Hanoi Data Sheet
This trip report is an admitted sparse attempt to give a sense of the city - I visited twice during 2013, each time for at least five days. I wouldn't say in any way that my experiences were exhaustive and I didn't get the flag - I probably could have but not in the quality arena I'd prefer to stay.
VP, this is per your request, hope you enjoy...
Hanoi is an inland city in Northern Vietnam, reachable by short flights from HK, Guangzhou and other Asian capitals. Its actually a really centrally located city, with very good values for money, and could conceivably be a good place to base yourself if your work is location-independent like mine. Additionally, I am told that business opportunities are exploding in Vietnam - I am also told by credible sources that Vietnamese make some of the worst business partners (when partnered with foreigners, including other Asians) and have a nasty habit of kicking their partners out of the business after its up and running for a few years. Due to the corruption of the local police forces, its not difficult for a Vietnamese entrepreneur to get away with this type of activity apparently, and this has led to less direct investment by Chinese in Vietnam over recent years.
Hanoi is a mid-sized city, spread over a fairly large area. To me, for an Asian city, it doesn’t have the feeling of enormous population density (except when it comes to motor-bikes - you’ve never seen so many scooters in your life, an ocean of them, constantly honking, at all times it seems.
Arriving in to Hanoi airport, you’ll have to have already arranged your visa if you’re American like me - check if you need to. I used My Vietnam Visa to arrange my visa, both times, and it was waiting for me at Immigration in Hanoi, without an issue. There are different visa lengths available, but for me, both times I opted for the shortest, a thirty day length. After you disembark from your plane, bear left as you enter the main hall of arrivals, before immigration, where there is a visa processing booth. The processing time per applicant is a bit long, so I would suggest you hustle over there if the flight you were on was full to avoid a long wait to get processed. After you’ve presented all the documentation and fees that you need to (the visa company will provide a list of what you need, pics, etc.) you’ll head to an immigration officer, he or she will basically ignore you and stamp your passport. You’re in.
Like any third-world country, getting ripped off at the airport for a cab is not a difficult things to have happen. But if you know what the cost should be, just tell the driver what you’re willing to pay, and they shouldn’t argue - I had no problems on either trip. To the Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem lake, expect about 100,000 dong, or a bit less than US$20. There might be buses to there as well, but I didnt check that out, and just took a taxi instead. Its about a thirty minute ride without traffic to the OQ.
Once you arrive at your hotel, its quite easy to find a shop to sell you a SIM card with data service. Its not particularly expensive, though given how cheap things are in Hanoi, on a relative basis its not cheap. Wi-fi is widely available in restaurants and hotels, though.
Both times I visited, I stayed in the Old Quarter, the first time at the Hanoi Central Backpackers (in the top, private double room, split with a friend from China). That was $25 per night, so $12.50 each, including wi-fi and a bia-hoi drink-up with the backpackers that stayed in the dorm rooms on the other floors and some staff. My buddy used to work there, which is the main reason we stayed there during my first trip. Overall, its a bit dirty, but the service was basically friendly and it was a very central location in Old Quarter, with decent wi-fi. A modest breakfast is also included (the coffee is quite good, however - the Vietnamese do coffee well).
The second time around I stayed at the Landmark Hanoi Hotel, which was a big more on the outskirts of the Old Quarter, but only a few minutes motorbike ride to the center of it (or a five minute walk). Virtually no difference geographically, this place was $35 per night for a nice, clean quiet room with effective air conditioning and a good breakfast.
I know that backpackers had a bit of a door policy but it was circumventable - it didnt seem they let Vietnamese in unless they worked there. I didn’t have any opportunity to encounter the issue at Landmark, but it seemed like the same thing.
Both times when I was there, my focus was on seeing the city, cuisines, museums, and some nightlife. I hired a guide for very little money - he was someone who i met who sold lighters on the street, spoke decent english and had guided foreigners around before. He did a good enough job and was pleasant enough that I hired him a second time around when I went back. It was only a few dollars a day, and he would pay his own way by purchasing things like T-shirts and gifts on my behalf- they would have charged me more than double what they charged him for the same item. He also got me a bag of weed (he was definitely nervous about it) and also loaned me his terrible, brakeless motorbike to use a few times (I probably shouldn’t have taken him up on it).
The Girls
Well, I’d say, having been in China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea (a bit), and Malaysia, that the girls in Vietnam have the most elegance, class and beauty on average. That’s solely based on Hanoi of course. They range from Chinese-looking, which I like, to mixed-rase Eurasian French Indochinese, which I also like. They do tend to be very thin, small boned girls, and in fact, I noticed some pretty incredible milfs walking around. After having a child, they plumped up just a little bit in the right places, to their benefit.
