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.
More Information about Vietnam
Vietnam Travel Guide
Vietnam Travel Guide Vietnam is an amazing country to visit. Filled with rich history, historic towns, beautiful beaches, friendly people, and some of the best street food in Asia, there is something here for everyone. Sail through Ha Long Bay on a Junk cruise ship, rent a motorbike and ride through the quaint town of […]
Two Days in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest city. It is located in the southern portion of the country, not far from the Mekong Delta. This city was called Saigon until 1976, when the name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City after the conclusion of the Vietnam War. Many local people here prefer the name […]
A Day on the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
A trip to Vietnam would not be complete without a trip to the Mekong Delta. This is iconic Vietnam…flat fields of rice fields as far as the eye can see, wooden houses on stilts located along the river’s edge, men and women in small boats, selling their produce. I was so excited to get a […]
12 Must-Have Experiences in Vietnam
Vietnam is the perfect mix of the past, present, and future. Explore the ancient Imperial Palace in Hue, tour rapidly growing Ho Chi Minh City, and watch as the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang puts on a pyrotechnic show. The cuisine in Vietnam is phenomenal. I would travel back to Vietnam just for the food…it’s […]
Three Days on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
The grand finale of our tour of Vietnam was a three day cruise on Ha Long Bay with Galaxy Cruise Lines. Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most famous sights…thousands of small limestone mountains filling the bay, not far from the South China Sea. This is a popular tourist sight and another UNESCO World […]
Wishing We Had More Time in Hoi An
I had read that Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s best destinations, but I had no idea how much we all would love it here. There is something in Hoi An for everyone…a quaint, old town perfect for strolling, shopping, and dining, awesome beaches for the kids, and a perfect mix of countryside and villages […]
Traveling from Hoi An to Hue in Vietnam
The best way to get from Hoi An to Hue is by hiring a private driver for the day. By having a driver, we were able to visit My Son Sanctuary, Da Nang, Marble Mountain, travel over Hai Van Pass, walk on Lang Co Beach, and have pit stops for lunch and photos. Traveling From […]
One Year Around the World
As I write this, I am on the airplane, taking our final flight from Los Angeles to New York City. This is a very hard post to write, one that I have thought about for months, one that I knew I would have to write, and one that I have not looked forward to. As […]
Capturing the Action: How to Take Great Photos When Traveling
Traveling and photography go hand in hand. When you are in a new place and experiencing new things, it’s only normal that you would want to get that perfect photo, something to remember the moment by. I love photography. When I travel, one of the things I look forward to most is having a memory […]
Travel Photography Gear Guide: What’s In Our Camera Bag
Do you want to know how we capture the images that you see on our website? Here is our photography gear guide, with links and explanations of our photography gear and accessories. At the end of this post, we offer tips and tricks on how to take better photographs while traveling. Photography Gear Guide The […]
My Life as a Travel Blogger: An Unexpected Journey
Ten years ago, if you told me that I would be a travel blogger at this point in my life, I would have called you crazy!! And here I am. What started out as a little travel blog to keep friends and family up-to-date about our around the world trip has grown into something much […]
What Traveling Through Asia Has Taught Us
We have now been traveling through Asia for over five months and still have several more to go. It has been quite the learning experience for our family…new foods, new cultures, lots of history to learn about. Most of it has been a wonderful experience although we have had a few difficulties along the way, […]
Comments 7