Hectic traffic and hidden treasures

By Andrew:

I'd been to Hanoi 12 years ago, and was curious to see what had changed since my last visit. I had fond recollections of motorcycle chaos on the roads, and less-fond memories of aggressive touts at the airport. To avoid the latter we had arranged for a transfer to collect us and, after a brief game of hide and seek to find the driver, we were on our way into town. This put us onto an efficient motorway, and we could have been travelling in any major city in the world...except that driving in lanes here seemed to be more optional... We passed new cars, new buses, and barely a single motorcycle. Where was the "old" Hanoi? Thankfully, it was still safely buried in the "old quarter" downtown. Here the motorbikes still buzzed around like swarms of motorised bees, obeying some incomprehensible set of road rules, and protecting themselves with an invisible force-field of incessant honking. It was good to be back!

We were staying at the awesomely named "Golden Legend Palace". This place was run by a guy named Tony, who seemed to have adorned his "Palace" by being a "Golden Legend" hoarder. Our room was stocked with a hilarious assortment of items from other hotels, including:
- towel from Babylon Garden Hotel
- towel from Okinawa Zampamisaki Royal Hotel
-towel from Hotel SunRoute
-shower gel from Babylon Grand Hotel
-Shampoo, comb and razor from mTerre Boutique Hotel
-soap dispenser from Hanoi V Maison Hotel
- bathroom shelf from Hotel Hanoi
-sugar packets from Vietnam Airlines
Despite the bespoke supplies (or perhaps because of them), GLP was a really lovely place, with very friendly staff. It also felt like the kind of place that could arrange anything for you (including a local sim).

I can imagine that Hanoi could be quite a divisive city for travellers. If you're looking for a tranquil oasis then Hanoi probably isn't for you, but if you don't mind a little bit of chaos that it could really draw you in. Personally, I loved it, and we spent our time exploring the maze of narrow streets in the Old Quarter, eating more amazing food...and cheating death every time we crossed the street!Read more