Story & Photos by: Samantha Coomber

As your plane touches down at Noi Bai International Airport, prepare to be amazed and stimulated by Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi. Despite increasing westernization, Hanoi, lying for centuries alongside the haunting Red River, maintains its small-town provincial charm with slender, timeless streets, pagodas and lakes. Superimposed on these ancient foundations, the French colonial influence has left its mark, with wide, tree-lined boulevards, elegant parks, pastel-washed grand villas and a cultured, bohemian cafe society. No wonder Hanoi is known as the "Paris of the Orient", and one of the loveliest cities in Asia.

Check in to the historic, 5-star Sofitel Metropole Hanoi Hotel. Located in Hanoi's French Quarter, this hotel oozes colonial charm from the classic, white facade to its stylish interior. Former guests include Charlie Chaplin honeymooning with Paulette Goddard, Graham Greene while writing his novel, The Quiet American, Jane Fonda during her infamous broadcasts to US troops, and Noel Coward in the midst of a revolution!

It's Friday evening, so after a quick freshen-up, stroll a couple blocks east past the city's magnificent Opera House en-route to 24 Tong Dan Street for a local Bia Hoi (fresh beer). Join the locals sitting out on the pavement sipping glasses of ridiculously fresh draught beer while watching the world pass by.

Return to the Metropole where you've made reservations at the hotel's top-rated Spices Garden Restaurant for a great introduction to Vietnamese - and particularly Hanoian - delicacies. Overseen by award-winning French chef, Didier Corlou, the beautifully presented traditional dishes include nem ran (spring roll), cha ca (fried fish) and ga nuong la chanh (grilled chicken with lemon leaves). Young artists from the "Hanoi Art Club" perform folk music and dances as you dine.

After dinner, take a taxi to Jazz Club by Quyen Van Minh (31 Luong Van Can Street). This intimate and charismatic jazz club, the only such one in Vietnam, was founded ten years ago by its namesake, Mr. Minh. You'll spot him fronting his ensemble of musicians, belting out toe-tapping jazz and blues numbers well into the night. Bill Clinton jammed here on his saxophone during his recent visit to Vietnam.

Breakfast at your hotel features delicious croissants and French pastry. Don't linger too long over your cafe au lait as you'll want to get an early start at one of Vietnam's most visited attractions.

Two kilometers west of the city center, the wide open and somewhat bleak Ba Dinh Square is a stark remnant of former Communist days and is still the nation's ceremonial center. The square is dominated by the massive, somber Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Here former President Ho Chi Minh has lain embalmed since 1969, despite his wishes to the contrary. Vietnamese by the busload queue early to shuffle past the glass case in the inner sanctum to pay their respects to the revered Uncle Ho.

A short stroll north is Ho Chi Minh's House. This spartan, lakeside dwelling is modeled on a hill tribe stilt house and was used by Ho Chi Minh at the height of his power. Nearby is the miniscule One Pillar Pagoda, rising out of a lotus-strewn pond. The reconstructed wooden sanctuary, supported on a single column, was originally built in the eleventh century to resemble a lotus blossom, the Buddhist symbol for enlightenment.

Returning to the city center, stop by the Temple of Literature (entrance Quoc Tu Giam, off Nguyen Thai Loc). Founded in 1070 AD, this was Vietnam's principal Confucian sanctuary and Hanoi's first National University. Today, it's one of the capital's most tranquil spots. Its five-walled courtyards, shaded gardens and lotus ponds, ceremonial halls, temple and intricate gateways make for a peaceful place to wander. The numerous stone tablets mounted on tortoises that line the courtyards list the names of former laureates.

It's lunchtime. Just opposite is a restaurant with a difference. Koto (61 Van Mieu) serves delicious European, Australasian and Vietnamese food in a beautifully preserved old house, complete with traditional decor. An acronym, "Know One, Teach One," Koto is a hospitality training school that was established in 1999 to provide vocational skills for disadvantaged children. Hanoi's former street kids-turned-trainees not only graduate to top restaurants and hotels, but also teach new recruits.

