Vietnam blog: Sara does Hanoi in a day…
On the first day of her Intrepid 10-day explorer tour, Sara Mason-Parker, business development manager at Corporate Traveller, makes the most of her free day in Hanoi….
"An advantage of arriving to Hanoi in the dark is that as we drive into the city people’s homes are lit up like dolls houses, the majority of them with vast glass windows to spy in or the locals are sat eating/chatting in the ‘cool’ (27c) evening air out front. Horns are tooting, there’s obviously an unwritten rule of three passengers minimum to one bike and Harry Potter’s 9 and 3/4 train platform is nothing in comparison to the invisible middle lane of Hanoi’s roads!
As this would be my only day in Hanoi, and the only day on my own in Vietnam, I was determined to see and do as much as possible. Starting with early stroll round Hoan Kiem Lake watching the locals perform tai chi, I walked to the National Museum of Vietnamese History. A beautiful building but I found its contents sparse. Then off to Hoa Lo Prison, dubbed ‘Hanoi Hilton’, which I found interesting and quite eerie, especially as many women were imprisoned and executed here.
I decided to have a coffee at a place recommended in my lonely planet. Cafe Pho Co is accessed through a silk shop, where you pay for your drink before climbing several storeys and a winding spiral staircase (thought I was on the fire escape!) to a roof top terrace with views of the lake. Bliss.
I spent my afternoon mooching in the Old Quarter and had lunch at another suggested eatery, Quan Bia Minh, where you can people-watch from a terrace above.
It’s time to meet my group now. I’ve very mixed feelings, will they be middle-aged anoraks and bore me to death? Or, will I at least have one drinking partner. Let’s go find out…"
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026