Landed in Hanoi after a pleasant 2hr flight with Vietnam Airlines from Bangkok, they even managed a meal service in that time. On landing we made our way to the agreed meeting point to find our free (thank you Booking.com genius reward 😀) ride to Hanoi Old Quarter. Some crazy traffic meant this relatively short ride took over an hour…it’s a city where lane rules do not appear to exist and everyone survives by the use of the horn be it moped or car!
Our accommodation was a little disappointing but very well located in the hubbub of the Old Quarter. Disappointing because there was no window and hence no natural light entered our room, like sleeping in a sealed box.
Hanoi itself was fun, lots of life (and near death experiences avoiding mopeds). Here’s some of the things we got up to in 3 days:
- Sitting at a cafe in Train Street while the train passes inches from your feet.
- Beers on a rooftop bar
- Hoa Lo Historical Prison (aka the Hanoi Hilton…they made a film about it)
- The Turtle Tower also called the Tortoise Tower, is a small tower in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake.It is one of the most iconic, symbolic and most recognizable pieces of architecture representing Hanoi
- Ate Bahn Mi and drank Vietnamese coffees…both yum
- Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – quite something to view Ho Chi Minh himself who died in 1969
- Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long – this place is so full of history!! Archeological digs are still occurring too. From construction in 1010 through French invasion to the Vietnam war, this site has it all. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Citadel_of_Thăng_Long
- Water puppet show
