Just got back from Hanoi myself. What an amazing place! Highly recommend. Why crossing the street takes some getting use to, it’s actually very safe and a beautiful symphony of controlled chaos.
Just a note: if one makes a concerted effort to avoid the small amount of automobile traffic, the scooters can and will avoid hitting you. But, cars, busses ... you REALLY don't want to risk it!
Great review of Hanoi, a city I really enjoy! I was in Hanoi twice for a month each time both in the Winter (Pre covid) and the summer (post covid). I actually preferred the winter as the cooler temperatures meant that I could walk and explore much longer than in August when the heat slowed me down. Halong Bay was amazing and definitely recommend 2 nights. Thanks again for a great overview of Hanoi.
I'm glad you enjoyed Hanoi. I too have been in both summer and winter and, like you, also prefer the winter. Thanks once again for watching our videos!
Thank you Ryan and Emily for bringing Hanoi to our living room. Now my family and I can say we roughly know what to expect if we do visit Hanoi in the near future. All thanks to The Snail Travelers ❤👍
So cool! Hanoi (and Vietnam as a whole) looks really interesting. I love that you showed some aspects that I haven't seen in many other videos (eg. water puppets). We really want to go to Vietnam in the not too distant future ... and we may be much closer to Vietnam very soon.
Terrific! I hope you are able to make the visit to Vietnam because it is indeed a spectacular country! It great to hear from you and I hope you guys are doing well.
Love this video. We are heading to Hanoi in a few months. I'm actually looking forward to crossing those crazy streets 😂. Thanks for the dining recommendations. The Airbnb prices you showed are a bit lower than what we are seeing recently for a one bedroom. However, perhaps we are going at a busier time of year. Thanks again for all of the ideas and showing us what to expect.
Thanks guys! Yeah, Airbnb prices seem to be creeping up little by little. If we had to do it over again we probably would have paid a little more to get a better apartment; our apartment was nice except the bathroom was outside and down a set of stairs. I think you guys will love Hanoi! Thanks for watching.
Beware of the pollution in Hanoi. Under the corrupt Vietnamese Communist regime, unregulated industrial and consumer wastes along with motorbikes contribute to the massive problem of air pollution, making Hanoi the most polluted city in Southeast Asia and human lungs vulnerable to infections, hence Vietnam's Covid death toll topped the region.
I've learned to love riding in Hanoi. It's more like walking in the mall than driving a car. It's really intuitive and you definitely can have equal amounts of trust and awareness
Yes we did go to HCMC (video coming soon!) We thought the traffic was heavier but also a little less chaotic compared to Hanoi. Thanks for watching our video!
There are many good museums, but keep in mind that the exhibits will be presented through the governments point of view, I'm not saying that's bad, but it's something to be aware of.
People either love or super hate Hanoi. Hanoi so nice. If you get used to the annoying motorbike taxi drivers and when you left the train station with all the touts.
I've visited Hanoi three times since November, 2022, latest being August, 2023. First, pho is pronounced "fuh," not "fOH!" Secondly, traffic is awful - as it is in other large Vietnamese cities like Ho Chi Minh City. And, yes, when it's convenient, sidewalks are used as a road substitute. I'm surprised there was no mention of Hanoi air quality which is regularly in the top 5 of "worst in the world." All those scooters take a toll! If one has respiratory and/or cardiac difficulties, the Hoan Kiem area is NOT a good destination. And, finally, Ha Long Bay. I did a 3D/2N "cruise" (quotes intended as the we were actually underway maybe a total of 30 minutes the entire time. The boats move to a spot, drop anchor, and SIT!) The area is SO crowded, activities like kayaking, beach, and village visits are about as intimate and entertaining as sitting in rush hour traffic on a Los Angeles freeway. I recommend SEEING Halong/Lan Ha Bays (Lan Ha is generally part of the overnight ships' itinerary), but take a day cruise. You'll not only save 100's of dollars (my 3D/2N excursion was $490 single/$770 couple), you'll see just as much. Enjoyed your review.
This is fantastic information, thank you so much for taking the time to share this. Your description of your Halong Bay cruise is similar to what we have heard from others. But how terrific that you've been able to visit Hanoi three times in the past year! Do you plan to revisit again? Thanks again for your helpful comment.
Ah yes, we definitely miss Cameron Highlands, and the clean and cool air. We will have some videos from Malaysia coming after Vietnam, so stay tuned and thanks for watching!
