Vietnam: Hanoi

We’d had the journey from hell. In fact, the journey was worse than any hell I could envisage. 24 hours in what was effectively a human hot box which we uncomfortably cooked in all night. With sweat coming out of every pore in our bodies, we were directed to the border and had to faff around with visas for over an hour (oh, and of course we were given the wrong visa and made to wait longer)! We also had to walk miles between the Laos and Vietnam border; at one point we actually thought we were going to have to walk our way to Hanoi!

When we did finally arrive we were sweaty and sleep deprived (not a good mix). Of course we originally went to the wrong hostel, but thankfully VBH (or Vietnam Backpackers Hostel as it's also known) was only a few minutes walk away. We checked in and the manager, clearly taking pity on us, heard about our journey and immediately cracked open some ice cold beers free of charge... things were looking up! VBH continued to impress us throughout our stay with lovely reps and a great manager, Rob, who made it clear he’d do all he could to ensure we had a good stay. There are two VBH’s in Hanoi, though, and we were advised to stay in the old town one which was definitely the right decision. The 25 hour bus, on the other hand, was not the right decision ... definitely fly to Hanoi and avoid any bus over 10 hours!

The Old Town is unquestionably the place to be in Hanoi. It’s always popping at night and it’s just generally accepted that it’s the best location. After the Hi Giang Loop we had another night in Hanoi and we stayed at Buffalo Hostel which also impressed but it wasn’t as sociable as VBH.

We all showered and got ready before going down for food at VBH. We’d decided to stay in as there was live music on and it was a great band. Absolute bops were filling the room and once they finished the whole floor turned into a club with everyone dancing away until 11:30PM. At this point, VBH’s bar crawl starts so the room emptied and they went to the first bar. Shattered from our journey, we gave it a miss, but we would be giving it a go the following night.

The next day we got up and made the most of our free breakfast at VBH. We then headed to the Hoa Lo Prison; historically one of the biggest and highest security prisons in Indochina. It was shocking to learn about the atrocities that took place there and we all found it a very sobering couple of hours. It started off with explanations on how French imperialists constructed the prison, but as we journeyed through the museum it shifted more towards its use during the Vietnam war to imprison captured US soldiers.

We spent a long time soaking up the history but the clouds started to draw in, so with a threat of rain, we headed off. We settled at La Place Restaurant and Bar which was situated next to St. Joseph’s Cathedral; a really beautiful structure to admire. The food here was lush and you could draw on the tables which provided mass entertainment for us. However, shortly after we were seated the heavens opened and I’ve never seen anything like it. Monsoon rain really doesn’t give it credit! On a sunny day this area would be lovely to explore though, it was definitely one of the prettier parts of Hanoi.

Once the rain subsided we headed to the Note Cafe and it was so cute. Nearby was a gorgeous lake so we’d chanced upon another top spot to explore. I ordered an egg coffee which I wasn’t too sure about (it resembles creme brûlée but is very eggy). I then did notes for some special people and stuck them to the wall so they’d forever be in Hanoi.

The weather had massively improved since the impromptu shower earlier so we went for a look round the Hanoi day market. It was the weirdest market I’ve EVER been to. Literally a huge abandoned warehouse full of people selling fake designer brands. All a bit strange but hey, we were embracing the city.

That evening we went for food at a lush Vegan place near the hostel. We then rushed back for the quiz that VBH were putting on and it was great crack. With drinks and bizarre questions, we all had a good laugh and a guy we’d met back in Thailand joined so we had an extra member for the night. Our group name was “An Hanoiing Vietname to pronounce” (I mean how did we not win the prize for best team name)! In between each round we had games such as downing beers, musical chairs and the one I was volunteered for was a limbo (I didn't win)!

After the quiz (which we also didn’t win) we all danced on tables and sang Sweet Caroline before moving onto Tiki Bar. It was good fun and we stayed until 2:30AM but finding the next bar was a bit of a faff. Eventually, we opted to get pizza and have an early night ... even if it was now 3:30AM.

Hungover and tired, we stumbled downstairs and checked out before dropping our bags off at Cheers Hostel as this was where the Hi Giang Loop tour (which we were starting that evening) was leaving from. We then went for brekky at Roots and I had a lush Pina Colada smoothie bowl (it was as yummy as it sounds).

We then headed to train street in a Grab as it had started to rain. When we arrived we had to be smuggled in by cafe owners on the street as the main track was closed down and monitored by police. It was all pretty illegal but hey, we managed to get in and out alive. A plate of chips later and we were ready to head back.

At 7PM we went to Cheers Hostel and unbeknown to us we had an hour of ‘socialising’ before setting off on the Hi Giang Loop (my god where we in for a treat). Three days later we found ourselves back in Hanoi but with some unwelcome news. Cat Ba, the island we’d planned to go to the next day, had been closed down due to the Corona Virus. This meant we had an extra day in Hanoi as we couldn’t get to Halong Bay at all until the day after.

We woke up and put our thinking caps on. Instead of going to Cat Ba and dong a day tour from there, we booked an overnight cruise with Cozy Bay which would pick us up from Hanoi and drop us in Ninh Binh (our next stop). We then decided to make the most of an extra day in Hanoi. In the end it turned out for the best as it was a stunning day which we were yet to experience in the city. We went for food at Roots again (this time getting rainbow bowls which were as delicious as their smoothie bowls).

We were then going to go back to the Buffalo hostel which we’d booked into for the night, but Holly and I got chatting to a Vietnamese tuk tuk driver. I say tuk tuk, it was more of a bike but we found out we could get an hour tour round Hanoi for £3. Sold! We got ourselves into twos and hopped in. All around us oldies were snuggled into the same vehicles we were now in. You’d have thought after three days of sitting on a motorbike we’d want to give more sitting a miss, but no, why walk when we could join the OAPs.

It was a right laugh, especially as they moved at about 5mph. We definitely could have walked faster but it was relaxing and definitely an experience. At one point Grace noted that something smelt really good. 10 seconds later our driver pointed out that we were passing barbecued dog ... welcome to Vietnam.

Once our hour was up we decided we would get off our backsides and return to train street. As it was a Sunday, there were actual trains going through so we got a place in a cafe just in time to see one whizz by. With the sun heating us up, we though an afternoon cocktail should be on the cards so we sipped mojitos and enjoyed the quirky street.

On our way back Lauren, Grace and I indulged in a back massage (it was much needed after the loop as you do get stiff being on a motorbike for 7 to 8 hours a day). We had our necks cracked, our finger popped and our back pummelled but it did do wonders. We then took advantage of ladies day as Buffalo Hostel was doing 20% off food and free sangria for all women (I was starting to really like this hostel).

We had a last wander round Hanoi, embracing all the different smells, sights and sounds before heading to bed. It really had been a great city to explore; our introduction to Vietnam had not disappointed.