Jom!

#JOM! GO: Uncle Ho's home turf

IT may sound morbid, but one of the most important tourist attractions in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi is a solemn walk past the preserved remains of former president Ho Chi Minh (also known as "Uncle Ho") on display in a mausoleum near the city centre.

Uncle Ho died in 1969 and his body is on display, but visitors need to be respectful, sombre and refrain from taking photos. It is considered a rite of passage for most Vietnamese and is on the itineraries of many foreign tour groups.

While Uncle Ho's role in ensuring the nation's independence from the shackles of French colonialism is a significant chapter in Vietnam's history, there are many other tourist sites in northern Vietnam.

While some tourists could spend a week in Hanoi and not see everything, others head to the picturesque Halong Bay or to the cool mountains centred on the hill station of Sapa.

NATION OF TWO CITIES

Vietnam is dominated by two distinctly different cities.

While Hanoi may be the quieter relative of Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnamese capital is home to more than seven million residents who march to a different beat than those living in the south.

Hoan Kiem Lake is one of Hanoi's finest assets, and the fact that the city is more than 1,000 years old means there are many heritage sights to admire.

Visitors will enjoy strolling around the lake and detouring onto the Huc Bridge to admire the ornately decorated Ngoc Son Temple.

Tran Quoc Pagoda, near West Lake on the city's outskirts, is another temple that is worth visiting, although it is some distance from the city centre.

Weekends are the best time to explore around the lake, as the perimeter road and several others are blocked off to vehicular traffic to ensure they are pedestrian-only zones.

Tens of thousands of locals come out to play, promenade, exercise and be entertained by musicians, artistes, dancers, and buskers.

Using the lake as a point of reference, getting "lost" in the Old Quarter is something to consider, as someone will eventually direct you back to your accommodation.

Most hotels can provide their addresses written in Vietnamese to show taxi or cyclo drivers.

Explore the Old Quarter with its trade streets (historically, specific artisans congregated on the same street), water puppet shows, and, close by, the Opera House.

The Museum of Ethnology, with its art, tribal collection and ethnic houses, receives favourable comments from tourists.

The "Hanoi Hilton" (Ho Lo Prison) is where American prisoners of war were interned during the Vietnam War (what the Vietnamese refer to as the American War). Its most celebrated inmate was the late Senator John McCain, whose aircraft was shot down over Vietnam. In later life, he unsuccessfully contested the US presidency against Barack Obama.

STREET FOOD

Visitors to Hanoi quickly discover the city's enticing cuisine and how spices are used to create subtle flavours without the chilli heat found in many other Asian cuisines.

Vietnamese dishes are more fragrant, with a subtle use of spices and herbs, and some dishes are served with a specific dipping sauce on the side.

Nouc mam (fish sauce) is an essential ingredient in many of these dipping sauces and Vietnamese cooking in general.

Many Vietnamese dishes are accompanied by fresh greens and herbs, either as a garnish or as an integral ingredient. Some are eaten wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves, along with a few herbs like mint, fennel, basil, coriander and dill, added to complement the spices used in the cooking.

Dining on the streets at nameless "hole-in-the-wall" outlets is highly recommended. The best-known Vietnamese dish is noodle soup, or pho (pronounced fur) and although it is now commonly found all around the world, it doesn't get any better than in Vietnam.

Pho is served throughout Vietnam, from makeshift stalls on the footpath to five-star hotel restaurants. Chicken pho ga and beef pho ba are standard, and bowls of these soups are usually accompanied by a separate plate of fresh greens and sprouts, including basil and coriander, along with lime wedges and cut chillies on request.

The French colonialists left an important mark on Vietnamese cuisine, and there are still several good French restaurants in Hanoi.

Sunday brunch here has a great reputation with well-heeled locals and travellers.

CAFE, CAFE AND CAFE

Coffee is a serious business in Hanoi, with the cafè society being another pleasant legacy of French colonialism. Bon Mua (Four Seasons) coffee outlet in the gardens surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake is one of Hanoi's finest cafès with an unbeatable setting. Order local coffee filtered through an aluminium strainer or, iced coffee cafè sua da to accompany a baguette or croissant. You can also buy the much-lauded and expensive caphe cut chon (what many know as kopi luwak or civet coffee) in the markets.

All over the city, residents enjoy their coffee while seated on low stools and tables along the footpath or in markets, where the coffee is just as good with a lively ambiance.

Vietnamese coffee concepts like Highland Coffee and Nguyen have outlets throughout Hanoi, and both give global coffee brands a run for their money.

SERIAL SHOPPERS

Vietnam is one of the region's finest shopping destinations and the source for some stylish interior items — silk, lacquerware, ceramics, cotton and lampshades.

Fashion accessories, clothes and artwork are keenly sought items, and diehard shoppers should travel lightly to Hanoi in order to return home with their travel bounty.

Handicraft shops are located around Cathedral Street (or Pho Nha Tho) and Studio Tho on Ma May Street is a good venue for Vietnamese art.

Be cautious of the traffic while zipping across the narrow streets of downtown Hanoi, as it is a place where bikers dominate and pedestrians remain forever nervous.

Walking around the gardens surrounding the lake and the Old Quarter is recommended, although hiring a cyclo is a fun way to discover the city.

While it may be difficult to believe as you manoeuvre through the swarms of motorbikes, Hanoi moves at a much slower pace than Ho Chi Minh City.

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