In pitch darkness, we landed in Hanoi, Vietnam. Ride from airport to Hotel in the old quarter, 20 USD. No need to haggle with cab drivers, its the standard fare. City seemed dead at night. After checking in at our hotel, walking around, a motorcycle driver stopped us and offered to take us somewhere to eat. Being the explorers that we are, we threw caution to the wind. Ofcourse, our savvy driver couldn't pass up the opportunity to offer us the services of the world's second oldest profession. We respectfully declined, he insisted, so I told him we were gay. That shut him up for good.
Being the sleazy driver that he is, we ended up in a shabby place, didn't eat there. Walked for a bit, ran into a Canadian, out all night celebrating St. Patty's day. She took us to Tong Duy Tan st, pedestrian only, with some good Vietnamese restaurants, local street vendors and fusion Vietnamese coffee shops. The Canadian is a therapist, and it was an entertaining evening of discussing ADHD and links to addiction, among other topics.
We booked this street food tour, despite not being tour fans, we said what the hell. Hanoi went from being semi-boring to pretty exciting. The tour lasted 3 hours, we had pho, pastries, noodles, Vietnamese coffee and deserts. Do not miss this in Hanoi. Company is called un-originally " Hanoi Street Food Tour", its on Hang Bac street. Ask for "Phoenix" to be your guide. She is amazing, embodies the spirit of the Vietnamese people. Friendly and hardworking. She is a big reason we started liking Hanoi.
After the tour, roam around the Hang Bac area, there are bars, clubs, coffee shops, restaurants and it is crowded, with a mix of locals and backpackers, its safe and full of life. On the weekends, there is a bustling night market.
I do highly recommend visting a respectable spa after roaming the dusty city streets for a day or two. Prices are cheap ($20-$25) for a 60-90 minute massage. Quality is excellent. We went to Mido Spa based on a tip.
What you need to know:
What to do: roam the old quarter and get lost. Vendors are very organized, each area will have the same kind of vendor, bamboo shops, souvenir shops, electronics, etc. Walk around the Hoan Kim lake. Visit the Hanoi Hilton Prison, but be aware, communist propaganda very much alive. Ho Chi Min Mausoleum, but you couldn't go in. The museum is fine, but propaganda again. Old palace: not really worth it.
Food: Hanoi Street Food tour, do not miss ($25 pp). Word of advice: buy your own chop sticks! street vendors reuse them. The pho anywhere is top notch. Vendors on the street have better tasting Pho than the most upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Houston. Not kidding! lucked out with Banh Minh, tried 3 different places and just couldn't get a good one like we have here in the States. Not alot of meat or vegetables in the Hanoi version. Breakfast Banh Minh was good though. Can't go wrong with egg and bread. Do not leave Hanoi without sampling their beef jerky. It will put Texas jerky to shame. Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, served hot or cold, is a crime to miss. For a good snack, cafe Runam. In the mood for something fancy: try Essence restaurant for authentic food and impeccable service.
Where to stay: old quarter: spring flower hotel, less than $30 (for 2 people, a steal), clean, helpful staff, good breakfast and centrally located. Do not stay at twins hotel, despite receiving a trip advisor award, it didn't take us long to figure the pl;ace is a brothel, rooms smelled like smoke and cigarette burns on the bed.
Costs: you can eat for less than $10 all day if yous tick with street food. The fanciest of restaurants, you'll pay $15 per meal. Cabs are cheap if you need one, $3-5 per ride in the old quarter.
Next morning, the sleeping Hanoi became a bustling city, with mopeds buzzing everywhere. Forget strolling on the side walk, street vendors selling everything from food to garments have taken up permenant residence. Navigating your way around the old quarter is not difficult, and don't worry about the mopeds as you cross the street, they will make their own calculations to avoid hitting you. Enjoy the experience.
We hit a couple of sites, Ho Chi Min Mausoleum, Ha Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton), St. Joesph's Cathedral, and Hoan Kiem lake. Easy to do in half a day. Now what? we waited for the rest of our travel party to arrive and spent the rest of the day roaming the bustling streets, visiting vendors, and making local conversation. Not too excited about what Hanoi had to offer, till..........
