Hanoi Hustle

The capital of Vietnam is a hot spot for so many backpackers and anyone who is seeking a real slice of Vietnam to add to their experience of this incredible country. It is rare to find a place in south east Asia without a troubled past – so many people across so many countries in this region of the world lived and worked through decades of tumultuous times of war and oppression – and Hanoi is no different. It is only as recently as the 1990s that the Vietnamese government was keeping the outside world at bay, and the influence of communism is still glaringly obvious across the country. The past has not kept the county from growing and developing at a tremendous rate though, as the people and its government work to build Vietnam into a unified and diverse place.

The influences of Vietnam’s many ‘occupations’ are apparent at every juncture: French and Chinese occupation took up a fair slice of Vietnam’s history. The streets of Vietnam are thronging with a barrage of bleating horns from the endless stream of mopeds and scooters, and all around people walk, live, sell, trade, bargain and exist in a seemingly chaotic peace. It appears as though it must all be chaos, and yet everyone moves through this world in their place. As with every spot worth its salt, there are a number of must-see sights on this trip to Hanoi – but for brevity’s sake, it must be limited to five in this piece. For more must-see sights, consider what Hanoi tour packages have to offer.

Hoa Lo Prison
This intriguing spot is all that remains of what was once the Hoa Lo Prison – a place ironically named the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by United States POWs during the American War. Most of the exhibitions that you will see in this space focus on the prison up until the 1950s and looks at the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France.

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
What an incredible space to lose an afternoon (or two!) in. This stunning museum is home to a fantastic collection of relics and artifacts from Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. The exhibits are extraordinarily well presented and there are even examples of village houses. If you’re a bit of an anthropology nut, it’s safe to say you’ll be in seventh heaven here.

Lotte Tower Observation Deck
Few things are more romantic, more provoking of soul-searching, more incredible, than watching a sunset over a new city. It’s even better if you manage to have a drink of some sort clutched in your hand. Tack this one onto the end of a jam-packed day and watch the sun dip below the horizon and you watch your cares melt away with it. This spot is the perfect perch from which to watch the sunset, and you’ll definitely not need a filter for the perfectly ‘grammable pics which are certain to appear from this trip.

Vietnamese Women’s Museum
In the immortal words of the kweens from Broad City: ‘Yas kween!’ A museum championing the role of women in Vietnamese society? Yes please! Take a very educational day trip to this spot and brush up on the way that women fit to society. There are incredible stories about women working in the war effort for Vietnam, and you’ll certainly walk out of here with a head brimming full of knowledge.

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum
You can’t get away from Hanoi without making a trip to this formidable monument to the deceased leader of Vietnam. You’ll only need about an hour or two for this trip, so perhaps you can fit it in around a few other things in the area.

You should be able to arrange a trip with a local driver, so be sure to bargain hard and keep your bag close.