My Top Ten Buildings in Hanoi

One of the things I love most about Hanoi is its architecture. It has a charm and character unlike anywhere else. Many cities in South East Asia have become all too generic, with the… Continue reading →

Hanoi’s Trees

One of the special features of Hanoi which make it such a beautiful and atmospheric city is its trees. The French introduced the western concept of boulevards lined with trees planted along the… Continue reading →

Sniffing out art in Hanoi

As we are nearing the end of our time in Hanoi, I realize one of the great things about Hanoi which I haven’t shared yet is its art scene. In 1925 the French… Continue reading →

An Old Quarter Walk and a Dog in a Conical Hat…

Two weeks ago, Piers’ god mother (and husband – both very good family friends) came to visit. We had a fantastic time showing them around as they were probably some of the most… Continue reading →

Cycling to Duong Lam Village

It’s been a pretty busy two weeks since the Angkor Half Marathon. On Sunday, Hanoi held its own smaller half marathon organized by the Red River Runners. I thought doing another half marathon… Continue reading →

Vietnam mourns the death of General Vo Nguyen Giap

Last week General Vo Nguyen Giap passed away at the age of 102. His funeral and the  outpouring of public deference and remembrance leading up to it has only been surpassed by Ho… Continue reading →

Tran Phu Street: A Vietnamese Neighborhood

Tran Phu St runs westwards from the edge of Hanoi’s old quarter for just under a mile. Although not a long street, it has much of the bustle and variety that makes Hanoi… Continue reading →

The fortieth anniversary of the Hanoi Christmas Bombings

While rather incongruous snowmen and santa clauses have appeared around Hanoi in  the last week, some more poignant commemorative billboards have also gone up, marking the fortieth anniversary the most intense period of… Continue reading →