36 hours in Hanoi
Vietnam’s bustling capital offers fine culture, great food and a pleasant introduction to the country, writes Natalie Paris
IF you are visiting the verdant north of Vietnam or the dramatic Halong Bay, stop over in this attractive, bustling city and experience the country’s food and culture.
Why go now?
Hanoi is Vietnam’s small capital city, serving as the entry point for visitors drawn to the country’s mountainous north and the craggy islands of Halong Bay.
With a French accent and a venerable old heart — largely spared from American bombings — it’s full of bustle, but more attractive than sprawling Saigon in the south. The focal point is Hoan Kiem lake, a green oasis with an island pagoda, steeped in legend and caressed by the fronds of banyan trees.
The French Quarter’s boulevards and faded colonial buildings spread from its southern shore, and to the north is the web of lanes that make up the Old Quarter. Taking a stroll here is a thrill in itself, threading between a cacophonous, fluid stream of overloaded scooters, wobbly bicycles and women shouldering bamboo canes. There are pavements, but this is where locals chop vegetables, bounce babies, park bikes and play badminton. Visitor numbers are increasing and there are now more options for touring beyond Hanoi. As the dry season lasts until February, this is the time to visit. 7am Rise early to witness the city at its calmest. At Hoan Kiem lake, limber elderly locals practise tai chi. Stop for a coffee at the lakeside terrace of Hapro Bon Mua. A Vietnamese brew is sweetened with condensed milk. 9am The imposing mausoleum (Huong Vuong), where the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, the father of modern Vietnam, lies in a glass tomb, must be visited before 11am. Those paying their respects are asked to file past in a solemn fashion. The adjacent Ho Chi Minh Museum has heavily symbolic displays about the life of “Uncle Ho”. 11am The Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) is a fine complex of courtyards and tile-roofed pavilions founded in 1070. Inside is a lake with plump carp, rows of stone slabs engraved with the names of scholars, and an altar clouded with incense containing a statue of Confucius. Nearby, the Doan Mon Gate is one of the few standing remnants of Hanoi’s Citadel (Quán Thánh). The site was recognised as a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2010 and recent findings are housed in a small museum. 1pm For an introduction to Vietnamese food, visit Quan an Ngon (18 Phan Boi Chau), an upmarket food hall with open kitchens around a bamboo-filled courtyard. The menu (in English) features everything from crispy fried shrimp pancakes to noodle soups and fluffy steamed buns. Mains from R40.
pm Remind yourself of Vietnam’s turbulent recent
history at the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution (1 Pham Ngu Lao), which has moving photographs but little information in English documenting the country’s resistance o French colonialism and the Vietnam War. Taking you further back, the Museum of Vietnamese History (1 Trang Tien) has relics rom the Neolithic period to the modern day. Alternatively, take a taxi to the Museum of
Ethnology for its cultural objects and art from Vietnam’s tribal minorities.
pm Refresh with a glass of bia hoi, a light and ridiculously cheap beer served fresh from kegs on the street and drink squatting on plastic stools watching the world go by. These stalls and basic bia hoi restaurants (the best serve grilled pork ribs) can be found across the city. 7pm In a courtyard set back from an Old Quarter street, Hanoi Garden Restaurant (36 Hang Manh) has authentic Vietnamese dishes. Options include a tasty banana leaf salad and honey-barbecued beef. Mains from R70.
8pm The brave should wash this down with strong rice wine at Highway 4 (5 Hang Tre), a bar and restaurant offering three tasting menus. If you prefer to wake up with a reasonably clear head, Cong Caphe, also in the Old Quarter, has coffee, cocktails and an interesting concrete bunker theme with sackcloth curtains.
10pm Hanoi’s creatives socialise at Zone 9 (9 Tran Thanh Tong), an arty hub that has sprung up in a factory, with American boutiques, great bars and a VW van serving cocktails. For city views, try the Summit Lounge bar at the Sofitel Plaza (1 Thanh Nien Road; sofitel.com).
DAY TWO
9am Return to Hoan Kiem lake, this time crossing the much-photographed red bridge to the Ngoc Son island pagoda. Hoan Kiem means “lake of sword restored”, a reference to the victorious emperor Le Thai To, who handed his sword to a giant tortoise. Such animals apparently live in the lake today, and there is a preserved, 2m specimen on show next to the pagoda.
11am Each street in the Old Quarter jostles with shops dedicated to a particular trade. For silk souvenirs, shop along Hang Gai; for silver, Hang Bac. Boutique handicrafts can be found around Nha Chung, where there is also the Ha Noi Gallery, selling bold and bright communist posters. — © The Sunday Telegraph