Spotlight: 48 Hours in Hanoi

Exploring Hanoi, Vietnam with Ansova Travel Company

PART 1: What to see and do

Location:

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and located in the north. Vietnam is a long and narrow country with many coastal cities and islands on the China Sea and inland many hills and rice paddies. Oftentimes travelers will take a north to south, or south to north approach to the country with stops in Hanoi (north), Hoi An/Danang (central) and Ho Chi Minh City aka: Saigon (south). To orient yourself within the city, the Hoan Kiem Lake dead center.

Vibe:

About 92% of commuters travel by shared motorbike, sometimes carrying three or more people. Always keep your camera handy for fantastic photo op! Cuisines, architecture and local culture still carry evidence of the French influence during Colonialism. You can wander the streets and eat any type of noodle you want, at all hours of the day. When you need a healthy break, bite into a bahn mi.

Side note:  Vietnam neighbors Laos in the north, Thailand in the middle and Cambodia in the south. Any of these southeast Asian countries are perfect add-ons to a trip in Vietnam. Although, I spent 9 days going from north to south and exploring one country was plenty!

SEE

Temple of Literature (Van Mieu in Vietnamese)

The country’s most renowned temple complex. A Confucian sanctuary and academy, the center comprises five courtyards and is nice respite from the bustling streets. It once housed the country’s first university, founded in 1076. Inside our guide taught us a bit about the symbolism of certain objects depicted in the art or sculptures.

Beard = symbol of wisdom
Hands resting over hands = symbol of peace
Dragon= symbol of an emperor
Cloud = symbol of the people

He also talked to us about the rule of movement and the yin and yang. I swear if it weren’t for my heat exhaustion, I’m sure I would’ve absorbed all his Confucianism teachings.

Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum

I’ve never seen as long a line as this one, including Apple stores on iPhone release dates. The people of Vietnam are dedicated to visiting this mausoleum. Highly recommend being with a guide to skip the lines! Heavily guarded, no talking is allowed inside and if you forget (like me) you will be reprimanded. Cameras, hats, bags not allowed. Frankly, if I had a do-over, I might skip it.
(Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed every Monday & Friday, all afternoons and from late September until December).

Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

Next to the lavish palace is the ruler’s simple wooden home. You can climb to the stairs to peek inside and see his belongings. A man of the people, he lived simply in this modest dwelling.

One Pillar Pagoda

Originally built in 1049, then rebuilt in 1960s after the French destroyed it. The emperor designed it after a lotus flower. Wear long pants, or skirts.

A few trivia facts I learned from our guide:
The Buddhist flag was designed by a Naval Officer who converted to Buddhism. It is now used worldwide.

A few paces away from the pagoda, you will find the Bodhi tree. A sapling was brought over from India as a diplomatic sign of good country relations. This sapling’s ancestor is the tree under which Buddha sat and gained enlightenment 2, 600 years ago.

DO

Take a cyclo Tour

We traveled by rickshaw cyclo around the lake, down tree-lined boulevards and through the 1,000-year-old “Old Quarter”. This was my best people watching as I snapped my lens at large, elderly men sitting on child-sized stools playing cards. Peeping inside the stores as we whizzed by I made note of all the places I needed to revisit once I was back to safety and was on two feet. You can find everything from silk pajamas to gravestones! This is a fun way to feel like a local without a death defying ride on a scooter in Hanoi traffic circles.

Drink an egg coffee

This experience felt Harry Potter’esque’. We walked into a rundown clothing store and much to my surprise popped out the back entrance into a garden with statues and figurines. I looked up and saw spiral staircase winding up about four flights. Why yes, of course we’re climbing that in 95-degree heat to get a hot coffee! As we rose floor by floor, I fell in love with the pottery, statues and flowers hanging on each balcony. We emerged onto the top floor and walked around to notice a view of the city and a few tables, chairs and a coffee machine. The young women served us up the local specialty: an egg coffee, which consists of strong as hell Vietnamese coffee, condensed milk and an egg.

Water Puppet Show

I know how bizarre it sounds, but water puppetry is an art form that developed in the rice paddies of northern Vietnam. You will be surprisingly entertained by the dancing fairies, oarsman, and sea monsters. All music is live includes a unique array of instruments.

Drink a beer with locals at Bia Hoi

They serve fresh draft beer and tasty snacks. This is one of many “pubs”  in Hanoi that are traditional favorite social gathering spots as well as watering holes during the afternoons and evenings. Here you will sit at low-slung, plastic tables on small stools and rub elbows with the locals, drink some beers, have snacks and talk about your day. The local Hanoi beer is perfection!