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AS MY AIRPORT TAXI SPED PAST a giant structure resembling Berlin's Brandenberg Gate, complete with prancing horses atop, I sighed and settled back. It was good to be back in Hanoi. Hanoi? That's right. "Modern" Hanoi sports a slew of perplexing ring roads, meandering highways, and Cinderella suburban houses in every imaginable hue along with the occasional faux-European embellishment. Why this is necessary in a town famed for its beautiful, if peeling, French villas, beats me, but then, who doesn't keep up with the times? Fortunately, it's easy to ignore all this creeping modernity to plunge, inelegantly, into the familiar mayhem of stampeding cycles, mopeds and diligent postcard vendors. Now THAT's Hanoi. The city is sporting a fresh lick of paint and diligent APEC-meeting-inspired whitewashing is nowhere more evident than in the spatters on the pavements and on parked bicycles.
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Hanoi exudes a laid back old world charm and the traffic, though plentiful, moves along at a leisurely pace. Instant string quartets materialise in hotel lobbies in the blink of an eye. People walk, couples promenade around the numerous lakes. Everyone is friendly, polite, and diligent. Some years back, I walked into a government-run hotel and asked to see the place. The receptionist beamed, took out a large bunch of keys, and we proceeded to do just that - floor by floor, room by room, cupboard by cupboard, inch by inch. She was thorough. A broad smile and a fresh key greeted me every time I said, "Well that does it." The wonderfully atmospheric Dan Chu Hotel I so intimately toured is, alas, no more. It has been completely flattened to make way for a modern building - classical French we are given to believe. A great pity, and a sad commentary on "modern" times. On with our Hanoi guide.
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| Atmospheric Opera House |
At another government hotel restaurant I devoured a lunch buffet for just D30,000 (US$2, US$1=D15,900). The room was empty save for a long table along the window where a group of about 15 were ravenously devouring heaped bowls of fish, pork, noodles and rice. I was shown to my table. I pointed to the buffet. The waiter smiled apologetically and shrugged. Apparently the buffet was over though it was barely 1.30pm. It had been cleaned out completely, from what I could gather, by the entire kitchen staff and the waiters who continued to slurp and chew and spit and joke on their table. At length one of the celebrants rose and took my order. This is quintessential Hanoi, an egalitarian, easy-going, Communist city. Here, in a splendid reversal of the "chef's table" where guests dine in a five-star hotel kitchen amidst gleaming pots and pans, the chefs dine with the guests. I picked up the buffet flier. It read, "Showcase of chef's talent and enthusiasm of staff". It was exactly as advertised.
In any Hanoi guide, the centre of the city from most standpoints is the lovely Hoan Kiem Lake where lovers stroll and urchins thrust postcards into tourist hands. Hanoi is a city of lakes, and postcards, both memorable for different reasons. There are several lakes. The largest is the West Lake with swan pedal boats and a nice shaded promenade along Thahn Nien that separates this romantic spread of water from Truc Bach Lake. Around Hoan Kiem and its Ngoc Son Temple is a profusion of eateries, silk shops and art galleries.
Hanoi shopping guide to Silk Shops and more
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| Stylised lacquer by Cuong |
Most Hanoi shopping for silk, antiques and lacquerware is done along Hang Gai street and its extension, Hang Bong. Try Khai Silk (96 Hang Gai or 121 Nguyen Thai Hoc or at the Metropole Hotel outlet), F Silk (82 Hang Gai, fsilk@hn.vnn.vn) or Hadong Silk (102 Hang Gai). Khai Silk is a cosy hole-in-the-wall with helpful staff. A graceful ao-dai (pronounced "ow-zai") will set you back US$30-$70 - if you can fit into one. Vietnamese women are awfully svelte, which is how you get three or four on a single moped - and that's just on the handlebar. Fortunately for visitors, garment sizes do not reflect these vanishing waistlines. Business is directed at less-than-compact foreigners so large-size stock predominates. Alterations can be done in hours and a complete dress stitched in a day.
