After a short stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia we finally arrived at Hanoi Airport. We had to pick up our visa at the customs office which only took about 30 minutes and US$ 25 per person (not bad if you compare that to other customs offices around the world). From the airport it was about an hour drive to our small boutique hotel in the centre of Hanoi. The weather was really nice and we couldn't wait to explore the city.

Hanoi is a typical (former communist) and chaotic (mainly the traffic, watch out otherwise you will be run-over) Asian city. The city is not that large and if you like walking you can visit all the main attractions on foot. Of course there are also a lot of cheap taxis and motorised tuk-tuk's. In the city centre you can enjoy the monuments, parks and a variety of buildings, narrow streets and markets. There is a backpackers street which hosts some good bars and restaurants and where you can meet a variety of people. The French residential area hosts some more fine dining restaurants and on the outskirts of the city centre you can visit the mausoleum, Hanoi tower and war museum. We have spent two full days in the city which was good enough to enjoy the Hanoi experience.