With respect to friendliness, I would definitely say (1) women are more friendly than guys in Hanoi, (2) you can pull girls even if they don’t speak much english at all (especially if you’re hanging with a guide who can translate) and (3) I think closing is harder than any other country I’ve visited in East Asia, except Malaysia (again thats based on Hanoi and Borneo in Malaysia, not KL).
I think, though given some time, foreigners can do quite decently in Hanoi. Unfortunately, some appear to have figured it out, and there seems to be a sizable foreigner population, both transient backpacker types roaming everywhere around Hanoi and in other districts, like near West Lake. I’d say that there is also a group of younger people more accommodating and interested in interacting with foreigners, and a probably larger subset that seems to ignore them. Regardless, you shouldn’t expect to be a novelty around the Old Quarter or many other parts of Hanoi - the city has a long history of foreign people living there.
WeChat was kind of useful when I used Around Me when staying at the Landmark hotel - I got two or three bites very quickly on it. I also used Badoo a bit. I could have met up with one or more girls from WeChat, but Badoo ended up attracting women from Southern Vietnam for some reason. It also seemed to be full of single moms, or at least maybe thats who is the most responsive to foreigners.
One of my stranger experiences in Hanoi with a girl was when I met one working in a shop with her mother. I’d gone there to buy a few t-shirts (I had only a few with me and the hot weather was taking its toll) - I dont remember how it happened, but I ended up going back to chat with her via google and my guide a few times, and then she joined me for dinner one night. She brought a friend, and my guide was the friend’s date (thought the friend was a notch I could have gotten, - English speaking single mom who texted me to meet several times during my trip). Anyway when I went to Hanoi the second time, I went to say hi to this girl, and her mother told me that she wasn’t at work because she was getting married that weekend (this was only a few months later). I don’t really know much more than that, but because she was on my facebook, I saw that she did indeed get married. Cute girl, too.
Food
Food is pretty good in Vietnam, and very cheap. There are night markets like you’ll find in Thailand, and its possible to stay on a very tight budget with those. However, even the multiple cafes on every block serve palatable and seemingly clean cuisine (I didnt get sick at all, though I don’t eat meat, which cuts down on the chances), some of it tasty, if a bit lacking in variety. I’d say the average price of a meal in one of these cafes would be US$2-3, maybe a bit more with beer. If you go to a western style restaurant, you’ll pay a little more, but not too much US$5-6.
There are, to be sure, nicer places to eat. For a date, you can try Quan An Ngon, which has first class seafood and a tremendous variety. It would probably be around US$20-30 for two people, maximum, depending on wine and what you order. Its quite a busy scene, and is outdoors under a huge tent the sides of which can pull down if it starts to rain. I’d definitely make the trip there if you’re in Hanoi.
Nightlife
As reflected in other posts on Vietnam, Hanoi has a large collection of Bia Hoy places, where you sit and drink cheap beer on plastic stools on the street. Its mostly Vietnamese, though there are some places frequented by backpackers. Its a very cheap way to pull a buzz, but the beer truly is shit.
Hanoi also has a club scene, some being in a district on the north side of the Old Quarter, on Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien. I have to admit I don’t have a great recollection of the various clubs on that street, or those elsewhere, though I will say that there was some solid talent in these places. Some of the ones that I recall are Soho, and Flow bar, Flow being owned by the owner of the Central Backpackers. Its nothing special, filled with smelly foreigners mostly. I think Fat Cat was another place that was OK. Some of them have a mixed crowd, though table game would be the way to go if you want to aim for locals. The backpackers tend to be flooded on the dancefloors mostly hooking up with each other and acting fairly beastly. I did see some slim yet curvaceous Vietnamese beauties in most of the mixed bars, often quite nicely dressed in skirts and blouses and heels. As you might expect, the staffs are often good looking as well. Also, I didn't encounter any P4P at any of these places, or really at all in Hanoi. I think that element is around but focused in specific hotel bars which I didn't visit.
I ended up hanging out with two random Canadian (I think they were Canadians, I can’t remember) guys one night and we got a table at some lounge, and were able to pull the two girls from the next table over. They were polite, but in my limited recollection, nothing ever came of it. There are nice Vietnamese only bars, where the well-heeled Vietnamese go to drink, and I tried to find a way in to get the experience, but it didnt happen. At these clubs, you would definitely be a novelty, and its my understanding that its all social-circle and bottle service, though again, not expensive if the USA is your standard (big city USA that is).
If I go to Vietnam again, I’d almost certainly do a few different things - defintely would head to a beach city next time, and not focus too much attention on one target (I won’t go into the story here). Having a guide is a good call, if you can find the right person, due to the general lack of english (there’s some, not a ton). It will cost peanuts, and if at any point you want him to leave, he’ll go and come back whenever you want.
This trip report is an admitted sparse attempt to give a sense of the city - I visited twice during 2013, each time for at least five days. I wouldn't say in any way that my experiences were exhaustive and I didn't get the flag - I probably could have but not in the quality arena I'd prefer to stay.
