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Hanoi Journals

Quirky but Delicious Hanoi

Best of IgoUgo

A June 2008 trip to Hanoi by bettybetty10

Especen 2 Hotel room (double Photo - Especen Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam More Photos
Quote: A three day jaunt in Hanoi - lots of walking, eating and seeing!
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Quirky but Delicious Hanoi Best of IgoUgo

Overview

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After 9 days in Thailand, we flew to Hanoi to start our travel in Vietnam. We opted to start in the north, and make our way south to Saigon. For some reason, we expected Vietnam to be similar to Thailand, but in fact, the scenery, people, and attitudes are extremely (and pleasantly!) different. A few people mentioned to me that there wasn’t that much to see in Hanoi, so we only booked 3 nights. However, I think I definitely could’ve used a day or two more to explore both the city and the surrounding areas. There are some activities that require a day or two trip (such as Halong Bay, which I regret x 10000 for not going to see), so definitely make sure to consider that when you book your stay. If it ha...Read More

Especen Hotel Best of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Great Location - Especen 2 Hotel"

Especen 2 Hotel room (double Photo - Especen Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam
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As mentioned in the overview, we had some difficulties getting to our hotel. The hotel is located in a teeny alley, named Ngo Huyen, with a lot of character. There is Especen 1, which is on the corner, and Especen 2, which is right next door. We stayed in Especen 2. The woman working the front desk was very pleasant and very helpful and she is teeny – just like the alley! Our room was on the fourth floor, and there is no elevator – so we did a lot of stair climbing! We also had to carry our luggage upstairs.Our room was small, but very clean. There was a queen sized bed, and a window facing the building next door. There was a fan and A/C, a TV with cable, a mini-fridge with sodas, beers an...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 17, 2008

Especen Hotel
28 Tho Xuong & 41 Ngo Huyen Street
Hanoi
+84 (4) 38244401

Cafe 69 Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Delicious Carbs at RESTAURANT 69"

Bun at Restaurant 69 Photo - Cafe 69, Hanoi, Vietnam
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Despite the unfortunate name, this is a great restaurant that exhibits some major ambience! It is a two storied old converted shop house, and the stairs that take you upstairs are quite rickety and narrow. It is dark with high ceilings, and the furniture is mostly dark and distressed wood. There is a small balcony with a couple of tables and an excellent place to chill, eat, and watch the streetscape below (if you’re lucky enough to get that seat!). This restaurant is located right in the middle of the Old Quarter.As mentioned in my overview, I was very impressed with the food options in Hanoi. We had just spent hours at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, and we were hot and extremely hungry. We wer...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 17, 2008

Cafe 69
69 Ma May Street
Hanoi

Pho Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Possibly the Best Pho at PHO"

Pho  Photo - Hanoi, Vietnam
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We were fortunate to stay around the corner from an amazing pho restaurant aptly named PHO. We got there around 9:30am for breakfast, and it was still packed! This is a place that mostly locals frequent and people sit at tables that are very close to each other, share condiments, and slurp up noodles noisily together. It can be intimidating to walk in because it is very loud, very hectic and very full, but just go in, and you’ll be seated promptly. There also isn’t much ambience at this place.We walked in and were seated immediately. There are only about 5 choices – pho with different beef options (ex: rare, well done, tendon, etc). You can also order a platter of fried dough sticks to go ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on July 17, 2008

Vietnam Women's Museum Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Women, War, and Propaganda - THE WOMEN’S MUSEUM"

Propaganda poster at Women's Museum Photo - Vietnam Women's Museum, Hanoi, Vietnam
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We actually didn’t plan on visiting this museum, but because the "Hanoi Hilton" was closed for lunch, we decided to check it out. This was our first glimpse (one of many) into how the Vietnamese perceived the American War, and Americans in general. It was extremely eye opening, particularly since I was only familiar with the American side of the story.The first floor features the permanent exhibit and the woman’s role in the war. Many of the women were in combat, or involved in transporting and making supplies, cooking meals, and providing support for their troops. There are many photo albums available (with captions) that depict their role in the war. There are also lots of artifacts, inc...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 17, 2008

