Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. The city is sprawling with foreign people mostly visitors and American army men. As most of us know, some Vietnam war vets still keep visiting Vietnam and most frequently - Hanoi. This is probably due to nostalgia. People like us go back to Hanoi for the rich Vietnamese cuisine, the unique cycle rickshaws and the unique people of Vietnam. Here’s a report on how you might spend couple of days in Hanoi.
The city of Hanoi is located on Red river. Being a major city of Vietnam, it has a population of 3,145,000. But this is according to 2005 stats. If you are carrying some kind of GPS during your travel, the lat and long coordinates for this city are 21°2′ North, 105°51′ East.
If you are wondering about places to go, good eats and cheap Vietnamese beer, here’s your ‘rough guide’ to the city. I think this should do the trick i.e. get you traveling to Hanoi. Anyways, the most important thing that I consider while traveling is food. Specially in a developing country like Vietnam, you don’t want to get sick out of crappy food and bad beer.
Food:
You can stop by at 20th floor Summit Lounge at the Sofitel Plaza hotel. You will be greeted with a very welcoming and panoramic view of the Red river flowing by. From here you can see the unique architectural styles of Hanoi which includes a red roof and yellowish houses as. The Hanoi skyline is seen in the first picture.
The best part about this city is it even offers American tourists a bistro. Can you imagine eating at a bistro away from home? How exciting! There’s also the Vine restaurant where you can chill out and taste a lot of wine. It has a very cozy setting, and unique decor. You can have a breakfast bowl of Pho or rice preparations for lunch in the restaurant.
A good place to eat lunch would be Koto on Van Mieu (a restaurant opposite the Temple of Literature). The term Koto actually stands for Know one and teach one. The dinner options vary widely. Green Tangerine, Wild Lotus, Au Lac House are just some of the restaurants that offer great food and great atmosphere.
Things to do:
Moving on, let’s look at things that you can do in Hanoi. The Hoan Kiem Lake or the Lake of the Restored Sword is also an unique thing to check out. But, personally I think it might be a waste of time. Use the two days checking out Vietnamese architectural marvels instead.
One of these unique Vietnamese houses is the Ho Chi Min Mausoleum. I guess you must be wondering why I am insisting you to check out a dead body hideously right? The strange decor surrounding Ho Chi Min’s body is what attracts most visitors to this place. I am sure you all have heard of this Vietnamese leader. He is the Vietnamese national hero. That’s for sure.
While at it, you might as well check out the wonderful gardens of Ho Chi Min’s house. This is pretty much right behind the presidential palace.
You can tour Hanoi in a Cyclo (local term for a rickshaw). Swing by Hanoi’s ancient quarter in a human powered transport. This will be an unique experience for westerners. Rickshaws are the best way to travel around in a developing country. As you travel around in a rickshaw you will witness sidewalks littered with vendors trying to sell daily utensils and stuff.
If you are big on buying stuff, you can check out the historic market known as Dong Xuan. All you will find here are clothes. The place also offers plenty of silk rolls. You might buy one for your significant other or your better half. She will love it.
So, it seems like the capital city of Vietnam does offer plenty of options to it’s visitors. It’s just a matter of choice and personal taste. What you do in Hanoi is obviously up to you.
Image Credits: Geogr, Vtourist, Bootsnall, Virtualtourist
