So here's my 5 top tips to surrvive Vietnam, Hanoi in particular.
1) Visas - It's our own fault, we should have done our research. We thought you could just purchase a visa on arrival at customs in Vietnam, but you need to produce an approval letter before you even board the flight. So with 45 minutes till boarding time we had to find the airport WIFI, fill out an online form and pay a small fortune ($68 USD) to receive in 30 minutes, plus another sum for the stamp when you arrive. Do arrange your visa approval letter up to a week before your flight is due to leave.
2) Weather - I am very aware Vietnam has a rainy season which is why I planned to visit outside of this, but Hanoi doesn't seem to play to the seasonal rules. Landing to miserable weather after enjoying mid 30s in Thailand I thought I'd come back to England. I had come a bit unprepared for these conditions and had to make do with the few warm clothes I did have without looking like a total mish-mash... Which I still did.
3) Taxis - like any major city tourists and foreigners can get taken advantage of and ripped off. It only happened once but avoid the Green Taxis, although it was on the metre it was going up exceptionally fast, when the same journey had cost us less than half the first time. Also at museums such as the Ho Chi Mihn temple there is a foreigners entrance which you have to pay for whereas other people don't!
4) Crossing the Road - literally one of the most daunting things you'll ever do! Bikes, motor bikes, cars and busses coming in all directions honking away at each other. I'm not the best driver, but my god, the Vietnamese are awful (don't get me started on the bus drivers which have me genuinely fearing for my life) . The best thing to do is to step out, slow and steady but don't stop, be careful of cars but all the bikes just ride around and swerve you.
5) Shopping - take some extra cash if you want to shop. There are some lovely boutiques in Hanoi. As many of the factories and clothes are made here you can get all your favourite pieces from shops like Zara for a fraction of the price. Although I don't agree with counterfeit goods there are some amazing replicas around, the design and quality is as good as the real thing. I'm still dreaming about a Givenchy skirt I saw. There's also a designer mall, and of course all the tailors in Hôi An (take a sketch or image of what you want, choose the fabric and they will make it within 48 hours!
Most important of all enjoy it! There's plenty to do, the culture is really nice, once part of the French colony the French influence is really visible in the buildings, some of the cuisine and language. Vietnam is yet to get overly touristy so it's nice to experience it whilst it's still genuine. If you go Hanoi, I would definitely recommend a visit to Halong Bay despite the dismal weather it was a really fun trip.
*We stayed for 2 nights in Hanoi, 1 night in Halong Bay which was more than enough time to see everything*
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