At Khai Silk (khaisilk@hn.vnn.vn) you'll find smart linen shirts for men starting at US$40 for new designs and raw silk shirts for US$30. At the Sofitel Metropole outlet, Khai Silk retails women's silk jackets at around US$50 and up. Most shops stay open almost 8am till 8pm so there's lots of time to rummage around - every day. Hadong Silk offers smart silk tops in vivid colours starting at US$20 with ao-dais from US$35. Silk cushion covers are upwards of USS$12.Other options in this vicinity include Kenly Silk (108 Hang Gai) where dreadfully chic Chanel lookalike black jackets with white piping start at US$40, Hien Silk (100 Hang Gai), My Trang Silk (52 Hang Gai) where fashionable silk table runners start at US$10, Hanoi Silk (77 Hang Bac Street), and Co (18 Nha Tho Street, conhatho@yahoo.com) that specialises in hand-stitched clothes for men and women and embroidered apparel. This is the Hanoi shopping heartland.
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| Classical lines of the Hilton |
From Hoan Kiem it is a five-minute stroll down Trang Tien (pronounced "chang tee en") to the characterful Opera House that dominates the much-photographed landmark square or, rather, roundabout. Motorcycles buzz like hornets and of an evening a newlywed couple will turn up to be immortalised in front of this gracious building. Trang Tien is itself an interesting street packed with a crop of funky art galleries and bookstores, should you need one. A big, well-stocked bookshop is Thang Long (55 Trang Tien). Or try the Bookshop (41 Trang Tien). Close by is the Music Shop (though its Vietnamese name is different, 29 Trang Tien Street). Here, in a small room that doubles as a CD shop and motorbike parking lot, you'll find DVD movies for 18,000 dong, innumerable music CDs and pirated software for D10,000. For some reason, Vietnamese music CDs are a tad more expensive at D40,000 or so.
Close to the Opera House is the delightful Chi Vang store (17 Trang Tien) that stocks a pleasing collection of silk embroidered fabrics put to different uses. Gauzy eye-catching wine bottle presentation wraps are upwards of S$5, stylish linen bathrobes US$100, and velvet blankets, should you be so inclined, US$230 up. If you must have a touch of glam and wish to cruise the rarefied environs of top-dollar Hanoi shopping, try the glitzy (by Hanoi standards) Trang Tien Plaza, at the Hoan Kiem lake end of the street. This is a polished, mall-style affair with jewellery, perfumes, sunglasses, and handbags and the latest in international designer fashions. Also here is L'Espace (24 Trang Tien) run by the French Cultural Centre for exhibitions and music recitals.
Hanoi Art Galleries and more
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| Old muncipal building |
Art galleries are all the rage in Hanoi - for foreigners that is. Apartment walls everywhere from Hongkong to New York are groaning under the weight of inspired Vietnamese creations, and the oils-and-lacquer avalanche continues. A favourite is the Apricot Gallery (40B Hang Bong, tel: [84-4] 828-8965, www.apricot-artvietnam.com). The gallery features the colourful impressionist Le Thahn Son, the vivid village scenes of Dao Hai Phong and Hong Viet Dung's shadowy figures emerging from pale gold backgrounds. A small, hideaway place near the Hilton is the Mai Gallery (3b Phan Huy Chu) run by none other than Mai herself. She stocks up-and-coming artists as well as the Hanoi Five Faces group which includes Tran Quang Huy's distinctive metallic female faces set in delicate murals. Mai has recently opened a gallery at 183 Hang Bong Street (tel: 828-5854) as well.
