Phew! Where do I even begin?! A trip to Hanoi is definitely NOT for the faint of heart. I thought that the traffic in Bangkok was crazy, but let me tell you, it is nothing compared to the traffic here. Imagine a place where one-way streets end up being two way, motorbikes come up on the pavements and roundabouts are free for alls. Miraculously, nobody seems to crash! Thank goodness we’d had Bangkok as a warm up or I’m sure we’d still be waiting there attempting to make it to our hostel alive. If you can pluck up the courage to cross the roads (there is a technique, I’ll get to it) then you’ll be able to see this cute and quirky city for the gem that it is.
Getting there…
So your first challenge is going to be getting from the airport to the city. This is easier said than done. The cheapest option is to get an airport shuttle van with either VietJet or Air Vietnam for 40,000 VND (approximately £1 at the time of writing), even if you haven’t flown with either company. The trick is in finding the shuttle bus. Easier said than done!
First of all, you need to be at Terminal 1 (you can catch a free shuttle between the terminals). Then you need to make your way to arrivals (not departures) and turn right out of the door. Keep walking all the way to the end of the bus stops until you see the company vans. Just get in and tell the driver where you are going. The bus does have a set route, however the driver will let you off at the closest possible point to where you are going. From here I would suggest you have Google Maps already downloaded for offline use.
#TopTip – If you need to use Google Maps, make sure you stand back away from the road as much as possible, face into the buildings and use your companion as cover. Hanoi is famous for motorbikes stealing bags and pickpockets but if you have a bit of street sense you’ll be okay. Me and Char felt perfectly safe because we’d come prepared and didn’t do anything silly.
Where to stay?
There are so many hostels in Old Town that are cheap and will allow you to be central to all the main sights. Char and I stayed in Backpacker Suite Hostel, located pretty close to some very nice places to eat!
What to do?
Hanoi is a city where all of the main sights are easily walkable. There is enough to do here to comfortably fill a couple of days and it’s a great introduction into Vietnamese life.
Train Street
Immediately upon dumping our bags at the hostel Char and I headed straight for an Instagram favourite; Train Street. Make your way to the junction between Tran Phu and Tong Duy Tan, then follow the train tracks. If you’re willing to be patient, then you can wait for a train to pass by. Wait from well off the tracks as the train only just fits through! The locals all seem to know exactly when the train is coming. They go from sitting down across the lines to madly scrambling to get themselves, their kids and their dogs inside. It really is a sight!
Hoa Lo Prison
Originally built by the French during the Vietnamese revolution, Hoa Lo Prison held thousands of political and revolutionary activists. Following the liberation of Vietnam in 1954 it housed criminals and then, captured US pilots during the war.
As we walked through the remaining 2,434m² of the complex we learnt about how the political prisoners suffered at the hands of their capture, of the terrible practices in the dungeons and on death row, and of the daring escape attempts through cramped sewage tunnels. Harrowing, but highly educational. I would certainly recommend this as an experience for all visitors to Hanoi.
Old Town
After an eye-opening morning we decided to have a pretty light afternoon. We wandered leisurely around the Old Town, taking in all the sights. St Josephs Cathedral was first on the list. The French influence on the city becomes truly evident in buildings like this. Although it didn’t quite compare to the grand cathedrals we had seen in Europe, it had a certain charm to it.
Hoan Kiem Lake
Far more impressive was Hoan Kiem Lake, where we were able to admire Turtle Tower from afar and learn about the legend of the Golden Turtle God and his magic sword, Heavens Will. Unfortunately, Ngoc Son Temple, situated on the lake itself, was undergoing reconstruction while we were visiting. I can only imagine how pretty it would have been otherwise. The view of the lake from outside the temple was still breath-taking though. We sat for a little while in the sun to relax and watch the world go by.
Temple of Literature
Our second day in Hanoi, I must admit, was a bit of a failure. We started out of the Temple of Literature, which is quite stunning and had a fair bit to see throughout its many courtyards and buildings. It is specifically dedicated to academics and scholars and hosts Vietnams very first national university. A range of events take place here throughout the year so double check what’s going on during your visit! Char and I spent quite a while here exploring the beautiful gardens and buildings. So far so good.
Imperial Citadel
Our next stop the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, is apparently a gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage site. I say apparently because we couldn’t get into. Unbeknownst to us it is closed on Mondays! DO NOT VISIT IT ON A MONDAY!!!
If you do manage to visit on a day you can actually get in then the main sights within are said to be the flag tower, the North gate and Tunnel D67, which is where the headquarters of the Peoples Army was situated during the Vietnamese War. Many of the other buildings remain in various states of ruin as a result of the cities long history.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Now we knew that this one would be closed because from October, the body of the former President displayed in this mausoleum is sent to Russia for maintenance work. It is still a stunning building from the outside though, and to be honest, we weren’t overly keen on going in anyway. Displaying the body of the former President, against his own wishes didn’t exactly make us feel comfortable!
Presidents Palace
Our next attempt at being tourists, getting into the Presidents Palace, was also a fail. It too was closed! It was again, pretty to look at from afar, but inside the grounds is a stilt house that we would have quite liked to see.
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Feeling a bit defeated, we headed towards West Lake to take a look at the famed Tran Quoc Pagoda. But guess what guys?! It was also closed! As the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi the grounds of this temple contain a Bodhi tree which is said to have been grown from a cutting of the original tree in India where Buddha gained enlightenment. Although it would have been amazing to see up close the temple still looks incredible from afar.
Ceramic Mosaic Mural
Luckily, we managed to salvage our last day by taking a walk along the Ceramic Mosaic Mural. This 6.5km stretch of road is decorated with ceramic tiles in many different styles. You can wander alongside the mural for quite a way, admiring the detail and the intricacy of the artwork.
Overall, I found Hanoi to be crazy, busy and very humid, but it has so much character. I really enjoyed our stay. It was a great introduction to Vietnam and I would even say that I’d happily return!
