Hanoi Help
 

Hey gang.

Would love some advice on what to do in Hanoi.

Right now we've got 4 fulls days there (excluding a side trip to Halong for 2 nights.)

I've heard a lot of chatter here regarding Hello Hanoi and the student guides--which is rather intriguing. Would you recommend using a guide from there to bring us around/orient us to the city? If so, how many days would you recommend using someone from there? I assume we'll want a day or two to explore on our own.

I know one of those days, we'll most likely do a cooking course at the Metropole (where we're staying.) Also, I think our itinerary may allow for another one day out-of-town trip. Was thinking of either a biking/river trip to Tam Coc (through Handspan)...or a trip to the Perfume Pagoda. Both seem, from what I've heard REALLY touristy. And, admittedly, I'm never a huge fan of putting myself in the path of overeager postcards hawkers...so any suggestions/experiences with day trips outside of Hanoi (and tour companies to use) would be really helpful. But maybe, given the limited time we're there, another side-trip might be too much?

Look forward to your responses!

Bill, you could spend every minute of your four days in Hanoi and not run out of things to do and see. So, especially since you are spending one day doing a cooking class (I'm sure it will be wonderful), I'd vote to spend teh rest of your time there in the City. Unmissable: The Temple of Literature, (and while you are there, stop at KOTO for lunch or a snack), and in the same area, CraftLink (a fair trade crafts shop with amazing things) and the Fine Arts Museum (you can buy paintings or drawings at the shop). The Ethnographic Museum is wonderful.

You'll want time to walk around the Old Quarter, browse in shops that sell only one thing, stop in a temple or two, walk around the lake, watch old men playing Go, take in the water puppets. etc. Hanoi is a city with lots of fascinating museums, and I can recommend more if you're interested. There is also lots of good food to be had, most of it very cheap. And French wine is reasonably priced! We're so accustomed to the horrid wine prices in Bangko, I think we had a bottle of wine with dinner every night in Hanoi!

I'm not a fan of having a guide. I know, lots of people love it, and if you do then do get a guide. I feel like having a guide insulates me from the immediate experience. Eurotraveller loved Hello Hanoi.

I wouldn't call the Perfume Pagoda really touristy - it's a pilgrimage site, not really a tourist attraction. Many of the other visitors are Chinese or Vietnamese. It is a full day trip. The guides there were the pushiest I've ever experienced.

Kathie, thank you SO much. As always, a plethora of knowledge! I would love museum and restaurant recommendations, if you're willing to pony them up :)
How's the food at the Metropole? Also, did you use a tour company for Perfume Pagoda or did you just arrange through the hotel? I hear a lot about the aggressive nature of the "rowers" on that trip--and I'm used to that, but it always tends to take away from the experience (and can be slightly annoying after awhile)...always having to say 'no thank you' over and over. What was your experience with that?

Anyone else, please feel free to chime in--would love to know as much about Hanoi as possible. It's the one destination on our trip that I really the most in the dark about.

We didn't eat at the Metropole, so can't comment, but I've heard good things about their cooking classes.

Our favorite restaurants in Hanoi: Club L'Opera, almost across the street from the Metropole, the best "white tablecloth" place we ate. The food was really exquisite.

Brothers Cafe, located in the courtyard of an old monastery, lovely and atmospheric. It is a buffet of sorts, with Pho stands, tables laden with salads and side dishes, and then fresh seafood and meats that you choose and are grilled for you and brough to your table. It was a nice chance to try out lots of things. Make sure you have cash here as they do not take credit cards.

The Emperor is owned by the same people who own Club L'Opera, but the food was not as good. Actually, the food was inconsistent - we had a fabulous fish dish with a five fruit sauce, but almost everthing else was rather bland. Nice atmosphere in the lovely courtyard, but it was the smokiest place we ate, and the chairs were uncomfortable.

Little Hanoi - the original located in the old quarter, away from thelake. Good food, has some spice to it, interesting atmosphere, downmarket in comparison to the others I just mentioned. A good place for lunch. Note that there another place called Little Hanoi that is close to the lake and it's really just a sandwich shop.

