INTRODUCTION

HA NOI
Vietnam's capital is a city of wide tree lined boulevards, tranquil lakes and enchanting colonial villas.
The "City of The Rising Dragon" is enthralling and offers something for everyone. You will wish that you had more time to explore her charms. Whether it's the arts, history, museums, ancient pagodas, cultural life, gastronomes just tell us what interests you and we'll take you on a memorable day trip around Hanoi on your choice of cyclo or by your private air conditioned vehicle.

Hanoi lying for centuries alongside the dramatic Red River, has managed to retain some of its small-town provincial charm, with slender, ancient streets, pagodas and lakes, pastel-washed villas and a cultured, bohemian café society – a remnant  of French colonial influence.

 Hanoi seems to seep right under your skin, like the creeping roots of the ancient Banyan trees erupting under uneven paving slabs. And as the time flows on, it becomes even tougher to leave one of the loveliest cities in Asia.

Hanoi, like many capital cities – holds some curious contrasts. It is the seat of a Socialist Republic, starkly evident with Eastern - bloc buildings and the imposing Communist area Ba Dinh square - with Ho Chi Minh‘s Mausoleum centre stage.  Yet conversely, the city boasts a huge artistic  bohemian community, choc a bloc with budding artists and poets and wall to wall galleries. Some parts of Hanoi resemble the Parisian Left Bank, with streets strewn with romantic French style cafés, even artists donning traditional French berets. You can almost cut the bohemian ambience with a palette knife. And this is the city of four seasons. Temperatures deviate so much that locals swear every known affliction is down to the weather. In the winter, chilly temperatures induce the locals to spend time huddling over big steaming bowls of noodle soup on the street, dressed in scarves, gloves and Mandarin  style jackets. Spring brings sunshine and picture pretty cherry blossoms reflected in water while hot, steaming summertime temperatures and humidity wilts even the hardiest antipodeans. Autumn perhaps the loveliest season  brings refreshing relief with dazzling azure blue skies and endless warm days.

Nowhere more so than the magical Old Quarter, located north of Hoan Kiem Lake. This is a compact square kilometer of ancient merchant quarters, dating back more than five hundred years. Street names equate to when the area was divided up amongst thirty six artisan’s guilds. Even today, a number of streets are still dedicated to that original craft or modern equivalent: Hang Quat, Hang Bo or Hang Thiec.

An evening stroll around beautiful  Hoan Kiem Lake, watching couples snuggle under the cloak of darkness across from illuminated Turtle Island. Sipping fresh beers at Ta Hien’s grungy Bia Hoi’s on precarious tiny plastic stools, watching the world and his dog go past. Sampling Pho in Bat Dan’s cramped noodle soup street kiosks, or finding moments of tranquility in the ancient temple on Hang Buom. Watching locals practice Tai Chi at dawn in Lenin Park. The memories are almost too much to bear.