Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi, situated in the north of the country, is a haven for all kinds of travellers renowned for it’s incredible food and culture. While there’s plenty of sightseeing to be done, we’ve made a list of 8 unmissable things to do whilst in Hanoi that will make your trip truly unforgettable. These are easy things to fit into any schedule and will have you leaving the city with memories to last a lifetime.
1. The Note Cafe
The Note Cafe is a truly unique cafe with staff just as bright and beautiful as the walls covered in notes written by visitors to the cafe. It’s right in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter which makes it a perfect rest stop whilst sightseeing in the surrounding area. You’ll be waved in from afar by one of their smiley members of staff who will give you a warm welcome. Once you order your coffee you’ll be guided upstairs to find a spot to sit, if you’re lucky you can grab a spot by the window so you can people watch with views of the Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Travellers from all over have left notes filling the cafe’s walls from floor to ceiling so even if you’re not a massive coffee fan, it’s still well worth a visit to read the notes written by people all over the world. We visited The Note Cafe twice in our 4 days in Hanoi, the delicious iced lattes helped cool us down in the hot summer heat.
2. Sample truly unique coffee
Vietnam is becoming increasingly popular for their coffees with Vietnamese coffee starting to crop up in cafe’s around London. They have truly unique coffee from the filtering method to the ingredients they mix with it. They have their traditional Vietnamese coffee made with condensed milk and sugar as well as the ‘must try’ egg coffee made with frothed egg yolks, sugar and condensed milk. There’s also plenty of other weird and wonderful kinds of coffee drinks including banana, avocado, coconut and yogurt coffee so sampling some of the local coffee is a must! You’ll find coffee shops on every street and a few of our recommendations include Cong Caphe (many locations around Hanoi with kitsch war memorabilia interiors), The Railway (an excellent spot on Train Street to experience the train passing through the narrow street) and The Note Cafe (as mentioned above, with colourful, handwritten notes covering the interiors). Whilst many of their coffees are not traditionally vegan or lactose-intolerant friendly, many places had dairy free milk (mainly coconut or soy) and adapted drinks.
3. Crossing the roads
While you may laugh reading this and wonder why on earth crossing the road is a memorable thing, once you arrive in Hanoi you’ll realise why. The never-ending traffic in Hanoi is unlike anywhere we’ve been before with no clear rules or regulations in place. With mopeds and motorbikes carrying anything from TV’s to stacks of ceramic plant pots to a full family of 5 people. Witnessing the traffic levels for yourself is an experience in itself but so is navigating to the other side of the road to get to where you need to be. If you want wait for a safe gap in the traffic to cross you’ll be waiting forever. To cross the road in Vietnam, you’ll need to move slowly so vehicles can predict where you’re heading and basically drive around you. It’s as easy as that! You’re not safe on the pavements either if you do get a chance to walk on them (they’re often taken up with mopeds parked or as seating for some of the many, small household restaurants). Mopeds often ramp up onto the pavement to get where they need to be. Like I said, experiencing the traffic of Hanoi and crossing the road truly is an unforgettable experience!
4. People and moped watching
Crossing the roads is an unforgettable experience but you may want to retreat to the safety of one of the many cafes around Hanoi with a good viewing spot on a balcony or out front. You can sit back, enjoy an iced drink and enjoy watching locals get about their daily life. Watch mopeds race by and take note of the crazy cargo they carry on the back.
5. Local Markets
There’s many a market in Hanoi from local food markets serving fresh ingredients for the locals to the weekend night market filled with souvenirs, cheap clothes and knock off goods. Our top picks include Dong Xuan market (huge indoor market open daily) and the Weekend Night Market (as you guessed from the name, this market is only on weekend nights). However, there are loads of markets in and around Hanoi’s Old Quarter so spend time exploring the local markets and grab a bargain if you can! Often the vendors will try to overcharge you slightly as a tourist however, I felt I didn’t want to barter over £1 or £2 that a local needed more than I did. When deciding whether to barter or not, just keep in mind that it’s a local person trying to make a living.
6. Train Street
Several times a day (depending what day it is), a large bellowing train passes through the narrow streets of Hanoi’s train street. The street is lined with bars and cafes where you can pitch up for an iced coffee or beer while you wait for the train. You’ll also see people’s homes with locals getting on with daily life, washing their clothes and cooking food. There’s plenty of opportunity for you to get the classic train track photo however, shortly before the train is expected, the street is cleared and you’ll need to press yourself against the walls behind the painted lines as the huge train really does fill the narrow street. You’ll hear the loud horn blowing through the streets and the train will whizz past. We visited on a Sunday late afternoon/evening when 2 trains passed through the street within 30-40 minutes of each other. Some of the cafes and bars have timetables on show so you know when to expect the train. It’s become increasingly popular with tourists so you’re best to get there at least 20-30 minutes before a train is expected to grab a good spot!
6. Traditional Vietnamese Cooking Class
A truly memorable experience for us was the cooking class we took at Apron Up Restaurant where we cooked 4 traditional dishes. Our class included a trip to the local market to buy fresh ingredients. This allows you to see local life and how the locals buy their food – which is typically in small portions, bough fresh that day to make just enough for one meal. You’ll learn about the traditional vegetables, spices and meats that they use in their cooking and how they use every part of the vegetable and animal to reduce waste and cost. Once we had all of our ingredients from the market, we returned to the kitchen to prepare our dishes for the evening – spring rolls, pho, bbq meatballs and papaya salad. Whilst Vietnamese cuisine rarely includes dairy, it often revolves around meat. Apron Up catered to all dietary requirements adapting dishes to be suitable for vegetarians and vegans with tofu substitutes. A truly excellent class that highlighted local life, traditional cooking methods and also carefully adapted to make Vietnamese cuisine for all dietary requirements.
7. Visiting the different streets
You’ll find streets dedicated to selling everything from electric light, neon signs, shoes and kitchenware to souvenirs and fashion items for tourists. There’s even a ‘fake street’ dedicated to selling paper money, mobile phones, clothing and jewellery amongst many other paper gifts, all for the purpose of burning as part of the Vietnamese tradition of burning items for their ancestors in the afterlife. It’s mesmerising wandering the streets of Hanoi discovering different streets dedicated to specific items and trades. There’s about 70 streets that are commonly referred to as the ’36 Streets’ so try spot as many as you can.
8. Sample the local street food
One unmissable thing that couldn’t be left off the list of things to do in Hanoi is sample the local street food. You’ll find vendors selling pho, steamed buns, grilled meats as well as fresh fruit carved beautifully. Street food is incredibly cheap costing well under £1 for a meal or serving and is incredibly delicious too. You’ll find vendors on every street so they’re not hard to find. Try something new and if you don’t like it, it’s cheap enough to try something else!
By Seas and Sky 