VP, this is per your request, hope you enjoy...
Hanoi is an inland city in Northern Vietnam, reachable by short flights from HK, Guangzhou and other Asian capitals. Its actually a really centrally located city, with very good values for money, and could conceivably be a good place to base yourself if your work is location-independent like mine. Additionally, I am told that business opportunities are exploding in Vietnam - I am also told by credible sources that Vietnamese make some of the worst business partners (when partnered with foreigners, including other Asians) and have a nasty habit of kicking their partners out of the business after its up and running for a few years. Due to the corruption of the local police forces, its not difficult for a Vietnamese entrepreneur to get away with this type of activity apparently, and this has led to less direct investment by Chinese in Vietnam over recent years.
Hanoi is a mid-sized city, spread over a fairly large area. To me, for an Asian city, it doesn’t have the feeling of enormous population density (except when it comes to motor-bikes - you’ve never seen so many scooters in your life, an ocean of them, constantly honking, at all times it seems.
Arriving in to Hanoi airport, you’ll have to have already arranged your visa if you’re American like me - check if you need to. I used My Vietnam Visa to arrange my visa, both times, and it was waiting for me at Immigration in Hanoi, without an issue. There are different visa lengths available, but for me, both times I opted for the shortest, a thirty day length. After you disembark from your plane, bear left as you enter the main hall of arrivals, before immigration, where there is a visa processing booth. The processing time per applicant is a bit long, so I would suggest you hustle over there if the flight you were on was full to avoid a long wait to get processed. After you’ve presented all the documentation and fees that you need to (the visa company will provide a list of what you need, pics, etc.) you’ll head to an immigration officer, he or she will basically ignore you and stamp your passport. You’re in.
Like any third-world country, getting ripped off at the airport for a cab is not a difficult things to have happen. But if you know what the cost should be, just tell the driver what you’re willing to pay, and they shouldn’t argue - I had no problems on either trip. To the Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem lake, expect about 100,000 dong, or a bit less than US$20. There might be buses to there as well, but I didnt check that out, and just took a taxi instead. Its about a thirty minute ride without traffic to the OQ.
Once you arrive at your hotel, its quite easy to find a shop to sell you a SIM card with data service. Its not particularly expensive, though given how cheap things are in Hanoi, on a relative basis its not cheap. Wi-fi is widely available in restaurants and hotels, though.
Both times I visited, I stayed in the Old Quarter, the first time at the Hanoi Central Backpackers (in the top, private double room, split with a friend from China). That was $25 per night, so $12.50 each, including wi-fi and a bia-hoi drink-up with the backpackers that stayed in the dorm rooms on the other floors and some staff. My buddy used to work there, which is the main reason we stayed there during my first trip. Overall, its a bit dirty, but the service was basically friendly and it was a very central location in Old Quarter, with decent wi-fi. A modest breakfast is also included (the coffee is quite good, however - the Vietnamese do coffee well).
The second time around I stayed at the Landmark Hanoi Hotel, which was a big more on the outskirts of the Old Quarter, but only a few minutes motorbike ride to the center of it (or a five minute walk). Virtually no difference geographically, this place was $35 per night for a nice, clean quiet room with effective air conditioning and a good breakfast.
I know that backpackers had a bit of a door policy but it was circumventable - it didnt seem they let Vietnamese in unless they worked there. I didn’t have any opportunity to encounter the issue at Landmark, but it seemed like the same thing.
Both times when I was there, my focus was on seeing the city, cuisines, museums, and some nightlife. I hired a guide for very little money - he was someone who i met who sold lighters on the street, spoke decent english and had guided foreigners around before. He did a good enough job and was pleasant enough that I hired him a second time around when I went back. It was only a few dollars a day, and he would pay his own way by purchasing things like T-shirts and gifts on my behalf- they would have charged me more than double what they charged him for the same item. He also got me a bag of weed (he was definitely nervous about it) and also loaned me his terrible, brakeless motorbike to use a few times (I probably shouldn’t have taken him up on it).
The Girls
Well, I’d say, having been in China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea (a bit), and Malaysia, that the girls in Vietnam have the most elegance, class and beauty on average. That’s solely based on Hanoi of course. They range from Chinese-looking, which I like, to mixed-rase Eurasian French Indochinese, which I also like. They do tend to be very thin, small boned girls, and in fact, I noticed some pretty incredible milfs walking around. After having a child, they plumped up just a little bit in the right places, to their benefit.
With respect to friendliness, I would definitely say (1) women are more friendly than guys in Hanoi, (2) you can pull girls even if they don’t speak much english at all (especially if you’re hanging with a guide who can translate) and (3) I think closing is harder than any other country I’ve visited in East Asia, except Malaysia (again thats based on Hanoi and Borneo in Malaysia, not KL).
