JUST as learning to swim means getting in the water, experiencing Hanoi demands immersion in its street life.
You have to take the plunge, distracted by sights while dodging a perpetual flow of scooters around you. What helps is a tour on motorbike or in a faux military-style jeep, stopping for one-off experiences like a drink perched on a seat precariously close to tracks as a train hurtles past. Apparent madness and the mundane coexist in Hanoi.
Landmark 81 – Ho Chi Minh city
Colonial-era buildings have been superbly preserved, now home to foreign embassies or government ministries, and admiring them up close is one of the city’s pleasures. Now mostly clustered in the vicinity of the Ho Chi Minh Memorial, streets here are more pedestrian-friendly and there’s time to take in the less frenetic cadence of a city with a thousand years of history.
Flowers and plants galore in the heart of a Vietnam metropolis
Hoi Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, may at first be more familiar as a metropolis – witness its full-on coffee culture – but the food and drink scene is sensational and a food tour on foot will convince you of this. Pho will never taste as good, and then there is Anan, the first restaurant in the city to receive a Michelin star.
The State Bank of Vietnam
To enjoy its jazzy vibes, a visit to Anan could begin in its darkly-lit bar area on the second floor. Guaranteed not to be easily forgotten, here is a drink with a bud of acmella oleracea – (aka Szechuan button) – pegged to the rim of your glass. The rooftop, dwarfed by high-rise edifices, is the spot for the tasting menu and its avant-garde takes on traditional Vietnamese dishes.
The old French quarter in Hanoi
Vietnam Airlines is the only airline operating nonstop services between London Heathrow and both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Using 787-10 Dreamliners, the airline will also take you comfortably between the two cities.
by Sean Sheehan
For Vietnam Airlines, see vietnamairlines.com; for Hanoi tours, see hanoibackstreettours.com; for food tours in Ho Chi Minh City, see saigonstreeteats.com; for Anan restaurant, see anansaigon.com