Hanoi is the elegant capital city of Vietnam sprawling its way along the Red River banks. There are many lakes, parks and leafy quarters which make the city just freshly green all year round. Ha Noi was first built in 1010 by King Ly Thai To who checked and found out that Feng-shui here was exceptionally good for the prosperity of the kingdom that time; Ha Noi was called Thanh Long meaning "the city of ascending dragons" then.

Hanoi's architecture is the blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and French. The city is known to the locals as three main areas: The Ancient Citadel Area (11th century) which was home to the Royal Family; The Old Quarter (Ancient Business Area) dated back from the 11th century was the business quarter of Old Hanoi; The Frech Quarter with French architure dated back from the 19th century were home to the French residents of Hanoi during their time here.

The Old Quarter with Hoan Kiem Lake is in the city's center; the Ancient Citadel Area with the West Lake is to the West and the French Quarter is to the South. All goods on earth could be found in the Old Quarter with narrow hustling bustling streets. There's a night market on from Hang Ngang and Hang Dao streets to Dong Xuan Market. The ancient citadel area now is the seat of the government, you make like to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda in this area. The French quarter is home to fine-dining restaurants, luxurious hotels and street cafes.

Tours

Ha Noi can be explored for 1-2 days depending on the interests of the travellers. For those interested in temples and pagodas, there are many around, some were dated back to the 6th century B.C. Ha Noi is where you can find the best museums in Vietnam ranging from history, fine arts, women... to ethnology. Touring the museums is a good way to learn about Vietnam, especially for the travelers who have a limited amount of time for their tour.

Thong Nhat Park, Botanical Garden, the Zoo and the West Lake are good places for those who like to get fresh air and to get relaxed. The Old Quarter of Ha Noi offers exotic traffic experience, good shopping items, traditional culinary experience and the exotic old markets. The French Quarter is where you find the French influence in the weathered colonial architecture and fine-dining delights.

Ha Noi is a good base to explore the surrounding countryside and the mountains of northern Vietnam. From Ha Noi you can day-trip to the heart of the Red River Delta with fresh green rice paddies, towering rock formations and century-old temples and pagodas. For the active and adventure travellers, then there are plenty of opportunities to join in the adventures of a life-time with trekking or biking expeditions to the far northern mountains.

Transportation

By air:  There are daily flights between Ha Noi and major cities in Vietnam such as Hue, Dien Bien Phu, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City.

There are also direct flights between Ha Noi and major hubs in the world such as those in the US, Europe, Australia, Japan and other South East Asian countries. Please contact Paradissa Travel for further details for the flights from your location.

By train: There are daily trains between Ha Noi and other cities in Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Tri....The trains are in fairly good conditions with hard seats, soft seats, air-con soft sleepers....But they are not yet to be luxurious. The trains between Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City take 30 hours to 42 hours depending on each type. There’s also a tourist train for the travellers who wish to travel between Beijing and Ha Noi.

By road: The road system is Vietnam has been dramatically improved since 2000. There are daily buses between Ha Noi and most other destinations in Vietnam. You can also travel between Ha Noi and Vientiane (Laos) by road.

Getting Around

On foot: Ha Noi is fairly a small capital city and can be explore on foot in 1-2 days with a relaxing pace. The Old Quarter, the French Quarter and the West Lake areas are good for walking tours. The only thing to be remembered when taking part in the exotic traffic of Ha Noi is to move slowly and decisively forward. Other vehicles will weave around you. The crossing-stripes and traffic lights are for decoration only. For many travellers, traffic in Vietnam has been hightlights of their tours.

Xe Om (motorbike taxi): There are many Xe Oms around every street corner of Ha Noi. You must remember that it’s fun and somewhat adventurous traveling on motorbike, still the price has to be agreed before setting off.

Taxi: There are many taxi companies operating in the city. There are ubiquitous that you don’t have to remember their contact details.