I'm wondering is Hoa Lu worth going to? How to spend 2 days only in Hanoi? Thanks.

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,<BR><BR>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.<BR><BR>Hoa Lu is old capital of Vietnam in 10 century, far from Hanoi 90 km southward.<BR>Visit Hoa Lu with Tam Coc is a day trip - This place is consider as Halong bay in land of Vietnam.<BR><BR>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. <BR>the temple of litterature, uncle Sam mauseleum and his house can be seen in a morning. the places are a couple of blocks apart.<BR>in the afternoon i would recommend the war museum, in the same area (french quarters) with interesting staff from the war.<BR>in the evening go to the puppet show. because of the demand there are several shows in a day<BR>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<BR>Hanoi is the best place to do shoppings withthe widest selection and best prices<BR>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.<BR><BR>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.<BR><BR>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.