If Saigon is the frenetic, commercial heartbeat of Vietnam then gentle, verdant, historic Hanoi is the sedate, intellectual soul of the country. Its leafy boulevards, serene lakes and sweeping white French colonial architecture set the scene as tourists and locals alike seem to go about their business at a pleasingly civilized pace.
The city is the administrative capital of the country and its political metronome still beats to communist time but with a distinctly modern nod towards welcoming tourists from all over the world to enjoy its rich and varied heritage.
Most travelers want to be based in the central Hoan Kiem District; in the vicinity of lovely Hoan Kiem Lake whose pathways and surrounding greenery is the site of much activity as the sun rises. Don’t be surprised to see graceful schools of tai chi-ers moving as one as the sun rises and Hanoi health fanatics doing jogging laps before work. As the day falls, couples stroll there for privacy and children wrap up their games. Northwest of the lake is the legendary Old Quarter with its winding alleyways and hundreds of higgledy piggledy shops, guesthouses, galleries and places to eat. Tourists adore it and the locals make hay – you’ll find its establishments stay open long after the doors have shut elsewhere in the city. It’s also crammed with temples and monuments to ponder over between eating and shopping. Ba Dinh District to the west of the lake is the place to head for a little historic enlightenment – The Mausoleum and Museum of Hi Chi Minh and the Hanoi Old Citadel all reside there – and the Old French Quarter south of the lake will transport you back to the days before the French realized that the Vietnamese were a force to be reckoned with. Upscale restaurants, hotels and embassies now occupy those stunning white villas.
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