"The Mystic Charm of Hanoi" Hanoi by KookieDough

To me, this capital city is an impressive blend of the old world and the new. From the airport, we passed modern highways and international hotel chains, but along with them also were the traditional Vietnamese architecture preserved in the houses and, of course, the famous old French quarters of Hanoi.

My husband and I went to Hanoi for our honeymoon. It was a great choice of destination. The city was laidback, but still had the right tinge of excitement for us. Apart from that, we visited during its coldest season - a really wonderful climate to walk along the Hoan Kiem Lake or just hang out at the terrace of Highlands Coffee (it's like Hanoi's answer to Starbucks).

The people were always smiling and very helpful. The food, authentic Vietnamese and French, were superb. Plus, there were a lot of excellent buys here - from clothes to trinkets.

Just observing the structures and designs around and the lifestyles of the people were "colorful" enough to keep us occupied. The rich history of Vietnam was written all around. This is why we did a lot of walking here, because along the way we were exploring every street.

The 5-day vacation seemed a long stay already when were just packing our bags for the trip, but we discovered from our very first day in Hanoi that it would not be enough. I think this is true, though, in every trip that you make. There are always a lot more things you would want to do in every destination. But, whatever the case, we have come to love this city and we hope to come back soon.

• Pros:Wonderful people, delicious food, low costs, endless shopping
• Cons:Motorbikes everywhere! Have to look left and right all the time!