I used Hanoi as my primary base while in the north part of Vietnam. I flew from Hong Kong into Hanoi and flew out of Hanoi back to Hong Kong. From Hanoi I booked my tour of Halong Bay and my travel to Sapa and to Hue.
I stayed in the "Old Quarter" of Hanoi, which is just on the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake is surrounded by a park and is a very nice place to hang out. There is a decorative pagoda in a center island of the lake.
I was greatly assisted by my friendly hotel staff at the Hung Quang Hotel, just north of Hoan Kiem Lake. Just west of the Old Quarter is a large area dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, with his museum, his mausoleum and his former home built on stilts on the edge of a lake.My VIETNAM HOME PAGE - Vietnam Index of Sites
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