Hanoi is romantically fascinating

The journey from Noi Bai International Airport passed through the The Red River (Vietnamese: Sông Hồng; Chinese: 红河; pinyin: Hóng Hé), also known as the Sông Cái - Mother River (Vietnamese), We passed through this stretch known as Cau Thang Long Bridge span.

The river originated from Dali,Yunnan Province,China and enters Vietnam via Lao Cai Province.

As the Red River flows into the lowlands at Viet Tri in Phu Tho Province,many rivers and distibutaries began spreading out to form the Red River Delta before it empties into the Gulf of Tonkin.

The reddish-brown heavily silt-laden water gives the river its name.
The Red River is notorious for its violent floods with its seasonally wide volume fluctuations.
The delta is a major agricultural area of Vietnam with vast area devoted to rice. The land is protected by an elaborate network of dikes and levees.

Hanoi City with a population of closed to 4million inhabitants itself is located on the right bank of the Red River.



There are two main highways linking the airport and city. The route to the city via Thang Long Bridge is more direct than Highway 1, which runs along the outskirts of the city.

The main highways are shared by cars, motor scooters, with separate lanes by the side for bicycles.

The local public buses uses Highway 1 which passes by most of the smaller towns and villagers. Photo shows view of a huge modern communities after crossing Cu Thang Long Bridge.

Along the way travellers can also see the Noi Bai Industrial Park owned by the Noi Bai Development Company, a joint venture between Renon (Malaysia) and Ha Noi Industrial Construction Company which was established in 1994.



After Thanh Long Bridge,the minibus moved onto Pham Van Dong Road which is a road interchange linking to other parts of Hanoi.

It then turned into Nguyen Hoang Ton Road and Lac Long Quan Road where this beautiful entry arch to some exclusive villas and highrise apartment buildings were located.

This is Nam Thanh Long Hanoi which is being developed into Ciputra Hanoi Internationl City.

  The arch with the horses on top immediately made me recalled my visit to Tanggerang City,West Jakarta,Republic of Indonesia which has close similarity .

After making some research ,this confirmed that the whole development project was undertaken by the Indonesian conglomerate PT Ciputra Property Group (Jakarta Stock Exchange Code:CTRP) 

 Ciputra Hanoi is in Northeast of Hanoi City, away 10km from city’s center, located on Lac Long Quan, Xuan Phu and La Thuong Ward, Tay Ho District.

The project is contiguous with Vàng Dai 2 Street which is surrounded by Red River and West Lake in the East. At Western Gate, the property gets in touch with Vanh Dai 3 Street, adjacent to Thang Long Bridge and way to Noi Bai International Airport.

Adjacent to West Lake,the natural beauty of West Lake’s landscape was well preserved to make it a garden city.




Ciputra Hanoi has area of 300ha with good infrastructure with a harmonius green environment.

It is midway between Noi Bai International Airport and Hanoi Old Quarters. With about 50 high-storey towers, the project comprises 2,500 villas, office complexes, trading centers, shopping areas and Ciputra Mall, hospitals, schools together with entertainment services, community health centers for residential size of 50,000 people.

In addition, public constructions have been completed and serving people here such as: tennis, court, swimming pool, gym, mini supermarket, baking service, parking lot and etc.
In apartment towers, large functional conference rooms are available in order to meet demands of collective meeting or personal business with capacity from 500 to 800 guests.

There are 3 gates in the urban settings.
 Specific feature of three gates is that all of them are constructed painstakingly with beautiful architecture.
At these gates, uniform securities with courteous and professional style work all day and night. In the urban, town planning is like park with green grass cover and fresh flowers with many kinds are planted everywhere and mixed with beautiful fountains, statues and relievos.

Whole picture of Ciputra Hanoi is very peaceful and pure. Apartment Rental rates: * Air-cons, fridge, washing machine * 3 - 4 Beds, matresses * Lightings, hot and cold water * Swimming pool and tennis court * 24/24 hour Security * Price: 1300 - 2500 USD/month.

 Foreigners wishing to stay here can contact their marketing office at 671-675 Loc Long Quan, Tay Ho,Hanoi,Vietnam Tel. 844-758760-61 Fax. 844-7580763.





The minibus journey continues near Tay Ho Lake which has many restaurants nearby.

Moving on to Tran Quang Khai Road which is within the Hanoi Old Quarter area,the road here seemed to have one side higher then the other.
These high walls dykes built was  to prevent flooding by the overflowing Red River.