Oriental Gallery (93 Dinh Tien Hoang, tel: [84-4] 936-1428, next to Hoan Kiem Lake) run by the lively and affable Bui Minh Nguyet is a large high-ceiling shop doing art and wooden chests. Minh Nguyet is an avid promoter of young artists and you will occasionally spot something completely different here, like small lacquer portraits by Kim Dung, large swirling text on faces by Tran Quang Huy, and an artist who specialises in producing revolutionary portraits of Lenin and Ho Chi Minh, entirely with Vietnamese postage stamps. If you're tongue-tied trying to pronounce all these names, flop into a comfy chair at Oriental and let Minh Nguyet talk you through the lot.
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| Emperor restaurant lights up |
Several Trang Tien road art galleries, like Van, have gone with the arrival of the wrecking ball at the Dan Chu. Other Trang Tien options include Hanoi Studio (13 Trang Tien), the small Hanoi Art Gallery (16-36 Trang Tien) with Nguyen Minh Phuoc's ethereal monks walking up temple steps, the larger Hanoi Art Gallery (36 Trang Tien), and the Thanh Binh Gallery (25-27 Trang Tien). A one square metre Dinh Quan may start at around US$2,000, with a Thanh Son upwards of US$2,500-$3,000 for the same size. Also on Trang Tien, do stop at the incense-filled No. 19 that stocks wood and stone carvings and faux antiques. Prices have been climbing steadily in not-so-sleepy Hanoi so check in fast.
Other good choices elsewhere in the city include Tonkin Gallery (47 Hang Hom Street), Linh Gallery (13 Hang Gai, a sister gallery of Van), Green Palm Gallery (110 Hang Gai, www.greenpalmgallery.com), where a one square metre Minh Phuoc will start at US$1,800-$2,000, Thang Long Gallery (41 Hang Gai, www.thanglongartgallery.com), and Thanh Mai (64 Hang Gai) where a one square metre lacquer-on-wood by Thanh Cuong who relentlessly produces water buffalo portraits will set you back over US$4,000. Along the way you will likely encounter Nguyen Thanh Binh's enormous output - devoted almost entirely to paintings of schoolgirls in white against gold backdrops. Dull but popular.
Hanoi Restaurants and Bars
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| Sofitel Metropole: vintage |
Dining out is one of the great pleasures in Hanoi and the city has some excellent choices, atmospheric, and relatively cheap. As night falls, the avalanche of cyclos, buses and cars subsides and visitors can venture onto the streets with a small measure of confidence. The pace is sedate though an occasional lady may approach you on a moped and enquire if you want "Boom boom". Far better to head to Bobby Chinn (tel: 934-8577) on Hoan Kiem Lake and grab a bite or drink in rather chic surrounds replete with paintings, drapes, cosy nooks, Buddha-Bar-style music and eclectic French-Thai dishes around US$5. If you're popping by for a drink, make it late.
Two excellent dining choices are Emperor (tel: 826-8801, 18b Le Thanh Tong) and the intimate Club Opera (tel: 824-6950, 59 Ly Thai To), both run by the same group. The Emperor is housed in a rambling old villa that reeks of style and elegance. Food is nicely presented but can be variable. Reservations will be required for dinner most days though if you get in very early you might squeeze into a table for an hour or two. An older eatery with somewhat similar ambience but less pizzazz is Nam Phuong (tel: 824-0926, 19 Phan Chu Trinh).
For Vietnamese fare other choices include Indochine (tel: 924-4097) that has been in decline for a while, the excellent, if simple, Cay Cau (tel: 933-1010, at the central De Syloia Hotel), and the charming villa-based Le Tonkin (tel: 943-3457, 14 Ngo Van So). At all these spots, a decent lunch for two without wine will come to around US$15. Le Tonkin is in an attractive restored French villa with green louvred windows. It offers indoor and outdoor seating. A lovely contender with atmosphere, good service and delicious food is the contemporary chic Wild Rice (tel: 943-8896, 6 Ngo Thi Nham Street) and its sister Wild Lotus (on Nguyen Du Street). Try their tangy fried beef with coconut sauce. Also offering a "villa" setting, though simple, is COM for Rice (tel: 942-7295, 74 Tran Quoc Toan Street). The food is ungarnished Vietnamese that may not suit all palates. If eating here, opt to sit inside.
