The first stop on our trip through South East Asia was Hanoi (Hà Nội). Vietnam's capital city is a diverse medley of sights, sounds, smells and impressions forged by its rich cultural and historical background.
Whether you are hunting down the best street food cart in the bustling streets of the Old Quarter, basking in the tranquility of Hoàn Kiếm Lake or shopping at the luxury boutiques in the French Quarter, Hanoi has something to offer for everyone.
We tried to pack as many sights and culinary delights into our stay as possible, and the city really grew on me by the end of our visit. Although Hanoi can be intense at times, it also offers plenty of opportunities to get away from the hustle and bustle of its streets to enjoy the peace and quiet of one of its lakes, parks or historical sites.
On our first full day in Hanoi, we joined the hostels free walking tour to get to know the Old Quarter and Eastern French Quarter a little better. Taking a walking tour is always a great way to get a feel for a city and Luna, our local guide, was excellent. She gave us a lot of information regarding each site we visited and offered up some insight into the city's rich history. Hanoi is the second-largest city in Vietnam (after Ho Chi Minh City). Throughout Vietnam's history, Hanoi has been an important center of political power. From 1010, during the time of the imperial nation of Dai Viet (Đại Việt), Hanoi (then called Thăng Long) served as the capital of the empire. Later, during the French colonial period, Hanoi once again served as the capital of French Indochina.
As the first stop on our walking tour, we visited the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple which used to be home to five highly endangered giant turtles which are also considered holy in Hanoi. Unfortunately, the turtles have since died of old age (the last one in 2016) but their bodies have been preserved within Ngoc Son. Only six turtles of this species remain alive today, as far as we know. They often spend extended periods of time underwater, however, and hide from human contact. There is hope that there are more that have not been discovered.
From the lake we headed to the Eastern French Quarter. France rebuilt many parts of the city during their occupation of Vietnam, and the influences of French colonialism can still be seen and felt in many aspects of the city. The wide streets of the Eastern French Quarter are flanked by opulent houses and villas in the style of french architecture. You'll also find plenty of 5-star hotels, classy restaurants and boutiques selling luxury brands as well as the National Museum of History, St. Joseph's Cathedral and Hanoi Opera House here.
Towards the end of the walking tour, we headed to The Note Coffee in search of one of Vietnam's coffee specialties. Vietnam is one of the largest coffee producers in the world and offers several traditional ways to drink it. On arrival at the café, we were introduced to Egg Coffee (Cà phê trứng). It's made by whipping egg-yolks with condensed milk and adding the "egg-milk" to strong robusta coffee. Our tour guide explained that the Egg Coffee arose from a shortage of dairy products during the First Indochina War (1946 to 1954). We were a bit skeptical about putting egg in our coffees at first, however, the sweet, eggnog-like cream balances out the bitter aromas of the coffee excellently and leads to a delicious morning or afternoon pick-me-up which we thoroughly enjoyed.
From the café, we left the walking tour and headed back into the Old Quarter in search of some lunch. One of the most notable vestiges of french colonialism in Hanoi is the humble baguette. You can find short baguette style bread buns freshly baked to perfection on almost every corner of Hanoi's streets at all hours of the day. The bread also gave rise to one of Hanoi's most famous delicacies - Banh Mi. These submarine sandwiches are typically filled with meats and vegetables from Vietnamese cuisine and combined with elements originating from the French cuisine, such as pâté. They offer an excellent blend of sweet, savory, spicy and tangy flavours that explode in your mouth with each bite. So, to get our first fix of Banh Mi, we headed down to Banh Mi 25 - one of the most talked about sandwich joints in Hanoi. The buns did not disappoint, and we left having discovered what would become one of our staple lunches for the duration of our stay in Hanoi.
After having explored some of the local cuisine, we headed back into the direction of our hostel. Central Backpackers Hostel is located in the center of the Old Quarter, meaning as soon as you step out of the door, you are in the middle of the action. Strolling through the streets back to the hostel, we found stalls selling fresh meat, fish, fruits, grains or clothes. Packed in between these stalls, there are often small restaurants serving regional dishes that seem small from the street but reveal a second floor, courtyard or expansive interior seating once you go inside. Having arrived back at the hostel, we headed to our room for some much needed R&R from the long journey and the jet lag that was now hitting us hard.
Below, you can find a gallery with further impressions of Hanoi and our stay there.
Comments