Exploring 1,000-year-old Hanoi

Hanoi turns 1,000-years-old on October 1st, 2010. Quite the milestone, with quite the celebration. 
There are 53 officially sponsored activities planned during the 10 day festivities, closing with The Great Celebration (Đại lễ kỉ niệm) held on Sunday, October 10, 2010, which is also the Liberation Day of Hanoi.
The Hanoi 1,000 closing ceremony will take place at the My Dinh National Stadium and will reportedly include 10,000 artists.
We visited Hanoi in June, 2010 and compiled this three day guide of where to go and what to do. For those visiting Hanoi during it's birthday bash, or after, check out some of the sights below while in town.

Where to stay

Blue Paradise is definitely blue, but not quite paradise.

Hotels in Hanoi are cheap and relatively easy to find when there's not a 1,000 year birthday going on. During our visit in June, we didn't want to book a room for four nights without knowing what it would actually be like, so we booked online at Blue Paradise Hotel for US$28 for one night.
We also ordered airport shuttle pickup service. Hanoi's Old Quarter is about a 45-minute drive from the airport and we learned it shouldn't cost us more than US$10, but we opted for the shuttle at US$15 as the last thing we wanted to do was get in a dishonest taxi late at night.
Our expectations for Blue Paradise Hotel at a whopping US$28 a night were not extremely, or moderately, or even remotely high. Four months ago I looked at a flat for rent in Hong Kong that didn't even aspire to crackhouse status. It cost US$750 a month, or about US$25 a night.
The hotel and room at Blue Paradise weren't bad, but we still checked out. We wanted to try our luck elswhere.
It took about an hour to find the Golden Lotus, a decent hotel for US$50 a night.
One Tripadvisor customer review of Golden Lotus said, "Decided to check out the next day and found a really nice quiet room with lovely staff and a great balcony at the top of the Gia Bao Hotel. It was worth losing money not to stay at the GL Hotel another night."
Our experience was good, theirs was bad. That's the way it goes. The best way to find what you want is to stay flexible.
Though our experience was good enough, yours might not be, so the wise thing to do is to book the first night only in advance.
If you aren't happy with your initial choice, or didn't book at the Sofitel Metropol Hanoi Hotel (about US$170 per night) in the first place, your first morning in Hanoi will probably be spent looking around for a hotel for the next few nights.
We'd suggest in or around Hoan Kiem District and the Old Quarter. There are plenty of hotels and hostels (for the backpacker types) to choose from and most had vacancies.

Explore Hanoi

This section is based on our full three days in Hanoi and complimented by recommendations from CNNGo contributor and editor of Vietnam Pathfinder magazine Helen Clark, and some shopping finds scored by CNNGo's very own shopaholic and travel master Kristina Perez.
You're in good hands. Oh, and while you're out there keep an eye out for all of the Soviet influence.

Day one

Wander around Old Quarter and North Hoan Kiem

The Old Quarter is a great first jaunt in Hanoi with its insane energy and unique character.
All manner of foods, creatures and scooters can be found in the Old Quarter.
Scooter dodging is required, and the local Hanoians have it down to an art. Foreigners not so much.
But with a little practice one might have only a moderate chance of significant bodily injury while crossing roads.That chance slightly increases during rush hour.
A map of the area is useful, but not required unless you have somewhere specific to go.
Just get your bearings for North and South by remembering Hoan Kiem lake is to the South. Having a landmark in mind is a good idea for retaining a sense of direction.
For a decent wander in the Old Quarter, you'll need at least four to five hours, preferably in the morning to early afternoon when it isn't so blistering hot (in the summer.)
Try the local coffee

Weasel coffee is produced in the same manner as civet coffee. The weasel eats the beans. Poops them. They get picked out then ground. Viola!

Vietnamese love their coffee, and there is no lack of coffee shops offering up many java varieties.
During our trip we randomly check out five coffee shops and try different kinds of iced and hot blends.
Word of warning: Those that like their coffee light will need lots of sugar as many of the Vietnamese blends can be potent, eye-popping cups of dark black goodness.
Tip: Don't drink the tap water, but ice is generally OK in Hanoi as the bars, restros, and other venues tend always to use clean-water ice not made from tap water.
Catch a Water Puppet show

Water Puppets on parade.

As a respite from the heat (or cold humidity in the winter months), drop in and see a water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater.
Water Puppetry is uniquely Vietnamese, and originated in near Hanoi nearly 1,000 years ago.
Today, visiting the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater is almost as interesting for tourist watching as it is for checking out the traditional puppet performance.
Rows of Germans, Americans and Canadians line the seats during our visit. The show itself features the dancing forms of puppets manipulated by their puppeteers in a shallow pond or wading pool and is quite entertaining.
It is always amusing to learn random cultural facts such as fart jokes were apparently as popular 1,000 years ago as they are today. (Thang Long Water Puppet Theater info: 57B Pho Dinh Tien Hoang, admission 20,000 - 40,000 VND, shows at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday - Saturday, 9:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday, Tel: 824 9494, website: www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org)
Try the street food

Hanoi is renowned for it's street food, with some calling it the best in Vietnam, and potentially even in Asia.
There are street food vendors all over the city, with a large concentration in the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake.
Sanitation concerns aside, those looking to truly delve into the local culture should definitely try digging in at one of the many barbecue stalls, noodle stands, tea and coffee stands, and corner shops.
For those lacking the intestinal fortitude or gambling mentality, there are plenty of other edible options in the city. These options are very cheap as well, with many snacks and meals easily costing under US$2.
Keep an eye out for some of these Vietnamese dishes which can all be had for under US$1.
Tip: We also suggest checking out Stickyrice, a fantastic foodie blog that digs deep into the Hanoi food scene.
Wrap it all up with a steak dinner
Head up to West Lake for a hearty steak dinner. CNNGo's Helen Clark suggests Chien Beo.
"Chien Beo is one of Hanoi’s best local steak houses, doing a Vietnamese take on steak and called 'bit tet'. It’s a common enough dish but often the steaks are thin, leathery and drowned in sauce. Not here. Steaks. Steaks stuffed with cheese. Rolls of beef. The place is greasy, hot and gets very, very noisy and for most, this is part of its charm. Food is more expensive than a street side bowl of noodles, but much cheaper than ‘Western-style’ places in town. And doubly as good." (192 Nghi Tam street, Yên Phụ, Tay Ho district, Hanoi, Vietnam.)


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