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 Hanoi, Vietnam travel tales
Our customers share their travelling experiences in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Read about first hand stories on travel tips and guides, events, entertainment,shopping, food, business and transportation.
Also, you might want to read our
Central Vietnam city guide,
Halong Bay city guide,
Hanoi city guide,
Ho Chi Minh city guide,
Phan Thiet city guide,
and Hoi An city guide.
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| D Nguyen |
12 July 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Watch out for Hanoi taxi drivers. They will drive you around for a longer distance to get more money. You could pay 2 to 3 times amount you are supposed to pay if you don't know the direction. Have a map ready and instruct them to drive.
Hanoi's Hilton taxi drivers are good, they did not drive around.
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| A Tomasov |
10 July 2003 |
Stayed at Sofitel Metropole Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Found it very easy to find a local motor bike guide to take me to the silk village and ceramic village. I initially did a few short trips around the old quarter with different driver until I found a driver I felt comfortable with and asked him if he would ride out of town - a bit of map pointing and clock diagrams later we had a meeting time and destination. He was more than happy to stop whenever I wanted to tke a photo or buy something from a shop. Just be aware that it rains in the late afternoon - so if you are on a bike then - have a raincoat with you. Oh yeah, a scarf to cover your mouth helps as well!
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| M Peters |
10 July 2003 |
Stayed at Melia Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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A visit to Halong Bay is a must. The guided tours are the cheapest way at around $15-20. Especially worth doing it now as I can envisage chaos in the future when Vietnam gets more established on the tourist map as it was pretty busy at the ferry port.
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| L Baratta |
01 July 2003 |
Stayed at Lucky Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Within a 5-minute walk from the hotel (to the left leaving out the front door, first left) there are many excellent cafes along the road leading to the old church. Also highly recommend Nam Phuong Vietnamese Restaurant, which is a short taxi ride away. The Jazz Bar (a short walk from the hotel, ask front desk for directions) has nightly live entertainment with music quality that surprises most first time visitors.
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| R Aguado |
28 June 2003 |
Stayed at Hanoi Horison Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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If you like good Vietnamese food, don't miss Seasons of Hanoi, Club Opera or Emperor Restaurant. The last cited restaurant has a very dramatic location - request for a table on the first-floor verandah. Ask your hotel concierge for directions. (Another reputedly good restaurant, Indochine, was closed for renovation during my visit.)
Also, don't miss the galleries. Quality art works in Hanoi are generally cheaper than in Saigon, even though both cities showcase the works of roughly the same artists. So it is better to buy the works in Hanoi (although Saigon galleries have more extensive collections). Do some advance research before visiting the galleries, as some of them only peddle junk.
If you are adventurous enough, try taking all the modes of transport in Hanoi - the cyclo, the motorbike taxis and the meter taxis. A ride on the motorbike taxi is an exhilarating experience. But be sure you have a health coverage or, better still, you are wearing a crash helmet!
Ask your concierge about the likely rates between destinations to save you time negotiating with the drivers (who can be very tough during bargaining). Meter taxis are generally reliable, but always remind the drivers to use the fare meter.
It is also important to learn the Vietnamese words "Di! Di! Di!" (pronounced "dee") which roughly means, "Just #!#! leave me alone!" It's a bit impolite, so reserve it only for the most stubborn street touts who sell you everything from maps to pearls to trinkets and even illegal drugs.
If you have time, take a day tour to Ha Long Bay or nearby towns. Vietnam's tourist industry is still a bit clunky and the facilities are very rudimentary, so take a guide with you, preferably from a reputable agency as this will make your travel easier and more educational. Ha Long Bay is highly recommended, but you better hurry up before this beautiful region is turned into another Pattaya.
Hanoi is not as harried or hoary as Saigon. Perhaps because of this, it is not as sophisticated as its rival city in the south in terms of tourist facilities and establishments. Some people may actually like Hanoi's provincial feel, compared with Saigon's decidedly urban buzz. (Think of Washington D.C. versus New York - up to a certain extent, of course.) Still, modernity is changing Hanoi, so one must visit it before it turns into a copy of Saigon or Bangkok.
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| J Perry |
22 June 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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We found Hanoi a fascinating though tiring place to visit, especially in the summer heat and humidity. Just crossing the street is an acquired skill. We got around mainly on foot, with a few taxi trips, most taxis are metered and are cheap and air-con. A few restaurants we can recommend - Koto-excellent food and a good cause to support. Nam Phoung-close to the Hilton-great food-try the crispy fried squid. Can recommend Au Lac, opposite the Sofitel Metropole for coffee/snacks and any branch of a local chain Trang Nguyen for a huge variety of coffees very cheap. We can recommend a visit to the Perfume Pagoda, but be aware it involves a strenuous climb, especially on a hot day.
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| P Lenow |
20 June 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Hanoi, large vibrant city yet very manageable.
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| J Evans |
09 June 2003 |
Stayed at Melia Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Dreary compared with Saigon, but worth a couple of days visit, if only as a jumping off point for Sapa and the Tonkinese Alps.
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| K Pham |
19 May 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Nice and friendly people.
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| N Hendam |
03 May 2003 |
Stayed at Hanoi Horison Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Just I go around Hanoi city no time to go sightsee, but it has a lot of different restaurant from all Asian type.
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