I think, though given some time, foreigners can do quite decently in Hanoi. Unfortunately, some appear to have figured it out, and there seems to be a sizable foreigner population, both transient backpacker types roaming everywhere around Hanoi and in other districts, like near West Lake. I’d say that there is also a group of younger people more accommodating and interested in interacting with foreigners, and a probably larger subset that seems to ignore them. Regardless, you shouldn’t expect to be a novelty around the Old Quarter or many other parts of Hanoi - the city has a long history of foreign people living there.
WeChat was kind of useful when I used Around Me when staying at the Landmark hotel - I got two or three bites very quickly on it. I also used Badoo a bit. I could have met up with one or more girls from WeChat, but Badoo ended up attracting women from Southern Vietnam for some reason. It also seemed to be full of single moms, or at least maybe thats who is the most responsive to foreigners.
One of my stranger experiences in Hanoi with a girl was when I met one working in a shop with her mother. I’d gone there to buy a few t-shirts (I had only a few with me and the hot weather was taking its toll) - I dont remember how it happened, but I ended up going back to chat with her via google and my guide a few times, and then she joined me for dinner one night. She brought a friend, and my guide was the friend’s date (thought the friend was a notch I could have gotten, - English speaking single mom who texted me to meet several times during my trip). Anyway when I went to Hanoi the second time, I went to say hi to this girl, and her mother told me that she wasn’t at work because she was getting married that weekend (this was only a few months later). I don’t really know much more than that, but because she was on my facebook, I saw that she did indeed get married. Cute girl, too.
Food
Food is pretty good in Vietnam, and very cheap. There are night markets like you’ll find in Thailand, and its possible to stay on a very tight budget with those. However, even the multiple cafes on every block serve palatable and seemingly clean cuisine (I didnt get sick at all, though I don’t eat meat, which cuts down on the chances), some of it tasty, if a bit lacking in variety. I’d say the average price of a meal in one of these cafes would be US$2-3, maybe a bit more with beer. If you go to a western style restaurant, you’ll pay a little more, but not too much US$5-6.
There are, to be sure, nicer places to eat. For a date, you can try Quan An Ngon, which has first class seafood and a tremendous variety. It would probably be around US$20-30 for two people, maximum, depending on wine and what you order. Its quite a busy scene, and is outdoors under a huge tent the sides of which can pull down if it starts to rain. I’d definitely make the trip there if you’re in Hanoi.
Nightlife
As reflected in other posts on Vietnam, Hanoi has a large collection of Bia Hoy places, where you sit and drink cheap beer on plastic stools on the street. Its mostly Vietnamese, though there are some places frequented by backpackers. Its a very cheap way to pull a buzz, but the beer truly is shit.
Hanoi also has a club scene, some being in a district on the north side of the Old Quarter, on Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien. I have to admit I don’t have a great recollection of the various clubs on that street, or those elsewhere, though I will say that there was some solid talent in these places. Some of the ones that I recall are Soho, and Flow bar, Flow being owned by the owner of the Central Backpackers. Its nothing special, filled with smelly foreigners mostly. I think Fat Cat was another place that was OK. Some of them have a mixed crowd, though table game would be the way to go if you want to aim for locals. The backpackers tend to be flooded on the dancefloors mostly hooking up with each other and acting fairly beastly. I did see some slim yet curvaceous Vietnamese beauties in most of the mixed bars, often quite nicely dressed in skirts and blouses and heels. As you might expect, the staffs are often good looking as well. Also, I didn't encounter any P4P at any of these places, or really at all in Hanoi. I think that element is around but focused in specific hotel bars which I didn't visit.
I ended up hanging out with two random Canadian (I think they were Canadians, I can’t remember) guys one night and we got a table at some lounge, and were able to pull the two girls from the next table over. They were polite, but in my limited recollection, nothing ever came of it. There are nice Vietnamese only bars, where the well-heeled Vietnamese go to drink, and I tried to find a way in to get the experience, but it didnt happen. At these clubs, you would definitely be a novelty, and its my understanding that its all social-circle and bottle service, though again, not expensive if the USA is your standard (big city USA that is).
If I go to Vietnam again, I’d almost certainly do a few different things - defintely would head to a beach city next time, and not focus too much attention on one target (I won’t go into the story here). Having a guide is a good call, if you can find the right person, due to the general lack of english (there’s some, not a ton). It will cost peanuts, and if at any point you want him to leave, he’ll go and come back whenever you want.
I've referral links for most credit cards, PM me for them & thanks if you use them
Strip away judeo-christian ethics ingraining sex is dirty/bad & the idea we're taking advantage of these girls disintegrates. Once you've lost that ethical quandary (which it isn't outside religion) then they've no reason to play the victim, you've no reason to feel the rogue. The interaction is to their benefit.
Frequent Travs
Phils SZ China