If you are interested in a fun night out on the town, head over to Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien streets where the famous Bia Hoi is served fresh and cold for a fraction of a dollar a cup. There is bar food and street food a plenty along these streets and Ma May street. After sunset this is the place to be for nightlife. It’s always a blast coming to this section of the old quarter. Locals and tourists mingle in clubs and bars showing the lovely and warm-hearted nature of the Vietnamese people. I really love it here!
The local shopkeepers are nice and friendly, the smell of fresh produce being prepared and cooked makes me want to try all of the different dishes that I see being offered. This is a great place to fill up your belly!
I really love the Old Quarter! The steady flow of motorbikes, electric bikes, cyclos, and cars, makes crossing the street can seem like a troubling task but once you start crossing the street, the flow of traffic yields to pedestrians in an unexpected manner. It’s really just like the breeze.
Hanoi’s Old Quarter is just what it sounds like. This is the oldest section of Hanoi, with twisting and turning streets that seem like a maze at times. Each of the streets in the Old Quarter are lined with goods for sale in a very organized fashion, with each street lined with storefronts offering the same goods for different prices. This is where good bargaining starts in Vietnam. Ask how much something is at more than one store to see how much each individual shopkeeper charges. This will give you a great starting point when it comes to bargaining. Bargaining is very popular in Vietnam, which can be prevalently seen by observing people shopping around this section of the city. You can get a guide for navigating the streets and seeing what each street specializes in at just about every hotel.
The hotels offered to guests vary in price from a few dollars a night in a dorm to massive executive suits. There are so many winding streets with different food along each route to satisfy the most diverse of hunger cravings. I love to eat Banh Cuon for breakfast. These delicious rice pancakes filled with mushrooms and topped with dried onions can be easily found in this area with very little expense coming from your pocket.
Almost every hotel in the Old Quarter has a travel agency in the hotel or one very close by. Make sure to shop around to see your options. When booking a flight or trip out of the city just remember that if it’s slightly more expensive, it’s usually slightly better too. There is always a great destination to be seen on any budget. If you are looking for side trips out of Hanoi, there are many options. My personal favorite day trip is traveling to Ninh Binh for taking a lovely boat ride through the caves and mountainous landscape where the movie Kong was filmed with Samuel L. Jackson. It’s absolutely beautiful and only a couple hours bus ride away.