| |
 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.
Pages (7 of 66):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More »
| K Rispoli |
29 November 2003 |
Stayed at Lucky Star Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
We came from Bangkok to Hanoi, the traffic in Bangkok is bad but bearable. In Hanoi the constant beeping of horns can be a bit much. I have found that there are no road rules, every person for themselves and the biggest vehicle wins. It should be considered an artform to cross the road. Walk slowly and the masses of mopeds will hopefully go around you. You would be pretty insane to rent a motorbike in this city. I would recommend the Water Puppet Theatre, and trying the Pho Bo beef noodle soup which originated in Hanoi. If you're there for a while you could check out Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the Temple of Literature. If you're on a budget stay away from the restaurants and cafes that display prices in U.S. Dollars, in one restaurant we paid about 34,000 dong (about $2 U.S. Dollars) for two plates of food and 3 draught beers, at another restaurant we paid about twice that for two nonalcoholic fresh fruit drinks. If you go outside of the Old Quarter you will find some places considerably cheaper.
|
| M Maiwald |
27 November 2003 |
Stayed at De Syloia Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
In Hanoi, our favorite restaurants were Bobby Chin's, Le Tonkin, and Emperor. Bobby Chin, though expensive by Vietnamese standards, served superb and creative upscale fusion cuisine; food like this could easily cost 3-4 times the price in NYC. Don't miss out on the fresh fish dish stir fried at your table at the unlikely hole-in-the-wall, Cha Ca Van Long. This place is a real Hanoi institution, and the mixture of herbs and exotic ingredients is a perfect flavor harmony.
Inside Hanoi, don't miss the wonderful Museum of Ethnography, even though it's a long cab ride from the city center. There's a bicycle there with 800 fish traps on it, the preferred means of commercial transport of a particularly industrious Mekong Delta entrepeneur. Also don't miss the Temple of Literature, am oasis of serenity in chaotic Hanoi.
For trips outside the city, I recommend Kheng Ga for a scenic boat trip that reveals an untouched rural river life. You'll marvel at the Vietnamese women who power their rowboats with their feet while cutting up vegetable for dinner. Another "must-see" is Halong Bay. Try to stay out here at least two nights, and do some sea-kayaking amongst these serene islands.
|
| A Mullany |
25 November 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
Shop around if you are buying art and do some research. One gallery (Hanoi studios) tried to sell us a painting by a young artist for US$1800 saying that he was one of their master artists - other galleries were selling his work for between US$450 - US$700.
|
| D Hagerman |
23 November 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
Highly recommend following restaurants: Le Petit Bruxelles (fresh mussels flown in from France on Saturdays); Pan e Vino (Italian -- chef is from Piemonte)
Le Opera for Vietnamese (though it's expensive); KOTO, across from Temple of Literature -- excellent food (Vietnamese and western) and a good cause (employees are former street kids). Really some of the best Vietnamese food I've had in Vietnam.
Museum of Ethnology is well worth a visit and water puppets were delightful.
Visit ArtVietnam to shop for high-quality (museum quality -- not inexpensive) Vietnamese art (everything from woodblocks to oils on canvas). If nothing else go to view the current show and the stunningly renovated 4-story old "tube" house that the gallery occupies.
|
| N Barguss |
19 November 2003 |
Stayed at Sofitel Plaza Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
We arranged a hotel/airport transfer, which at US$ 30 was expensive, but worth it when travelling with young kids. Hanoi is easy to walk around and we used the numerous cyclos when our kids got too tired to walk. There are loads of great coffee shops and restaurants, so feeding our kids was not any problem at all. We particularly liked "Little Hanoi" on Hang Gai. There are also some lovely restaurants around the cathedral area in Pho Nha Tho - we had a great meal at Mediterraneo. We found good shopping around Hang Be, Hang Gai and roads to the west of Hoam Kiem Lake. The decent art galleries were pretty expensive, but there were a few reproduction places who would copy pictures for about US$40 upwards and plenty of small art shops where paintings could be had for US$1-6.
Vietnam Airlines does not allow the pre booking of seats, so despite us travelling with kids, we had to sit apart on the flight - not ideal.
|
| K Larsen |
18 November 2003 |
Stayed at De Syloia Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
Hanoi is a city of contrasts, tree-lined streets and no traffic control; wonderful food and beggars on the streets; accommodating service people and street vendors who won't take no for an answer. Hanoi has a number of excellent museums, notably the Ethnograpic museum, and the History museum, but I also recommend the Women's Museum and the Fine Arts Museum. Best restaurants: Brother's Cafe, Club Opera, and Bobby Chinn's.
|
| L Shane |
15 November 2003 |
Stayed at De Syloia Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
Hanoi - you must take a cyclo of course. Watch out for prices in the shoe shops, check before you buy. Little Hanoi is a modest and excellent restaurant. Perfume Pagoda a worthwhile day trip, Halong Bay a must and Sapa is the top of my list. Recommend of course Handspan Travel as the classiest tour agency.
|
| G Spallas |
15 November 2003 |
Stayed at Sofitel Metropole Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
We very much enjoyed Hanoi, a beautiful city with lots of sites. Great shopping in Old Quarter and lakefront area was very relaxing. Water puppet show definitely worth a visit as it is close, inexpensive and relatively short.
|
| W Hamilton |
26 October 2003 |
Stayed at De Syloia Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
Recommend the San Ho Seafood Restaurant, expensive, but great oysters and lobster (massive - they do a great lobster tail sashimi). Also recommend the Cay Cau restaurant for good local food. In the De Syloia hotel. I tried to use Hanoi Taxi the whole time, as any others I used ended up going round in circles to run up the meter. Anyone who regularly rides a motorbike in Asian traffic might like to consider hiring one of those little motorised bicycles with frightening brakes - as long as you go slowly it's a great way to get about. It can also get you into the countryside. I paid seven USD a day. Be careful where you park it. Look for the blokes at the side of the road operating scooter parks. They'll give you a chit, and you pay them on your return - very little money. The hotel will park your bike at night for you.
There is a place called Au Lac opposite the Metropole which does great food at very reasonable prices. You can also go to the rather uninspiring Met Bar at the Metropole and pay US$12 for a "Guiness". (You'd think they'd spell it right for that money). I would definitely get the hotel to meet you at the airport. I was picked up, hassle free, for US$15. If you can catch something at the Opera House, do. It's a lovely old building, in mint condition, with palatial sitting rooms you can wander around.
Eating at local places on the side of the road is entirely possible. I had a nice beef curry and freshly-baked French bread for five thousand Dong, which is about twenty pence.
Watch out for shysters walking up to you and fiddling with your shoes, when in the Old Quarter, or any other tourist area. He will "fix" your shoes (mine were brand new that week) and ask for some ridiculous sum of money (I was asked for the equivalent of US$8). Carry small notes (2000, 5000) to fob these people off with. Outside these areas - no problem.
Most clothes sold as "silk" are a blend, and it appears not to be possible to buy 100% cotton T-shirts in Hanoi at bargain prices. However, my wife got an Ao Zai made up at Trong Dong at 10E Dinh Liet (04-8267535) for about US$30 and we're nearly 100% certain it's silk. I would recommend that place.
I wouldn't bother with Le Malraux Cafe at 6 Nha Tho, tiny portions and pricey. Warm beer. Beer very cold at R&R Tavern, 47 Lo Su Street, and reasonably priced oysters.
Paris Deli at 2 Pho Phan Chu Trinh, near Opera House, good food (French) and moderately priced. Good cake and pastry. Fanny Ice Cream (the name should be enough) which Lonely Planet recommends is a grim and uninviting place, but Thuy Ta Cafe up the road at 1 Pho Le Thai To has seating beside the lake and good coffee. I wasn't impressed with Hoa Sua (another LP recommendation) for dinner, but I am told lunch is good. Nice setting. It has moved again, so every guidebook has a different address. Confirm with hotel.
There is a bookshop run by an Aussie at 15A Ngo Van So which has a good selection. It's opposite Le Tonkin restaurant. As well as a good selection of new and secondhand books, she has good advice on where to eat and drink.
|
| S Mitchell |
26 October 2003 |
Stayed at De Syloia Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
Perfume Pergoda a fabulous day-trip. Be aware though that trek is reasonably steep at times. Cyclos and taxis very easy to use (willing to use meter). Found Fodor's guide extremely up-to-date and accurate re restaurants, tourist sites etc.
|
|
Pages (7 of 66):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More »
Book a hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam
|