$1,100 to $1,300 is very reasonable. I think you forgot to add medical insurance and or seeing a doctor if you become ill. When I do my dental work, it cost me about $20-$25 for a deep cleaning, Eyeglasses are reasonable. I bring my eye prescription and I have 2-4 pairs of eyeglasses made. ( good price )
Hi.. we had been traveling Vietnam for 3 weeks now. We started in Saigon we found the traffic is crazy.. Well I take it back too lol .As we are now in Hanoi I booked a hotel in Old quarter as it is the recommendation to get picked up for our trip to Ha Long Bay. We feel so dangerous to walk in old district of Hanoi, no respect for pedestrians, the honking get into your nerves after awhile. I’m from the Philippines the traffic there is also crazy in some areas but Hanoi is to the next level, We will not come back to Hanoi. We love Da Nang we will go back there with our kids and grand kids. Hanoi is not for us. Just my honest opinion.
There are three big changes in Hanoi. 1. Before 1954 it was pretty organized since French boss controlled it. 2. After 1954 the majority of Hanoi intellectuals moved to South Vietnam when the Geneva convention signed. Lots of members of soldiers' family from central provinces moved to Hanoi. That's the reason why there's a saying: if you want to meet true Hanoians, go to Saigon. 3. After the government freed the right of moving, Hanoi has been a magnet of migrants workers and colleges, university students from all the central and northern provinces and it still is.
As a Vietnamese, it is embarrassing to admit that everything in Vietnam is unregulated, except that speaking ill of the government is absolutely punishable. So enjoy at your own peril.
dude i guess you’re not Vietnamese probably another Cambodian hating on viets 😂 . because the rules for Vietnamese people is. if you speak lies about Vietnam you will be exiled from Vietnam. Why would you want to go Vietnam or stay in Vietnam if it’s such a horrible place so it’s a win-win for everyone.
Thanks for subscribing and watching our video! The one-night cruise seems to be the most popular, and two-night cruises are also common. In our opinion, anything longer that 2 nights would be a bit too much time. The day trip tours are okay but are a bit rushed and make for a long day. Are you planning to visit? If you are, we would also suggest a trip to Ninh Binh, we didn't visit there ourself but heard from many people that it's spectacular.
It's true that there are no traffic laws that the civilians obey. But if you live here long enough then you'll notice the traffic is nothing and the way it works is like school of fish swimming around each other in the sea. It works really well, even with all the pedestrians.
One thing that's amazing to us is that we never saw any traffic accidents despite the chaotic driving. It seems like everyone on the road knows what to do to stay as safe as possibly. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I’m totally sold on trying Bun Cha now! Your description made it sound so mouth-watering! Any recommendations for a must-try dish or spot for other travelers in Hanoi?
I hope you like bun cha as much as we did! We also like banh mi - at first we weren't too excited about it because it's just a sandwich, but we found ourselves wanting more and more! Have a great trip!
Well done! Two questions: 1. Did you do a day trip or overnight trip to Ha Long Bay? 2. Where's the best area to stay for a month, central to most everything? Hope you two are doing well. We'll be back in SE Asia in early 2024.
Thanks! We just did a day trip to Halong Bay instead of overnight because I get sick if I spend too much time on a boat. I know you guys enjoy cruises so that wouldn't be an issue for you. As far as where to stay in Hanoi, I would say the Old Quarter if you want to be in the middle of the action, but if a month of the noise and chaos would be too long, then the area around Ho Tay (the big lake) would be better. Enjoy!
Hanoi is one of the most expensive cities in Vietnam, so almost anywhere else (with the exception of HCMC) will be cheaper. You might want to look into Danang, Nha Trang, and Vung Tau. (We have videos from Danang and Vung Tau if you're interested). Thanks for watching!
I would say that the old quarter section of Hanoi is not very walkable for old people because of the heavy traffic, but the outskirts of the city are less chaotic. Thanks for watching our video!
Haha, ya. I watch your videos since the pendemic. I feel happy because you love my country so much here in Malaysia. (The "finding good sushi restaurant" is in one of your video mentioned about Malaysia). After that i feel sad you didn't manage to apply the long stay and have to move to next destination. So i subscribe to your channel, so that i can get your monthly update and hoping you able to find your forever home
@@snailtravelersTell us your Malaysian subscribers and fans, when and where you’ll be so that we may want to meet up and exchange information about our locality with you over a meal or cup of coffee.
Thank you Douglass. We actually have already left SE Asia, it just takes me a long time to get the videos produced since I only make one video each month. Thanks so much for your friendliness.
