Hanoi, Vietnam

Hà Nội (Hanoi) is the capital city of Vietnam located in the northern part of the country. It is the second largest city after Ho Chi Minh City with a population of over 8 million people.

The first leg of my Vietnam adventure was Lào Cai to conquer Núi Lảo Thẩn. As Lào Cai did not have an airport, I had to fly from Singapore to Hà Nội and travelled northwards by train to Lào Cai for bus rides to Y Ty and Sapa and back to Hà Nội again when I travelled southwards.

From Lào Cai to Hà Nội

I booked a New Livitrans Express SP4 VIP 2-berth cabin. Ticketing sites claimed that:

• 'Each of VIP has 2 soft berths with standard 5* hotel.
• Passenger always has travel magazines, newspaper,....'

I felt that the cabin was overrated, and the magazines and newpaper were not there as well.

Waiting area for the train was at the hall of the train station, together with passengers from other coaches.

The difference in pricing for the sleeping berths between Laman Express SP3, which I took northwards from Hà Nội to Lào Cai, and this cabin was only 150,000 VND. However, it was quite lacking in terms of VIP treatment.

I booked both brands of VIP berths intentionally, to experience the difference in the coaches.

Arriving at Hà Nội

As it was not my first time to Hà Nội, I just planned for a 'transit' to catch up on a place or 2 which I had not been to yet before I boarded my onward flight to Hue. My train ride arrived at Ga Hà Nội (Hanoi Station) at about 0530 hours and my flight was later in the afternoon thus I had about 11 hours of 'transit' time.

In and Around Hà Nội

Popular places to visit include:

• Chùa Lý Triều Quốc Sư (Ly Trieu Quoc Su Pagoda)
• Chùa Trấn Quốc (Tran Quoc Pagoda)
• Cột Cờ Hà Nội (Hanoi Flag Tower)
• Ho Chi Minh Stilt House
• Hồ Hoàn Kiếm/Đền Ngọc Sơn, (Hoan Kiem Lake/Ngoc Son Temple)
• Hoàng Thành Thăng Long (Imperial Citadel of Thang Long)
• Khu Phố Pháp (French Quarter)
• Lăng Chủ Tịch Hồ Chí Minh (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum)
• Nhà Thờ Chính Tòa Thánh Giuse (Saint Joseph Cathedral)
• Nhà Tù Hỏa Lò (Hỏa Lò Prison)
• Phố Cổ Hà Nội (Old Quarter)
• Văn Miếu (Temple of Literature)
• Vietnam War Memorial

I covered these places on another trip here.

I researched and found an UNESCO gem hidden some 50 km from the train station- Làng Cổ Đường Lâm (Duong Lam Ancient Village).

After I arrived and alighted from the train, I deposited my luggage in a self-service luggage locker at the train station. The blue and orange lockers were located on the right after you enter the main hall of the station.

There were only 18 lockers (6 small and 12 large) available on a first-come-first-served basis. Rental rate was at 50,000 VND per 4 hours.

After I deposited my luggage, I went across the road to have a quick bite of bánh mì before booking a Grab to the village (581,000 VND).

Làng Cổ Đường Lâm was presented with the Award of Merit in the 2013 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation for its efforts in restoring 5 ancient houses displaying Vietnamese vernacular wooden architecture.

Popular locations to visit in the village include:

• Đền Phủ Thờ Bà Chúa Mía (Mía Pagoda)
• Đình Mông Phụ (Mong Phu Communal House)
• Giang Van Minh Worship House
• Mausoleum and Temple of Ngo Quyen
• The 5 restored ancient houses
• Thờ Bố Cái Đại Vương Phùng Hưng (Phung Hung Temple)

Although the village is a tourist attraction, villagers are still living there thus as visitors, we have to be polite and respectful. As a basic gesture of courtesy, ask for permission before taking photos or portraits and avoid trespassing on private properties unless they are officially open to visitors.

When visiting temples and pagodas, although there may be no one around to check, ensure that you are dressed properly e.g. no tank tops.

Although English is rarely spoken in the village, villagers are very friendly and warmhearted. I used Google Translate to communicate with them.

You can try the various snacks that the villagers are selling. I tried a glutinous rice roll with mung bean filling and it was quite tasty (10,000 VND). It was lightly fried and the crispiness added to the fragrance of the snack.

After I spent about 3 hours at the village, it was time for me to catch a Grab back to town (578,000 VND) and as I was hungry, I did a pit stop at Quán Gốc Đa (Goc Da) for some fried snacks before I headed back to the train station to retrieve my luggage.

As I had allocated time for taking a bus from the train station to the airport, I did just that.

You can take public bus #86 (45,000 VND) from outside the train station. The orange-coloured bus is air-conditioned and takes about slightly over an hour to reach the airport. As there is no bus conductor, the bus captain may stop before entering the highway to collect the bus fare. Do check if you are taking your flight from the domestic or international terminal and alight at the correct stop. There would be recorded announcements on board. If you are unsure, you can always check with the bus captain.

Food and Beverage

The city is known for its delicious cuisine, including bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich), bún chả (grilled pork with rice noodles) and phở (a noodle soup).

There were a few stalls across the road from the train station which served food like steamboat, noodles (40,000-45,000 VND) and bánh mì (30,000 VND). Expect the bánh mì to be served wrapped in a recycled piece of paper. There was also a Highlands Coffee at the junction.

Quán Gốc Đa (Goc Da- 52 Ly Quoc Su Street), near Hoàn Kiếm Lake, served fried snacks like balls, puffs and spring rolls.

On the way to Quán Gốc Đa, I noticed that there was a combined Popeyes x Burger King store which just opened.

When you arrive at Quán Gốc Đa, just get an order chit from the staff and indicate the quantity of each type of the snacks that you wish to try/order then hand it back to them. Before you know it, your food would be served. Dip them in the lightly spicy and sweet sauce provided and enjoy your snacks with the complementary bowl of salad, right next to the busy small road jammed with vehicles.

After you are done, just hand your chit over to the 'cashier' seated in front of the stall. She used the old-school method of multiplying your order on each line before adding them up manually. Someone has to sponsor her a calculator. 😬

Departing Hà Nội

After I travelled from Lào Cai to Hà Nội, my next stop was central Vietnam, starting with Hue.