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Welcome to Ha Noi

ichotelsgroup.com;.com; Reservation.Hanoi@ihg.com. Lake-side suites with private balconies.

Also on CNNGo: 5 top coffeeshops in Hanoi

vietnamese iced coffee
Strong coffee + lots of sweet milk = an hour of the shakes.
17. Shopping -- Hanois old Quarter is lined with various fashion stores, souvenir stalls, snack and trinket sellers. But if youre looking for an air-conditioned mall experience head for the Vincom City Towers where youll find luxury brands, a cinema and a colorful gaming area. Vincom City Towers, 191 Ba Trieu St., Hai Ba Trung.

18. Doing -- Various popular tourist activities include Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum/Museum, the Hanoi Hilton prison (officially called Hoa Lo Prison), Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre and green city tours on electric carts. Theyre all worth a peek, and you could do all these in one afternoon.

Dont miss the night market in the Old Quarter, from 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturday. More about strolling around aimlessly than shopping.

And make sure you check out Long Bien bridge, an awesome spectacle bolted together by history.

19. Coffee -- If Hanoians arent drinking beer, theyre drinking coffee. Check out Café Pho Co, a café hidden behind a home hidden behind a souvenir shop, and one of the best places to get a view across Hoan Kiem Lake. 11 Hang Gai, Hanoi; +84 (0)4 3928 8153

20. Dont bother with -- The one-pillar pagoda. A hut on a cement column is just a hut on a cement column, no matter how old.

Also on CNNGo: Life in Hanoi as told by its locals

21. Internet -- If scooters are the most obvious Hanoi quality, Internet cafés come not far behind. Theyre everywhere. All hotels have connections too.

22. Traffic -- When Hanoi people move they tend to do it on scooters. And if you wait for a break in the flow of scooters when trying to cross the road, you may miss your flight home. Walk out with intent, and they will avoid you. We promise.

Halong Bay
Halong Bay -- four hours away but a world apart from Hanoi.
23. Day trips -- Trips out of Hanoi are easily arranged via hotels or tour agents. If you want to check out Halong Bay (and you should) spend a night on a boat there too. Its too far for getting there and back comfortably in one day and this way you can explore some great caves and do some kayaking too.

Or take a trip to the Perfume Pagoda 60 kilometers away. Its a great way to get some fresh air and chill out on a boat ride for a day.

For a longer getaway, consider a trip to Sapa for a few days. You can travel the 350 kilometers from Hanoi by train and minibus and it has some amazing mountain treks. Hiring a guide is essential.

24. Photography -- Youll be tempted to snap away at everything so photogenic is Hanoi, especially the Old Quarter. But many locals find it rude to be photographed, especially the older ones, so be polite and ask first.

25. Dont be scared -- Hanoi can overwhelm you, but thats whats great about it. Try everything, go everywhere, and if you do get lost, physically or mentally, just ask someone for help. A smile can solve anything in this city.

PS: Please ask price first if U want to buy anything. Remember it. Good Luck

Sorry. I feeling tired after write many article @@. vote if you think it helpful.

Dear katiedyas

Welcome you to Vietnam! Wish you could have a nice trip in Hanoi for teaching English. As a Vietnamese living in Hanoi now, I want to share with you something that I think it may help you as per your question relating to important thing and clothing.

Firstly, I suggest you should consider weather matter. I have not been to California yet so I cannot compare the weather between these two places but I think that the weather is different in Cali from it is in Hanoi for particularly and in Vietnam for general. It is typically tropical climate in Hanoi with four seasons a year: spring (Feb-Mar) with wet weather; summer (Apr-July/Aug) which is appropriate for enjoy swimming with hot weather and sunshine; fall (Aug-Nov) with cool air and romantic atmosphere; and last, winter being the coldest period for local with the lowest temperature being 8 or 9 degree C (time here may be not correct completely due to global climate change ). However, do not be afraid with winter here because I can assure that "cold" here is just only "cool" in your California. Furthermore, if you come from a dry area, i believe you should care for yourself more with wet weather in spring here. You may feel uncomfortable when your house full of steam. Because of weather matter mentioned, I think you should bring clothing that you need to wear in fall or the beginning of winter in Cali for the coldest here where the lowest temperature is never as low as it is in Cali in winter (i think so).

Secondly, I believe you should think you what to take care yourself. For instance, under the tropical sunshine in Hanoi, you ought to cover your skin with some kind of cream that help you avoid being affected by Ultraviolet or something like that. Additionally, environment pollution in Hanoi is another thing you should know and notice when joining transportation here.

For your "important thing" mentioned. I have no idea on what you should leave behind or what you should bring because I dont know what they are or what your need is. May I suggest you ask someone who has been in Vietnam before.

Wish you could find my information useful.

Kind regards,

katiedyas wrote:

I've been trying to research important things and clothing to bring for the whole year but most only reference what to pack for short term trips.  I was hoping I could have some first hand accounts of people living in Hanoi (or have previously lived in Hanoi) of what I should bring, leave behind, or little things that I might not have thought of to pack!  Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated 

If it were me, I'd just bring enough clothes & shoes to wear for the first 2 months. Then buy additional clothes once settled in since clothing in VN is very cheap. What I would bring is prescription medicine, medication, and over the counter stuff to last you for the year if possible. Purchase your scooter helmet in the states b/c those have padding, made out of strong fiberglass (not plastic) and has been certified (SNELL, DOT) for crash safety. Scooter helmets sold in VN isn't like helmets sold in the USA. Its cheap construction won't offer you any protection, and most don't even fit properly. Bring an unlocked cell phone that is for GSM network (not CDMA) for use while in VN. Then buy a sim card when you get to VN. You don't want to use your USA phone account in VN or else the roaming charges will be very costly.

Remember, even though North American flat-pin sockets abound over here the VOLTAGE IS 240V AC!

If you have any phone, even iPhones, they can be unlocked over here. Androids are economical - iPhones are unlocked officially through Apple and cost USD$100 approximately.

Winter weather should be considered as cold as 0C or 32F. You can buy cheap winter jackets here - not fashionable but very functional.

Ha Noi is VietNam's Washington, DC, and SaiGon is VietNam's NYC.

Bring all your documentation - it can be translated cheaply over here.

Fussy food diets can be a challenge - there are minimal organic/vegetarian around here.

If you need prescription drugs get your doctor to write you a prescription showing either Latin names or DIN numbers - easier to locate over here.

Hanoians think Ha Noi is the cradle of the Vietnamese culture - but skip the mausoleum where Uncle Ho's remains can be seen. Not worth the long line ups. Besides, he goes out of town for several months a year for maintenance (in Moscow).

Ha Noi is a couple of hours from the China border, so you might want to take advantage of the opportunity for a quick visit en route home. Ask you Travel Agent about 'Open Jaw' tickets - don't use on line reservation web sites.

Use the VietNam Airlines shuttle bus into Ha Noi AND NOT TAXI'S!!!!!!!!!!! (Biggest cheats in the world)

DC doesnt have a damn good eatery the way they infest Big Apple. But Hanoi is gourmet capital of Vietnam.

When they say cradle of culture, they mean lots of ancient stuff to visit, not the  not-even-a-century-old mausoleum. Architectural, pagodas and churches. Or little places to visit all over Hanoi.