First Impressions of Hanoi

I’ve been in Hanoi for about two weeks now. I arrived here right before the Tet holiday, the Vietnamese lunar new year. And so, for the second week of my stay, the city was very different from usual. During the holiday, many of the local businesses are shut down and residents leave for their hometowns or to vacation. However, the popular tourist areas, are still fairly lively. Nonetheless, I’ve really enjoyed Hanoi and found it to be one of my most comfortable stays.

Hanoi is a lively city, but it also feels quite balanced. Meaning, it’s fairly easy to access a vibrant social scene or calmer areas within it. It’s also incredibly affordable. Vietnam is arguably one of the most affordable travel destinations in the world. My current studio apartment in front of West Lake, a popular area, is about $20 a night. That’s a fairly good deal for the quality and location of a short-term stay (2 weeks). But, for longer stays, 1 month or higher, the daily cost can come down to even $12-15. This is in strong contrast to the value per price available in many other places, even in the Southeast Asia region.

Another factor I’ve found interesting is the relationship between foreigners and locals. People in Vietnam don’t care about you in the best way possible. I’ve traveled to about 40 countries, and in most places, locals react to foreigners. They notice you, and get curious and interested or perhaps uneasy and distrustful. It often tends to be somewhere between the two. But here, oddly enough, the reaction feels neutral; as in there’s actually almost no reaction at all. Standing amongst a crowd of local Vietnamese during the New Year’s Eve firework celebration, they didn’t really care or notice me at all. I simply felt like part of the crowd. There are many foreigners living and visiting Hanoi, so clearly that’s a major factor, but I also think it comes down to culture too. For some reason, the culture here just feels relatively more accepting of foreigners than some other places I’ve visited.

My first impressions are that Hanoi appears to have all I really need from a place to live and work from: good infrastructure, internet, cafes, a vibrant social scene, affordability, and friendly locals. I still have another week and a half here, but it’s already on my mind as a place I could soon return to.