the lake.

Run by an amiable Frenchman named Michel, Gecko bar can be found across the road from the Polite bar. This pub is quite small but this means that there is nearly always a good atmosphere no matter how small the crowd. The bar is mostly frequented by tourists but the odd local does drop in. The happy hour is particularly good when you can pick up a tiger beer for only 10,000 Dong.

Funky Monkey has a slightly seedy feel to it and can't decide whether its a pub or a nightclub. Don't go there for conversations because the appalling music is really loud and the tacky lighting a bit tiresome. Drinks in this bar were slightly more expensive than in the surrounding pubs.

Hanoi is a chaotic city that has retained much of its colonial French buildings. We imagined that we would have left town after a night or 2 but before we know it a week had passed. You certainly need a couple of days to acclimatise to the city but once you have you will walk around with a smile on your face just like the locals.
 

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