48 | Hanoi

Located in the north of Vietnam, Hanoi is the second-largest city and the capital of the country. The city is home to around 8 million people and 6 million scooters that jostle for position on the tight streets of the old town. The Red River runs along the east of the city, where many bridges have been constructed under the previous occupation of the French between 1883 - 1945. A lot of the French architecture still exists in the city and even newer buildings are designed today in a similar fashion.

We stayed at Hanoi Focus Boutique Hotel for £17 per night (510K Vietnamese Dong). On the first night, we got a free upgrade with a huge walk-in marble shower. The staff were really friendly and the inclusive breakfast was generous. We stayed on the top floor for the other nights with views looking across to Hoàn Kiếm Lake in the centre of the Old Quarter. Getting around was pretty easy with most of the main sights within walking distance. There doesn’t seem to be any road rules here. Crossing the road can be like an extreme sport activity with many scooters not even stopping for red lights. It’s like a game of dodgems and your body is the car.

Having walked around the lake in the first evening and stopping for some fast food in Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square; I was keen to experience the real Vietnamese culture the next day. We started in the French Quarter passing through the main buildings of their occupation that have now been replaced with luxury designer brands and 5-star hotels.

One of the sights I was keen to see the most was Hanoi Train Street. The line cuts through a residential neighbourhood where market vendors sell their goods along the track. Unfortunately, on that particular day we were there (Wednesday), the market was closed. It’s definitely worth checking in advance so you don’t miss the spectacle. We stopped for lunch at Vivienne Cafe next to St. Joseph'sCathedral. The view from the balcony is pretty nice. Halfway through my burger, the upstairs turned into a film set as they started shooting a commercial for the cafe. Not quite sure sipping coffee and overtly laughing would have been the script I would have gone for, but it was pretty cool to witness.

We walked to the Vietnam Military History Museum in the west of the city centre where the Flag Tower of Hanoi is situated. You can access the site for free, but beware, it is not designed for people taller than 6 feet, so be prepared to stoop and almost crawl on your hands and knees to get up someof the steps and passageways. The view from the top gives you a bird's eye view of the museum's military artifacts (Otherwise known as the “Garden of Broken Toys”) with many aircraft and tanks being restored to their former glory. There are a number of exhibits that show posters condemning the Americans in the War from countries such as Congo, Venezuela, Cuba, and The Netherlands.

A short walk away is the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel that was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010. The entrance to the site is 30k Dong (£1) with no time limit on your stay. You can explore the outer grounds and walk on the citadel wall where the old gateway still remains. It was used by the People’s Army of Vietnam between 1945-1975 as their Headquarters. For a site that has seen so much history, you can easily spend a couple of hours there. Although access to the tunnel networks is not open to the public, you can still see the entranceway to the command rooms.

You can see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum for free and walk around the large parade square that is guarded by the military dressed in all-white uniforms. Just around the corner is the gated Presidential Palace that is coated in mustard yellow paint. The French style palace was meant to be the home of Ho Chi Minh, however, he preferred to live in a traditional stilted Vietnamese home. The final sight we went to see was Tran Quoc Pagoda. It is the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi and was built in the 6th century by Emperor Lý Nam Đế. It is very different from the other temples and free to access. There were many people putting offerings next to the shrines such as money, fruit, water, and even beer!

Our stay in Hanoi was split into 2 parts with a two-day tour of Ha Long Bay separating our time in the north. On our final morning, we went to The Temple of the Jade Mountain, which is one of the most popular tourist sights. Located on an island in the middle of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, it certainly grabs your attention, especially at night when the bridge lights up bright red. For me, it was more of a photo opportunity rather than something I enjoyed with a lot of tourists jostling for position to get their shot.The temple is ok but again quite busy.

For the meat lovers, I would recommend going to CHUO steak restaurant. They cook the steak on blocks which still sizzles in front of you once it arrives at the table. All the tables are communal, so you may have to share the other half of the table with another party. For steak, chips, side salad, and garlic bread, the cost came to £11. Not bad at all!

One of the new things I discovered in the Old Quarter streets was Egg Coffee. The Vietnamese drink is traditionally prepared with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk, and robusta coffee. Apparently, fresh milk was in short supply during the war, so whisked egg yolk was used as a replacement. It’s worth a try if you want to have something a little different.

#City #Culture #Accommodation #History