My Vietnam and Hanoi Guide
I have lived and worked in Vietnam for several years . When not living there, I visit several times a year
to work with colleagues at the Institute of Sociology and the Vietnam Museum of
Ethnology. Several friends have visited me while I was living there, and
several more have visited Hanoi without me and have asked for suggestions on
things to see and do—so here are my recommendations. Keep in mind that things
change quickly in Hanoi,
so something suggested below may no longer be there.
Resources Before You Go
- Get
your visa before arrival. It is very easy. You can print out the form from
the Vietnam Embassy web
site and then fill it out and FedEx the necessary materials to them.
Include a prepaid FedEx slip for them to send it back to you (that way you
will always be able to go on-line and track where your passport and visa
are) within a week.
- I have
a strong preference for Rough
Guides Vietnam guide (currently in its 6th edition; 2009)
over Lonely
Planet. Another neat little guide for HCMC and Hanoi
is from an Asian company and is called Luxe City
Guides based in Hong Kong. Their
guides are short and to the point and very well researched. They come out
with a new edition every 6 months so their suggestions are very current
and focus on what is trendy. This guide is not for those watching their
wallet. National Geographic Traveler also came out with a Vietnam
guidebook in Oct. 2006, now in its second edition (2010).
- For
general travel information on Vietnam
go to Vietnam Adventures,
also good is the Indochine
Regional Travel Guide, which includes Vietnam.
- If you
need a travel agent, I have used Exotissimo Travel Services in Hanoi
for several years for travel in Vietnam,
Laos, and Cambodia
and they are wonderful; fantastic services and great prices. Buffalo Tours is
also good for soft adventure travel, but I think overpriced. I also used EAisa Travel
once and they organized a terrific 4-day kayaking trip in Halong
Bay for a group of
us.
- Travelers checks are a hassle. Banks charge about 4% to
cash them and hotels give you a bad exchange rate. Credit cards are widely
accepted in most shops and restaurants and ATMs are plentiful in cities.
- The
New York Times travel section is enamored with Vietnam, and come up with a
new Vietnam based article at least every 6 months or so. You can find all
their articles on their web site. Some good articles include: Past Lingers
in Changing Vietnam(8/28/2005), Going
to Ho Chi Minh City (4/24/2005), In Hanoi, Traffic and History
Hum (3/7/2004), At Ease in Vietnam, Asias
New Culinary Star (8/27/2003), Looking Up an Old Love on the Streets of
Vietnam (8/13/2003), On
Hanoi Menus, Spring Rolls and Profiteroles (4/28/2002), Hanoi,
Dining Evolution (2/5/2006), Hanoi:
Hanoi Hilton Opera (2/26/2006), Boomtown,
Vietnam (11/19/2006), The
Awakening of Hanoi (2/17/06), and 36
Hours in Ho Chi Minh City (12/21/08).
- Other
travel articles: Good
Afternoon Vietnam in Conde Nast Traveler
April 2005; Return
to Da Lat in Smithsonian Magazine August
2005; Silk
Robes and Cell Phones in Smithsonian Magazine January 2002; Vietnam
Now in Smithsonian Magazine January 1996; Good
Morning, Vietnam in USA Today (12/19/2004), 48
Hours in Hanoi, the Best of a City in 2 Days in National Geographic
Traveler, The
Best of Vietnam from Travel and Leisure Feb. 2003, The
Flip Side of Vietnam in Travel and Leisure July 1998.
- If you
would like to do some reading before you arrive or during the long flight,
try: Andrew X Pham- Catfish and mandala: A
two-wheeled voyage through the landscape and memory of Vietnam, Duong Van
Mai Elliott- The sacred willow: Four generations in the life of a
Vietnamese family; Robert Templer- Shadows and
wind: A view of modern Vietnam; Dana Sachs- A house on dream street:
Memoir of an American woman in Vietnam; Graham Greene- The quiet American;
Thu Huong Duong-Paradise of the blind: A novel.
