I was in Ho Chi Minh City briefly in November and now have a business trip to Hanoi for a week in August. If my hosts ask what I’d like to do or see, what would you recommend?
Thanks.
You lucky bastard.
You definitely want to try cha ca, a local fish/noodle specialty dish. A place called Cha Ca La Vong in the Old Quarter is probably the best for it.
Will you have much free time? I don’t remember doing that much in Hanoi by way of sightseeing, although hanging around in the Old Quarter was fun for several days by itself. An overnight trip to Halong Bay would be great but perhaps you won’t have the time for that.
There are also some fine old museums in Hanoi that I visited. If you are interested in this kind of thing, let me know and I will dig out my diary from that trip and see which one(s) were best.
Well you have to go see Uncle Ho, he’s looking pretty pale. The Hoa Lo ‘Hanoi Hilton’ was worth a look. Walking around the old merchant district was pretty unique. Frankly HCMC and Hanoi are complete opposites and even though it’s poorer and far dirtier I preferred Hanoi. You’ll have a great time.
Uncle Ho
Lies in state
He is looking
Very late.
I highly recommend the Ho Chi Minh memorial, and the museum - at the time I visited, they had half an Edsel crashed into a wall, marked “the failure of American capitalism”. :dubious:
Try the café sua - sweet coffee with a meringue whisked onto the top. In addition to the great Vietnamese food, there are some very good French restaurants if you like that fusion thing.
And DO NOT miss the Water Puppets. They’re adorable.
Hanoi is way nicer than Saigon, IMO. The lake, the architecture, everything about it is more pleasant. You’ll love it.
I’m not usually into the cultural play type of thing, but the water puppets were pretty cool and completely different than anything else I’ve seen.
If you have the time, try to make it up to Ha Long Bay. It is truly stunning, but I think most tours take at least 3 days. Check out the movie Indochine for some great visuals. I didn’t think the movie was all that great, but the cinematography was amazing.
I booked a two-day tour at the Tamarind Cafe. I can’t remember the name of the tour company but they operate out of the cafe. I recommend them. You take off early one morning, get to the bay about midday, then spend 24 hours on a boat in the bay before returning in the afternoon on day two. Another night on the boat would’ve been great, but it was still a top trip even as an overnighter.
Wonderful city. Just hang around the old city and eat. The rule is the fewer the dishes on the menu, the better.
The water puppets are cool. The Army Museum has a fabulous Buddha statue. The fish market is great.