Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam! Hanoi might not be as famous as Ho Chi Minh city as a tourist attraction but there are still a lot of sightseeing and stuff to do! When talk about Hanoi cuisine, what the first thing come up to your mind? I suggest “EGG COFFEE”. The first time my Japanese friend heard of “Egg coffee”, their reactions was like: “What, egg coffee? That’s the first time I heard of that!”, “Is it really that good? Seems a little… spooky?”. BUT, after the first taste, all those reaction went away and were replaced with “This is great!”. By the way, the shop owns the “Egg Coffee” brand recently has opened a new shop in Yokohama, but the taste might not be as “true” as in Hanoi. One more “delegate” for the “best dish of Hanoi” is Pho! Pour a ladle of pork soup on a bowl full of pho, beef and green onion, sprinkle with some chili slices and a lime wedge, a little pepper and whoa la, you will have a savory bowl of Pho! And then Hanoi also serves you tasty dishes such as vermicelli with grilled pork.
If you’re not a fan of cuisine, there are a lot of places for sightseeing. If you want to see the night life of Hanoi, I suggest take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. Every weekend, from an area in which all you can see is bike running around, it turns into a walking street where instead of “enjoying” the “orchestra of motorcycles”, you can actually enjoy live performance and night view while strolling. Then, if you walk for about 10 minutes, you will reach the Old Quarter. The buildings in the Old Quarter might brought back to you some image of the past life in Hanoi. From the Old Quarter, walk a little bit more, and you will find yourself at Dong Xuan market. Weekend is the most fascinating time of Dong Xuan market, with a lot of street vendors selling all kind of stuffs.
In case you’re a morning person, there are also other places to enjoy. Be sure to stop by Imperial Citadel or The Temple of Literature if you’re interested in history. The temple of Literature was the first university of Vietnam, fyi. While visiting those spots, make sure to save time for a water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet theatre near Hoan Kiem Lake. And don’t forget to pay a visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum if you want to show some respect to the influential Ho Chi Minh.
Last but not least, what can you also experience in Hanoi? Vietnam is said to be a country of bikes, so if you have an Uber or Grab apps on your phone, use it and you will have a ride on the back seat! For adventurous people, try crossing the street might satisfy your craving.
SEE YOU IN HANOI!
Comments