Visiting Vietnam: Hanoi

Finally getting into the swing of things after an incredible summer holiday. Not only was the weather great and destinations fabulous, but I also got to hang out with my good friends who came all the way to the east just for me #tearyeyed. I am still overwhelmed and can't thank them enough for doing that. It almost felt like I was home. And of course they did not come empty handed, they both came bearing sweet goods from South Africa- homeyness all around. There are so many photos I want share so over the next few days I will be showing off posting some of them and any tips that I can share which will hopefully help someone out there one day.

ready for take off

Because of our limited time in Vietnam-we decided to hit the big spots. We visited Hanoi (the capital city), Halong Bay (now a 7 wonder of nature), Hoi An (Unesco Heritage Site) and Ho Chi Min City. Every stop we made we were met with the super friendliness of the Vietnamese people, delicious food and each town had its own personality particularly in cuisine - it was interesting seeing it transform as we made our way south.

In Hanoi we stayed at the old quarter area which was right in the heart of the city. Every morning I would wake up to an amazing cappuccino and some people watching to kick start my day, while my dear friend battled some jet lag (South Africa being 5 hours behind). Although there are museums and markets to visit - I found Hanoi not to be a city for check lists. My favourite part was roaming the streets aimlessly, watching the locals get on with their day, all the while stopping at cafes to enjoy some new drinks and scrumptious food. We did a cyclo tour around the old quarter area - which was a great and slow paced way to familiarize yourself with your new home but the rest of the time we walked pretty much everywhere.

1.morning cuppa 2. cyclotour on pause due to rain 3. the famous pointed hat 4. cyclo 5. streets of Hanoi

I really had an amazing time in this city. I was completely charmed by the old quarter district and was happy to return to it for another 2 days before flying out of Hanoi. 

Tips:

1. There are tons of hotels and hostels in the old quarter area which is an area I highly recommend staying in. Its close to where you will spend most of your time in Hanoi anyway so you might as well save yourself from taxi fares and long walks and stick around. 

2. We found that staying in a private room at a hostel cost the same as staying in some of the 3 star hotels so we opted for the latter in order to have an en-suite bathroom. If you are staying for longer or traveling alone or on a shoestring budget, then a hostel bed in a dorm will do the trick. But if you plan on choosing a private room in a hostel, then you should check hotel prices too - they might surprise you. Vietnam is more affordable than a lot of countries so an extra dollar or two can see you upgrade quite substantially and that peace and quiet at the end of a day of sightseeing will be priceless.

3. If you do opt for a hotel,  check their website. Some offer a free pick up from the airport for stays 3 nights or longer IF you book directly with the hotel. But if you book through some of the other websites - lets call them 3rd parties for now, then you don't qualify for this free pick up because of the commission they get charged by the other guys. Booking directly with them will save you up to 18 USD in airport transfers.

4. As for crossing the streets - remain calm. If you are going to try to wait for a completely clear passage you could wait all day and all night. Despite the chaos, I don't remember witnessing any actual accidents. The trick here is to forget everything you know about crossing the street by just, well crossing. Walk at a moderate pace; don't change the pace either. The motorcyclists are quite comfortable at maneuvering their way around you. By changing your pace or running across, you kind of become unpredictable for them - which is more likely to cause an accident. Once you brave it up and get the hang of it - I found it pretty safe actually.

Enjoy your stay in Hanoi

Visiting Vietnam: Halong Bay coming soon :)