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| Bui Minh Nguyet at Oriental |
Also check out the delightful Paris Deli (tel: 934-5269, 6 Phan Chu Trinh, just across from the Hilton, with a second outlet on Nha Tho Street near the church), the cosy Au Lac café (tel: 825-7807, 57 Ly Thai To), the neighbouring Diva Art Café (tel: 934-4088, 57 Ly Thai To), and the popular open-air Highlands Coffee on the banks of Hoan Kiem. Just off Hang Gai, leading to St Joseph's cathedral, the charming side-street Nha Tho gets pretty lively in the evenings. Pop into the atmospheric Mocha Cafe (tel: 825-6334, 14-16 Na Tho) that features just about everything from Italian and Vietnamese to Indian on its extensive menu. The food's not bad at all and this is a great place to hang out, especially upstairs if you bag a window booth. Indonesian nasi goreng? They've got it too, and heaps of books should you wish to stay longer. Next door is the casually trendy La Brique bar and restaurant (6 Nha Tho). For a zesty Vietnamese-Euro lunch buffet try Tara (tel: 935-1069) in a converted French villa at 3A Ngo Quyen. The added bonus here as at several newer cafes, is free WiFi.
If European fare is more to your liking, venture out to the welcoming and attractive Le Petit Bruxelles (tel: 942-5958, 58B Tran Quoc Toan), The tiny Leone D'Oro for Italian (tel: 935-0879, 2 Co Tan), or Pane e Vino (tel: 826-9080, 3 Nguyen Khac Can) off Trang Tien behind the Dan Chu Hotel. For something atmospheric, in a renovated villa hidden deep within narrow streets on the other side of the river, try Song Ngu (tel: 872-2179).
A popular after-hours spot close by the Opera House is the Press Club (tel: 934-0888, 59A Ly Thai To), which includes the fancy Library Bar, the Terrace Bar & Restaurant, and a nice little deli. Places like the Spotted Cow (tel: 824-1028) and Escape (near the Vietcom Bank between the Hilton and Sofitel Plaza) are largely expat hangouts that start ticking late while the New Century disco is for young guns with attitude in jeans and leather. But if you want something a touch more bizarre, check out the Hale Club (pronounced "haa-lay", tel: 942-4201, 64 Nguyen Du). This is an imitation Bangkok bar with chrome poles, pounding music, dancers (most in red-and-white sailor outfits) and perplexed foreigners downing cheap Tiger Beer. There are karaoke rooms as well. At midnight the police pop in to turn off the music though die-hards can still drink till 2am. Arrive fashionably late or you may be the sole customer listening to Five Hundred Miles. The throbbing Hale Club is not hard to find. It is next door to the Ministry for Public Security.
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| Sheraton is half resort |
For something a bit more risqué head to the Daewoo hotel's Club Q, where long-legged ladies will sashay up and press you for a drink. No money, no honey. If you want to be a cheapskate, play pool in the corner unmolested. And for more of the same on a grander scale, visit the Hanoi Hotel's nightclub after 8pm, or the Big Boss KTV club at the Fortuna Hotel after 6.30pm where immaculate lovelies will be brought to your table while the mama-san flashes a torch beam on their faces one by one. Tacky and embarrassingly silly, but... there's music, dancing, karaoke and, occasionally conversation - "You handsome man. You take me hotel. Okay, go now." Both the Fortuna Hotel and Hanoi Hotel offer massage and pseudo spa treatments.
