Hanoi province
Hanoi, one of the most beautiful of the colonial Indochinese cities, is often the start or end point of a trip to Vietnam, and what a great welcome or farewell it is. Simply oozing with charm, Hanoi has gone through wholesale changes in the last decade since Vietnam swung open its doors to tourism, yet it remains true to its essential Vietnamese nature and is an amazing city to experience.
Its surrounds, from the Perfume Pagoda to the Hill station at Tam Dao and the scenery of Hoa Binh mean you could easily spend a week to ten days in this region of Vietnam, savouring the sights, food and experiences that make the northern capital such a comfortable contrast to bustling Saigon in the south.
