"the 2sues in the north of Vietnam" Hanoi by SPW

Hanoi Travel Guide: 2,675 reviews and 5,720 photos

Decisions, decisions...

Despite the efforts of friendly Vietnamese cafe owners here in Melbourne we eventually decided to confine our trip to Hanoi and the north. This seemed more manageable than trying to skim over the length of the country in 2 weeks. It was also recommended as being quieter and more obviously French influenced than the south.
We considered tours and independent travel eventually deciding to go with a program that we put together in conjunction with a tourist cafe with links to Australia. Our reasoning was that their prices were reasonable and we would have someone locally who spoke English and understood Australian peculiarities. This worked out brilliantly, giving us time to ourselves as well as organised time on short tours to Sa Pa and to Halong Bay.

Hanoi: a gracious city

It was sobering to drive along the road from the airport and be told that the indentations by the road were old bomb craters, the most apparent remnant from the war.
The city itself has both French overtones in the remaining colonial buildings and some of the tree lined boulevards and an unmistakable Asian feel, particularly in the Old Quarter with its narrow streets and shop houses. Lake Hoan Kiem in the centre of town is like the lungs od the city where there is peace although the traffic swirls around only a few metres away.
Motor and push bikes are the most common forms of transport and crossing the street is an important art to learn. Check that here are no cars or trucks coming and then step out, and continue to walk stedily to the other side as the bikes swerve around you. Stopping will spoil the riders' judgement and is more likely to result in accidents. White lines drawn on the road as pedestrian crossings are simply white lines drawn on the road and don't confer any safety.

Autumn Moon Festival

While we were there, preparations were underway for the Autumn Moon Festival, with some street decorations, and many stalls, paticularly in the Old Quarter filled with toys for children, moon cakes and lanterns. There were street parades in the evenings and the climax included fireworks over the lake.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:Relaxed pace, managable size
  • Cons:Some postcard and travel guide hawkers
  • Last visit to Hanoi: Sep 2002
  • Intro Updated Aug 13, 2003
  • Add to Trip Planner (?)
  • Report Abuse

Reviews (14)

Comments (25)

  • Jun 3, 2007 at 7:09 PM

    we'd like to introduce to you our restaurant named KiTi at 38 Hang Hom-Hon Kiem. Our restaurant is located in the heart quarter of Hanoi city with the elegant, luxurious, and sophisticated structures that always satisfy tourists coming to Vietnam

  • pepples46's Profile Photo
    Sep 19, 2006 at 9:47 PM

    excellent tips

  • Applelyn's Profile Photo
    Mar 30, 2006 at 6:38 AM

    Is your ankle better now? Btw, lovely tips on Hanoi and nice intro

  • Sininen's Profile Photo
    Feb 17, 2006 at 7:22 AM

    Hello Sue! Happy Birthday from Finland! I loved your Hanoi page, which was well written without forgetting humour and your photos made the tips perfect. Thank you for letting me join this virtual tour in Hanoi. Cheers, Sini

  • perseushermes's Profile Photo
    Oct 26, 2005 at 5:07 AM

    Lovely tips on Hanoi. Lovely photos too

  • imstress's Profile Photo
    Jul 4, 2005 at 6:25 PM

    did u had Bia Hoi when u were in Hanoi? I simply love them;p thanks for sharing Hanoi with us.

  • muddybok's Profile Photo
    Jun 2, 2005 at 7:29 AM

    The air conditioning at water puppet is now very cold & fully functional. No matter how i say my prayer at St Joseph's Cathedral, i still cannot resist the temptations & overshopped.

  • JetlagCity's Profile Photo
    May 5, 2005 at 3:41 PM

    Enjoyed your memories and style of writing! I haven't been this far from home yet, but hope to see this area someday. Greetings from Seattle!

  • Jim_Eliason's Profile Photo
    Dec 20, 2004 at 5:41 PM

    Great photos and tips!

  • BeatChick's Profile Photo
    Nov 29, 2004 at 12:51 AM

    Western-style toilets - always good to know!! :) You're Hanoi Pages are a breath of fresh air!

SPW

“To see, to meet, to know”

Online Now

Female

Top 5,000 Travel Writer
Member Rank:
0 1 3 7 1
Forum Rank:
0 2 9 7 2

Badges & Stats in Hanoi

  • 14 Reviews
  • 11 Photos
  • 1 Forum posts
  • 25 Comments
  • 2,040PageViews

Have you been to Hanoi?

  Share Your Travels  

Latest Activity in Hanoi

Travel Interests

See All Travel Interests (5)

Latest Hanoi hotel reviews

Hotel Nikko Hanoi
56 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 7, 2013
Hanoi Venus Hotel
5 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Mar 18, 2012
Cinnamon Hotel Hanoi
63 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 15, 2013
Golden Key Hotel Hanoi
7 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Dec 3, 2012
Hoabinh Palace Hotel
173 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 7, 2013
Manh Dung Guest house
71 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 30, 2013
Tung Trang Hotel
46 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 10, 2013
Duc Thai Hotel Hanoi
166 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Feb 15, 2013
Hanoi Daewoo Hotel
56 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Mar 25, 2013
Royal Gate Hotel
16 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 10, 2013
Anh 2 Hotel
4 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jul 1, 2008
ATS Hotel Hanoi
6 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jan 21, 2010
Hanoi Plaza Hotel
43 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Mar 21, 2013
Golden Lotus Hotel
1 Review & Opinion
The Jasmine Hotel
397 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 15, 2013