Highlights: Cruise along Halong Bay
What you get
Hanoi is a city of stunning visual and audio contrast. The rickety sounds of cyclos (pedicabs) fight for airwaves amidst the blasting horns of motorbikes, and the Nike swoosh wallpapers the French-styled building facades in the Old Quarter.
The Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi's commercial nucleus, ripples out from the lake of the same name. The lake's name means Lake of the Restored Sword, according to a legend dating back to the mid-15th century.
The tangled streets of the Old Quarter, which spread from Hoan Kiem's fringes, is like Hanoi's intestines. Originally a snake- and alligator-infested swamp, the Old Quarter, or 36 Pho Phuong (36 Streets), is now transformed to an outdoor shopping mall and stomping ground for backpackers.
Just south of West Lake, the Ba Dinh district is the old French administrative center where several new flashy hotels are located, eagerly anticipating the growth of a much talked-about business center. Aside from the complex devoted to Ho Chi Minh, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Botanical Gardens and the Temple of Literature are tourist attractions here.
The city is fairly spread out and cyclos or motorbike taxis will get you from one area to another. Once you have picked a spot, wandering on your feet affords the best view of Hanoi's chaotic street life.
HALONG BAY
A visit to North Vietnam is not complete till you visit Halong Bay. Designated as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, it is in most people travel list as “one of the places to see before you die". Halong translates as "where the dragon descends into the sea".
Set in the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, the stand out feature is a series of tiny islands with mountainous terrain. The scenery is storybook stuff and as an added interest, there are numerous illuminated caves you can explore as well.
