The Chaos and Glamor of the Capital

Jona Bering’s Travel Guide to Northern Vietnam is a 4-part series. First things first: what to see, eat and do in the country’s busy capital, Hanoi.

For long-term travelers, it can sometimes be difficult to choose a place when asked, “Where is the most beautiful place you’ve been to so far?” I would stutter and a string of places would pop into my head. Usually, I answer this question with another question :hHow do you define “beautiful”?

For a writer, at least for me, a place is beautiful because it has something you want to write about. Sometimes, places to write about can be hard to get to.

Defining a beautiful place is always subjective. I met someone who doesn’t rave about Vietnam like I do, so take this list with a grain of salt.

If we were to narrow down the definition of “beautiful” to something more specific, like landscapes, northern Vietnam would be my first choice.

Three elements recur throughout the landscape of northern Vietnam: flat lands of varying shades of green, water – both fresh and salty – and dramatic limestone formations. Sometimes, they make fun of you by showing up on the edge of your line of sight; other times, they explode in public. Either way, these scenes made me sigh in gratitude and awe.

Hanoi

After 3 weeks in South Vietnam, we flew to North Vietnam. We were so used to the hospitality and friendliness of southern Vietnam that we instinctively thought that Hanoi would be no different. But the city seems to have a plan for mischief — well, at least for the first night.

When you’re in Hanoi, choosing Uber, Grab, or the bus can be both financially and emotionally viable. Some taxi drivers will scam you once they find out that you are not a local. That being said, we took a ten minute taxi ride the night we arrived in Hanoi.

Even South Vietnam gets scammed – is it worse if you’re a foreigner?

Despite the awkward first meeting, Hanoi and I got along very well. If this is your first time in the capital, here are some must-dos.

1. Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake

Roads around the lake are closed on weekends. Expect large numbers of tourists on weekends. There’s plenty to do in the area: singing, dancing, eating, and many other things you can expect in a tourist destination.

Some students come here to practice their English with foreigners. Some couples will take pre-wedding photos by the lake during the day and in front of Trang Tien Plaza at night.

Visit Hoan Kiem Lake from around 6:30 am to 8 am on weekdays. It’s a whole different place. Locals usually start their day here with stretching, Zumba, badminton and tai chi.If you’re traveling somewhere between May and July, look forward to the scent of the flowers of the tree locally known as Barringtonia acutangula LiftoCVYesof, to tease your senses. Of course, the lovely fire tree also blooms this time of year.

2. Eat steamed bun tea

Because you can’t find it anywhere else in Vietnam. This is a plate of vermicelli, pork balls and herbs. Yum!

3. Explore the Old Town

Here, women wear not there and light burden (the crooked wood from which they hang their baskets of goods) Walk the streets on one shoulder, looking for people to buy their flowers, fruit or vegetables. The streets are filled with restaurants, cafes, shops, boutiques and hotels. Looking at old French buildings makes me think of suffocation. There is no negative space here. Everything is cramped. But despite the lack of space, the grubby blue and yellow buildings feel nostalgic.

4. Finish your coffee before going to coffee

Vietnamese people like to drink tea and coffee. Tea is served with coffee. Quaint cafes abound in Hanoi. I ended up frequenting Caphe Cong (Communist Cafe), a branch overlooking a small waterless fountain by Hoan Kiem Lake. Its best-selling coconut coffee blend and green rice milk blend are worth trying, especially on hot and humid days.luckysheOn the other hand, ng Café is a must for their famous egg coffee. If you want some peace and quiet, try Jouri. If you’re a book and coffee lover, AIA’s Nest lets you snap endless photos. These are just 4 of the hundreds of quaint cafés you’ll find in Hanoi.

5. Immerse yourself in historical attractions

Thang Long Imperial City, a UNESCO heritage site, was a center of uninterrupted political power spanning 13 centuries. Built in 1070, Temple of LiteratureA Confucian temple in Hanoi, a favorite destination for local students and foreign tourists. The resting place of the legendary revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, the smiling old Vietnamese Dong, Ho Chi Minh Tomb Should be in your schedule.To learn more about the lives of women in Vietnam, take some time to watch Vietnam Women’s Museum. Want to take a pottery class? You can try it at Bat Trang Ceramic VillageAn hour’s drive from the city center.

Things to consider before traveling to Vietnam

Flights to Vietnam

If you are planning to travel to North Vietnam alone, you can book a direct Manila-Hanoi flight with Cebu Pacific Air. As a rule of thumb, always book early and keep an eye out for promotional fare announcements when trying to score cheap flights.I blogged some Personally tried and tested tips for finding the best deals online.

visa issues

Since the Philippines and Vietnam are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Filipinos do not need a tourist visa to enter Vietnam. We can stay up to 21 days visa-free. If you plan to stay longer (I stayed in North Vietnam for 3 months) then you need a tourist visa. You can go through a travel agency or do it yourself in advance in the Philippines. Since I was on a long-term trip, I went through my procedures with a travel agency in Cambodia and paid $54 for a 3-month single-entry tourist visa. Plan your itinerary roughly. Since most Filipinos don’t have the time or money for long-term travel, it’s safe to say that 21 days or less should be enough to cover most destinations in Vietnam.

vietnamese food

Vietnamese food accounts for a huge part of my love for this country. The food is varied and Instagrammable. Rice, noodles, soups, vegetables and meat – Vietnam has everything a foodie could want. They also have a version of our carinderia if you know where to look. They have a version of lechon, rice cakes, tapioca cakes and vegetable soup that is very close to utan-bisaya (a favorite of many Visayans like me). Food similarities keep Vietnam close to my stomach, where my heart rests comfortably most of the time.

If you have a sensitive tummy, don’t forget to pack activated charcoal, amoeba medicine and antidiarrheal medicine. Luckily, I didn’t have any health issues while we were on our culinary adventure in Vietnam.

your motorcycle skills

There is a reason Vietnam has earned the nickname Motorcycle Nation. Scooters and semi-autonomous motorcycles are the means of out-and-out transportation all over the country. Most (if not all) households own a motorcycle or two.Although I consider myself an expert haba haba (Cebuano for public motorcycle traffic) Passengers – in the Philippines our traffic is maddening – I was unprepared for Vietnam. The roads of big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City can be intimidating even for the most experienced commuters. So if you doubt your motorcycle skills, take public transport in the big city. Grab and Uber come in handy. Except for places with dangerous roads such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Hejiang, Vietnam is all navigable.

your road trip itinerary

It all depends on your time and budget. As a Filipino, I know you must have limited working holidays. There is also the question of money. Long term travel on a budget, we covered (in that order) Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, Sapa, Ha Giang, Cao Binh and Lang Son for a full month. There are direct buses to these places from Hanoi. If you plan on interspersing and cramming these places on your trip, I wrote our itinerary on my website Northern Vietnam Travel Guide on my blog. I’ve also attached a lot of photos from our own travels. – Rappler.com

Jonah Branzuela Bering, palanca laureate and author of an anthology of poetry for the lost (for the lost), blog at backpacking with books. She left her good life in Cebu to pursue her long-term goal of traveling abroad. She currently lives in Hanoi, Vietnam. Follow her travels on Instagram @travelingjona.

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