We spent a week in Hanoi during the middle of February, giving us plenty of time to get to know this city. Everyday we took a walk through the area, exploring the backstreets, watching people prepare and then celebrate Tet, the Lunar New Year. We walked on the train tracks, went shopping in the markets, and loved walking around Hoan Kiem Lake.
Here are some of my photos taken prior to Tet, when the city was very busy and full of life.
Journey Through the Old Quarter of Hanoi
This woman was skinning and quartering live frogs right on the street. The looks on Tyler and Kara’s faces were priceless.
Just by chance, we stumbled across the train tracks running through Hanoi. Some people live right here, with their front doors opening right onto the train tracks. We saw people sitting outside of their house, cooking food or washing their motorbikes, and right before the train rushed past, they would have to gather all of their things off of the tracks. Wow, what a way to live!
Where We Stayed
We spent seven nights at the Hanoi Old Centre Hotel. This place was awesome. It has a terrific location, right in the heart of the Old Quarter. We had a family room on the sixth floor, giving us one queen and two twin beds with tons of space. The room came with a flat screen TV, refrigerator, and even a small balcony with perfect views out over Hoan Kiem Lake. From our balcony we watched the fireworks on Tet. Breakfast was provided every morning and was delicious, offering fresh fruit, pancakes, eggs, and my favorite, chicken noodle soup. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Hanoi Old Centre Hotel is the best place we stayed in while in Vietnam.
Our trip to Vietnam was in February 2015 as part of a trip around the world.
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