Hanoi, the Third Time Around

The airport is about 30kms away from the Old Quarter so it could be pricey if you cab it. For budget travelers, there is the air-conditioned tourist bus #86 which starts from inside the airport when you walk out the door and takes you all the way to Old Quarter for only VND35k, 30 mins.
NOTE: if you use Google Maps, it will tell you that you have to walk 1km to catch the #86 bus along the main road - this is wrong!

1. Hanoi's Old Quarter is the backpacker area like Bangkok's Khaosan Road. The tourist establishments (hotels, restos, travel/tour agencies, cafes) are interspersed with local traditional businesses
2. Grab XeOm or moto taxis are abundant
3. street culture is alive and kicking at the Old Quarter. Family-owned and managed shophouses who have been doing their trade for generations are still around. Old Quarter hasn't been touched by shopping malls yet.
4. best place to exchange foreign currency is with the jewelry/gold shops (see list on map). Worst place are the tour shops/hotels.
5. BEWARE of resto tourist traps. Usually, they sell only one meal like Bun Cha. No menu, no prices. They are crafty in herding unsuspecting tourists (you will notice no local eats there) and serve them the Bun Cha without asking them (because it's the only thing they sell). You'll just be jolted when you receive the bill. I was had for VND 90k!

1. Old Quarter - this is old Hanoi where family-owned business flourished with its specialty trade. The streets are narrow and busy. Nowadays, it's the center for backpackers visiting Hanoi
2. lakes - Hanoi is littered with many big lakes, some of them have numerous pagodas along its bank. West Lake is the largest with an 18km circumference, ideal for joggers, hobby fishing and just finding quiet time
3. Tran Quoc Pagoda - the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi lying on its peninsula by West Lake
4. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum - it's a massive marble structure housed inside an expansive park with manicured gardens

1. Hanoi Grapevine HCMC Update - for the latest events in Vietnam
2. Vietnam establishments will not accept US dollars, unlike Cambodia. You have to use Vietnam Dong (US$1 = Vietnam Dong VND 23,255 = Php 53.20 as of Aug 1, 2016)
3. Vietnamese smokers will smoke in air-conditioned establishments, air-conditioned buses packed with people including women, children and babies. They also smoke inside hospitals with no smoking signs.
4. Vietnam ranks almost the same as Thailand and Cambodia for cheap price. Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia cost more
5. internet speed is generally fast and reliable but during important events like Tet holiday, election, etc., it slows down
6. Vietnamese generally do not speak or understand much English. It will be a challenge.
7. best to dress appropriately, not revealing too much skin (Saigon is an exception - the ladies there set the trend in very short shorts)
8. remove your shoes when entering a home or place of worship
9. ask first before taking someone's picture. If they say no, don't persist or offer money
10. best to carry your hotel's business card with you when going out. You can just show it to the cab driver or XeOm driver if they don't understand English
11. leave your valuables, passport, travel tickets, etc. with the hotel's safety deposit box
12. when lying down, don't point your feet or the soles of your shoes to anyone or to a family altar
13. carry only enough cash for your needs that day
14. don't lose your temper in public - Vietnamese people are warm, generous and polite. They look down on people who lose their composure
15. don't take pictures of military installations - you can go to jail
16. refrain from taking videos of minority people until permitted to do so

1. Phu Yen Province - by the beach
2. Hoa Binh Lake - locals' alternative to Halong Bay
3. Ninh Binh - Trang An Grottoes, Tam Coc, Mua Caves, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Van Long Nature Reserve

1. arrive early - in case there is a snag (visa snag, documentation snag, transport ticket snag, etc.), you will have ample time to troubleshoot the problem if you arrive early (to the airport, to the bus terminal, etc.)
2. put detailed itinerary on the Calendar apps of your smart-phone according to timelines - this is where you do all your thinking and planning. Once written down, you don't have to think anymore while you are on the journey...you just follow the steps. This frees your mind for something else that might happen while you are already en route
3. avoiding scams - as a general rule, I ignore the touts or anyone I don't know who call out to me. The calling comes in many forms - "Hi! Where are you from?", "Excuse me! Excuse me!", "Where are you going?". I don't look them in the eye and I remain non-verbal with them. If you reply to them, you just gave them an 'in' to hound you. In order not to look rude, I smile and wave the 'not interested' hand to them, without looking at them.
4. power bank - hand-carry your power bank. Do not check it in. You can be called in when you are already inside the plane to go all the way to the loading dock so you can personally remove the power bank...and chances are, you'll have to surrender it to them. And you might delay the plane departure!