Throughout Vietnamese history, the dykes have played an important role in everyday life. Since ancient times, the mobilization of people to dyke construction sites helped build up the nation’s common identity.

Romance in Hanoi,a bride and bridegroom having a photo session in front of the Hanoi Opera House building.

Foreigners wishing to marry a Vietnamese citizen need to apply for marriage obtained from the Vietnamese Justice Department and the processing fee is 500,000 VND.

A letter by the local vital statistics office certifying that no marriage license or marriage certificate of the applicant is found within the state where the applicant is residing in.

The search period must be started from the year when the applicant was 18-year-old to present. In case the applicant was divorced, or a previous spouse is deceased, a certified photocopy of death certificate must be submitted. (This requirement may vary from province to province).

The Hanoi Opera House which is nearly 100 years old is situated on Le Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi; near the Red River and several hundreds meters east of Hoan Kiem Lake.

It is an old three-storey theatre with French architecture and typical Gothic and Mosaic characters reflected on the door domes and the glassed room respectively.

Theatrical performance and traditional songs and music, symphonies, opera and classical opera were held in this venue with a seating capacity of closed to 600 audiences. It is also a tourist attraction for local and foreign visitors.








Vietnamese innovative ways of product advertising using the bicycle.

The living standards of people in Vietnam have risen dramatically in recent years.

 Because of this, changes in consumption are evident everywhere.

 From Saigon to Hanoi, an explosion of luxurious department stores, hawk their wares, providing wood for the fire of capitalism.

Nowhere has felt the burn more then the nation’s once sleepy capital, where high-end departments store are crammed with commercial- ized youth clamoring for the latest and greatest brand name products.


 



Bata shoes shop at the corner of Ba Trieu junction with Trang Thi Road nearby Hoan Kiem Lake. Further down Ba Trieu Road near Hai Ba Trung road junction is the British Embassy in Hanoi.

A building painter having a tough time painting the the dome shape window canopy.

His right hand is holding on to the rope while his left hand is struggling to complete the task.

 If he was to complete this part,someone is needed to shift the rope to the other position.

The building management must be reluctant to engage a skylift crane to make life easier.

Turtle Tower (Vietnamese: Tháp Rùa) in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake.

According to legend, Lê Lợi ,the emperor of Vietnam had a magic sword given to him by Kim Qui, the Golden Turtle God.

 One day, not long after the Chinese had accepted Vietnam's independence, Lê Lợi was out boating on a lake in Hanoi.

Suddenly a large turtle surfaced, took the sword from Lê Lợi, and dived back into the depths.
Efforts were made to find both the sword and the turtle, but without success.

Lê Lợi then acknowledged the sword had gone back to the Golden turtle God and renamed the lake Hoan Kiem Lake (or Ho Guom), "The Lake of the Returned Sword".
Public bus 09 and 36 stop at Le Thai To Street just beside the lake.
ANZ Bank is just nearby.




Accomodations off Le Thi To Street includes: Golden Sun Lake View:Bao Khanh Road,off Phu Doan
Hanoi Imperial:Bao Khanh Road,off Phu Doan Hanoi Backpackers Hostel the Original: Ngo Huyen off Ly Quoc Su Road
Splendid Star Hotel: Tho Xuong,off Phu Doan Road Hanoi Impressive Hotel: An Triu Road,off Ly Quoc Su
Hanoi Green Mango Hotel: Hang Quat Road,off Luong Van Can

City View Cafe (Tel:+84 4 934 7911) on the 5th floor building along Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem District near the Thanh Long Water Puppet Theater is among the many rooftop restaurants and bars with a panoramic view of Hanoi city.

Other places with rooftop panoramic views include:
The Rooftop Bar and Restaurant, 19th floor, Pacific Place, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoàn Kiem District, Hanoi. +84 4 3946 1902. Located on the corner of Ly Thuong Kiet and Phan Boi Chau, opposite the offices of the UNDP.

Summit Lounge, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi, 1 Thanh Nien Road, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi 10000. Renowned for having the best view in Hanoi with spectacular panoramic views of the city skyline. 4.30pm till 12 Midnight.

The Level Executive Lounge, 20th floor, Melia Hanoi Hotel, 44B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi. +84 3934 3343. Guests can enjoy picturesque views over the rivers, parks and lakes of Hanoi from this lounge.

The Sunset Bar, InterContinental Hotel, 1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Hanoi. This is the place to be for cocktails and a romantic experience that's unmatched anywhere. To get here you'll take an evening stroll along a torch-lit bridge and drink in the dramatic view as you head toward this bar set on its own island in Westlake.

