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TheHanoi lifestyle
Basking in the sights, sounds and
tastes of this city, we soon realize
that Hanoi isn’t quite the usual
sightseers’ destination. Sure, there’s
Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh
Mausoleum — both perennial tour
bus magnets — but a Hanoi holiday is
really more about soaking in the local
culture. Indeed, it’s all about doing as
the locals do — be it strolling down
the picturesque, tree-lined Hoan Kiem
Lake with a cup of
kem
(local ice
cream) in hand, or hunkering down the
sidewalk for a cheap-but-delectable
meal, or speeding mindlessly down the
busy lanes on a two-wheeled vehicle.
The experience of being in such a
fascinating city is reward enough.
It is in this spirit that we spend our
last morning in Hanoi, on a “secret”
rooftop cafe
(11 Hang Gai St.)
savoring
cups of
ca phe trung
— sweet, syrupy
coffee topped with foamy egg white.
Before us lies a sweeping view of the
Old Quarter, the Hoan Kiem Lake on
Hanoi may not score high on
beauty points, but where it
truly matters — history, culture,
character — this city stands in
a league of its own
one side partially blanketed in early
January fog. Below, the city gets on
with everyday life, its motorbike drivers,
street peddlers, cooks, students — and
yes, tourists — all adding to the lively
cacophony of this ancient place. Hanoi
may not score high on sleek-city points,
but where it truly matters — history,
culture, character — this city stands in
a league of its own.
Cebu Pacific starts flying to Hanoi from
Manila in March.
www.cebupacificair.com
Clockwise from top: Hoan Kiem
Lake, at the heart of the Old
Quarter, is the place to be during
warm summer mornings; rush hour
traffic;
café trung
is king at Hanoi’s
many hidden coffee shops.
09LKH Smile
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