Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, is a lively city with all the usual commotions and curiosity of the travelers. The pavements are full of hawkers and stores while the number of motorbikes on the streets will just amaze you. The city is a perfect mix of Old and Modern Asia.

You can see evidences of French architecture everywhere. The number of cafes in the capital will remind you how this city is slowly making a progress towards modernity.

Accommodation

Most of the attractions of Hanoi are located near the Old Quarter and this is also the area where you can find most of the accommodations – budget, midrange and luxury. The budget accommodations can be found near St Joseph’s cathedral which is within 1 km of Hoan Kiem Lake.

Backpackers can try out the P Ngo Huyen area which is full of budget hotels, hostels, bars and restaurants. Many locals live in this area thereby giving it a distinct Vietnamese feel. You can choose the Viet Fun Hotel which has clean and spacious rooms with some lovely balconies.

The cost is around $8 and breakfast is included. P Ngo Hyuen is very popular among the backpackers. The dormitories start here at $7 and there is a rooftop bar that is a great place for some real chats.

Attractions

The Old Quarter is the most enthralling place in Hanoi and you will find it full of life with hawkers all around and rich exotic smell filling the air. If you want a true feel of the city, you can just walk down the street and stop for a while to sip coffee at one of the Parisian style bakeries.

While roaming around this area you just cannot miss Mausoleum Complex which is considered to be a sacred place by the Vietnamese. The visitors can get a glimpse of the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh and please note that cameras and bags are not allowed inside the hall.

Shopping

The Old Quarter is known as the commercial hub of Hanoi.

There are streets devoted to shoes, one to bags and so on. There are quite a few pavement markets here too.