Sightseeing outside Hanoi
There are several day trips around Hanoi including golf at King's Valley, 36km away, a cruise through Halong Bay with its stone outcroppings reminiscent of Thailand's Phang Nga Bay, and a tour of the Perfume Pagoda following which you can drift down the river on a rowboat peeking into grottos and caves along the way. The verdant Tam Dao hill station is do-able in a day but Sapa (with its hill tribes and wonderful walks) will take at least two to three. While hotels have several tour agents listed, one you might try is Asia Sun Travel (52 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Tel: [84-4] 936-2366, fax: 936-2388, e-mail: info@asiasuntravel.com or bichha@asiasuntravel.com, website: www.asiasuntravel.com). This is run by the energetic and resourceful Ta Bich Ha whose special interest is tours for the disabled. Bich Ha speaks excellent English. There's the upbeat 4U Tours Hanoi (tel: [84-4] 927-2368, 4Utourshan@hn.vnn.vn). Or team up with Exotissimo (Hilton tel: [84-4] 933-0621) at one of its many hotel counters. A Halong Bay day trip with Exotissimo will set you back around US$160 for a single. Halong Bay is around three hours by road. A day trip to Perfume Pagoda (watch out for the messy roadworks though) is around US$85 for one person and US$50 per person for two. Prices can fluctuate by season.
Hanoi business hotels, heritage hotels, and budget stays
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| Bobby Chinn: chic dining |
So where should one stay? Given that Hanoi is not a particularly large town, location is not a major issue though a central spot near the Opera House and Hoan Kiem Lake is considered eminently desirable if you are looking for top Hanoi business hotels. Two charming properties here are the Hilton Hanoi Opera, which mimics the colonial design of its historic neighbour, the Opera House, and the stately 100-year-old Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, once the sole choice for visitors, that includes among its distinguished guests the likes of Noel Coward, Charlie Chaplin and Somerset Maugham.
The 266-room Sofitel Metropole Hanoi with its starched colonial whitewash is a cultural heirloom that comes packaged with a navy-blue vintage car parked outside to underline the point. It has two blocks, the older one sporting creaky teakwood floors. The Metropole offers Broadband in all rooms and wireless access in public areas. The pool has been recently renovated. The atmospheric Old Wing of the hotel has undergone refurbishment and has emerged all spit and polish. The deluxe rooms feature nice toilets with separate rainshower and a large heart-shaped tub for incurable romantics. There are two 500ml bottles of complimentary mineral water, a decent size for hot summer months, and room features include a classic-face bedside clock, a ceiling fan, a rather comfy bed, DVD player and a large safe that can actually accommodate a laptop. Three cheers. The "New" wing or the Opera Wing as they like to term it has also gone through a dramatic facelift. The corridor carpets are done in orange-red stripes while the walls are in vertical black-and-white stripes. It's not as hallucinogenic or Sixties as it sounds. The ensemble is designer mod. Rooms themselves feature flat screen TVs, stark polished dark timber underfoot with starched white linen on the beds and splashes of red in the chairs, toilet tiles and cabinets. It's an interesting and enlivening juxtaposition for an historic Hanoi hotel. For Hanoi brand shopping head to the hotel's Metropole Arcade for Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo and more. Despite the colonial opulence and seemingly laid back atmosphere, this is easily one of the best Hanoi business hotels.
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| Song Ngu: characterful dining |
The Hilton Hanoi Opera, by contrast, has modern interiors, a businesslike feel and a high-ceiling lobby that echoes to the sounds of an excellent acoustic jazz-and-pop band most nights. You could transport the Hilton and plonk it down in Paris without causing a murmur. It slips into period that well. The executive floors here feature free Broadband though all hotel rooms have access at a modest fee. Satellite television is available in all 269 rooms. The rooms at the Hilton are what perhaps set this hotel apart from others - they feature bright floral prints and wallpaper married with a smart working desk and three-pin (square) plug connections. None of those old-fashioned European round plug sockets here.
The impression is bright, welcoming and friendly. These are the sort of rooms where you can both relax and crank out work, with equal aplomb. (If you need executive pampering, book into the seventh floor where refreshments and snacks flow endlessly.) The toilets feature a separate shower cubicle and bathtub. You'll find two small mineral water bottles (330ml). A good spot as any to catch some rays, is the small outdoor pool overlooking the Opera House. The Chinese restaurant has been reincarnated as the signature Vietnamese restaurant Ba Mien. Ba Mien specialises in three regions' cuisine, dishing out Hanoi, Hue and Saigon favourites in a spacious, cool and chic environment. The hotel houses a snappy Dunhill shop with ties and fashion accessories. It is a top Hanoi hotel for business travellers.