Vietnam Women's Museum
36 Pho Ly Thuong Kiet
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 825 9937

Hoa Lo Prison Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Scary Scenes of War: HOA LO PRISON"

Treatment of American Prisoners - Ho Loa Prison Photo - Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi, Vietnam
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The Hoa Lo Prison, or more commonly known as the Hanoi Hilton, is a stark glimpse into the jail that both Vietnamese and American soldiers were locked up in during various wars. Of course, the primary focus is on how the Vietnamese captives were tortured and locked up in horrible, inhumane conditions by the French. Towards the end, there is a section on the treatment of American soldiers in the jail.You walk through various parts of the jail – and you can see the actual cells in which prisoners were kept. It’s all concrete and very musty, and it really gives a creepy vibe. It’s definitely NOT a happy place. They’ve also placed concrete human figures to demonstrate how they were locked up a...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 17, 2008

Hoa Lo Prison
1 Hoa Lo Street
Hanoi, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "1 Minute with Dead, Cold Body: HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM"

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I had never seen a dead person on ice before so I HAD to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum! We walked over there, which took about 30 minutes. We also visited on a Saturday morning, and when we got there, the line was extremely long. We were worried because it was about 10am, and we knew that it closed at 11:30 for lunch.We got in line, and as mentioned, there are tons of people waiting in line to see Uncle Ho – both Vietnamese and foreign tourists. The Vietnamese LOVE their Ho Chi Minh! There are many military personnel around to keep people in check and I made sure I followed orders accordingly.Everyone has to go through security, primarily because no photographs are allowed. A...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 17, 2008

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
5 Pho Ngoc Ha
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 942 1061

Ho Chi Minh Museum Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Madness at the Ho Chi Minh Museum"

Uncle Ho at the Ho Chi Minh Museum Photo - Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hanoi, Vietnam
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After the Mausoleum, we walked the premises of the Ho Chi Minh Complex. On the other side, there is the Ho Chi Minh Museum. At first, we didn’t think we would have time to visit because it was almost time for lunch, but it turns out if you get in before 11:30, you can stay through lunch. They just don’t sell tickets during the lunch hour.When we got in, it was seriously a madhouse. Because it was Saturday, many Vietnamese people had brought their families and there were children running around and screaming. There are even signs around that say "Please remain quiet" – obviously, they weren’t being observed. It was a complete 180 from the regimented environment of the mausoleum....Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 17, 2008

Ho Chi Minh Museum
Hanoi
Hanoi, Vietnam

Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Infamous Water Puppet Show"

Water Puppet! Photo - Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre, Hanoi, Vietnam
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OK, so this is a huge tourist trap, but it was actually a good time, and the perfect thing to do when you want to do something more chill. We had just gotten into Hanoi and experienced the whole airport taxi/hotel scam and wanted to do something easy. The theater was a nice 10 minute walk from our hotel and we got to see Hoa Kiem Lake and some of the Old Quarter along the way.The theater is very well marked on every tourist map, and it is right on the edge of the lake. You can’t miss it because there is a huge sign and there is always a crowd of people outside trying to buy tickets. We got there 10 minutes before the 6pm show, and it was packed (with tourists)! We were actually afraid we w...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 17, 2008

Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre
57b Dinh Tien Hoang St. Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi, Vietnam
(84-04) 8249494

A 'fruit shake
Quote:
We got this walking map from the hostel around the corner from our hotel. It was great, and it had a top 10 things to do in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. One of them was to visit the famed "Fruit Shake Street". After an early dinner one night, we thought a fruit shake would be a great dessert, so we walked over to the Old Quarter. We turned onto this short street, and we just saw tons of locals (teens, families, young professionals, older people) sitting on short and small plastic stools on the street, madly scooping up fruit/ice out of glasses, and drinking fruit shakes! The women serving were working like crazy, cutting fruit, pouring condensed milk, working the blenders. One woman called us over...Read More