Lake View Sky Lounge, 18th Floor, Hanoi Daewoo Hotel, 360 Kim Ma, Hanoi. +84 3831 5000. Extension: 3225/3045/3400. Daily 5.30pm - 1am.
Admire the sweeping panorama by day, or the wonderland of twinkling lights by night.

Park View Restaurant and Lotus Bar, Top floor, Ocean Hotel, 48 Tran Nhan Tong Street, Pho Hue/Hom Market, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.
Authentic Vietnamese cuisine in this elegant roof-top restaurant. Overlooks Hanoi's biggest park as well as the stunning Thien Quang Lake.

Sky View Restaurant and Bar, 10th floor, Star View Hotel, 120 Quan Thanh Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. +84 4 3715 0555.
Lovely resturant located on the top floor with a stunning view over Hanoi and West lake.
Close to Hanoi's Old Quarter and some Hanoi attractions such as the One-Pillar Pagoda, the Museum of Vietnamese Art, Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Complex as well as Westlake.

Elegance Cafe & Restaurant, 12th floor, Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel (formerly Hanoi Elegance Hotel 5), 32 Lo Su Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi . +84 4 3935 1632.
Panoramic views of the Hoàn Kiem Lake, the Red River & Long Bien Bridge. Terrace, Quan Bia Minh, 7 Pho Dinh Liet, Hanoi. +84 4 934 5323.
View life from the picturesque 2nd floor balcony.

Sky Lounge, 16th floor, Hotel Nikko Hanoi, 84 Tran Nhan Tong, Hanoi. +84 3822 3535.

Ngoc Mai Restaurant, 17th floor, Ruby Plaza Building, 44 Le Ngoc Han, Hai Bà Trung, Hanoi. Vietnamese. Great views. On the top floor. Puku Cafe, 1st floor, 60 Hang Trong, Hoàn Kiem, Hanoi.

Popular Rooftop cafe. Along western Hoàn Kiem Lake. Festa (Ly Quoc Su) Rooftop Terrace, 39C Ly Quoc Su, Hanoi. +84 4 3243 1589.




Three floor Italian restaurant. Hanoi Old Center Hotel building just across City View Cafe and less than 5 minutes walk to Hoan Kiem Lake. Other hotels in the vicinity:
Golden Sun Lakeview :Bao khanh Street 

 Khach san Duc Thai: Le Thai To St

Holiday Gold Hotel: Hang Manh Street 

 Hong Ngoc Hotel: Hang Manh Street 

 May De Ville Old Quarter: Dinh Liet Street Hanoi Silver Hotel: Hang Bac Street 

 La Doice Vita: Hang Bac Street 

 Queen of Heart Travel Hotel: Hang Bac Street 

 Hoa Binh Palace Hotel: Hang Be street 

 Hanoi Amanda : Cau Go Street.l Sunshine Hotel : Ma May Street.

Hanoi Liberty Hotel : Hang Non Street

Camelia Hotel 5 : Bat Dan StreetRed River 1 Hotel : Bat Dan Street

Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi city transport.

Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport(Sân bay quốc tế Nội Bài ) was originally built for use by the Vietnamese Airforce and after the Vietnam Unification way back in 1975,the airport has now served as the main commercial airlines hub of the North.

The airport is about 45km north of Hanoi city.
For the new arrivals,getting to the city with the most economical cost is the main criteria so don't get despair as there were multiple choice to serve your personality.

Business or leisure travellers who have missed their flights can also find accomodations 3km southwest of the airport--AVI HOTEL





Local bus stop within walking distance near terminal 1.

Travelling in a local bus can be very slow due to the constant stops along the way picking up passengers.

 The buses here will return to their repsective station terminal.





A modern and stylish international departure lounge.

 Hanoi's Noibai International Airport is the second largest airport in Vietnam after Tan Son Nhat in Saigon.






Sky Foot Massage center and another Lucky Spa center were among the two outlets at the departure lounge offering hourly services to travellers who need to unwind their bodies.

Common Vietnamese terms: quốc tế đến ,International Arrival.

noi địa đến ,Domestic Arrival.

 nhà vệ sinh,toilet

không hu't thuô'c,no smoking

xe buýt,bus

the điên thoai,telephone card

bao nhiêu đồng,how much dong

đắt tiền,expensive

rẻ hơn giá,cheaper price

cảm ơn bạn,thank you



   As you exited from the arrival hall towards your right were most of the minibuses and VIP buses to Hanoi city.