When You Arrive
- Pick
up a copy of The Guide, a monthly publication with event listings. Most
upscale hotels will provide a copy in the room. Mainly covers HCMC and Hanoi.
- Make
an appointment for a massage at Qi Salon and Spa (27 Ly Thuong
Kiet; 824-4703), located close to the city
center. There is nothing like 20 min. in the steam room and an hour
massage to get you feeling relaxed after that long plane flight. Hanoi Spa (41 Tran Quoc
Toan; 943-9789) is another central city option,
and near West Lake, very close to the
Sheraton, is Zen Spa.
- Crossing
the street can be daunting. Just walk in and keep a steady pace and the
traffic will move around you. DO NOT suddenly dart for it. Keep a steady
pace.
- Hanoi is consistently ranked among the safest cities
in Asia. Use common sense and you wont have any problem.
Places To Stay
- I
recommend not staying in West Lake (Tay Ho) but
rather right in the heart of Hanoi, otherwise you will spend too much time
in a taxi and see the ever increasing traffic problems. I always recommend hotels close to the
heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem
Lake. Waking up early and walking
around the lake (see below) is a great way to start the day.
- If
money is not a concern, go for the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi
as your first choice (wonderful historic hotel with a fantastic location).
Another good choice for the over $100 a night range is the Hilton
Hanoi Opera (see review from New York Times above). At about $75 a
night, is the wonderful boutique Zephyr
Hotel just steps from Hoan Kiem Lake.
At about $65 a night, the DeSyloia is charming and has a very good
restaurant. At about $45 a night the Church Hotel is a great value.
This is a very clean, comfortable hotel, high speed internet access in
your room, and a great location on the very fashionable “Church St”.
Although they are very nice hotels, I would avoid the Dawoo,
Sheraton, and Sofitel West
Lake hotels due to
their out of the city location.
Places To Eat
- Vietnam
has terrific food and the restaurant scene has changed tremendously in the
past decade. There are great dining options from less than $1 to U.S. prices (See New York Times articles on
dining in Hanoi).
- If you
are visiting the Temple
of Literature, plan
to have lunch across the street at KOTO (Know One Teach One, 61
Van Mieu), a wonderful little place that takes
in street children and provides them job training and education. Lunch is
about $4 and includes Western and Asian offerings. Their savory crepe
filled with seafood and veggies in my favorite.
- Another
good cause to spend your money on for either lunch or dinner is Hoa Sua. They take children from highly disadvantaged
backgrounds and teach them English and French and train them for jobs in
the restaurant and hotel tourist trade. Both Vietnamese and French food is
available. I like the snapper steamed in banana leaves, and for dessert
the profiteroles (pastry filled with vanilla ice cream and covered with
chocolate sauce) are outstanding. Your waiter/waitress is a student, they
are very eager but depending on what point in their training they are in,
not always good. Please be kind and patient and repeat things slowly.
- Pho Ga
(32 Le Van Huu)- Famous
for very good Hanoi
pho (chicken noodle soup), a bowl costs $0.43 and is a filling breakfast
or lunch. There are air conditioned rooms upstairs.
- Tandoor (24 Hang Be) has good Indian food and their
sister vegetarian restaurant Dakshin (94 Hang Trong) are both very good. Excellent mango lassis. At Tandoor I like
their shrimp vindaloo and at Dakshin
their dosas, especially the masala
dosa.
- For
upscale eating that combines terrific food with beautiful settings go to
Emperor (185 Le Thanh Tong), or Wild Rice (6 Ngo Thi Nham), or Wild
Lotus (55A Nguyen Du) —good food and great settings in old French
villas. For the Emperor,
if the weather is not too cold or hot ask for a table on the second floor
patio overlooking the courtyard. At Wild Lotus I highly recommend starting
with the peanut encrusted shrimp with green mango salad or the tuna rolls
with wasabi sauce. The steamed Nha Trang sea bass is outstanding and for dessert try the
Vietnamese sticky rice with Thai custard and vanilla ice cream. Another
good choice is Nam Phuong (19 Phan Chu Trinh). Restaurant
Bobby Chin (1 Ba Trieu)
right across the street from Hoan Kiem lake is also good (more fusion Asian than Asian)
but does not have the atmosphere or Emperor or Wild Lotus. My favorite
used to be the Emperor, but now its Wild Lotus.
