Hanoi, Vietnam

We decided to make a short trip to Hanoi on a random weekend. Why not take advantage of living in southern China by visiting one of our favorite cities? The last time we were in Hanoi was 2012. We were there for about 3 days and couldn’t get enough of this amazing city. So naturally we had to return. What makes it so amazing you ask? Everything! It is an organized chaos of scooters, cars and pedestrians working together to avoid collisions. It is the fact that everything you see resembles a National Geographic photo. Hanoi architecture was heavily influenced by the Chinese and the French and you can see this influence in many buildings today. We also appreciated the deep culture and complex history. We had the chance to visit the Temple of Literature and the One Pillar Pagoda. Both were outstanding examples of Vietnamese history.

Our main goal was to eat lots of delicious food. Success! Not only did we eat enough to feed a family for a week, but we also tried many new dishes we had never heard of before on a street food tour. If you are ever in Hanoi I highly recommend booking a food tour via motorbike or walking. You won’t regret it! Sadly, we spent too much time eating so we didn’t take any photos! 😬

The other thing we really love about Vietnam is the people. People are generally warm and friendly and make you feel right at home. Despite the differences in perspective and culture, we have consistently found Vietnamese people to be welcoming to all visitors. Due to this, the country feels like a home away from home.

To our benefit, Hanoi is a short 2 hour trip from Guangzhou. The perfect distance if we ever need a quick fix of scooter chaos, delicious coffee or Bun Cha. See you again soon Hanoi! 🇻🇳