There will be a representative from the minibus companies to provide assistance on the spot.

 The fares is between USD2 to USD3 and if you have heavy load of luggages which needed to occupy a seat,this will be charged accordingly.

The Vietnamese were very courteous and friendly.





After the minibus bays will be the bigger bus section.

Here this signboard is from the Kumho Viethanh Bus Company (Korea Kumho Express Kumho Asiana Group).

The fares is 35,000VND or around USD2 (subject to changes if world oil price escalate)

Tuyen Duong (bus routes):Au Co-Yen Phu-Tran Quang Khai-Nha Hat Lon-Quang Trung-Con Vien Thong Huat.







Kumho-Vietnam's Thanh Korea buslines has a red/orange body.
They made hourly trips to and fro the airport between 07:00am till 07:00pm.

 Kumho Asiana Group also owns the Kumho Asiana Plaza in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam,which was opened on September 30th, 2009.

 Kumho Asiana Plaza is a premium large-scale residential-commercial complex, and includes a five-star hotel with 305 guestrooms, 260 apartments, and offices and stores in three buildings.

The buildings thus emerge as a landmark that symbolizes Korea’s advancement into the Vietnamese market.

Their services was quite good when I travelled from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh in Cambodia using the Kumho Samco Buslines.







Exotissimo World Travel is a very popular inbound travel agency in Indo China which was formed in Ho Chi Minh City way back in 1993.

 The Hanoi main office is along Tran Nhat Duat Road,the same row with Vietcom Bank Headquarters Building and a few blocks from Kumho Bus Ticketing Office.

 Not all travellers like to walk around in such a big city so seeking the services of travel agencies can be a good option.








Direction of taxis and minibuses route from Noi Bai International Airport shown by pink arrow.

 Landmarks along the way include the Long Bien Bus Terminal along Tran Nhat Duat and joining into Tran Quang Khai Road.

Gia Cuoc Xe Minibus (Minibus Price) Tuyen Duong (route) : Noi Bai - Hoang Quoc Viet - Kim Ma - Quang Trung.

Ben di (from): San Bay Noi Bai (Noi Bai Airport) Ben den (to) :So 1 Quang Trung Gia Cuoc 1 Luot (per person) : 35,000 VND / Nguoi (person)

 Gia Cuoc Chuyen (for a trip) : 450,000 VND / Chuyen (trip)

This minibus operated a coin slot ticket vending machine but payment in USD bills or Vietnamese Dong is also accepted and will be collected by the driver himself .

Do have some small bills when paying.

Taxis and Minibuses terminal beside an old colonial building where across the road is the Vietnam Airlines Head office.

Taxis going to Noi Bai International Airport will charge from USD10.00.

Booking office for minibus.

Pho Quang Trung Road will be the minibuses and taxis main stop.

This road sign is near the traffic light junction.Cross over to the Vietnam Airlines Building and walk another 5minutes along Trang Thi Road to the next junction.

You'll see a BATA shoes shop ahead at this junction.

Don't go straight,cross the road on your left to Ly Thai Tho Street and another 10 minutes walk will be the south side of the Hoan Khiem Lake.

You are now near the Old Quarters of Hanoi.

Map of Hoan Khiem Lake around Hanoi Old Quarters.

Bustling streets of Hanoi Old Quarters

Arrived at Ben Xe My Dinh bus terminal at about 8:30am after a nine hours journey from Vinh.

Do avoid drinking too much water before travelling at night as there won't be any toilet break unless someone in the bus requested and you have to do it beside the roadside.

The long distance bus stopped inside a depot just across the terminal which is opposite Toyota My Dinh Showroom.

There are four long-distance bus stations in Hanoi, all located a few kilometres from the centre of the city.

 Giap Bat bus station, on Giai Phong to the south of town, serves most places to the south, while Gia Lam bus station, to the southeast of the centre, serves destinations to the northeast such as Ha Long City, Haiphong and Lang Son.

Luong Yen bus station, just southeast of the city centre, serves routes north to Ha Giang and Cao Bang, as well as Cat Ba Island on the edge of Ha Long Bay.

Finally, the newest is My Dinh, located about 10kms west of the centre, which also serves several destinations in the north.

While the majority of new arrivals in Hanoi choose to do so by plane, landing at Noi Bai Airport about 35km north of the city, it is also worth considering arriving by train, as in this way you can get a good look at the surrounding countryside of the Red River Valley as you pull in to the city.







