Hanoi (Hà Nÿi) Orientation

Hà Nÿi is divided into seven districts (quÆn): Hoàn Ki\m (the Old Quarter to the north, and the French Quarter to the south), Ba ình , Hai Bà Tr™ng to the south , Tñy H· to the north, #ng a and C<u Gi+y to the west, and Thanh Xuñn to the far southwest. Most streets in Vietnam are called Œ™ng, though Hà Nÿi still sometimes uses the word ph# and, in the Old Quarter, hàng. Downtown Hà Nÿi is small but disorganized, with streets changing names almost every block; a good map is essential. Large color maps (10,000-30,000) are available from guesthouses, bookstores, the international post office, and hawkers around Hoàn Ki\m Lake, the heart of central Hà Nÿi.

The Old Quarter, enclosed between the Hà Nÿi Citadel Military Complex, the Red River (S®ng H·ng), and Hoàn Ki\m Lake, is divided in two by twin one-way streets going north from Hoàn Ki\m Lake (starting as L™£ng Vn Can and Hàng ào) which form good points of reference in the district’s confusing labyrinth. The Old Quarter is made up of small alleys named after the goods sold (or once sold) there. A backpacker’s heaven of small shops, restaurants, bars, tourist cafes, and hotels, this area north of and around Hoàn Ki\m Lake is also the oldest and most interesting district. Nightlife, cuisine, and accommodations in the area south of Hoàn Ki\m Lake and even west of the Citadel, though, are beginning to attract more and more visitors. From the Citadel, ™ng Lˆ Du>n leads south to B>y M*u Lake in the more residential Hai Bà Tr™ng district, and west (down Khñm Tiˆn) to #ng a’s pagodas and small lakes. Farther north, up ™ng Hùng V™£ng, the Ba ình district overlooking West Lake (H· Tñy) hosts the H· Chí Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, most embassies, and the majority of Hà Nÿi’s expats.

Hà Nÿi is best experienced one quÆn at a time. Listings for accommodations, food, sights, museums, and nightlife are grouped together by neighborhood. More general information on these aspects of Hà Nÿi, as well as shopping and specific listings for entertainment, is located after the practical information below.

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