48 hours of fun in Hanoi and Ninh Binh by Australian tourists

James Booth enjoyed egg coffee, ate bun cha, rode a cyclo through Hanoi's Old Quarter and visited UNESCO-recognized landscapes in Ninh Binh.

James Booth, an Australian, visited Hanoi and spent most of his time exploring the cuisine . In Ninh Binh, James went to pagodas and visited famous landmarks such as Trang An and Bai Dinh. He added that two days were not enough to explore these places and "it's easy to get lost".

First night

Upon arriving in Hanoi, James stopped at a restaurant 20 minutes walk from the Old Quarter and ordered grilled chicken feet. The first time he ate this dish, the Australian tourist put the whole chicken foot in his mouth and chewed the bone. His companion, Duncan Lu, a chef in Melbourne, advised James to eat the grilled chicken feet in small bites rather than chewing each piece.

James had some more Western-style dishes like fried fish. He commented that this dish was similar to the fried chicken balls at fast food restaurants. After a late-night meal, James moved to his hotel on Tu Hoa Street, Tay Ho, to rest and prepare for the next day.

Day Two

James starts his day with an egg coffee at Giang, a cafe that is familiar to foreign visitors to Hanoi for the first time. He describes the cafe as "hidden in the old quarter, occupying a small corner on Nguyen Huu Huan Street." He recommends iced coffee when visiting Hanoi in the summer.

After drinking morning coffee like a local, James took a tour of the old town by cyclo. He thought that traveling around the old town by cyclo was reasonable because foreigners would find it difficult to drive a motorbike through the crowded checkerboard streets.

"I realized that some streets here are associated with a traditional business. For example, Hang Bac Street specializes in making and selling jewelry, Hang Ma Street only sells decorative items, there is a street specializing in selling household appliances, and around Dong Xuan Market, there are bustling stalls selling fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish," James said.

The male tourist added that many streets in the old quarter have shops selling local designs or imitations of big brands, and even offering same-day tailoring of suits. James said that the local tour guide advised him not to order suits immediately because the quality of the fabric and seams was not good.

In the afternoon, James plans to enjoy local specialties. "To eat bun cha spicy enough to blow away Birkenstock (a famous German fashion brand) shares, you should stop at Huong Lien restaurant. This is where former President Barack Obama and the late chef Anthony Bourdain came to eat in 2016," James suggested.

He said that after 4 years the restaurant has not increased its prices and is known by many tourists. James chose the Obama combo, a special bun cha dish including grilled meat, vermicelli, fried seafood spring rolls and a glass of beer, priced at 8 USD. He advised tourists not to add as much chili and pepper as the locals do.

James planned to spend the afternoon drinking coffee on the railway street. He learned about the place through videos and photos shared on social media. He was looking forward to experiencing "the dizzying thrill of drinking coffee in a railway observation shop and watching the train pass by from less than 2 meters away". However, James had to leave because the railway street was closed for safety reasons.

Train Street in Hanoi is no longer open to tourists.

"Someone introduced me to another way to get to the train cafes, about a 10-minute walk from the main entrance with security, but I didn't go in because I was afraid of getting into trouble. Not only me, many tourists regretfully just stood outside taking pictures," James said.

On his last evening in Hanoi, James spent time on Ta Hien Street, soaking up the bustling atmosphere. He ate pho and nibbled on some local snacks at a random restaurant in the neighborhood. He described the "small, narrow neighborhood as crowded with people, with only rickety plastic tables and chairs for eating."

"Many bars have customers spilling out onto the street, anyone passing by can join in the crowd and the loud music with a beer in hand. If you like a lively atmosphere, you can visit the bars here," said Jame.

Day 3

Saying goodbye to Hanoi, the Australian tourist continued his journey to Ninh Binh. He said he tried to forget the feeling of nausea when sitting on the bus for 3 hours through some potholed roads. The first place James stopped was Bai Dinh Pagoda.

"Here, you can learn about the history of Vietnamese Buddhism, admire giant Buddha statues and stroll through the longest Arhat statue corridor in Southeast Asia. Then stop by a local restaurant and enjoy raw mountain goat meat with lemon," James introduced the destination.

In the afternoon, the male tourist traveled to Trang An, a place known to many foreign tourists. This scenic complex was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural and natural heritage. James learned about this place through newspapers and the movie Kong: Skull Island, which was filmed here. The film set here has now been dismantled. James took a boat downstream to explore many caves in the scenic complex and visited a few temples on the shore.

On the last evening, James returned to Hanoi and stayed at the highest hotel in the city. Here he had dinner in a private dining room, admiring the panoramic view of Hanoi at night from above.

Bich Phuong (according to Escape )

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