An overview of the wonderful 54 Traditions Gallery, where you can view, learn about and buy antiquities, antiques and art from Vietnam’s 53 minorities and the Kinh

It’s rainy season in Vietnam, and though this usually just means a downpour late afternoon or overnight and shouldn’t be enough to disrupt schedules, sometimes it does set in and you’ll want something to do in miserable weather. So what to do in Hanoi? Personally, I find curling up on the sofa watching back-to-back episodes of How … read the full post

Soon after we moved to Hanoi, the film Avatar was released. We were keen to see it and heard about the Megastar Cinema in Hai Ba Trung district, south of Hoan Kiem. Without high expectations we headed along to Vincom Towers — home to a shopping centre, spa, apartments, eateries and the cinema. These things aren’t top of … read the full post

Son Tinh campsite, 40km from Hanoi’s centre (but still technically in Hanoi), provides a peaceful retreat from the capital’s maddening crowds. It had received favourable reviews — especially from families — since its opening earlier this year so we took a trip out to check it out. We went by motorbike which worked out well: the … read the full post

Hotels with pools are certainly out of the budgetary reach of most visitors to Hanoi, and I definitely wouldn’t be jumping into the Red River or Hoan Kiem Lake, but fortunately a few public pools provide a reasonably priced alternative if you’re in need of a swim — quite possible now the weather has heated up. … read the full post

The Vietnamese Women’s Museum was closed for some time for extensive renovations but opened again recently. It’s well worth a visit for anyone interested in women’s studies or the culture of Vietnam: it gives a broad insight into Vietnam’s population, including its 54 ethnic groups, addressed through a lens of women’s issues. The positive impression … read the full post

It’s not top of most people’s lists of things to do when coming to Vietnam, but for those seeking a taste of home or just something different to do one evening, the Star Bowl tenpin bowling centre in Hanoi can provide an hour or so of laughs. The set up is exactly as I remember from … read the full post

I know I must have mentioned a few times how much I love West Lake. Well, now the weather’s improving — at least a bit — it’s a good time to hire a bicycle, get away from the madness of Old Quarter and cycle round the 17km shoreline of what must be one of the … read the full post

West Lake is my favourite spot in Hanoi, yet is often overlooked by visitors to the city.  When we visited in 2009, we took cyclos from Hanoi’s Old Quarter out to Quan Thanh temple then walked along Duong Thanh Nien, the road that runs between West Lake and Truc Bach, and I fell in love. Just that … read the full post