Hanoi Things to Do Tips by ellielou

The first time I was in Hanoi, I was really anxious to go to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. Little did I know that he wasn't there, but was in Moscow for his yearly embalming touch-up. What a grand disappointment!

Well, a great reason to return was to see HCM in the flesh, as it were. And, not only had I missed the chance to see him the first time, I had never, ever been to a mausoleum, so I was doubly excited.

If you're in Hanoi, and he's not in Moscow, well, it's a must see. Do NOT even entertain the thought of missing this. Sure, the lines are long, and loads of tourists too, but it's all worth it. The experience of standing in line, from being annoyed and slightly amused at the entire thing (no offense meant here) to the mood of everyone changing to solemn and referential, is pretty incredible to witness.

You're actually in the mausoleum pretty briefly (the waiting in line to seeing what you came to see ratio is not good), but it's an incredible experience, and, for some reason, it's shocking to see how tiny Ho Chi Minh really was. I won't give away any more. Promise!

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Directions: Ba Dinh District

This is part of the HCM 'complex' that includes the mausoleum and his 'modest house on stilts.'

Ok. After the hushed and reverential tone of the mausoleum, this place comes as sort of a shock. There are tons of people everywhere, people aggressively trying to act as your 'guide,' (well, they do have offical badges, and say they'll take donations at the end.....) and busloads of school kids.

It's interesting, and, as you might imagine, a bit, well, what should we say, um, 'one sided,' in its presentation of the man and his work. You can't help but be a little impressed though.

There are great displays and tons and tons of text. Unfortunately, I didn't really have the patience to read though much (if any) of the explanations, but figured it was just as well.

While it's not a 'must see,' you may as well stop by since you're in the neighborhood.

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Directions: Ba Dinh District

I think this was definitely one of the better museums in Vietnam, and it was a shame, really, that I was the only one, or one of two people there.

As the name implies, it's a museum dedicated to the contributions of women, ok, to Vietnamese women. It presents different aspects of women in the country, from soldiers to women in small, tribal communities. Of course, it also shows their political contributions, their importance to Uncle Ho, and their fearlessness in war. On the top floor, there is also a sense of the role played by Vietnamese women in the global women's movement.

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Address: 36 Pho Ly Thuong
Directions: Central Hanoi