Hanoi – Vietnam 2014

This trip to Hanoi, my first ever visit to Vietnam, was sandwiched not very neatly between a visit to Penang, Malaysia and a sales support visit to several cities in China, so being honest, I was a little anxious about all the flight connections and getting everything to fit seamlessly. Arriving in to Hanoi’s old international airport was chaotic and having to negotiate buying your entry visa, getting through immigration, grabbing your bag and then dodging/ignoring the hoards of touting ‘illegal’ taxi drivers it was a little fraught. Our agent, who should have been there to pick me up, called to say he couldn’t make it and instructed me on how to get an official taxi in to Hanoi itself and about 20 minutes later I was in the office supping a coffee.

With business completed for the day I was dropped off at my hotel, The Pullman Hanoi, an incredibly elegant looking hotel with an amazing lobby where I was warmly greeted with a cool hand towel and a fresh glass of juice. With the favourable exchange rate at the time, I’d booked an Executive room giving me access to their business lounge, travelling alone this is a real perk as you get to meet people rather than sit isolated in your room. Much to my surprise I was further upgraded to an Executive Suite due to some promotional offer on at the time and I very quickly found myself being guided around a hotel room whose floor area was bigger than my house. I’ve never been in a hotel room before that had two bathrooms and a door bell. With the Bell Boy dispatched I explored my vast suite. The views from the panoramic windows across Hanoi were amazing and watching the lights appear at sundown was a real treat.

The Pullman Hanoi is within walking distance of pretty much all the major attractions in Hanoi and those that aren’t the hotel concierge will happily take care of you and bundle you into a taxi pointed in the right direction. Luckily for me my Wednesday full of meetings evaporated and I found myself with a free day with which to explore some of the sights. Chatting with the lounge staff over a late breakfast about my free day I was quickly furnished with a complimentary guide book and a walking-tour map of the local area and encouraged to go for a walk. One caveat from the boss who had joined our conversation was not to be freaked out by the meat on offer in the local market, as Vietnamese still enjoy eating dog.

So, with breakfast finished, camera poised, map in hand I headed out in to Hanoi.

Yes, the local market was just as the Pullman boss had hinted, but more shocking was that everything was just laid out on the floor, fruit, vegetables and even raw meat all of which was being splashed by mud from passing scooters and shoppers. Nice.

First stop was the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which although mightily impressive was closed to visitors. Next up, but also closed for restoration, was the One Pillar Pagoda, again, I’m sure it is really lovely. On to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, but not having pre-purchased one of the limited number of tickets, it too was not for visiting. Stood outside the building though it was perfectly symmetrical and even the white suited guards on the doors were perfectly aligned.

By now I was starting to wilt a little as the temperature was 29 C degrees and coupled with humidity of around 80%, I was sweating from every single pore of my body and was feeling as though I’d walked through a car wash. After an iced drink I continued undaunted on my walking tour. Next up was the Flag Tower, one of Hanoi’s relics that has remained untouched by various occupations over the years. The walk is lovely and the streets are lined with trees and bushes which are delightful and the old houses looked very colonial. Some of these buildings are now foreign embassies and have been suitably restored in the process. One of the amazing things that hits you in Hanoi is the traffic which is quite simply crazy. Relentless streams of mopeds dodging in out of the cars and trucks makes the simple task of crossing the road a massive leap of faith. When you step off the curb though, it’s like stepping into a river and everything just seems to flow around you. Quite amazing and you very soon get accustomed to it. Also on route were lots of street vendors with hair cuts and shaves being very popular.

Next up was a walk through the park that surrounded the Temple of Literature. Trees and pagodas offered some much welcome shade but also hid Vietnamese guides desperate to earn some Dong offering guided tours. Managing to dodge these very persistent guides I didn’t have enough Dong on me to buy a ticket, some VND30,000, or about £1.00, so I headed out of the park towards the end of my walk, the cool and welcoming Pullman Hotel. When I arrived I was suddenly aware that I was soaked from head to foot, my clothes saturated with sweat. The walk was lovely and seeing the sights and sounds of Hanoi was delightful, but it was so hot.

After close of business on Friday, I had a little extra time left to enjoy Hanoi so in the evening I decided to visit the famous Hanoi Night Market with the hotel concierge bundling me in to taxi which headed off in to the Hanoi evening, being dropped off about 15 minutes later at one end of the market. The night market is situated in the charming Old Quarter of Hanoi, held along a string of streets, running for about 3km. It’s closed for traffic, well, cars and vans, but you still need to dodge the occasional scooter that nudges its way down the crowded street. Stalls seem to spill out from nearby shops and sell all manner of things from ladies and gents clothes, t-shirts, hats, watches, electrical goods, handicrafts and the usual tourist goodies. Something for everyone. Lots of street food too nibble on too while you browse the stalls. Very enjoyable it was too.

The nearby lake, Hoan Kiem, looked lovely too being transformed by hundreds of lights once the sun had gone down. The lake is steeped in legend, a mystical sword fashioned from a bar of metal found in the lake that is belived to have come from the heavens. Looks like a popular place for locals to meet and stroll around too.

After a stroll and an iced coffee I flagged down a taxi and headed back to the hotel, my first trip to Hanoi over.

Hanoi was a delight. Bustling, bright, chaotic, but mostly charming. Lovely traditional thin, tall houses still nestle amidst the burgeoning modernisation, yet Hanoi still manages to retain its heritage and charm. I loved it.