(Welcome 2 Hanoi) – Hanoi is not noisy and active as Sai Gon, but this place has the best street food in Asia, with the impressive culture and history. I had great experience with Hanoi in my Vietnam tour along with Eviva Tour Vietnam. Here are top 5 experiences that I love the most.
1. Walking around the Old Quarter:
Your trip to Hanoi will be meaningless if you do not spend some time walking along the Old Quarter. I was lucky to stay at a hotel in the Old Quarter so it’s easy to look at the daily life of people there daily. There are 36 old streets in Hanoi. In each street, people sell a different item, and the name of the street is usually base on the type of item.
2. Go to Hoan Kiem Lake at night
Lake is located in the central area of Hanoi, and is seen as a symbol of the city. Hoan Kiem Lake is beloved by people here. Sitting on a stone bench beside the lake in the evening, you’ll see a shimmering and magical scene when the lake is lighted up with colorful lights.
3. Visit Hoa Lo Prison Museum
Hoa Lo Prison was built by the French in 1896, and was used to imprison Vietnamese political prisoners, later this place is known as “Hanoi Hilton”. Today, Hoa Lo Prison is a well-known attraction in Hanoi.
4. Enjoy a hot bowl of “Pho”
Hanoi is widely regarded as one of the “capital” the world’s cuisines with the diversity of many delicious street foods. The most famous food of Hanoi is “Pho” .You can choose between “Pho Bo” (beef noodle soup) or Pho Ga “chicken noodle soup”. With this dish, you will find an abundance of spices and vegetables. Let’s go into the small street in Hanoi and you will discover a lot of small noodle shop, but the taste is delicious and especially also very cheap.
5. Drinking Beer:
Hanoi is like other places in Vietnam, where a lot of beer is sold. However, the most impressive to me is enjoying “Bia Hoi” – a specialty of the North, and perhaps this is the cheapest beer in the world. This beer is sold everywhere in Hanoi, you can easily go into a roadside shop, sitting on a plastic chair, and the server will bring you the fresh beer with a plate of peanuts.
In addition, you should also try Hanoi Beer, a beer with an alcohol stronger than “Bia Hoi” but the taste is very delicious and unforgettable.