Hanoi capital in Vietnam boasts over six million residents as well as a treasure trove of French architecture. Look for buildings in the trademark yellow ochre color, well maintained colonial houses often repurposed as clothing boutiques or government buildings.
Mixed in with the recent past are ancient pagodas and temples, classic Vietnamese monuments to the nation’s history. Carvings at the Temple of Literature show that little of the nation’s past is available in books – here it is set in stone, preserved for generations to come.
Hanoi weather hits the extremes: extremely hot in the summer, wet and chilly in the winter and everything in between. All that wandering will invariably make you hungry. Luckily, Hanoi is a melting pot of delicious street food and fancier fare. The hot pot is pretty good too. Wash down your dinner with a glass of bia tuoi, ‘fresh beer,’ and don’t forget to toast the other revellers with ‘Mot! Hai! Ba! Dzo!!’
1. Hospitals/Clinics
International SOS, 51 Xuan Dieu st., Tay Ho Dist. 043 8264 545
L’Hôpital Français de Hanoi, 1 Phuong Mai Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi 04 3574 1111 Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Viet Duc Hospital, 14 Phu Doan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi 04 3825 3531 – 09 1495 0458 Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
2. Phones
Vietnam’s GSM 900/1800 network is compatible with most of Asia, Europe and Australia, but not North America. In Hanoi you can buy a local SIM card and minutes for around VND100,000. The most popular providers are Vinaphone, Mobifone and Viettel. Until recently iPhones were only available on the black market; find them nearly everywhere in the capital city. For landlines, the city code for Hanoi is 04 (drop the 0 if including the country code) and the country code is +84.
When you buy a SIM card you’ll get a local Hanoi number. You can send text messages worldwide for about VND3,000. A new, no-frills mobile phone can be had for as little as VND400,000, sometimes with credit included in the price. The store will usually set up your phone in your language choice. Take care when pulling out an expensive smart phone on the sidewalk, particularly along busy tourist streets in central Hanoi.
Address:
Mobifone / 26 Cua Dong st., Hoan Kiem Dist.; 043 7474 605
Viettel / 32 Phan Chu Trinh st., Hoan Kiem Dist. 046 2780 100
Vinaphone / 75A Dinh Tien Hoang st., Hoan Kiem Dist., 043 9363 601
3. Electronics
No.130A, Giang Vo, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam
There are a plethora of shops around the Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue area of Ho Chi Minh City and the Old Quarter in Hanoi that sell new and used camera equipment You can also find accessories including memory cards, off-brand battery chargers and tripods. If you are in need of camera repair and have a Canon or Nikon camera then we recommend that you use one of the authorised repair centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. If you are looking for a cheaper option, there are a number of shops that offer repairs. But always keep in mind that sometimes you get what you pay for.
Authorised Canon Repair
Hanoi Authorised Canon Repair, No.130A, Giang Vo, Ba Dinh District; 04 3771 1966
Authorised Nikon Repair, Viet Hong Building 2nd Floor 58 Tran Nhan Tong, Hai Ba Trung District; 04 3938 1412
General Repair
Hoang Trong camera, 3A Vong Duc, Hoan Kiem District; 04 3937 8666
Vu Nhat, No. 20 Thang Thi, Hoan Kiem District; 04 3826 5161
(Source: Citypassguide)