All these restaurants have been written up in the New York Times travel
section, and therefore are very popular with tour groups. Make a
reservation to avoid disappointment.
- Cafe Moca (16 Nha Tho) has good inexpensive food and a more extensive
coffee list than Starbucks. Across the street the Paris Deli is very good
and has a nice balcony on the second floor with outdoor tables that makes
a very pleasant place to have a chocolate eclair
and a lemon juice in nice weather, especially if you have been shopping on
the street below. Schools let out
around 4:30 and this little street will be filled with parents on
motorbikes to pick up their kids.
The Paris Deli balcony gives a great view of the scene below.
- Little
Hanoi (21
Hang Gai) is a good place for breakfast
(excellent French toast) and sandwiches.
Shopping
- The
fashionable place to shop in Hanoi
is Nha Tho street (Church
Street in English). This little street has
some really nice shops, including Mosaique (housewares), Song (resort wear), Co (for tailoring),
Marie Linh (high end womens
fashions mainly in linen) and LaCasa (housewares). The other major shopping street is Hang Gai in the old quarter. On Hang Gai,
I frequent Duc Loi (76
& 93 Hang Gai) because they have always
given me great service and good prices. They have quick turn around when
you want things made and its of high quality. For
childrens clothes, and bed and table linens, Tan
My is very nice (linens are upstairs).
- CoCoon (30 Nha Chung)- clothes for both men and women, great designs that
feature very bold colors. One of my favorites and right around the corner
from Nha Tho St (when
facing St. Josephs cathedral, turn left). Also on
Nha Chung a few doors down from CoCoon is Oriental House. For gifts to take home (silk
scarves, bags, ethnic minority products) the Wonder Shop (11 Nha Chung) is good.
- Khai Silk (several branches including one on Hang Gai- for both men and women, high end silks, designs
are more conservative than CoCoon.
- Vietnamese
House (92 Hang Bac)-
absolutely beautiful stone carved boxes and vases that are not like
anything else you will see around Hanoi. Great workmanship.
- Nguyen
Bao Nguyen (47 Hang Ngang)- Mr. Nguyen is a lovely gentleman who does death
portraits in pencil. He has branched out to other subjects now and does
amazing work. He did death portraits during the war as well, and right
outside his studio is a crawl space under the sidewalk for hiding when the
bombing started.
- Craftlink
(43 Van Mieu)- great
place to spend your money on things to bring back. This is a
not-for-profit organization that provides new markets for traditional
craftspeople. All the profits are channeled back to villages. Right across
from the Temple
of Literature and a
few doors down from KOTO.
Things to Do
- Visit
the Temple
of Literature (Van Mieu).
- Take a
walk around the old quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake.
- Visit
the Vietnam Museum of
Ethnology- wonderful museum and definitely a must see if you will be
going to Sapa or other areas with ethnic
minority groups (closed Mondays).
- Many
American tourists want to see the small lake in Hanoi that still has the American
aircraft sticking out of it from the war. This is located in a residential
section through a maze of narrow streets and is hard to find if you do not
speak Vietnamese. If you are intent on seeing this, hire a guide.
- If you
are an early riser take a walk around Hoan Kiem or Bay Mau lakes in the morning to see how locals
start their mornings. Badminton, tai chi and stretching are everywhere.
- Water
puppetry is an ancient art form and its
well worth a visit to Municipal Water Puppet Theater (57B Dinh Tien Hoang) for a
performance. Avoid the first three rows so you will not get wet from the
stagnant water.
- The
Opera House is a beautiful building build in 1911 with performances listed
in The Guide and Vietnam News (English newspaper).
- Definitely
go and see Uncle Ho (he travels to Russia in October and November
for retouching). For me, the value
of this is not to see Ho Chi Minh per se, but to view the reactions and
emotions of the Vietnamese around you as they see Uncle Ho. Watching a 70 year old woman and a 16
year old boy weep at the sight of him speaks volumes as to the place he
occupies in the hearts of the Vietnamese.
