I'm wondering is Hoa Lu worth going to? How to spend 2 days only in Hanoi? Thanks.
Hoa Lu
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It's not Hoa Lu; it's Hua Lo. Yes, it's very worthwhile seeing, although only a fraction of its original structure remains (the rest is a convention center). Be sure to see Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, his home, the Temple of Literature, the Museum of Ethnology, and a performance of the water puppet theatre one evening. Take a pedicab ride through the Old Quarter. See the Opera House. Hanoi is simply wonderful for sightseeing, morning, noon, or night. The people are wonderful. It's a non-stop circus.
Dear Old hand,
Hua Lo is wrong spelling. It is correct when you write Hoa Lo - It is old prison in Hanoi, famous for the place keeping American pilots.
Hoa Lu is old capital of Vietnam in 10 century, far from Hanoi 90 km southward.
Visit Hoa Lu with Tam Coc is a day trip - This place is consider as Halong bay in land of Vietnam.
best regards.
Hanoi is a great city to walk around. you can do lots in 2 days but get upp early since everythings opens at 7.30 or 8 and closes at 11 for lunch (open again from 1Pm to 4) I just came back froma 3 weeks visit.
the temple of litterature, uncle Sam mauseleum and his house can be seen in a morning. the places are a couple of blocks apart.
in the afternoon i would recommend the war museum, in the same area (french quarters) with interesting staff from the war.
in the evening go to the puppet show. because of the demand there are several shows in a day
next day begin with a visit to the prision and then walk along the lake to the old city where you can spend some time enjoying the atmosphere and doing som shopping
Hanoi is the best place to do shoppings withthe widest selection and best prices
jeanine
if u have only 2 days in hanoi, i wd skip hoa lu. 2 days is barely enough time to enjoy the flavor of hanoi as a city.
also hoa lu, besides being a day trip, is a largely passive activity, i found. it's usually an organized tour where u spend a lot of time on the bus and then are taken by boat thru lovely lakes and caves, put back on a bus and then shown around sites from the old capital, then put back on the bus to hanoi.
while in hanoi do not miss a visit to hoa lo prison, or the remnants of it. preserved largely as it was, w/ dank, cold corridors and cells, it's very eerie and depressing.