Visit Hanoi - Vietnam

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Hanoi is amazing and unlike anything you've seen. Although you have to consider the city's traffic, with a huge number of motorcycles circulating on the streets and even on the sidewalks, is enough to leave anyone in a bit fear.

After a few minutes, however, Hanoi tends to charm you with beauty and its vibrant and very welcoming atmosphere. A capital that brings together in Old Quarter, a series of interesting attractions, starting with the streets themselves - apparently, more than 40.

There, visitors will find shops selling a little bit of everything, massage parlors and sidewalks “taken over” by micro tables and plastic benches belonging to restaurants and street stalls serving extremely cheap local food. A simply delightful region to be explored on foot!

Also, the "Lady of the Orient" (as it's called) is known for being one of the best hubs in Southeast Asia; therefore, a starting point for unmissable destinations in other countries and also in Vietnam itself, such as Ha Long Bay and the mountainous region of Sapa.

Hanoi is a historic city, ancient and extremely accessible from a financial point of view. An example of this is that with VND 630,000 (dongs) per day, the equivalent of 30 USD, it is possible to enjoy a lot of the city, eat well paying 5 to 10 USD (per meal) and visit monuments and museums for less than 2 USD. Remembering that the official language is Vietnamese, but English is a very widespread language in the tourist area.

On the streets of Hanoi, a bit of everything is sold: clothes, shoes, accessories and souvenirs like T-shirts, the traditional Vietnamese conical hat and the curious bottles of distilled drinks, containing animals like scorpions and snakes. Haggling is quite common in the Old Quarter area, not least because most sellers speak English well when a possible sale is at stake.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was built to house the embalmed remains of the famous and beloved president. The concrete structure, located in Ba Dinh Square - where Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the country's independence - began to be erected shortly after his death, in 1969, contrary to the president's desire to be cremated.

The doors are guarded 24 hours a day, with a changing of the guard ceremony at noon. To enter the enclosure you need to be patient, as the queue is usually long. Bags and cameras must stay outside; moreover, any sudden movement inside is considered disrespectful.

Entry to the mausoleum is free and visits can be made from April to September, from Tuesday to Thursday, from 7:30 am to 10:30 am, and from 7:30 am to 11 am, on weekends. From December to March, the place is open to the public from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, from Tuesday to Thursday, and from 8:00 am to 11:30 am, on weekends - remembering that, in a certain period of the year (generally October and November), the president usually goes to Russia, where he undergoes a kind of maintenance. Arrive early if you don't intend to spend too much time in line.

The lake surrounded by greenery, located in the Old Quarter, is the true "lung" of the bustling capital. In addition to being one of the favorites among the locals for morning physical exercises and day trips, the lake houses - on an island, in the center - the temple of the giant tortoise.

In fact, Hồ Hoàn Kiếm means the "lake of the return of the sword". Legend has it that the Vietnamese emperor Le Loi would have received "from heaven" a magic sword, used to expel the Chinese from the country. Times later, that same sword would have been developed to the emperor by a giant turtle in the lake. This would therefore be the story behind the name of the attraction.

The temple, located in the center of Hoàn Kiếm, the Ngoc Son, was founded in the 18th century and conveys a feeling of peace to the visitor. Inside is an impressive giant turtle, taxidermied, where many people stop to pay reverence. When walking along the shores of the lake, also be aware of the possible occurrence of the famous 200 kg turtle (known as Cu Rua), which inhabits the waters of the lagoon.

Like any good tourist city, Hanoi offers the visitor the most diverse types of accommodation, from the simplest to the most luxurious. The good news is the excellent prices charged by most of these establishments, making it possible to stay very well paying around 35 USD per day (for a couple), including breakfast and various other perks.

Most of the city's hostels are located in the Old Quarter region, the Old Quarter of the capital. Be sure that staying there, or in the surroundings, you will be very well located and close to restaurants, "gourmet" streets of the city, shops, tourist attractions, ATMs and exchange offices.

The tip, therefore, is to acquire a good map to be able to explore the city properly - especially the Old Quarter region, where it is possible to do everything (or almost everything) on foot!

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