Hanoi
In order to not lose a day on the train we decided to fly directly to Hanoi. That means we also bypassed Hue. Sad but intentional as we wanted to spend a extra say in Hoi An. Our first impressions of Hanoi are wow, great city, so much nicer than Saigon. Nicer in terms of the vibe, the streets, the food and the weather but definitely not the taxi drivers. This is a place to be careful with taxi fares – always use a meter and even then make sure he doesn’t take the long route.
Street food rules here. Eat as much Pho as you can and be sure to wash it down with a Bia Hoi, fresh beer you find all over the the streets. Deep fried spring rolls are excellent at most stalls plus there are tons of rice dishes if you are full of noodles.
Hotels are still cheap but shop around and ask to see rooms first. Sometimes there’s a quieterbplaxe just down the street or a 4th story room with a balcony that gives you a top down view into the street action below.
The old quarter is a great place to shop and has many deals. Like Saigon you can bargain for great deals. Rip off bags were everywhere, even Crumplers! Smacking on street food tides you over between bowls of Pho.
We spent so much time just walking and looking that we didn’t see any museums but that’s ok, I get tired of them too easily. Definitely worth three day of time.