After lunch spend a lazy afternoon touring the most picturesque part of Hanoi, the Old Quarter. Situated north of central Hoan Kiem Lake, this congested and chaotic square kilometer contains a maze of 36 narrow, thousand-year old lanes, each named for the original residents' occupation and products. You'll find a street dedicated to paper, tombstones and Buddhist icons. The best way to experience this enchanting area is by hiring a xichlo (pedicab). Shaded by ancient, gnarled Banyan trees you'll pass hawkers selling flowers on bicycles and children playing in the street. Their backdrop is tumbling two-story dwellings, some known as "tube-houses," as their exteriors are so slender. Glance up and you'll see small, protruding balconies packed with pot plants, jacaranda blossoms and bamboo birdcages. Hidden pagodas and temples are interspersed amongst the densely-packed homes.

After a quick rest back at your hotel, it's off to the 6:30 performance at the Thang Long Water Puppets Theatre (57b Dinh Tien Hoang Street, across from Hoan Kiem Lake.) This truly unique performance is an ancient folk art originating in the waterlogged rice fields of North Vietnam. The traditional wooden puppets, manipulated by puppeteers hidden behind a bamboo curtain, appear to dance on the water's surface. The hand-carved characters perform charming legends and tales to music, handed down from generation to generation.

After the show, it's off for dinner at Highway 4 (5 Hang Tre) on the edge of the Old Quarter. This popular restaurant specializes in the traditional cuisine and drink of North Vietnam's minority hill people. Sit amongst rice-paper wall hangings, silk floor cushions and low, split-bamboo tables as you sample North Vietnamese specialties, which include numerous rice porridges, spring rolls and steamboat dishes. If you're feeling adventurous, try the fried silkworms with lemon leaves, or perhaps snake nuggets. Wash down your meal with authentic medicinal liquors such as snake, gecko or Black Forest bee wines, and fruit liquors, all brewed on site. Don't drink too much - you have an early day tomorrow!

It's up and out at the crack of dawn, but for good reason. By foot, make your way a couple of blocks to the very soul of Hanoi, the resplendent Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword). Every day before breakfast the shores of this small lake are a hive of activity as Hanoians of all ages participate in aerobic classes, Tai chi, and badminton. Spend an hour strolling around the picturesque lake and don't be surprised if you're invited to join an impromptu game of badminton!

As you head south, you'll notice Tortoise Tower, a three-tiered pavilion on a small island in the middle of the lake. Legend has it that the fifteenth-century Vietnamese hero, Le Loi, received a magical sword from a golden tortoise. To this day tortoise sightings are greeted with great fanfare. At the north-east corner, walk across the Japanese-style, red lacquer bridge to another island, where you can visit the fourteenth century Den Ngoc Son Temple.

It's time for breakfast, so take walk or take a xichlo to the increasingly hip Nha To Street. This street is aptly called "Big Church," after the neo-Gothic, gray stone St Joseph's Cathedral anchoring the western end. Amongst a concentration of cosmopolitan eateries, head for Moca Cafe (14-16 Nha Tho). Something of a Sunday institution, this cafe-cum-restaurant is a great place to sip coffee and enjoy brunch, while people watching along Tamarind-lined streets.

Batteries re-charged, set out for a morning of shopping. The cathedral area is host to an array of fashionable, up-market boutiques. Continue north to Hang Gai Street. You'll quickly understand why it's known as "Silk Street". Wall-to-wall tailor shops sell rolls of silks and ready-made clothes. If you're looking for gifts, outlets are crammed with silk sleeping bags, lacquerware, bamboo products, and water puppet dolls, plus exquisite silk bags and shoes, all at ridiculously cheap prices.

Before catching a taxi back to your hotel drop in at Cafe Trung (7 Hang Gai) for a quick treat. It's easy to miss this hole-in- the-wall cafe, a Hanoi institution. Crouch with the locals on low wooden stools and sip the house specialty, Cafe Trung, cappuccino Vietnamese style made with frothy egg. Suitably refreshed and laden with bags, head back to your hotel for a quick shower and some last-minute packing before bidding chao to Hanoi as you make your reluctant way to the airport.

About the Author

Samantha Coomber has traveled extensively throughout Vietnam and Southeast Asia updating guidebooks for the UK publisher Rough Guides, including The Rough Guide To Vietnam. She currently lives in Hanoi where she is editing the English-language travel magazine Vietnam Discovery.