Outside Hanoi
- Outside
of Hanoi
there are several craft villages that are fun to visit. The most popular is
Bat Trang (pottery village). Van Phuc, about 12km southwest of Hanoi is a silk weaving village since
the 18th century, you will hear the clatter of looms as soon as
you approach. There are lots of shops and you pay less here than waiting
for the products to make it to Hang
Gai street.
The small family factory will be in the back. Dong Ky is a wood carving
village.
- The
most popular side trips outside Hanoi
are to Sapa and Ha Long Bay. Both are well worth
it. For Halong, stay overnight on the boat to
get the true experience. Hoang Hai is a company
that has tradition wooden junks that have been converted to luxury cabins,
two beds and a bathroom (6-8 cabins per boat). Fantastic seafood is served
for lunch and dinner while cruising the bay
(contact Exotissimo to arrange if you are
interested). If you go in nice weather, take your swim suit. When the boat
drops anchor in a quiet cove for the evening, taking a swim before dinner
is very refreshing. There is a new company called Emeraude
that has recreated a paddle wheel ship that used to cruise the bay during
French times (39 cabins). I have never gone with this company but they get
good reviews.
- If you
are in Hanoi
soon after Tet (Vietnamese New Year), take a day
trip to the Perfume Pagoda. After
about a 3 hour drive from Hanoi
you will get into a small boat and be rowed down river to the base of the
mountain, with pagodas scattered throughout. The main pagoda is at the top. The beautiful scenery of the river, rice
paddies, and limestone outcroppings is worth the trip alone. Add to that the thousands of pilgrims
that flock to the site after Tet and it is
definitely a sight to behold. Any
tour company in Hanoi
can arrange a trip; again, I recommend Exotissimo.
- For
the Sapa area, there is a new ecolodge that is really nice, Topas Ecolodge. The same company (Danish and Vietnamese
partnership) can arrange for trekking or hiking trips in the area or
visits to local markets. One of their rooms was featured in Conde Nast Travelers Room with a View. The Victoria Hotel
is an upscale option in Sapa, and they have
private train cars once used on the Orient Express to get you there in
style. For more on Sapa, see the article called Village
Life in Go World Travel.
- Hoi An
is also a great place to visit, about 30 min. south of DaNang,
which is about a 45 min plane flight from Hanoi. This ancient town, a
UNESCO cultural heritage site, is very well preserved. Stay about 5km out
of town and you can get a hotel right on the beach. Both Palm Gardens Beach Resort and
Victoria Hoi An are beautiful 4 star
beach properties. We thought the Palm Gardens
was fantastic-- large rooms with balconies (some with a great sea view),
wonderful staff, and for a resort, the food and beverages were fairly
priced (for ex., $1.50 for draft beer, $6 for a seafood pizza, $7 for
grilled snapper). Hoi An Riverside Hotel is also nice- beautiful rooms on
the 2nd floor overlooking the river are spacious, well
appointed and tranquil. Rice and corn fields surround the river and
sitting on the balcony and watching the river and the villagers going to
and from the fields is a wonderful way to relax. A room from this hotel,
overlooking the river and fields, was featured in A Room with a View
section of Conde Nast Traveler. For those
wanting more of a spa experience, or as they call it a wellness resort,
that is feng shui
designed and offers tai chi, meditation, etc. the Life Resort gets raves (I
have not stayed there). A nice half-day trip from Hoi An
is to visit the ancient Cham complex of My Son.
- In DaNang, the Furuma Resort is beautiful and right on what
Americans refer to as China
Beach. Pay extra for
a beach view (rather than garden view) room, its
well worth the money. Unfortunately, the restaurant food is really
overpriced and nothing great. Make the effort to walk down the beach to a
local place where you will get wonderful fresh seafood and your entire
meal will cost about what you would pay for a beer at Furuma.
While in DaNang, the Cham Museum
is well worth the visit.