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Day one in Hanoi gave us great food, cheap shopping, beautiful lakeside evenings, and a 1 million dong scam. Here's the full picture.
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Where we stayed
We checked into Hotel Amaira in the Old Quarter. The location is perfect, but be warned: Old Quarter rooms are tiny, Hong Kong-style. You open the door and you're at the bed, with the bathroom on the left. Book for location, not space.
Live Agoda prices. Book on Agoda at the same price, and we earn a small commission.
Open Agoda →Where to eat
- Tet Restaurant: excellent Vietnamese food and proper vegetarian options. One of the best meals of the trip.
- MET restaurant: another Old Quarter favourite with Vietnamese and vegetarian dishes. We had chicken curry with rice, lotus stem with tofu, and a stew.
- Banh Mi 25: we tried banh mi all over Vietnam and this was one of the best. It's fresh and made to order, and they ask how spicy you want it (other places just load on the spice).
- Coconut coffee: coconut ice cream on top of coffee. Even if you don't like egg coffee, you'll love this.
- Café Giang: the café said to have invented egg coffee. Also try their salted cream coffee.
- Harry Potter café: a fun themed stop if you're a fan.
Hoan Kiem Lake
Right in the centre of the Old Quarter and walkable from everywhere. In the evening the area around it becomes car-free, and locals sit on benches by the water. It's calm and lovely, even in the heat.
Shopping
- Uniqlo: we'd heard Vietnam has the cheapest Uniqlo after Japan. The famous shoulder bag that costs ₹1,000–1,100 in India was about ₹700 here. Shirts were about the same price as India.
- Night market by the lake: cheap brands, copies, perfumes, shoes and bags (North Face bags everywhere), similar to Bangkok's MBK. Prices drop the further you walk from the lake. Negotiate a lot.
- Dong Xuan market: copies of shoes and bags downstairs, clothes upstairs. It reminded us of Mumbai's Manish Market.
Train Street
A row of cafés right on the tracks. Check the train timings in advance.
The scam (learn from us)
Leaving Train Street, we took a street taxi instead of a Grab. In the dark, the driver swapped our 500,000 dong notes for 20,000s and we lost 1 million dong. Full story and how to avoid it: Vietnam scams guide.
Pro tip: always book through Grab with your credit or forex card added, and pay in the app.
Next stop from Hanoi: Sapa or Ha Long Bay.
FAQs
Where should I stay in Hanoi?
In the Old Quarter. Hoan Kiem Lake, the night market, Train Street and most cafés are walkable from there. Rooms are small, though.
Is shopping cheap in Hanoi?
Uniqlo is noticeably cheaper than in India, and the night market by the lake and Dong Xuan market are good for bargains if you negotiate hard.
TAGS: HANOI · VIETNAM · OLD QUARTER · STREET FOOD · SHOPPING · CAFES
💬 Questions & answers
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Prashant & Sunaina
A travel couple from Pune with Kashmiri Pandit × Maharashtrian roots, 8+ countries and counting. Every rupee shared.
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