Weather
I went to Hanoi during the last week of June this year (2019) and my goodness I totally did not expect this but was it HUMID AF. I was struggling to catch my breath there :( The temperature was slightly hotter than Singapore. Wherever I walked, I was just sweating non-stop.
It was slightly uncomfortable for me so be prepared for the humidity and heat if you are to travel the same period I did. Wear as you would in Singapore or to any tropical country - T-shirt, shorts, slippers and you're good to go.
<- Pretty much what my outfit everyday was like
Mobile Data
This section would be more relevant to Singaporeans because I bought my SIM card from Singapore before travelling to Hanoi. I purchased mine from Qoo10 from a shop called ICC There are a variety of data and days you can choose from depending on your stay and usage. But it is way cheaper than renting wifi from changi recommends or any other option. I have used their services for multiple countries and it has worked perfectly all the time. Do scroll down on the listing itself to look at the information provided for you to understand which cards to purchase.
Accommodation
The best location to stay would be at the Old Quarter area. Most things within the Old Quarter can be reached on foot - Bars, Restaurants, Massage Parlours, Factory Goods shops (which are everywhere). I was with my boyfriend and his family (total 5 people) and we stayed in an Airbnb Shop-house costing S$313.71 for 3 nights.
This house could actually fit 8 people but we left an extra room empty on the top level. It was a beautiful shop-house located in a quiet spot in the middle of the Old Quarter however it was 4 stories high and the stairs were extremely steep which I would assume of for majority of the shop-houses there.
Local Transport
Yes Grab (Southeast Asian version of Uber/Lyft) is available in Vietnam and it is SUPER CHEAP (hallelujah). However, traffic can be really really bad so I'd recommend to only use Grab (Use referral code "JUDITH98") at your own discretion (eg. far places, when you're shagged out af). If you're daring enough, you can also try to use GrabBike (motorcycle) for the fun of it. It's definitely way cheaper for a single rider.
You also need the ability to judge and cross the roads. Traffic lights don't mean a thing here because majority of road users are vespas, motorbikes riders and they hardly ever stop just to let you cross. No such thing as road courtesy here so you gotta be daring enough to cross as soon as you find an opportunity to. If you have a problem doing so, you can just follow behind the locals/other tourists or learn from their judgements for your next road-crossing adventure HAHA.
An example of the traffic in the Dhong Khin Ngia Thuc Square from Google, one of the busiest parts of the Old Quarter.
This might be on one of its worser days, but you get what I mean.
Groceries and Amenities
If I were to compare the place, I'd compare it to Bangkok. There are 7-11s and other convenience stores ALL OVER THE PLACE. For local convenience stores, I realized they closed maybe after 10pm? So if you need anything from your nearest store, do get it before that or you'll have to walk abit further to the next 7-11.
Food
Those who eat really clean and have a weak stomach, you might not want to try the street foods here but those who can, please try it. It's so cheap and delicious. If it smells nice, just go ahead and buy it, honestly.
Examples of Hanoi street food
You won't believe it but the best pho I ate there was actually the one at Noi Bai International Airport. Believe me when I say I sucked the bowl dry HAHAHA Please try it before leaving the airport to your accommodation. It's on the right side upon exiting the arrivals, a little pho and banh mi shop in the corner.
I'm not one to try local delicacies, especially things with a shell. Shell-things are like my biggest Food no-nos. But I'm really glad I tried this roadside stall selling boiled snails. My boyfriend's family wanted to try it so I was dragged in and the sauce looked so good, I just had to try it.
It's pretty cool because they didn't provide cutleries, just a triangle piece of mirror, YUP MIRROR, to use as a toothpick.
So the snails itself had no taste, it just had a chewy texture, but I was right about the sauce. Damn was it amazing. You gotta try it for yourself.
I couldn't see a shop name but it was located along Hàng Bạc street.
Attractions
OK honestly, Hanoi did not impress me and there wasn't anything that special to see or do. It was more like a less-tidy Bangkok which sells mostly only Sports brands' products eg. Nike, Underarmour, North Face etc. which I still enjoyed bargaining for. There were a few unique places to me like the Hanoi Train Street.... I think that's about it I'm sorry.
The other places of attractions weren't as interesting to me. But that's just my personal preference. You might enjoy it more than I did.
Maybe I didn't bother to go far enough but I my brief research for my trip showed me nothing too mind-blowing within Hanoi itself.
The more breathtaking places were slightly outside of Hanoi such as Halong Bay and Fansipan Mountain in Sapa which will be included in my 1 week itinerary in Hanoi!
For more details on what I did and where I went, check out my 1 Week Itinerary (writing-in-progress)
If you have anymore questions or doubts, feel free to HMU in the chatbox or e-mail me!
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Live free, live Flightmoded,
Judith
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