Many travelers are fleeing Hanoi to travel to southern places for their Vietnam tours. I had the opportunity to do the opposite and, in fact, really enjoy the capital several times, coming back between each small excursion (Tam Coc, Sapa, Halong Bay). The trick is that I did not stay in the tourist area but in a house full of expatriates where tourists are not invited all day long. To visit Hanoi, I have gone by bus and scooter, and I think that is how we come to appreciate the city: not being at its center, but escaping a little noise.

Because yes, this is what will shock any traveler: the noise is omnipresent. Klaxons, sales clerks, music—it's difficult to keep calm. As long as it is mild and the pollution is a little higher, we quickly arrive at a city unbreathable and unpleasant. However, we must not give up! Hanoi is not just about the Red Bridge and the Temple of Literature!

Hanoi—The City Of 36 Old Streets 

It is both the old quarter and the tourist district of Hanoi, and though I did not even enjoy staying there, I still have to walk a few hours past 36 CES streets. Why 36 streets? We often hear "36 corporations." The corresponding streets (and even more so) are for the professions, and each street is receptive to shops and workshops corresponding to the profession. So, Hàng Bạc is the street of silver stuff. Hàng Đồng is Street When copper stuff, Hàng Đào Correspond to silk, hàng Da leather, Hàng Vải tơ cs.  There, you understood. That in Vietnamese, Hàng means shop!

There are, therefore, between two travel agencies, whole streets dedicated to decorations of the New Year (or I was hanging the Tet period) or stuffed animals. It is quite surprising, and it's worth it to dare to get lost!

Taste The Street Food

And when I mention street food, I'm not talking about the Pho, but about "anything and everything," which is always on the streets of Hanoi. Don’t be afraid. Just because you see plastic stools doesn’t mean that it’s of lower quality than that of Vietnamese restaurants. On the other hand, it was difficult to find the sweet; the desserts did not really develop in Vietnam (apart from strange cakes and sponges full of sugar.) Vietnamese street food has developed to the point where you cannot even expect it.

The Mausoleum Of Ho Chi Minh & Its Surroundings 

Ho Chi Minh is the great communist hero of Vietnam, founder of the Democratic Republic, and the one who gave them independence. Just that. Uncle Ho was not a big fan of the cult of the personality and demeaned that, to death, to his pennies scattered in the country. Lacking luck, they embalmed him and built him a mausoleum while exercising discretion. In the manner of Lenin in Moscow, one can see the corpse behind a window, but as for Lenin in Moscow, it is past our turn. Strangely.

And behind, on may, we promise you in the gardens, visit a museum, admire the famous pillar pagoda...

The Train That Crosses The City

In Hanoi, as in many Asian cities, the train runs along the houses, and this does not prevent the inhabitants from living their lives. To find these places, just look on Google Maps and follow the railways from the station ("Ga"). On one of the Chosen to Render was where this one crosses Dien Bien Phu Street, and in one shot had a big chance at 30 minutes before ARRIVING at a train (NITs are rare days but very frequent in the evening).

Top 10 best places to see in Hanoi