The bustling Sofitel Plaza Hanoi overlooking the West Lake is more group oriented. Its highrise rooms offer sweeping views and you can take a dip, any time of year, in the top-floor all-weather pool - with a retractable roof.
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| InterContinental Westlake Hanoi/ photo: hotel |
A bit further out on the far, secluded side of the lake, the gleaming Sheraton Hanoi offers a stylish resort ambience with all the crisp flourish of a quality Hanoi conference hotel. It is an interesting, and relaxing mix, with lakeside frontage and pleasant gardens. Views are great, though the rooms look askance at the lake, rather than all the way across the length of it. This is a minor quibble as the place is really first class, especially if you have a large cranky corporate meeting in tow. The rooms feature conservative pastels with dark, rich, wood tones and, yes, three-pin (square) sockets. Rooms are Broadband enabled so you can plug in and start surfing right off the bat. There are two telephone lines. Call your wife and boss simultaneously, and then wonder why on earth you attempted this. The in-room safe can handle a small notebook computer at a pinch and there are two generous 500ml bottles of complimentary mineral water. To work up a sweat, or cool off, there's a free-form pool set in the lakeshore gardens, an extensive fitness centre, and a tennis court. Pin-stripers can de-stress marvelling at the excellent meetings facilites.
If you wish to just look at the Sheraton and can't afford to stay there, the next best thing is to kip at the neighbouring Dragon Hotel, an ornate Chinese establishment that offers a dizzying amalgam of artefacts, urns, ceramic horses and wood carvings in a bright yellow building that resembles a pagoda. The place is basic but clean and bit wild. If you get spooked easily, think twice before checking in. Heck it's only about US$40 a night. The new kid on the block - or over the water, more appropriately - is the InterContinental Westlake Hanoi that opens in March 2008. Formerly The Lien Resort Hotel, the 359-room InterCon has upgraded this over-water enterprise with considerable flair. Expect an inviting tropical swimming pool right by the lakeside, Club InterContinental for business travellers in need of all-day butler service and high speed Broadband, and capacious rooms upwards of 43sq m with 32-inch LCD televisions, satellite channels, twin vanity, and bathtub with separate rainshower. Rooms reflecting a modern Vietnamese style largely look onto the waters of the lake. The hotel is also close to the Golden Lotus Pagoda.
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| Khai SIlk: top choice |
A bit out of town in Kim Ma Street is the Korean-managed if-you've-got-it-flaunt-it Hanoi Daewoo Hotel. Needless to say, the kimchi and bulgogi are terrific. The hotel is slathered in marble and it boasts a rather generous pool in which you could have shot The Titanic. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Bill Clinton have stayed here but I'm not sure if cigars are big. Daewoo also has apartments, a good fitness centre, an 18th floor sky lounge and meeting facilities. High-speed Internet is available in rooms on floors 9-17. There are 411 rooms, mostly in bright pink-rose pastels with a work desk, a deep safe (not laptop size unfortunately), and generous views of lakes in all directions. Floors 15-17 offer the benefit of an Executive Lounge with canapés, drinks and breakfast. In the evenings, the young and restless - or old and jaded - can pop into Club Q.
Three business options are the Hanoi Horison Hotel (run by Swiss-Belhotel International) not far from the Daewoo, the crisp and modern Hotel Nikko Hanoi and the Melia Hanoi which boasts the largest conference space in the city. You could stage an Indian wedding at the Melia and still have room to swing a cat by the tail though animal rights groups may not appreciate use of a feline barometer. The Hanoi Horison Hotel has a good executive floor and a decent Chinese restaurant. Its conference facilities can accommodate up to 800 people. The Horison Club floors offer both plug-in and wireless Internet options. The property is not too far from the action and offers quick access to both the airport as well as downtown.
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| Melia Hanoi Deluxe King room |
The Melia Hanoi offers Broadband throughout the hotel. Wireless is available in the lobby as well as on the 17th Floor and above. There is an open-air pool, a fitness centre, and a Grand Ballroom that seats 1,200. There are, of course, smaller function rooms as well. Rooms are pretty straightforward, with light wood, and pastels. Here you'll get THREE 330ml bottlers of complimentary mineral water, a small safe, and a well stocked mini-bar.. Melia is not your average understated address. It is large, businesslike and busy. For fun, check out the new Latino bar for tapas and live music, or pop by the new Vietnamese restaurant. The Hotel Nikko Hanoi (a Le Meridien partner hotel) offers free high-speed Internet on its executive floors.
The Fortuna Hotel is a four-star monstrosity that masquerades as a business hotel. It has little to recommend it save for the lively nightclub, spa and friendly doormen. It is a way out of town in a seedy commercial area. The place is crawling with sleaze - if that's what you like - but the rooms are not too bad. Deluxe rooms come with iron and ironing board, a hair drier, a flat-screen TV, Broadband access, an executive desk, a coat stand and even a Jacuzzi. The toilet lacks a wall-mounted shower and to get your hair wet you may need to kneel in the tub if the shower pull-out cord jams. Still, the hotel has its rules and standards. You cannot take durian fruit up to your room but scantily clad ladies are no problem. Other distractions here include the Millionaire Club with over 50 slot machines and the aforementioned Big Boss KTV dance club which is worth a look-see for high-camp fun. Similarly, the Sunway Hotel, positioned rather boldly as a "boutique" property, but is a tad disappointing. Its service and facilities are fair but the overall ambience is bit cramped and dark. On the bright side, it offers a health club with assorted fitness gadgetry, a sauna, and some herbal spa massages. Its location is not far from the Opera House area.
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| Daewoo sports bright uniforms |
Three smaller but interesting options are the smart, minimalist Guoman, which really does have a boutique feel to it, the well-located doll's-house De Syloia which offers the Cay Cau Vietnamese restaurant, a small business centre and a gym, and the cheaper government-run Dan Chu Hotel where you need to beat the chefs to the buffet. The rooms at the Guoman Hanoi are clean, tidy, and offer a desk, two sitting chairs, a good-sized bed, TV, mini-bar and safe. The lobby is European with large windows and dark-green drapes. Overall, not a bad choice, and Broadband is available in all rooms. There is wireless connectivity too.
The creaking, colonial-style Dan Chu Hotel is gone, its mantle now claimed by the very welcoming and friendly Hoa Binh Hotel centrally located thre blocks from the Opera House on Ly Thuong Kiet Rd. This is a three-star establishment with a French restaurant, a sleepy yet inviting air and a fair bit of character not least on account of the numerous classical columns. The place first got underway in 1926 under the name Le Splendide, and that name is retained by its French restaurant that doubles as a cheerful breakfast venue. Staff are keen to help and manage weddings, foreign visitors and local guests with egalitarian charm. They clearly take pride in their hotel. Once receptionist told me her mother had worked there previously and she was carrying on that family tradition. Deluxe rooms here are much larger than your average five-star Hanoi hotel, with a diwan, two chairs, a writing desk, a vanity table with mirror, a TV (that usually works), an electronic safe that will house your video camera, a minibar, and ADSL Internet at US$3 per day. The cable is near the bed but can be unrolled and stretched all the way across the room to the desk. You'll get a large wooden almirah in the foyer (remember foyers?), shampoo and bath gel, a shaver, hair-drier and a small bottle of mineral water each day. A local agent could secure this with a hearty breakfast for around US$52 per night.
For something more laid back there's the Sedona Suites Hanoi, in the Quang Ba area 15 minutes from downtown, with 175 rooms with kitchenette and satellite TV, a raft of activities from badminton and tennis to squash, basketball and sauna. There is a minimart, a business centre and small meetings facilities. Finally, for high rollers and karaoke enthusiasts, there's the Hanoi Hotel (modern yet grotty but with a lakeside location), with a smart Chinese restaurant, a sauna and massage, a slot machine room for foreigners only, and a bopping nightclub where you'll encounter the usual avalanche of nimble, nubile lovelies. This is a BIG nightclub. Best to come with friends if you don't wish to look too furtive and lost.
Hanoi transport options
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| Sofitel MetropoleDeluxe |
Getting around Hanoi is not too difficult. There are metered taxis, and metered taxis and. Well, some taxis start at D11,000, some start at D6,000, while still others start at D7,000. At the end of the day for a distance over 2km the fare will be roughly the same, as the cheaper taxi meters run faster (Hanoi Taxi tel: 853-5353). Rides within the city are normally about D20,000-D40,000. A pedal-powered cyclo will set you back around D20,000 for one hour but there are several areas off limits to cyclos. A motorcycle ride say from the Hilton to Westlake would cost D7,000 for a local person and D10,000 for a foreigner. The same distance by taxi is about D25,000.
Within the city, hotels can arrange a private taxi at around US$25 per day (8am to 5pm) with a driver and an air-conditioned vehicle. How much English your driver speaks is another matter. A hotel car will set you back a wee bit more at around US$40-$50 or more per day with perhaps a more significant vocabulary range. As one guide explained, "Here, driver speak English is not popular." This is about as good as it gets.
Airport survival tips
Getting in to town from the newish Noi Bai International Airport is a doddle. Coupon taxis are just US$10 - they are parked right at the front entrance as you exit - and a plusher freelancer alternative can be had for US$20. Noi Bai boasts air-bridges to connect to jets (dispensing with the creaking buses), and glassed-in immigration officials. A handy sign on all the glass booths used to offer a word of caution for visitors. "Do not pull the glass," it read. Quite right. Alas, it has gone, a sign of breathless upgrades at the shiny new terminal. Departures at Noi Bai are fairly painless too. The departure tax is US$14 though its impact is not evident in the departure lounge, which is a bit stark, if comfortable, resembling a giant, abandoned warehouse.
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| Chinese-style Drangon Hotel |
There are just a couple of duty-free shops, trinket stalls (British colonial sola topi sun-hat US$3), one cafeteria (spaghetti US$6 up) and one library with three or four books in English, like the riveting Our Great Spring Victory. It also stocks contemporary fare such as Selected Writings on Utilitarianism by Jeremy Bentham and the collected works of Thomas Hardy. There is NO bank after immigration. If you're still carting dong you're sunk. Duty-free prices are about what you'd expect anywhere in Asia. A Johnnie Walker Black Label one litre bottle is US$26 and 12-year-old Chivas US$25. Here's you'll find Bally, Ferragamo, Burberry, Longchamp and Aigner. Christian Dior's 50ml eu de parfum Jadore retails for US$57. Airport staff, like people everywhere in Hanoi, are exceptionally polite. I caught them in the middle of a tearful Korean soap opera that had just about everyone glued to the large-screen tellies around the terminal. I had to apologise to the ladies to have to tear them away to reopen their shops and turn on the lights. They wept some more when I enquired about further discounts.
If you're flying out of Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines, bear in mind that its Airbus A-320s have a 3-3 configuration in economy with a HUGE middle seat. I kid you not. Middle seats B and E are at least four inches wider than the rest. Don't ask why. On the A-321s sporting the new corporate livery and deep blue upholstery, pick Exit Row 8 Seats ABC and EF. Seat 6D right behind business class has terrific legroom and no seat in front. For legroom, also try Exit Row 21. Remember the large middle seats. Offer your wife the window, graciously, then lean back in seat B, don your sola topi and snooze.
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