Ben Xe Khach My Dinh bus terminal is located at Pham Hung Road.

This is a very new and modern transport hub located quite near to Vietnam National University.(about 4km).

Outside the terminal were lots of xe om (pronounced as "say om") or motor taxi but Vietnamese meaning means "hug the driver"

Trying to catch a local Hanoi bus is quite problematic at this main terminal during rush hour because the moment the buses arrived,loads of passengers will be scrambling into the bus and was packed within minutes.

 Feeling undecided while hanging around here for quite sometime,I thereby approached a Vietnamese student for direction but was told that Hanoi is a very big city and quite tedious to walk .

She offered me a mint candy sweet and was very kind in her hospitality greeting me with 'Welcome to Hanoi'.

This really brightens up my day. It was about 9:30am when a xe om rider came zooming on me and offered a ride for 70,000 Dong compared to a local bus ride that cost 3,500Dong.

Feeling exhausted due to lack of sleep from overnight travel,I did not make any bargain but just followed him with a helmet on.







Bus Routes from Ben Xe Kach My Dinh to:
 Yen Bai :every half hour from 06:30 - 17:00hr

Forestry and farming are the main economic activities of Yen Bai.
Located in the northern part of Vietnam. Railway line passing through here acts as the main freight corridor to China.
Located about 183km from Hanoi.

Phu Tho :every half hour from 06:00 - 16:30hr 80km from Hanoi in North eastern region with Viet Tri city as the provincial capital.
The birthplace of the Vietnamese race and famous for the Hung Pagoda Festival.  

Da Chong : 06:30,07:00,08:30,10:00,12:00 and 15:00  

Lao Cai and Sapa : 04:30 and 05:00hr
The most famous mountain peak of Vietnam located at an altitude of 3,143m above sea-level. Next door is China's Yunnan Province.Amazing mountains rich in flora and fauna with the various ethnic communities.  

Ha Giang : 04:00,04:30,05:00 and 05:45hr The poorest province of Vietnam in the northeastern part.
Plums,peaches,persimmons and tea cultivation are the main livelihood of the people.

Lang Son :every half hour from 06:00 till 16:30hr
Bordering Cao Bang Province in the North,Sung Ta Province (China) in the northeast,Bac Giang Province in the south,Quang Ninh Province to the east,Bak Kan Province to the west and Thai Nguyen Province to the southwest. Two International Border Gates: Dong Dang and Huu Nghi.  

Dien Bien :04:00 and 05:00hr. Province in northwestern Vietnam,Dien means solid while Bien means frontiers.

Bai Chay Beach and Halong Bay :every half hour from 07:00 till 17:00hr
Halong Bay is a magnifient scenic spot in the Quang Ninh Province.Bai Tu Long and Cat Ba Islands are two UNESCO World Heritage sites and one of the world's 7 Natural Wonders.

Hoa Binh :every half hour from 07:00 till 17:00hr Rich natural and cultural heritage famous for ecotourism,only 82km from Hanoi. There are more than 50 ethnic tourism hamlets within Hoa Binh.

 Ninh Binh :09:40hr Located at the southern end of the Red River Delta.95km from Hanoi.November to April dry season best time to visit.A very great place to visit for culural explorers. Very attractive sites with many palaces,pagodas,tombs of past dynasties and beautiful karsts mountains.






Sometimes xe om rider don't even know guesthouses names and to find Luong Ngoc Quyen he also has problem figuring out the exact location.

 Initially he brought me to the five star Hotel Metropole,an elegant French colonial building which is along Ngo Quyen.

That's beyond my budget as a backpacker. After asking around from his fellow friends,he managed to turn into this side road and Hanoi Youth Hostel signboard caught my attention.
 What a relief after circling all over the Old Quarters area trying to locate the guesthouse.






This is a eight person mixed dormitory with aircondition for USD5 per night.

Shower with hotwater bathroom outside. Individual locker corresponding to bed number given.
 Checking in the early part of the day has many beds available but not later in the afternoon.

My new found roomates included two Chinese students from mainland China who were attending private colleges and a Japanese boy from Tokyo all of whom were long stay guest.

Veteran traveller Larry Egan from Canada who was here nearly a week occupied adjacent lower bed.

Larry despite his age was very adventurous having travelled nearly half of the globe alone. 
 






Map of Old Quarters in Hanoi. Why is this part of Hanoi called Old Quarters? 

