How to Plan your First Trip to Beautiful Hanoi – Your Guide to Hanoi

 Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, is a rich amalgamation of cultures. When you look at the architecture, many of which are hundreds of years old, you can see the mix of Chinese, Southeast Asian, and French influences from bygone eras. If you're thinking of making a trip there, here is some useful information to help you plan your vacation.

First Thing to Consider – When Should You Travel?

Weather can have a big impact on one's experience in a foreign land. Vietnam's seasons can largely be classified into three main ones. These include two dry seasons as well as a wet season. The dry seasons occur between November and April. As you might expect, the dry season is usually considered more favourable for travellers than the wet season, since the latter involves a lot of rainfall, which would result in most of your vacation spent indoors. This would be a shame as a lot of what Vietnam has to offer lies outdoors; in its scenic country-sides and charming cities. Hanoi is no different. During your vacation in the capital, you're going to want to spend as much time as you can exploring the city and all that it has to offer, instead of staying cooped up in your comfy hotel room.

The dry season, which Vietnam experiences for half the year, between the months of November and April, can actually be split into two separate seasons. One is classified as more of a cooler, dry season, while the other is classified as more of a warmer, dry season. The former occurs for four months of the year, during November, December, January, and February, while the latter occurs during March and April. The best time to visit, is of course, during the cooler dry season, which occurs near the start and end of the calendar year.

Second Thing to Consider – Where Should You Choose to Stay?

Since Hanoi is Vietnam's capital, there's plenty of accommodation options for you to choose from. If you want something that's on the lower end of the scale in terms of cost, consider a three or four-star hotel. These offer fewer facilities and services than a luxury hotel Hanoi would have to offer such as the Pan Pacific Hanoi, but they would serve your needs well enough while not making too big a dent in your wallet. Alternatively, if you want to spend even less, consider a hostel.

Third Thing to Consider – What Can you Do in Hanoi?

Things to see and do in the capital city include visiting the Old Quarter, which offers insight into the country's past. Hanoi also has numerous temples, museums, and monuments for you to explore. And when you need a break, you can stop by one of the many lakes – yes, that's right, the capital city has not one, not two, not three, but several lakes! They offer a good respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Due to the number of lakes it has, Hanoi has also earned itself the moniker of 'City of Lakes'. Some of the places you can visit include the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, and One Pillar Pagoda.

Fourth Thing to Consider – What Can You Eat in Hanoi?

Vegetarian vietnamese Cuisine |Image via Freepik

Hanoi has a wide range of restaurants and eateries for you to enjoy. In fact, being the capital of the country, it offers one of the widest selections of cuisines you can expect to find in Vietnam. Whether you're in the mood to try out the exotic local cuisine or are craving some familiar food from back home, the city can cater to your desires. Some of the international food chains that you can find here include Starbucks, KFC, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.