http://hongkongvietnam.blogspot.com
10 September 2018
Robyn and I flew from Hong Kong to Hanoi in the afternoon of 10 September 2018. I would thoroughly recommend our Tour Agent Pham from Getaway Halong Sapa for her thoroughness and choice of activities in Vietnam. (www.getawayhalongsapa.com)
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and the countries second largest city by population. In 2015 it had an estimated 7.7 million people. It lies on the bank of Red River. Hanoi is 1760Km from Ho Chi Minh City.
From 1010-1802 Hanoi was the most important political centre of Vietnam. It was eclipsed by Hue as the imperial capital of Vietnam during Nguyen Dynasty 1802-1945. In 1873 Hanoi was conquered by the French. From 1883-1945 the city was the administrative centre of the colony of French Indochina. The French built a modern administrative city south of old Hanoi, creating broad perpendicular tree-lined avenues of operas, churches, buildings and luxury villas, but they also destroyed large parts of the city, reducing the size of lakes and canals, also clearing out various imperial palaces and citadels. From 1940-1945 Hanoi as well as the largest part of French Indochina and South East Asia was occupied by the Japanese. 2 September 1945 Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). 6 January 1946 the Vietnamese National Assembly under Ho Chi Minh decided to make Hanoi the capital of Democratic Republic of Vietnam. From 1945-1976 Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam and became the capital of reunified Vietnam in 1976 after the north's victory in the Vietnam War.
We had 4 nights in Hanoi, with day trips coming and going from Hanoi. Here is a snapshot of what we experienced in and around Hanoi over that period.
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| Hanoi from the air |
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4 nights at Vietview Hotel in Hanoi
Basic but very homely |
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| Coffee with milk and sugar combined |
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| Unique bath but we didn't use it |
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Dining room at Vietview Hotel, Hanoi
We tried different local dishes |
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| Nguyen Huyen Anh & Tuan Nguyen Hoang at Vietview Hotel in Hanoi |
