I already knew Asia must be beautiful- all those backpackers coming back from that part of world with beautiful memories, tan and thousands of stories to tell.
I planned my trip for couple of weeks - I am bit of a nerd and I like to know where, how and where to go to make sure I'm not missing out on any beautiful spots.
It all started in Vietnam - I landed in Hanoi where I spent couple of days.
The city is just wonderful- laud, full of scents, colours and of course people.
It was exactly how I imagined it - overwhelming and busy, just the way I always wanted to see Vietnam.
There are a lot of places to visit and see in Hanoi, but what I liked the most it was just walking around Old Quarter, taking pictures and enjoying street food which you can find absolutely everywhere.
It's a place to let yourself go - apply new rules which you wouldn't think about back home:
RULE NUMBER ONE.
In Hanoi, you will cross the street in the middle, having your eyes half- closed hoping you won't get hit by the crazy tuk-tuk driver, (let's be honest streets are quite wide and cars are quite fast). Just need to run across the street as fast as you can and probably nothing will happen to you.
RULE NUMBER TWO.
Street food in Southeast Asia is the best I ever had. It's also (as the name suggests) entirely made on the street.
People are chopping, preparing, storing and cooking food on the streets with no fridges, or anything what would protect food from the bacterias. I think it's awesome. While in western world we are getting absolutely mad about food hygiene it's cool to see people who treats food in more unconcerned way.
I was eating from the street vendors all the time (I rarely ate in the restaurants) and I never had any problems or health issues. So the only rule to follow about food it's to stop following any rules. Eat from the streets vendors but ask them first about the price. They going to tell you a inflated price, so bargain or just simply go next door.
Hanoi has that really popular, small breakfast restaurant where best Pho is served.
You need to go there in the morning ( 7 am let's say) and order best soup you probably ever had. Yes that's the address:
Bun Rieu Cua -40 Hàng Tre, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, which it's open only for 2 hours from 7 to 9 am. Spicy crab soup with meat will keep you going for the whole morning. Plus it's a great opportunity to see how and where locals eat.
The very next thing you need to try when in Hanoi it's a local beer - bia hoi.
It costs nothing (around 20 cents vs £5 in London haha ) and it's absolutely delicious. Refreshing, light in pale gold colour served in the local bars which are easy to spot. Look for plastic little stools and really old-school interiors. Those places are always full of locals (especially in the evening) and I believe I was the only one girl in there. But don't feel intimidated. People are super nice and we ended up having free rounds from the locals so atmosphere is great.
I love to live the city where I travel so not the biggest fan of museums or galleries but there are couple of places which are necessary to see:
Vietnamese Women's Museum
Beautiful place which fill you up with a huge amount of informations about the culture, traditions, history of Vietnam. Great source of knowledge about the role of the women in the past but also in modern Vietnam.
Hoan Kiem Lake
A big lake in the middle of the city, which holds a great legend about the sword and the turtle.
Worth to visit super early, as it's a popular spot where the locals exercise and atmosphere is just great.
Thang Long Water Puppet Theater ( click here)
Oh, ok... I'd say the show it's really special.Water puppetry it's a traditional, Vietnamese show with a strong reference to folklor, everyday life, tales and legend.
It's one of the biggest attraction in Hanoi and it should be seen but the best it's to have no expectation.I personally didn't like as much on the spot, but when I think about it now I appreciate it and see a its beauty. Anyway hate it or love it , it's thing worth to see.
Nha Tho Cathedral
Inspired by Parisian Notre Dame it's a tall, beautiful cathedral in the middle of the big square.
To sum up - I loved Hanoi for the chaos and really busy atmosphere, for authenticity and warm welcoming.
Hanoi will be probably your first stop when traveling to Vietnam (easy access to Sa Pa and Halong Bay) and even if you won't have time to visit all the recommended places, just sit down, watch people, walk around the city, taste local street food and absorb the atmosphere.
Next stop Sa Pa!
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