Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is known for its centuries-old architecture and a rich culture with Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences. At its heart is the chaotic Old Quarter, where the narrow streets are roughly arranged by trade. There are many little temples, including Bach Ma, honoring a legendary horse, plus Đồng Xuân Market, selling household goods and street food.
Check the above small slideshow I compiled.
Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. Hanoi has the reputation of being somewhat of an acquired taste, and I can see why. At first glance, Hanoi feels downright crazy. Motorbikes packing the roads, their blaring horns harmonizing into a shrill musical score. Dirty water being thrown out into the streets from shops and restaurants, sometimes directly onto your feet. Unidentified and often unpleasant smells mingling with the scent of cooking food. Determined shopkeepers demanding repeatedly for you to look at their goods. The sensory overload that hits while walking Hanoi’s streets is unsettling for almost everyone on their first visit. Factor in the death-defying risk that is crossing the street, and it’s easy to want to hightail it back to the safety of your hotel room. But give it a day. Hanoi will grow on you, just as it has on many travelers before.
Check the above small slideshow I compiled.
Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. Hanoi has the reputation of being somewhat of an acquired taste, and I can see why. At first glance, Hanoi feels downright crazy. Motorbikes packing the roads, their blaring horns harmonizing into a shrill musical score. Dirty water being thrown out into the streets from shops and restaurants, sometimes directly onto your feet. Unidentified and often unpleasant smells mingling with the scent of cooking food. Determined shopkeepers demanding repeatedly for you to look at their goods. The sensory overload that hits while walking Hanoi’s streets is unsettling for almost everyone on their first visit. Factor in the death-defying risk that is crossing the street, and it’s easy to want to hightail it back to the safety of your hotel room. But give it a day. Hanoi will grow on you, just as it has on many travelers before.
WHEN TO VISIT HANOI
Because Hanoi is located in the northern region of Vietnam, it experiences all four seasons. This means winters are cold, summers are hot, and spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons temperature-wise. Rainy season is from April to October with June, July, and August getting the most rainfall. Generally, if your goal is to enjoy the most comfortable temperatures and the least amount of rainfall, you’ll want to visit Hanoi in either March and April or September to November. We visited in mid-October and experienced mostly sunny days with temperatures around what we’re used to in Singapore. (Read: Still extremely hot.)
HOW TO GET AROUND
From the airport, if you haven’t booked a transfer through your hotel, you’ll need to take a taxi to get to the Old Quarter. Metered taxis in Hanoi are notorious for trying to rip tourists off, so make sure you agree on a price before getting in and don’t budge on it when you get to your destination. Alternatively, you can book transportation to your hotel online through various companies. We used Hanoi Transfer Service via a recommendation from a friend since our hotel didn’t offer an airport transfer. For our journey back to the airport, we booked a transfer at one of the travel agencies in Hanoi. (This was slightly cheaper than using Hanoi Transfer Service, and less stressful than using a regular taxi.)
Once in the Old Quarter, unless you have mobility issues, you’ll have no problem walking everywhere mentioned on this list. If walking isn’t an option, you can hop on one of the cyclos (three-wheel bicycle taxis) for shorter journeys, and motorbike or metered taxis for longer journeys. Just be aware of dodgy taxi meters if you go that route.
SAFETY IN HANOI
While pick-pocketing and petty theft are not uncommon in Hanoi, what you really need to be aware of is your safety on the roads. There are no designated paths for walkers and there are no crosswalks, and even scarier, there don’t appear to be any rules for drivers either. I dreaded crossing streets in Hanoi because it felt like we were risking our lives every time. The motorbikes don’t stop, they just go around you, which means it is extremely important not to stop after you start walking across the street. The motorbike drivers are assuming you’re going to keep walking, so they plan their movements around what they think you’re going to do. It’s all very terrifying. Even standing to the side of the road can be risky. This is where people park their motorbikes, and they don’t much care if you’re standing where they want to park, they’ll park there anyway!
As for avoiding theft, all the usual rules apply. Don’t carry lots of cash. Keep your wallet someplace harder to reach than your back pocket. When walking along the streets, keep your purse or camera on the shoulder furthest from the road. That’ll prevent people on motorbikes from snatching your valuables and driving away. Same goes for your phone. Just don’t have it out while walking at all if you can help it. Avoiding the less obvious kind of theft, scams and inflated prices for tourists, will be trickier, but if you do a little research before your trip on the going rate for things you’re looking to do or buy, it’ll be much easier to tell if you’re being cheated!
Overall, we felt very safe in Hanoi (minus the roads!) and I hope to make it back there again sometime, hopefully on a trip that includes a journey up to Sapa! If you’ve been to Hanoi and have any tips to share, please feel free to leave them in the comments!
Great experience
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