Hanoi has more adventure than a bowl of pho

Hanoi gives the traveler a unique chance to create their own adventure, be it in the secret underground bunkers, the backstreets of Old Quarters or in a bowl of pho. Vietnam’s capital city is an intoxicating mixture of past and present, French and Asian, chaos and calm and any reason to visit this city is a good one. Hanoi is more authentic and largely unaffected by the war and is currently entering a new phase of development.

Hanoi is the Paris of East Asia for a reason

Hanoi feels “French” – especially in its buildings, notable five of them being the Presidential Palace – a mustard yellow building with 30 rooms built in the year 1900 in French colonial style, the 1900 Dong Xuan Market, a haven for food, souvenirs, clothes at affordable prices. Saint Joseph Cathedral built in 1886 in the Gothic style of medieval Europe located in Hanoi Old Quarter, Hotel Sofitel Metropole Legend Hanoi, a historic luxury hotel opened in 1901 with white painted walls, green windows, wooden plank walls and lawns and the Hanoi Opera House – a smaller version of the Opéra Garnier in Paris built in 1901.  Not surprisingly, Hanoi is called the Paris of East Asia.

Hanoi’s streets are equally fascinating. Overhead, the streets are laced with high voltage electric cables while below a flood of scooters bear down on the pedestrian ominously. It takes more than average determination to push through the deluge of scooters, to reach the safety of the narrow pavement where pots of boiling hot soup vying for attention and space. But that is the charm of Hanoi – warm and welcoming, chaotic and peppered with a bit of danger.

Whichever way you choose to see and experience this city, you will realize that there is never enough time to see it all. Hanoi is a great place to understand Vietnamese culture and its local way of life.

Did you know? Hanoi dates back at least 1000 years although it had inhabitants long before that. In 1010 Ly Thai To King had recognized Hanoi as the capital of Vietnam, a status which has remained till today. The houses in Hanoi are narrow because the store owners had to pay tax based on the building’s width.

Enrich your Hanoi experience

A destination by itself, Hanoi Old Quarter is filled with very old buildings and has a life and character of its own. The streets are crammed with craftsmen and souvenir shops, cafés and restaurants which makes a walk through a mini-adventure for the senses. This antique quarter represents the soul of the city.

Located within it is the St. Joseph Cathedral, a stunning example of the 19th-century Gothic architecture. Trompe-L’oeil Murals (a joint street art venture between South Korea and Vietnam) cover the blank walls between the stone railway arches in Phung Hung Street. The whimsical 3D art appears realistic and depict memories of Hanoi – a street corner, autumn festival, school girls and street vendors come alive beautifully on the walls. Hanoi’s old quarter is famous for the legendary Hoan Kiem Lake (also called Lake of Restored Sword), a small body of strange green water with an old pagoda sitting on a tiny island inside it.

A few museums in the city make this an interesting place for history buffs, particularly the Ho Chi Minh museum, a building resembling the lotus flower with many items that sheds light on the life of General Ho.

Did you know? The stunning Temple of Literature, a Confucian temple built in 1070 was Vietnam’s first university and housed within are plenty halls, statues and inscriptions. It is also featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese Dong banknote and is the finest example of Vietnamese architecture.

Vietnamese Cuisine is varied and different

The most significant characteristic of Hanoi cuisine: it is delicious. Each food is special. Locals are known to enjoy foods according to seasons. For example, in autumn, people celebrate crop of Com (green rice flakes) while winter months see a feast of hot crunchy fried shrimp cakes (Banh Tom). Rice and its variations in the form of noodles or cakes are common. That said, it is pho that has takers in every season. Pho, a freshly made savoury broth with rice noodles, condiments (potent red peppers) and slow cooked meat is Hanoi’s gift to the nation.

Today it is a national dish and Hanoi celebrates this simple and delicious meal with pride. It is simply the best thing to eat here. Or anywhere in Vietnam. Snails are a specialty food and cooked in lemongrass and coconut milk these little mollusks take on heavenly tastes. Rice noodles rolled around beef and herbs (pho cuon), are delicately flavoured and if you like, ramp it up with a fiery dipping of chili, fish sauce and vinegar (nuoc cham).

***Looking for a delicious creepy dish? Head to Le Mat snake village, select a snake, pay for it and then wait for your dish. To truly appreciate the flavor, chew slowly. Snake has the similar flavor to chicken.

Eggs in your coffee? Yes please! Cà Phê Trứng, you’ll hear them say with pride. What you can expect is a Hanoi specialty that might sound pompous, but is quite decidedly a delicious form of coffee with a difference. It comes with an egg in it. The Giang Café is believed to be the creator of this coffee in 1975 when milk was scarce forcing them to use condensed milk, coffee powder and egg yolk. Hanoi has a vibrant coffee culture. Besides the famed “Egg coffee,” expect to find innovative variations of coffee like iced yogurt or coconut milk coffee in cafes hidden away in the dilapidated back alleys teeming with caffeine lovers. Drip coffee, a hot favourite is rather thick and bitter and made from over-roasted beans to give that bitter taste. That being said, Hanoi also has a whole lot of other coffee variety to sample. Here is me smelling the aromas before deciding which one to buy!

Military history tours of Hanoi

The history of Vietnam is replete with wars – first with the French followed by a brief stand-off with the Japanese and finally the Americans. Few places in Hanoi gives you chance to discover the background of the Vietnam War as you explore Hanoi’s most important historic sites. The Military History Museum is one such place where photos and exhibits will introduce you not just to the Vietnam War but conflicts throughout the country’s history.

Secret war bunkers

Among the few celebrities who took shelter in Hanoi’s secret bunkers are Jane Fonda, Charlie Chaplin, Somerset Maughm and singer Joan Baez. This secret bunker was lost to the world for decades after the Vietnam war and only accidentally discovered during the renovation of the historic Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi and was opened to public in 2012. A walk through the narrow, corroding tunnels is like walking back in time.  The story goes how the hotel staff doubled up as shooters perched on the rooftop, shooting down low-flying enemy planes and when the bombs came, they would hurry guests into the bomb shelter. This bunker is an evidence of the horrific war.

Hoa Lo Prison, infamously called the Hanoi Hilton once housed John McCain and other unfortunate POWs. The prison, built by the French in 1886, was the place to detain and punish Vietnamese hankering for independence.

If time permits, head out to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Get out of Hanoi – here is why

1. Halong Bay: A UNESCO World Heritage Site of emerald waters and towering limestone karsts topped by rainforests.
2. Nin Bin: Land of mountains, caves, rice fields, pagodas, limestone towers and amazing landscapes.
3. Perfume Pagoda: A complex of Buddhist temples built along the Houng Tich mountain chain. Visit the Chua Trong temple located inside a cave.

Useful tips for visiting Vietnam

1. Be extremely cautious when crossing the road
2. Always carry small amounts of local currency, exchanged at authorized exchange houses.
3. Crimes against tourists are rare but avoid going through uninhabited areas at night.

Visit Cu Chi Tunnels? Here is how.