April 2018. After six days in Hanoi and three nights on Halong Bay’s gorgeous Cat Ba Island, it was finally time for my first cross-country train trip. My destination was Dong Hoi; a small city perched on a pretty stretch of central Vietnam’s northern coastline. So off I went to Hanoi Railway Station’s Building A on […]
Read MoreReading from China? This travel report contains a YouTube video, which can only be viewed with a VPN! April 2018. The ancient Vietnamese art of water puppetry stretches back over a thousand years to the days when Hanoi was known as Thang Long. Performances took place in rice paddies and were carried out by the same […]
Read MoreApril 2018. Coffee is one of the great joys of life! I can barely get through a morning without a big life-affirming mug of caffeiney goodness and I like it milky with sugar, all the way! Maybe a morning latte tinged with hazelnut or vanilla. Perhaps a mocha, although at least these days I do it […]
Read MoreApril 2018. Hanoi’s bustling, fascinating old quarter holds many secrets for those willing to do their research and delve a little deeper. Its best cafes are typically hidden away on the top floor of a dilapidated old building that can only be accessed via a narrow winding staircase at the back of an antiques shop. Similarly, […]
Read MoreApril 2018. If you’re only going to see one temple in Vietnam’s capital, there’s a strong case to be made for this ancient complex, which stands in tribute to the country’s finest scholars. Founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, this was also the site of Vietnam’s first university.
Read MoreApril 2018. In case you’re wondering, it can be a complicated business going to see the embalmed bodies of revered national leaders. Remembering only too well my many failed attempts to go and see Chairman Mao in Beijing (no bags, no cameras, no shorts, no sandals, no arms and legs day, closed for unspecified reasons), I made […]
Read MoreApril 2018. Looking for a tasty, affordable breakfast in Hanoi with a cracking balcony view? You’d do very well indeed to find a better option than La Place, with its winning location in the old quarter’s pretty Au Trieu Street.
Read MoreApril 2018. Hanoi boasts a wonderful collection of museums, so many in fact that this modern building in the old quarter’s Ly Thuong Kiet Street often gets overlooked. Run by The Women’s Union of Vietnam, the museum showcases the many roles of women in Vietnamese society and culture. April 2018. Check out the free photo exhibition […]
Read MoreApril 2018. I was on my way to the Vietnamese Women’s Museum when I happened across this famous Hanoi store specializing in Vietnam War era artwork. I’d seen quite a few shops pedaling communist propaganda prints, but it was immediately clear to me that this place, with its immense collection of works in all shapes and […]
Read MoreApril 2018. This gorgeous dark green city lake, just a few minutes walk from The Old Quarter, is one of Hanoi’s most relaxing spots. It’ll take you about forty five minutes to walk all the way round and there are plenty of waterside cafes where you can really kick back with a coffee or lunch. […]
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