Author: Maddie Thiros
I've been stomping through muddy trails, sleeping in a wooden house on stilts in the middle of a typhoon, and flying down mountains on a bike of questionable integrity in the countryside of Vietnam. And you can too, if you hop on the next flight to Hanoi and don’t mind a few long (but very scenic) bus rides.
(Rice paddies along a trail near Sa Pa Photo by @Maddie Thiros)
Activity Recs
While the city is jam-packed with museums and restaurants, I’d recommend spending most of your time on multi-day excursions outside of the city. Both of these trips can kick off in Hanoi:
Sa Pa - Get connected with a homestay in the villages surrounding Sa Pa. A member of the host family will lead you on a 2-day trek from Lao Chai to Su Pan that will get your heart properly pumping. They’ll make sure you’re well-fed with a traditional dinner and breakfast when you stop at their family home to spend the night. There is no lack of tourist traffic on these trails, but with the views they offer, it’s not hard to understand why.
Mau Chai - Find a tour group with a bus driver who can dump you at a random gas station in the countryside, from which you can bike through the rice paddy-d fields and hilly vistas in the villages surrounding Mau Chai. You could technically get in and out in a day, but I’d recommend finding a homestay in Lac or Pom Coong to soak up the fresh, mountain air.
And for those days when you’re back recuperating in the city, try this:
West Lake Loop - While going for a stroll in most parts of this city may feel like more of a near-death than relaxing experience, you can find a semblance of peace to get your steps in on the West Lake Loop. Weave past restaurants and shops with awesome city views for up to 9.3 miles.
Cooking class - The street markets are technically organized by product type, but this doesn’t seem to make them any easier to navigate. Find a cooking class that will take you through the markets with purpose, and teach you how to make some Vietnamese favorites - like bun cha and egg coffee - with your locally sourced ingredients.
Spa treatment -Take advantage of the fact that you can get a high-end massage for the cost of one of those New York parlors with bedsheets hanging from the ceiling to “separate” you from other patrons. I felt brand new after one at the Sheraton West Lake Hotel.
Food Recs
Cafe Phố Cổ ($) - Hidden in the back of a clothing store, this house-turned-café boasts an egg coffee that tastes as if someone dumped a crème brûlée on a shot of espresso, 10/10
Bún chả Hương Liên ($) - Also known as “Bun Cha Obama”, you can enjoy the same, delicious, aromatic, brothy pork dish that President Barack Obama once shared with Anthony Bourdain (RIP).
Aura Cocktail Bar ($) - If you want to indulge on vacation, look no further than this swanky, dimly lit establishment. A place where the bartender who doesn’t understand any English somehow, telepathically understands exactly what flavor profile you’d like in your custom cocktail.
Dissuasions
Thang Long Water Puppet Theater - Maybe it was me, but no one in this theater seemed to want to be there. Including (especially) the performers. Cell phones are allowed, so unless you’re in the front, you’re probably watching the whole thing through the screen of someone in front of you.
Estimated cost key
- $ ($0-20 pp)
- $$ ($20-40 pp)
- $$$ ($40+ pp)
Bún chả for lunch in downtown Hanoi @ Maddie Thiros
Song Rec:
Northern Attitude (with Hozier) - Noah K is basic, but listening to Hozier yodel on this bridge while zipping through lush, mountainous terrain was nothing short of a spiritual experience.
Quote to consider:
“Wildness was not something unfamiliar. I knew it each time I had plunged into the water as a child… Wildness is something we all have touched. We only need to remember. What wild stories did you tell your elders before you learned the proper way to speak and write? At what moment did you trade in your own wild inheritance for the promise of safety and comfort? And was the choice even yours to make?” - Craig Foster, in Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World.