In the hotel we stayed at, the DeSyloia, there is an excellent restaurant called Cau Cau. We had excellent spicy Vietnamese food there.

There were a couple of highly recommended places that we thought were just so-so: Seasons (located in and old house). Food was rather bland and boring.

Bobby Chin's: Quite Chi-chi, the food was fusion and good, but not what I came to VN for. I felt like I was in LA - and the prices were LA as well.

Other interesting museums: the History musem, and across the street, The Museum of the Revolution. There, I felt immersed in the perspective of the north Vietnamese. It was a weirdly disorienting experience. You are bit young, in that you didn't grow up with the VN war (called the American war in VN), but you may find it interesting and disturbing in a useful way.

I'll have to review my journal to see what I've left out. I'm writing this at work with no notes, so I guess I don't have Alzheimer's yet.

We loved Hanoi last year...we're hoping to go back next year. Here are a few suggestions from our experience:
skip the Emperor restaurant that many guidebooks recommend. Most recent reviews on here, mine included give it a thumbs down. The Green Tangerine serves lovely vietnamese/french food in an old villa near the water puppet theater. Lunch at Cha Ca La Vong, its a Hanoi institution serving just one dish: fried fish with noodles in a tasty sauce...hard to describe...just try it.

Oh, and about the Perfume Pagoda, we hired a car and driver through our hotel. I wouldn't recommend a tour.

We did not find the rowers to be aggressive, but the two guides who attached themselves to us were relentless. Once we were headed back down the mountain, they started talking about how people they have guided gave them each $100 for "school" in addition to paying hem for the tour (there are also "extras - like taking your photos and wanting you to buy them). They went on and on, separated us, to try to cajole us individually into giving them more money, etc. We obviously did not give them $200, but the experience gave negative end to very interesting day.

By the way, it's quite a hike up the mountain.

Hi filmwill,

I am the person who posted about Hellohanoi.org and I can't praise them enough! Not in any way did I feel "insulated from the immediate experience." Quite the opposite, actually! :-)

The students do this as an opportunity to expereince cultural exchange and they are more than willing to speak about their culture, politics or whatever else may interest you. I don't really consider them as a "guide service" as they don't charge a penny and they are not trained as guides.

During my 1 1/2 days with Linh, I felt like we were school chums. We explored a bit, went to lunch, did a little shopping and then took the bus to Linh's house for tea in the afternoon.

I had the opportunity to meet Linh's mom and grandmother, see the inside of one of those tall 5 story homes and visit a neighborhood I would not have found on my own.

The following day her mother invited me for lunch and I was treated to a wonderfully delicious Vietnamese lunch!

Linh and I have kept in contact and in Aug. she is moving to Canada to go to university!!

During one of our email volleys she told me about a trip she took out to a village about an hour away from Hanoi. She visited an orphanage that housed children that were victims of agent orange. Yes, there is still suffering going on because of agent orange. I wish I would have known about this place as I would have gone with her on one of the days I spent with her.

A stayed outside the touristy area and found it fascinating, as did all the Hanoians who were so intrigued with seeing a solo blond female traveler in their neighborhood! I had people smiling at me everywhere with looks of surprise on their faces. I even had several ladies at a pho stand come up and stroke my hair while I ate my noodles!

I think you would be missing out if you didn't contact hellohanoi.org. They also have a gathering every two weeks or so and invite visitors to join them.

Enjoy!

Dinner of cha ca at Cha Ca La Vong on Cha Ca Street.

Hoa Lo Prison (the Hanoi Hilton) is definitely worth a visit.

Getting out of the city for a day is an excellent idea. The boat ride at Tam Coc is interesting but also annoying. It sounds like something more active is what you need. Hike and/or bike and skip the boat ride.

Take a half day and visit Bat Trang (ceramic village). Fancinating. Also Van Phuc (silk village is very interesting as well. We hired a drive for about $20 for half day. Both are available by bus but the car is much more convenient as he will take you and wait for you until you are finished.

Also both are good for shopping.

mrwunrfl. What do you mean the boat ride to Tam Coc was annoying?