Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi means “land inside the river.”  You definitely can’t skip Hanoi if you’re visiting Vietnam.  Come for the food, history, and bars.

We stayed one night at Republik hostel before we went on our Halong Bay cruise, and it seemed like a really fun place.  The rooms were tiny, but if you’re there to meet people, this is the place to be.  The breakfast was amazing, and they do free beer on the hour every night starting at 6 PM for people staying there. 
 
We couldn’t find a good free tour.  We went on one with a student that was free, but it wasn’t very informative.  They are practicing English, so it really just depends on who you get.  She did show us the banana trees that are below the big bridge though.  You can walk around there if you want some quiet in the big city. 
 
Go to the night market on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.  Have a banh mi sandwich at Banh Mi 25 (25 Hàng Cá, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam).  Try the egg coffee at Café Giang (39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam).  Don’t miss the Hanoi Hilton.  It’s not a hotel – it was a prison.  You’ll go to learn a lot about the Vietnam War.  ​

​Read more about Vietnam in my overview blog post here, and see our photos here!