 In the early days this area was very swampy with lots of snakes and alligators.
No wonder there were so many lakes like Ho Hoan Kiem,Ho Tay(West Lake),Thien Hung near train terminal,Thien Quang lake and Bay Mau lake in Hai Ba Trung District and many others.

 The Song River(Red River) that flows through the city has the Long Bien Bridge with railway lines connecting to the other side of the districts.

 Underneath Long Bien Bridge were cluster of villages made up of houses on stilts, and was unified by Chinese administrators who built ramparts around their headquarters.

The area was named "Dominated Annam" or "Protected South" by the Chinese. “Old Quarter” or “36 Old Streets” (as consisting of 36 member streets) has specialized type of businesses so they were named after that particular nature of business like Pho Hang Bun (Vermicelli), Pho Hang Ma (Paper Product), Pho Hang Bac (Silver), etc. are examples of the streets carrying the name of the products sold there.

“Phố” means a street or a place for merchants to gather to do business, while “Phường”, a district or a guild of artisans specializing in a particular trade (phuong cheo, phuong tho, etc.).

Hang Gai Street offers silk clothing ready-made and tailored, embroidery, and silver products.
 Hang Quat, the street that formerly sold silk and feather fans, now stuns the visitor by its brilliantly colored funeral and festival flags and religious objects and clothing.
To Tich Street connects the above two and is still the wood turner's street.

Hang Ma glimmers with shiny paper products, such as gift wrappings, wedding decorations and miniature paper objects to burn for the dead.

Lan Ong Street is a sensual delight of textures and smells emanating from the sacks of herbal medicinal products: leaves, roots, barks, and powders, etc.
Coming here, you may feel as if you were in a classical-styled area in terms of both architecture and product types!
Although many of the streets no longer sell the products after which they were named, some still do.

Today, the Old Quarter has become the unique classical feature of Hanoi, and the inspiration of numerous writers, poets, and painters, and one of the desired tourist destinations in Hanoi.
 Inside a modern and dynamic city, there appears an antique quarter, the Hanoi’s Old Quarter – the represented eternal soul of the city.
These days, most Vietnamese and Westerners are familiar with the phrase “Hà Nội – Ba mươi sáu phố phường” (translated as “Ha Noi – 36 districts” or “Hanoi – 36 Old Streets”), or “Phố cổ Hà Nội” (translated as “Hanoi’s Old Quarter”).

Thanh Long-the City of Ascending Dragons.
 It would be a big surprise should you know that Hanoi's Old Quarter came into being at the time King Ly Thai To selected Thang Long as the country’s capital in 1010, that is, the streets have a nearly 1,000-year old history and became crowded and lively in the 15th century.

What makes them unique is that many of them remain in their very ancient architecture of the 15th century. Up to now, it has been the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam.







Entrance arch to one Chinese Guild Association.

Bach Ma Chinese Temple along Hang Buom Street at the corner road junction.

Hang Buom Street runs east-west and cuts with Hang Duong and Ma May at two ends.

Hang Buom means Store of Sails,the street used to sell mattress and bags made from hemp whose materials were delivered by Chinese boats passing by.

There still remain a few shops on the left from the temple that were doing wholesale while further up on the right were shops dealing with confectionaries.

 Nice cosy restaurant in a Chinese settings.

Tuoi Tho food outlet popular among the Hanoians during lunch hour.

Colonial style residential house.

Bus stop at the mainroad (Tran Quang Khai) near guesthouse. Bus number and the respective routes were displayed.

BX stands for Ben Xe or bus terminal.
Confidently I should say that if you're a newbie in Hanoi and wish to head for Old Quarters area,just hop into any of the noted buses without fear so long as you get ready with the 5,000 Dong fares for travel within city area.
Bus Routes:
03: BX Giap Bat - BX Gia Lam
11: Cu Thong Nhat - DH Nong Ngep 1
18: Kim Ma - Long Bien - Kim Ma
23: Nguyen Cong Tru -Van Ho - Nguyen Cong Tru
34: BX My Dinh -BX Gia Lam
40: Cu Thong Nhat - Nhu Quynt
14: Co Nhue - Bo Ho
22: Vien 103 -BX




Gia Lam Hanoi local buses have three main colours namely red,white stripes and yellow. Bus number is red in a white circle.

The price of ticket varies depending on distances possibly between 5,000 to 10,000 Dong. Bus #09 to Hoan Khiem Lake Bus #33 or #02 to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum