Hanoi –capital of Vietnam. Super photogenic city with a lot
of (kitsch) communist era details (well it is still a communist state so it’s
not a past era). You’ll see flags with
the hammer and sickle everywhere and every second flag along the major streets
has this symbol. Same thing for all official buildings. The communist symbols
are however much more frequent in the north compared to the south (for example
comparing Hanoi to Saigon).
The first time we were in Vietnam we travelled from North to
South by train which took about three days if I remember correctly. If you have
the chance to explore Vietnam in this way then I really recommend it – you will
experience a lot Vietnam in this way – everything from the train trip itself to
spending time with the locals on the train stations.
Traffic in central Hanoi is intense, mildly phrased. The
streets are smacked not by cars but by mopeds and scooters. Crossing the
streets is like crossing a stream – you just have to take the first step and
the traffic will flow around you. The traffic can be intimidating at first but
after a while you’ll get a hang of the ‘rules’ you will feel a lot more
comfortable.
Speaking of traffic, the easiest way to get around in Hanoi
is to use Grab (equivalent for Uber). It’s super convenient and you will not
have to hassle about the price. Getting a local sim card for your phone is also
a good idea. You’ll find vendors at the airport, train stations etc. Getting a
local sim card is cheat too.
Hanoi is one of the world’s five most polluted cities. No
that’s not a romantic fog that you’re seeing over the lake. It’s smog.
We’ve visited Hanoi three times and stayed in hipster areas,
backpacker areas and also in the more calm Tay Ho area. The last one I really
recommend. It is just in the center of Hanoi but by the Tay Ho lake so there’s
a lot of nice and cozy areas of the city to explore, lots of restaurants, café
and park areas. The hectic center of Hanoi is still just walking distance from
Tay Ho.
