Hanoi among world’s best vacation ideas for every type of traveler

07/11/2018

The Hanoitimes - Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but planning them—particularly deciding on where to go—can feel like work.

Hanoi has been named among the best vacation ideas for every type of traveler, according to a list released by Time, a US weekly news magazine and news website.
 
West Lake in Hanoi.
West Lake in Hanoi.
The magazine advises travelers who looking for love that a trip to Vietnam’s capital city might be the right choice. “Navigate the hectic, crowded streets of the Old Quarter, dodge motorcyles that zip down the roads and sample street food at the Hang Dao Night Market for the perfect opportunity to bond with a loved one,” Time wrote.
Walk hand in hand around Hoan Kiem Lake, go on a boat tour of Ha Long Bay or watch the sunset over West Lake. Southeast Asia can be a challenging destination for first-timev visitors, noting Hanoi’s madcap nature.
Also on the list are Sydney (Australia), Reykjavik (Iceland), Northern Croatia, Galway (Ireland), Naples (Italy), Cambutal (Panama), Rwanda (Africa), etc.
Hanoi has been ranked 4th among the seven destinations in Southeast Asia that you can make a quick three-day escape from the busy life, according to a list released by Prestige, a lifestyle media of choice for the affluent and influential.
Looking at Hanoi now, you’d barely believe that the city was blocked from the outside world until the 1990s. No a high-octane hub of tourism, Hanoi combines the best of old and new Vietnam, according to Prestige.
“The heart of Hanoi, the Old Quarter, promises meandering lanes of utter chaos: Hawkers, honking motorcyclists and cyclists jostle for space while Hanoians watch on as they sip coffee by the roads,” Prestige wrote.
According to Prestige, through the French Quarter travellers will find grand old boulevards, majestic colonial-style hotels, art galleries and upscale restaurants while the area around lake Tay Ho is now buzzing with cool bars, restaurants and markets for both locals and expats.
For coffee drinkers, Hanoi is heaven on earth. Coffee shops – hawking the country’s signature Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk – are countless and are the perfect spots to refuel at after a long day of city exploration.
In the ten months of 2018, the number of holidaymakers to Hanoi is estimated at more than 13.1 million, a 16.8% increase from the same period last year, according to the Hanoi Statistics Office. Of the total visitors in the ten months, the city welcomed over 3.4 million foreign visitors, marking a 16.9% rise from the same period last year.
Ha Phuong