This was our first visit to Hanoi, and it being Tet, we weren’t sure what to expect. Would it be a ghost town? Would everything be closed? I’m happy to report that that was not the case!
Attractions
Hanoi Old Quarter
We mostly kept to Hanoi’s Old Quarter as it is the tourist hub of Hanoi. Indeed, there were plenty of other tourists milling around, as well as locals driving by on their scooters. Some streets were quieter than others but they were pleasant to walk through still. I found the architecture fascinating. Hanoi seems to favour extremely narrow and box-like houses. On and off, we caught glimpses of Vietnamese families gathering behind open doors in their shops and children playing in the streets. To our surprise, some shops were opened, albeit mostly sportswear, art and toy vendors, but fun to browse nonetheless.
Hoan Kiem Lake
Hoan Kiem Lake is the heart of Hanoi’s old town and it was packed. The bridge to Ngoc Son Temple, in the middle of the lake, was so filled with people we decided to give visiting the temple a miss. While walking to the lake, we got our first taste of the famous, chaotic Hanoi traffic. There didn’t seem to be any rules. Crossing their roads was scary as hell initially but after a couple of times, we got used to it. The scooters and cars watch out for pedestrians and will simply drive around anyone in their way.
Ho Chi Minh Complex
The only place out of the Old Quarter that we visited (took around 20-30 minutes to walk there from Hoan Kiem Lake).
Restaurants and Cafés
If there are specific places you want to visit, you may want to check if they close for Tet before booking your air tickets as the street vendors and small food kiosks were mostly closed. However, we found sufficient good restaurants and cafés open to keep our taste buds happy. Honestly, the food was so yummy, we would have been contented just chilling in their cafes/restaurants all day.
Xofa Cafe
This café had wonderful ambience, service, food and drinks. Their speciality coffee, Bae Xiu (Coffee with coconut milk and condensed milk) was a tad too exotic for my liking, but the hot chocolate hit the mark.
Highlands Coffee (Facing Hoan Kiem Lake)
We were there at night and it was massively crowded. The coffee was so-so but we did enjoy watching the ebb and flow of Hanoi traffic from the outdoor balcony. Good view of the lake too.
Wanna Waffle? (Facing Hoan Kiem Lake)
The entrance to this café was hidden in the convenience store on the ground level. Finding it took some effort but it was worth it. The waffles were crispy and light in texture, less doughy than the usual waffles. We gobbled them up in a flash.
Cong Ca Phe
Very, very cool. There are various outlets scattered around Old Quarter so find your nearest one on google maps! Their Cot Dua Cacao (Coconut milk with cocoa) was like a slushy version of Bangkok’s coconut ice cream, which I LOVE, so this drink was freaking awesome to me.
Red Bean Trendy Restaurant
My favourite restaurant in Hanoi and the in-house restaurant of the first hotel I stayed in. Pictures in my next post (Hanoi La Siesta Trendy Hotel).
Essence Restaurant
This is the in-house restaurant of Essence Hanoi Hotel. Even if you don’t stay there, the restaurant is worth a visit as they have great food at wallet-friendly prices. What more can one ask for?
I’m so tempted to visit Hanoi again next Tet!
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