I like Ha Noi.
I've been to a number of Asian cities outside the 7,100 islands I call home, and I have to say that Ha Noi is definitely somewhere I would love to stay for a month, just to soak up the flavor of the place and really get to know it better. There's a lot to see, not just from visiting temples and pagodas, but from just watching the city itself live and breathe.
Part of it is probably the weather, it being very cold during the winter you'll never feel gross after a day of walking all over town as you would here in Manila (omg the torrents of sweat).
The other part of it is the way everything looked, particularly in the Old Quarter. This in itself is a good reason to find a hotel in this area. The low-rise buildings, warm colors, small streets, tiny shops, and a plethora of balconies and french windows made me feel like I was in a time capsule. Or maybe it’s the memory of beloved movies like The Scent of Green Papaya, and Indochine that’s feeding all this nostalgia.
Walking around is a bit intimidating at first, but no more than it would be walking through Binondo, and I somehow feel safer walking down Pho Ma May than I would walking down Mabini.
Crossing the road can be a heart-pounding experience for the uninitiated, but then again…I’ve been to Cairo. Compared to how people drive over there, I think I can handle dodging scooters and cyclos just fine. At the very least, no one seems to drive faster than 40 kph in this city.
One thing about being Asian is that it definitely made it easier on us to get around without giving away the fact that we weren't locals. Only our camera gear and the trusty LPG (Lonely Planet Guide) would betray us for the tourists we were (fine, so we're a bit chunky to be typical Vietnamese, but we'll gloss over that). Though the vendors can be persistent, in general, the people we've dealt with are friendly, and inclined to be lenient of the whatever bumbling we were guilty of.
The only thing I found annoying was the embarrassment of having to tell someone rattling off to you in Vietnamese is that you don’t understand what the heck they’re saying. Barring that however, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend seeing Ha Noi to anyone who asks.
A few useful things to keep in mind:
Transportation and Getting There:
1. The Mystery of Gate 7 in Ha Noi Airport - If you are taking a flight out of Gate 7 from Ha Noi, bear in mind that although there is a sign that points out where Gate 6 supposedly is, there's no real desk with a sign "Gate 7". Just hang around the seating area near Gate 8 and 9, and when you're ready to board they'll open the glass doors beside Gate 8 and 9 and they'll usher you down a corridor, down a ramp, down a bit of coridor again, then up a ramp to where your plane is waiting.
2. Manila-VN through VN Air - If you booked your ticket to Manila through Vietnam Airlines, don't waste time queuing up at the Vietnam Airlines check-in counter. Vietnam Airlines has an arrangement with Philippine Airlines that designates seats for bookings with Vietnam Airlines to and from Manila so you need to check in at the PAL counter.
3. Don't lose the Customs Card they ask you to fill out when you land in Viet Nam. You'll need it when you leave. If you're not bringing anything special out it's no big deal, just a 10-15 min delay because you have to fill another out again I think, but if you're running late it'll save you headache and anxiety anyone could do without.
4. Taxis
If you're taking a taxi, try to take these:
- Vinasun
- Mai Linh
5. Cyclos
These are fun, and a good way to snap pictures while getting somewhere. We took a 2 kilometer ride for a dollar each, and I think we were quite an eye-catching site seeing as we managed to squeeze the two of us into that little seat. We actually paid this guy an extra dollar for not giving up - it's no joke pedaling even slightly uphill with around 350 pounds in your front seat!
Shopping
1.The streets on the way to Hoan Kiem lake from Ma May have a lot of neat stuff. Hand-carved wooden stamps are nice gifts, the small ones costing around 30k VND. Other handicrafts available are masks, water puppets, laquerware, silk lanterns and embroidered stuff, carved stone boxes and of course, chopsticks.
The shops at the perimeter north of Hoan Kiem lake also sell a lot of hats, and a variety of travel bags. I bought myself a cloche hat with a satin ribbon for 150k VND - around 10 dollars.
2.Cho Dong Xuan is also a good place to go for all sorts of stuff from footwear to textiles and handicrafts. Don't be afraid to bargain. Chop asking prices down to half, then work your way to something reasonable, especially if you are getting more than one item from one vendor.
Keeping Oneself Fed
1. Going on a Cruise? Pack some Snacks.
If you're taking the overnight or 2-night cruise at Ha Long bay, bring a few snacks with you. Smokes, chips or candy are not available for purchase on board. They'll have regular meals but if you run out of smokes or get the munchies during some odd hour of the day, you'll have to go without or wait til you run into one of the vendors plying one of your stops and pay premium (1 pack of Marlboro reds is 40k VND).
2. Try as much of the local food as you can.
One of the best things about being in another country is sampling the flavors that are unique to them, even if you've sampled the same thing back home at a local Vietnamese restaurant. The way Pho and Ca Phe in Viet Nam tastes is miles from the way it does in Manila. Even the texture of their noodles and the taste of their rice paper.
Some good places to go:
- Old Ha Noi
- BET Restaurant at Ho Tay Lake
- Highlands Coffee - they're the Starbucks of Viet Nam. They offer good cheesecakes as and lunch items as well as cappuccinos and ca phe. There's a branch on a permanently moored boat on Ho Tay lake, and another on the 3rd floor of a building facing the north end of Hoan Kiem lake.
- Cafe 69 - our fallback if we're too tired to walk further than our hotel's front door. Try the beef and green papaya salad. Spicy and Yummy.
- Tamarind Cafe - for those craving vegetarians meals
3. Take a Cooking Course. This is something I have to do when I come back. Some places like Old Ha Noi near the south end of Pho Ma May offers daily cooking classes - what better souvinir to bring home than the tastes and flavors of Viet Nam?
4. Eat Your Fruit
Don't miss out on these. Dragonfruit, apples, oranges, kumquats, pineapple, tamarind - everything sweet and yummy. They're usually inexpensive and great for snacking.
5. Baguette & Chocolat
For those using the current Lonely Planet guide to Viet Nam, save yourself a trip with this tip - this cafe has moved from 11 Pho Cha Ca to a tiny corner of Ha Hoi street. It may help to try getting your Hotel to help you find it first and write down the address for the cab.
I'd add more but I'm way past my bedtime. If I think of anything else I'll update this post.
