DESTINATIONS — ASIA
Rush hour crush
gateway city HANOI
O
ne important fact about Hanoi: if you’re looking for a
city that’s serene and reserved, you may as well stop reading now. Vietnam’s enjoyably manic capital may still have plenty in the way of lakeside walks and graceful French colonial buildings, but it’s not ageing quietly. Motorbikes swarm the streets. Cooking steams and sizzles from noisy alleys. Fruit-bearing vendors turn the pavements into an ever-rolling marketplace. It gets called Asia’s most Asian city and, crucially for visitors, it’s also well placed for further exploration of the country. There’s plenty happening in
terms of air access. Vietnam Airlines, having shifted its UK base from Gatwick to Heathrow in March, takes delivery of Dreamliner aircraft in July. The planes will fly direct into Hanoi’s new international air terminal three times a week (the airline also has non-stop services to Vietnam’s other major hub, Ho Chi Minh City).
International tourist numbers to Vietnam have risen almost fourfold in the past 15 years, and interest in the destination is growing.
l WHAT TO DO Hanoi has several stand-out attractions. Hoan Kiem Lake is the city’s main landmark, and its tree- ringed perimeter is an enjoyable place to walk, particularly in the early mornings, when it becomes a communal space for locals to practise tai chi. Nearby, the Old Quarter is Hanoi’s throbbing heart and the best place to sample the city’s much-lauded street food. Inside Vietnam Tours offers a three- hour small-group tour of the most authentic food spots with a local expert. Prices start at £55, including plenty to eat and drink. Also popular are the regular
performances at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, which is located almost adjacent to the lake. There are seven shows daily and tickets cost from £1.80. Elsewhere in the city, Ho Chi
Minh’s Mausoleum (free entry, closed Mondays and from September to November) offers the chance to see the country’s still-revered father figure lying under glass – it’s less ghoulish than it sounds. The mausoleum is close to the city’s other large body of water, West Lake, which these days is home to various high-end clubs and hotels. Other cultural picks include the millennium-old Temple of Literature (65p, daily), the excellent Vietnamese Women’s
Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, is bustling but beautiful,
writes Ben Lerwill
Museum (90p, daily), and the Museum of Ethnology (£1.30, closed Mon), which is of particular interest if clients are continuing on to ethnically diverse spots such as Sapa, Mai Chau or Ha Giang (see ‘Moving On’). Insider Journeys has a private Early Bird Bike Tour – a guided cycle ride beginning at 4.30am – for anyone keen to see the city in a way few other tourists do. It takes in the city’s flower market and costs from £39. On a more general note, Premier
Hoan Kiem Lake
21 May 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 63
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PICTURES: STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS
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