Hanoi

Hoi An Roastery

Today we are saying goodbye to Hoi An and heading to Hanoi. We have an early afternoon flight, so before checking out we wander into Hoi An one last time. We find a cool little coffee shop called Hoi An Roastery. For the next hour or two we enjoy the rest of the morning with nice coffee and pastries in a relaxing atmosphere.

Flying to Hanoi

Soon after, we head back to our hotel, check out and catch a ride to Da Nang Airport. It’s a short flight from Da Nang to Hanoi but it’ll be my first time flying Vietnam Airlines. The flight itself is pretty uneventful and they also offer water and a small snack. The only downside is that it’s fairly cramped onboard. The Sister and I aren’t tall people and even we felt a bit claustrophobic. Hopefully this is only indicative of their domestic product and their long haul planes have a bit more leg room!

JM Marvel Hotel

After landing in Hanoi and catching a Grab car from the airport into the City we check into the JM Marvel Hotel. It’s a small boutique hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The interior is elegantly decorated and we are greeted with some nice welcome tea during the check in process. We also get a bit of a welcome note in our room upon entering. While super thoughtful, it does give off a slight “serial killer” vibe too! Nonetheless, we take a bit of time to settle in before we set out in the evening to explore.

Hang Qua

After settling in we head out to explore the surrounding area around our hotel. It’s a rainy evening so we don’t venture too far and start looking for a place to eat. There are a few choices for us and we ultimately decide on Hang Qua. Between the Sister and I, we share a hearty bowl of chicken pho, a variety platter of different appetizers and a local beverage. For our first meal in Hanoi it certainly hits the spot, especially on a cool rainy evening.

With the weather the way it is the desire to explore isn’t high, so we after dinner we decide to head back to the hotel. We call it an early evening, eager to explore Hanoi tomorrow.

JM Marvel Breakfast

Waking up bright and early, we head to the top floor of our hotel where breakfast is served. The restaurant is also elegantly decorated and affords everyone a lovely view of of Hanoi’s old quarter! Starting the day with a bowl of pho and a great view is something I can really get use to!

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

After breakfast, the Sister and I decide to head to Vietnam’s Museum of Ethnology. Vietnam is a melting pot of so many different cultures and ethnic groups, the Museum of Ethnology exhibits each of these different groups. The museum itself is separated into an indoor and outdoor portion. Upon entering, the Sister and I decide to explore the outdoor section first. Outside, are examples of different historical buildings and towns from different ethnic groups around Vietnam. It’s actually quite fascinating how different the building styles differ. Depending on the geography or even whether the group is a matriarchy or patriarchy you can detect functional and aesthetic differences.

The Museum of Ethnology Continued

After spending a few hours outdoors, we make our ways indoors. The exhibits indoors is much of the same with a focus on the distinct differences between the groups. However, the differences are more about the people, traditions, trade and commerce. How lifestyles, art and culture differ. It’s really interesting that for a “small” country there is such a wide range of diversity and this museum does a very good job in capturing it.

Hanoi McDonalds

After spending the morning at the museum, our thoughts turn to lunch. One of the things the Sister and I want to try whilst in Hanoi and Vietnam is a McDonald’s. So we find one nearby and head over. It’s always interesting to see what unique menu items foreign McDonald’s have in comparison to what we have at home. Hanoi’s McDonald’s does not disappoint. We order a few items including curly fries, fried chicken and chicken bites for lunch!

Hanoi

After lunch, the Sister and I decide to simply wander around the Old Quarter and specifically around Hoàn Kiem Lake. Even though the weather is a bit overcast, its still a beautiful walk along water and watching the locals go about their business. Initially, my first impressions of Hanoi were that of chaos and everything being very busy. But now exploring a bit more, it really starts to grow on you and you start to appreciate the “method to the madness”. And I really find myself appreciating it more and more.

Loading T Cafe

While on our walk, we decide to stop into Loading T Cafe for some coffee. From the outside the cafe looks like its in a bit of a rundown building, but once you step inside you find it to be quite charming! I originally intended to get a famous Hanoi egg coffee, but seeing a “banana coffee” on the menu changed my mind. The Sister and I spend some time enjoying our drinks and the atmosphere as coffee shop culture is seemingly a big thing here. It’s really neat to see people come and go, whether they’re students, or simply friends meeting up. I think that if I find myself here in the future, simply hitting up different coffee shops needs to be on the itinerary.

Traffic

After arriving in Hanoi, one of the things the Sister and I want to do is watch the traffic! Watching how there can be so many near misses between cars, scooters and pedestrians is thrilling. So close to our hotel is a coffee shop that has a balcony overlooking an intersection. We pick up some tea head up to the balcony and spend an hour or so simply watching five streets merge into one traffic circle. It’s also very impressive that while its chaotic, there are no accidents and no injuries. It all seems to somehow just work!

Banh Cuon Nong & Pho Bo

After enjoying the traffic chaos head back to our hotel to rest a little before heading out again. Upon heading out we hit up a spot for steamed crepes and yes you guessed it, more Pho: Banh Cuon Nong & Pho Bo. It’s a small streetside shop where they cook in the store and you eat on the sidewalk. And as is the case with every meal in Vietnam so far, its tasty and doesn’t disappoint!

Evening In Hanoi

From there, we decide to do some more walking. Because we didn’t get much of a chance to walk around the night before due to weather, we spend the evening walking around the old quarter and checking out the various night markets and seeing what an evening in Hanoi has to offer! I think one of the benefits of it being the weekend is they close off some of the streets to allow vendors to setup shops in the streets. It reduces the traffic and allows for a different vibe! It’s kind of festive and a very different than during the day when scooter traffic is replaced by foot traffic.

Pho Ga Nguyet

After a walking around for a few hours our thoughts turn to food again. This time we hit up Pho Ga Nguyet which is a Michelin Bib Gourmand Chicken Pho shop. What’s really neat about this place is when the Sister and I tried to scout it out earlier in the day we couldn’t find it at all. In fact during the day, it’s actually a scooter repair garage. We walked by it a few times and didn’t realize it! Now sitting inside, we see that during the day they use it as an autobody and at night they setup tables and serve world recognized Chicken Pho. What a unique setup! The Sister and I both order their noodle soup and it is excellent!

Nightcap

Throughout our explorations in Hanoi, we noted that there are a number of small shops along the street where people can pop in to have a pint of beer. They aren’t full fledged bars but are more like coffee shops but instead of serving coffee they serve beer. The Sister and I remark that we wanted to try one and on our way home from dinner spot Luck Local Craft Beer and Snacks. So we figure why not have a quick pint. We pop in for a quick pint to check the experience off our list! I do regret not deciding to sit outside on the sidewalk like a lot of other people but its still an interesting and unique experience!

After drinks, the Sister and I make our way back to the hotel. We need to do a small bit of packing since we embark on a small overnight cruise to Ha Long bay tomorrow. So stay tuned for that in the next post!