HANOI

21-10-22

Hanoi / 3 nights

After reigniting our travels around South-East Asia following a two and a half year hiatus where Covid forced us to cut our 2020 trip short in the March, I didn’t know what to expect from Vietnam.

We never made it this far on our route in 2020 and after landing in Singapore a week ago, one of our favourite cities ever, getting ourselves into the Asian time zone and back in the travelling swing, we wanted to head straight to a new, undiscovered country.

I hadn’t read too much up on Hanoi or Vietnam in general before arriving so was landing into Hanoi with no expectations, or some might say blind?

If you’ve ever been to Bangkok and thought it was pretty mental, times that by 10 and you might be close to imagining Hanoi. By mental I mean, the comparison of road traffic, amount of street food vendors and amazing sights, including the neighbour to your hotel chopping up a whole raw squid on the floor at 10am. Worth saying that by mental, I mean being in a constant state of incredible awe and love with Vietnamese people being some of the kindest and most helpful that you will ever meet.

Accommodation Location

We stayed in the Old Quarter of the city near Hoan Kiem Lake which I would hugely recommend as it is the beating heart of Hanoi. Here you’ll be within walking distance of most sights including Train Street, the French Quarter and the shop walking streets – basically pedestrianised market streets although pedestrianised also means motorbikes too!

✨ TOP TIP ✨

Let’s get straight into this top tip when visiting Hanoi – commit when crossing the road! You’ll quickly witness how chaotic the streets of Hanoi can be with a population of 8 million, most of them on motorbikes at all times of the day it seems plus cars and buses. There are some marked zebra crossings on the roads but that doesn’t mean road traffic stops for you – you simply have to walk out into the traffic (in a small gap preferably) and just take a steady pace to the other side (whilst looking both ways please). Shoutout to a wonderful woman and her French bulldog, Buddy, that I met in Singapore who told me this otherwise I don’t think I ever would have worked out how to get to the other side of the street.

Food Glorious Food

Finding good food in Hanoi should be the least of your worries as the amount of side street restaurants is vast and not once did I have a bad meal from these humble, mini plastic chair establishments.

Fair to say that is was love at first bite for me and Pho – a Vietnamese noodle broth dish typically serviced with beef, which was the first internationally recognised dish from Vietnam to be enjoyed worldwide. I had a bowl of Pho at least once a day and I could eat it everyday forever.

If you’re looking for more of a typical restaurant vibe, then definitely check out Quán An Ngon on Phan Boi Chau street. The centre courtyard, adorned by colourful hanging lanterns, is surrounded by food stations, creating a market aesthetic. However, you order your food via a menu and through waiters. Here, you will find the whole catalogue of Vietnamese cuisine including cinnamon pork sausage with rice noodles and shrimp pancakes, which I recommend trying as much as you can.

Historic Sightseeing

There is so much history in Vietnam to explore and learn, most poignantly, the Vietnam War.

Top sights to visit to walk through history would be Hoa Lo Prison, where American soldiers were kept as prisoners of war. You can even hire an audio guide for the full immersive experience or there are many information plaques around the prison.

I would also massively recommend visiting Huu Tiep Lake and the Downed B52. In the west of the city, you can view the remains of an American B52 bomber plane which was shot down by Vietnamese soldiers in 1972. Whether you are into history or not, the sight of this scene is truly unbelievable.

Stepping away from war-time history, there are many beautiful temples and religious buildings in Hanoi with beautiful gardens and architecture. The most famous of them all is the Temple of Literature. The tranquil gardens and Chinese design of this temple makes for a peaceful respite from the chaotic Hanoi.

The Must See Sight

I very rarely tell people they have to see a particular sight in locations as everyone has different tastes…however, let me tell you about Hanoi’s Train Street.

It’s very likely you have seen images of this narrow, neighbourhood street before, which becomes swallowed by a huge two-storey high train a few times a day – well let me tell you, the pictures do not do it justice. I had seen pictures and videos of this before, but never could I have imagined just how close this train gets to the sides of the road, you are no more than an inch away and it is surreal! So surreal that I went to watch a train pass, four times.

During weekdays the train only comes through at night however on weekends you can catch this sight during the day too.

✨TOP TIP – TRAIN STREET✨

When accessing Train Street, make sure you head to where the train crosses Tran Phu street. For safety reasons, Hanoi shut down many cafes on the train track and there is now a barrier across the railway which is manned by security – meaning you cannot walk up and down the train track freely. This also means, you are not able to access any of the cafes unless you call over at the owner. Once doing so, he will then escort you through a back alley, through peoples living rooms and to the cafes which sit along Train Street. We became very friendly with the owner on our first visit so when we returned and there were quite a few travellers wondering how to access the cafes, the owner noticed us and told us to come round the back for him to let us in. It almost feels like a secret club but if you act polite and say, ‘hello’ and, ‘thank you’ in Vietnamese, it is very possible to grab a seat for the train show.

Our next stop on from Hanoi is the famous Ha Long Bay and let me tell you, I cannot wait to arrive at the coast and jump in some gorgeous waters!

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo