All these years I’ve been doing Hanoi a disservice after a trip some 25 year ago. ‘Dreary, grey and miserable,’ was the impression I carried round based on a three-day visit. Fast forward to a stay in the Old Quarter and the cobwebbed recollections were completely blown away. Admittedly, once out of the confines of the old city, you are in the usual wacky races of motorbikes and cars – but even so...

​The Old Quarter is packed with vibrant, narrow streets and has character to burn. It is alive and humming as tourists eke out their own unique version of Vietnam, and local folks go about their day-to-day. What a refreshing place! Okay, you’ve got the unpredictable Hanoi weather to contend with, but if you need a break, it’s all there!

Note: It was tipping it down on the last day just in case any rose-tint was thinking of forming on my glasses. A rain-soaked adieu through a taxi window on the drive to the airport was my last sighting, although it won't be my abiding memory!

Cau The Huc on Hoan Kiem Lake

Above and Below: Braving Train Street - sit tight!

Above and Below: Ta Hien (Beer Street)

Above: Traditional House at 87 Ma May. Below: Den Ngoc Son Temple.