Highlights of Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi was refreshing, upbeat and filled with personality, yet somehow intimately cosy. I’m not referring to the way you take your life into your hands every time you cross the road, dodging between a swarm of motor bikes. Or the way the the street venders and bikes take over the sidewalks and flow into the streets. What I am talking about is savoring a deliciously thick egg coffee from Giang Cafe, sitting on a bench overlooking the red bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake, or being able to walk around for more than two minutes without someone trying to sell you something or take you somewhere (I’m looking at you, Bangkok). Something about this place won me over.

I’m going to share with you some of the highlights of our time in Hanoi, the experiences, the sites and of course, the food.

What We Did

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

There is always a huge line to go into Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. The surprising thing is that they stopped letting people in at 11:30am! The property is covered with security guards, and we had to even put our bags in storage.

Once we made it through the big line, we entered into a heavily guarded building and into a dark room. We had to keep moving at all times, but got to walk in a rectangular shape around a glass box, with the body of Ho Chi Minh illuminated inside. It was a little eerie as he looked like he could wake up any minute. Supposedly they remove his body once a year to refresh it before it goes back on display.

Apparently Ho Chi Minh had requested in his will to be cremated, but his wishes were not granted as his body is now on display for thousands of people to come and see.

The Temple of Literature

This is the oldest structure in the city, dating back to 1070. This was the first school in the area, originally only meant for the ultra wealthy. The walled courtyards are known for being a retreat for a peaceful and quite place to rest, although when we were there, large groups of school kids were taking photos in their caps and gowns.

Hoa Lo Prison

We made it to the Hoa Lo Prison, infamously nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton. This was built by the French to punish Vietnamese political prisoners. Later, it was used by the Vietnamese to hold American prisoners of war, including the late Senator John McCain.

The high walls were topped with large shards of glass, and mannequins were placed to recreate some of the atrocities that took place here. Although the topic was heavy, the history that was in this place was worth seeing first hand.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Water puppets have a unique history in Vietnam. The tradition dates back to the 11th century when villagers started doing puppet shows in flooded rice fields as entertainment. They have since modernized the performances, using a waist-deep pool on a stage in a theatre, but the concept remains the same. We were able to go to a show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. The detail of the puppets and their movements were great. There was singing, music and narration. I was able to follow along with the plot, for the most part. They did sell headsets for a translation, but we didn’t see many people with them. It was just entertaining to watch a unique cultural experience like that.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Here, you can find both locals and tourists escaping the chaos of the city. No matter how many people are there, it still was beautiful and relaxing. Stroll along the waters edge to see the bright red Huc Bridge and the Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the centre on a small island.

The streets nearby are closed to motor traffic on the weekend and some evenings, providing a wide walking streets for pedestrians to enjoy. Here, markets open up along the street edges, miniature electric cars are set out for children to drive around, and street performers attract large crowds.

At night, the Hoan Kiem Lake lights up, the red bridge glowing and the lights from the city creating a rainbow of colors reflecting on the water.

Hanoi Ancient House

This house was built in the 19th century and is one of the only homes from this period that is restored and open to the public. Tour through the rooms and courtyard of this historic home and get a feel for what it was like to live in Hanoi during this era.

Midori Spa

After many months of non-stop exploring and moving between different cities, our feet were worn out. We discovered Midori Spa and signed up for a foot massage. The most amazing part about this place was that all of the therapists were either blind or seeing impaired. They said a lot of people with seeing impairments are unable to get jobs so this gives them an opportunity to learn a skill and have a career! We had a wonderful experience there and were really glad to be supporting such a wonderful cause.

What We Ate

Hanoi had an amazing food scene, and we loved trying all of the local foods. The cost of the meals was very inexpensive, with the typical entrée only costing around US$2-3.

Duong’s Restaurant

Duong’s is located in Hanoi’s Old Quarter typically requires reservations. Chef Duong was on Top Chef Vietnam in 2014 and came in 4th overall! Now, Chef Duong teaches cooking classes at the restaurant as well. His restaurant was tastefully decorated and takes up several levels of a tall, narrow building. The large murals almost came to life as similar decor was used to tie in the wall art with the open space.

The presentation of all of their dishes was beautiful and interesting. The food arrived in little woven baskets lined with banana leaves.

They brought us an all apéritif of a small spring roll, rice cracker with peanuts, and a fruit juice. We ordered an appetizer of fried spring rolls, and each had Bun Cha Ha Noi as our main dish. The flavors were amazing, and the waitress showed us how to partake properly, by fitting some noodles, two types of herbs, and the pork, somehow into one spoon.

The dessert was a mango cheesecake with passionfruit ice cream. It was delicious!

Chusa

We stopped at Chusa for lunch. From the patio on the upper level, you can dine while overlooking St. Joseph’s Cathedral. The restaurant had a minimalistic yet modern design, with white brick walls.

We had a spring roll platter for an appetizer which featured a variety of four kinds of rolls. The best was the deep fried net seafood roll, and would recommend just getting an order of those by themselves.

Mike had grilled pork spare ribs with cinnamon, and he was very impressed. The stir-fried egg noodles with beef were good, but the simplicity of the meal didn’t lend for a lot of flavor.

We had heard about how great Chusa’s rice pudding was, and it did not disappoint. The flavor and texture were on point.

Cafe Giang

Egg coffee is an intergral part of the Vietnamese coffee culture, and can be found all over the country. Why not try it at the place where it all started? Nguyen Van Giang first created this masterpiece back in 1946. He whisked an egg as a replacement to milk, due to a milk shortage during the First Indochina War.

This was such a success that now Giang’s son runs a coffee shop selling a fine-tuned version of his father’s coffee creation.

The cafe is always busy, filled with locals and tourists alike. You may have to wade through a sea of people, perched at short little stools and tables. The egg coffee is thick and delicious, almost like drinking a dessert.

Banh Mi Pho

If you’re looking for a good banh mi sandwich, stop by one of the locations of Banh Mi Pho. We can vouch for the Doner Kebab Banh Mi and the Grilled Minced Beef with Cheese. A local recommended this place to us and said it was her favorite banh mi in the whole city.

LiHO TEA

Bubble tea at its finest. The brown sugar milk was delicious, and the best we have had on this trip so far… (and we have tried more than we would like to admit).

An’s Restaurant

Located in the Old Quarter, An’s Restaurant is a great place for authentic Vietnamese food. The spring rolls were an excellent starter paired with a big glass of freshly squeezed guava juice. The honey chicken and the bun bo nam bo (dry noodles with peanut and beef) were delicious too.

This restaurant has a vegetarian menu as well.

Where We Stayed

Splendid Pearlight Hotel

This hotel was centrally located in the Old Quarter, within walking distance of all of the major sites around the city. The rooms were spacious and clean. The hotel offered a breakfast with buffet and à la carte options and it was included in our booking.

Hanoi gave us a wonderful first impression of Vietnam and we would definitely recommend that anyone traveling to Vietnam go explore this city. You will need at least 2 full days here if you are speed touring but you could definitely spend several more days here to not feel rushed.

From Hanoi, there are many transfer options to Ha Long Bay (we will be posting more on this soon). Some people we met were even heading to Ha Long Bay and then returning for more time in Hanoi before heading onwards to other places in Vietnam.