Hanoia doesn’t just preserve traditional craftsmanship, it has also preserved a number of historic buildings across the city that now host their shops. The Hanoia shops are beautiful oases in the heart of the city. The Hanoia House (shop) on Hang Dao is in the heart of what was the silk dyeing street, which dates from the Ly and Tran dynasties of the 11th to 14th Century. If you can only visit one, I would go to the Hanoia House (38 Hang Dao), located in Thang Long.
We visited Hao Lo prison which is now a museum – thankfully! Builtin the late 19th century by the French colonial powers, it is another testament to the country’s past. The prison was used to hold American prisoners of war, including the late Senator John McCain, who was held there for many years. The conditions described were appalling– the museum is not for the faint hearted.
Other museums that are worth a visit are the award-winning Vietnamese Women’s Museum and the Museum of Ethnology, which show the full diversity of this country, which is made up of 54 ethnic groups from five different ethnolinguistic families.
Moving on to more recent times, Obama made a state visit to Vietnam in May 2016 to build further bonds between the US and Vietnam. You can follow in his footsteps and drop into the Bun Cha Huong Lien, where he went withthe late Anthony Bourdain – celebrity chef and street-food enthusiast. You can enjoy the ‘Combo Obama’, which includes a Bun Cha (grilled pork and noodle dish), seafood roll and a Hanoi beer for the princely sum of 85,000 dongor (around €3.5!)
If you want a break from the city’s buzz, it ispossible to take a trip to Tràng An lakes in the Ninh Binh region. Less famous than the undoubtedly very scenic Ha Long Bay, also a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a spectacular landscape of limestone peaks and caves. It is possible to take a boat tour of between one and three hours through this beautiful and tranquil landscape, which has inspired the creation of several Buddhist temples that you can stop off and visit. The boats go through a series of caves that are wonderfully cool and a welcome retreat fromthe sun.
Whatever your passion, there is something for you in Vietnam. There was so much to see and so much left unseen. If you can, avoid high summer, but do try to give yourself at least a fortnight in this beautiful country that is rich in history and culture.
Where to stay
We stayed at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, Ho Chi Minh City. The hotel has a great breakfast – start the day, the Viet Namway with a Pho Noodle Soup. The hotel has live jazz most evenings. It also has a pool and is located on the bustling Donk Khoi street.
In Han Oi, we stayed in the Apricot Hotel, ideally located beside the Lotus Water Puppettheatre – which put on delightful performances,accompanied with traditional Vietnamese music. It is also opposite the Hoan Kiem Lake, which is nice to stroll round in the evening. The hotel has a roof pool, with a bar and a great view over the city. The hotel is also full of interesting contemporary Vietnamese art, including a bronze sculpture of Ho Chi Minh, at the entrance to the hotel, studiously writing a decree with pen in one hand and cigarette in the other.
