Top 5 Things to do in Hanoi

1. Get lost in the Old Quarter – explore the maze of lane ways and side streets that turn in to Markets, street side noodle stalls or tea stands. Refresh yourself with a chilled glass of fresh beer (Bia Hoi), fruit salad with yoghurt and crashed ice or a Vietnamese coffee so strong that it may induce heart palpitations.
2. Hidden Hanoi Cooking Classes – offered from 11am to 2pm daily these small group classes are fully hands on and are just as much a lesson in Vietnamese culture as they are about food.
3. Ride a bicycle – Get on a bike and ride into the rural villages that are not far out of the bustling city. Just over the Long Bien Railway Bridge lies rice paddies, vegetable farms, fresh air and inquisitive kids.
4. Eat – Chow down on as many different Street Foods as you can. Stop at every plastic table or outdoor kitchen can find, don’t ask what it is just close you eyes and chew. Your mouth will thank you.
5. Early morning walk – have an early night and wake up at the crack of dawn to stroll down to Hoan Kiem Lake to exercise with the thousands of others that make it one of the busiest outdoor gyms in the world. With make shift free weights, aerobics, ti chi, badminton or just walk or run around the lake. Oh and bring your camera.