With a name like “Grand” and a description on the website that reads “we have created this Hotel masterpiece and can safely assure an experience like no other” you might be expecting something special from Hanoi Grand Hotel. And that’s what you’ll get, though not in the way you might be thinking: it’s just simply … read the full post

Continuing my exploration of street food tours in Hanoi, I booked onto an afternoon tour with Hanoi Street Food Tours, run by Mark Lowerson, of Sticky Rice fame, and Van Cong Tu, the “Vietnamese God“. Bring on three hours of snacking heaven. Mark has been in Hanoi since 2002 and writing his food blog, Sticky … read the full post

Having enjoyed breakfast, brunch and lunch on the Street Eats and Market Tour I took with Hanoi Cooking Centre earlier in the week, it was time for dinner. So off I went to Old Quarter to join the Hanoi Street Food by Night tour, offered by Urban Adventures. Urban Adventures, part of global tour operator … read the full post

With street food being such a defining feature of Hanoi, it’s no surprise that a variety of tours here explore the world of the 10-inch plastic stool. We’ve checked out a few of the options, starting with Hanoi Cooking Centre (HCC). HCC was opened in 2009 by chef Tracey Lister, co-author of KOTO: A Culinary … read the full post

What’s worth getting up for at 04:00 on a chilly Sunday morning in Hanoi? A sunrise photography tour of Long Bien market with Vietnam In Focus, that’s what. A combined desire to improve my photography skills, visit Long Bien market at the crack of dawn and write about it gave me the motivation to hold … read the full post

It’s not top of any must-do list in travel guides, but a visit to Hanoi’s chaotic Long Bien market is a fascinating exposure to the life of a large proportion of Hanoi residents. But you’ll need to get up early — very early. Long Bien market, located next to Long Bien bridge, alongside the dyke … read the full post

You could easily eat noodle dishes in Hanoi for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week and still not have the same meal twice. Here’s our quick guide to what’s what when it comes to noodles in the Vietnamese capital. Let’s start with the most well-known: pho. As we highlighted some time ago, pho is … read the full post

Thang Long Royal Citadel in Hanoi was opened to the public quite recently, but once you’ve been you’ll wonder why it was kept under wraps for so long. With attractive, shady gardens, imposing buildings, underground bunkers and numerous historic artifacts, it’s got something for everyone. And it’s free. The Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built … read the full post

By day a centre for disabled children, by night a buzzing lau restaurant: 66 Pho Duc Chinh, near Truc Bach lake, serves up delicious lau rieu cua: a tasty broth with loads of Vietnamese goodies to throw in. And with the weather a bit chilly in Hanoi, now is the perfect time to enjoy it. … read the full post

Does The Artisan Boutique Hotel in Hanoi live up to its name and art deco-style business card? First impressions don’t disappoint: the reception area is spacious and stylishly decorated — Tiffany-style lamps always go down well – and the rooms follow through. The hotel was refurbished in 2012, rather than being a new build, and … read the full post