Hanoi

I've got a couple of days (well, 1.5 days days really) in Hanoi coming up - any recommendations of what to do?

Eating is worked out and I'll do the Mausoleum (minus HCM himself as apparently he spends October in Russia), the war museum, and a bit of general walking around. Staying in Hanoi Old Quarter if that makes a difference.

I'll also have 7 hours in HCMC on the way back home... so any non-obvious recommendations would be appreciated

If you’re into music, there’s a couple of decent jazz places. Also very good for cocktails. Definitely go and drink beer hoi in the street on tiny plastic stools

minhjazzvietnam.com

Cheers - only have the one night and I might be slammed by jetlag but hopefully not

Heading to Vietnam later this year.. only taken me 30 years to organise..

@atz @T_Unit tips and recommendations welcome

Going to stay in the north, rather than travel across country as there is a lot to take in

I’m a terrible tourist and visit no attractions/museums etc, my recommendations are mostly eat all the food! There’s so much and it’s difficult to remember exactly what we ate as it was 2 years ago. Definitely go for bun bo nam bo in Hanoi. Bun cha too.

That all sounds delicious.. I am planning to attend at least two local cooking classes one in Hanoi and one in HCMC.. I’m obsessed with food.. as I understand these courses include

• visit local market
  
• learn some conversational lingo
  
• learn some customs and etiquette
  
• learn classic dishes
  
• pick up useful tips
  
• share authentic cuisine
  
  

cheers
Almac

Tam Vi is supposedly the cheapest michelin starred restaurant in the world, traditional food apparently. I'm off for lunch there before I go back to the airport which is either a great idea or a really bad one, time will tell and I can see how "good" local food compares to street food.

Prob my favourite thing to do in Hanoi was to walk a lap of Hồ Tây, late afternoon. If it's a Friday eve stretch that to go past the HCM memorial fields, towards the Lenin statue and finally Hoàn Kiếm. Everyone will be out and about. It's a right old trek but it's dreamy.

@atz @ough

haha, thank you

Tam Vi sounds amazing, let us know how it goes especially the long waiting times, it’ll be worth it though, I reckon

Definitely will take a stroll around Hồ Tây

Banh my mama is excellent. Meat on a stick from the night market. The best chicken pho. Bun bo nam bo

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Woohoo.. just fabulous..

I’m counting down the days.. also snuck in a cruise to Halong & Lan Ha Bay so I gets to just chill before exploring Hanoi then hiking and cycling in the back country

ffs if there were a category for the ugliest airport terminal buildings, shit infrastructure, possibly the worse shuttle bus service, and how to make you repeatedly chuck away bottles of mineral water at every security check point.. CdG Paris would win hands down, quelle surprise they mislaid my luggage too..

still Hà Nôi old town is as brash, bustling, noisy, frenetic as I could have ever hoped for.. absolutely fallen in love with their crazy driving antics.. not sure I’ll feel that way after a few days in the old town

Had to have egg coffee didn’t I, it’s very feastive here, like the Colombians, the Vietnamese love any excuse to party

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And of course street food at the night market £3 including tip (100,000 VND)

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It’s an intense place. Hope you’ve got used to just walking into the road and letting the scooter drivers work out their way around you. I found that Ho Chi Minh City is even busier and has wider roads so even more of a thrill crossing the road.

Whilst in Hanoi try to get some Bia Hanoi on the streets. Favourite memory of mine was watching a South Korea word cup game with a couple of guys from South Korea whilst drinking dirt cheap beer.

This is so good!!

The beer is weak as fcuk which I prefer and just compliments every street food dish..

yeah walking in the street.. the pavements are swamped with shop wares, random street food table and chairs or parked scooters.. drivers and riders are careful though, nothing reckless or aggressive. This is a massive distraction from the shit back in London.

alas I’m not going to make it south, decided to just stay around north with two day Halong Bay cruise, 3 nights Mia Chau Valley, Ninh Binh trekking, several Hanoi based day excursions in and around so that I at least have some contrast from the night markets and traffic.

Despite everything I love being in the thick of it. Also that no one really hassles me and great mix of locals and tourists it feels very safe

♥️ 🇲🇦 tôi đã yêu việt nam 🇲🇦♥️

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It is quite the experience aye?!
I left Hanoi last Sunday to embark on a 6 week motorbike tour around the country. Did the whole north from West (Dien Bien Phu) along the border to Bao Lac this evening. Going for the Ban Gioc Waterfall with hopefully enough time to make it Cao Bang tomorrow. Motorbike needs fixing here after an unfortunate but nothing too bad slip on mud.
It's great motorbike country. Have now done 3 out of the 4 big Vietnamese passes on my rental Honda CB150. Am going on east towards Cam Pha, then treat myself to two nights on Cat Ba I think. Should get there before the new year. Will bring the bike back to Ho Chi Minh. Then another 4k to go till end of January..

amazing send photos when you can. I should have done your journey 10 years ago.. sounds epic

Currently I am in Ha Long Bay

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...oofff. very pretty! Will do a similar boat tour from Cat Ba when I get there.
Made it to Cao Bang in the dark with sketchy night riding after the waterfall. Wasn't all that, but the "frontier road" from Bao Lac there was worth it!
So many pictures, will do a quick upload. Amazing country. Often very nice people! Happy water aplenty!

I'm new to a motorised two-wheeler actually. Only got my licence mid October (...at 37) but getting the miles and practice in here! And the wee tumbles. Better on a cheap rental than my own.

Saw and spoke to several people on bikes on the Ha Giang Loop and met an Irish guy in Son La and his father accompanying him in Vietnam. He has cycled from Ireland to India, then plane to Japan, then Korea, China and now Vietnam going to Laos and Cambodia next. Mental!
He would've done it all by land, but you can't go through Myanmar currently.

.

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Was that a climb on the second to last pic????

...did it today. It's just east of Bao Lac. Mje Pa pass.
Was fun! Happy to have NOT been on a bike!;)

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