Hanoi 5 - Touring Around

We spent around 4 days in Hanoi because our Halong Bay tour was delayed due to bad weather. It was something unexpected but we managed to spend more time exploring the capital.

Hoam Kiem Lake and Water Puppet Show
Hoam Kiem Lake is the landmark of Hanoi, the heart of Old Quarter. My first thought about the place was peaceful, you can see a lot of locals performing their daily activities around the lake. I didn't take a lot of photos because the sky was dimming as we arrived there.

Our main activity that day was actually the water puppet show. I would suggest everyone to get the tickets early because this traditional Vietnamese show is highly popular among the tourists and it has become one of the must-do activities in Hanoi. Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is located at the street opposite to Hoam Kiem Lake. We were "cheated" by GPS and it brought us to middle of nowhere. T.T However, as long as you reach Hoam Kiem Lake, it wouldn't be a problem to spot the theatre.

There are two types of tickets : 100000 vnd for front rows whereas 60000 vnd for normal seats. Personally I feel that front seats are preferable to fully enjoy the show. However, the theatre itself isn't that big and thus I find it alright to view from back rows without much obstruction.

Our show would start at 8pm but we decided to go there slightly early because we didn't want to miss a single part. The theatre was just 5 mins walk away from I-Feel Cafe. I have featured this cafe in my previous post. 

The show was in Vietnamese but the stories played were straightforward and easy to be understood. Moreover, you can always refer to the brochure regarding the item titles and they shall give you some clues about the contents. The traditional music was amazing and the show truly depicted the interesting Vietnamese culture. The show lasted about 50 minutes and definitely worth the price paid. 

Temple of Literature

Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 5pm

Admission Ticket: 10000vnd

It's quite far from our hotel so we decided to travel there by cab. Using the GrabTaxi app and the promotion code, we grabbed a taxi online and enjoyed a 20000vnd discount for our ride. Interested people can look for the promotion online because I am not sure how long would it last.

Temple of Literature was not too big. We spent around 1.5 hours there, to enjoy the nice architecture and of course to pray for my coming semester, haha.

Quite surprised by the immense Chinese culture in Vietnam. Then only I realized China is actually just above Vietnam. 

Too early for lunch, so we took a rest at the park beside the temple. And I didn't know how it turned into a "nonsense" photos taking session. I guess it was because the place was deserted and we found it suitable to take artistic photos.

Women Museum

Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 5pm

Admission Ticket: 30000vnd (Ask for students' price)

Address: 36, Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoam Kiem, Hanoi. (Within walking distance if you stay in Old Quarter)

Torn between Museum of Ethnology and the Women Museum. Both had positive reviews in TripAdvisor. In the end we decided to go to the Women Museum which was nearer to our hotel. I didn't know how, but we managed to walk to the musuem from the Kafe. Again, I had featured this chic cafe in my previous post, check it out!

There are 3 permanent exhibitions in the musuem, namely Women in History, Women in Family and Women's Fashion. It's fascinating to look at the important roles of women during the war times as well as in the family. The descriptions of the displays come in English, thus there isn't any problem for the tourists to appreciate the stories behind. =)

Uncle Ho's Mausoleum and Attractions Nearby

Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Thursday and weekends from 8am to 11am (Last entry at 10.15am)

Closed: October and November

Dress Code: Proper outfits (No shorts, tank tops or hats)

Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House

Opening Hours: 8am to 11am & 2pm to 4pm

Location: Just next to the Mausoleum

Admission Ticket: 

One Pillar Pagoda

Opening Hours: Daily 6am to 6pm

Location: Continue walking from the exit of Stilt House

Ho Chi Minh Museum

Opening Hours: 8am to 11am & 2pm to 4pm

Location: Near to the pagoda

Uncle Ho's Mausoleum is also one of the must-visit attraction in Hanoi. I know a lot about how Mr. Ho Chi Minh fought for independence of  the country from my History textbook during secondary school. And finally I got the opportunity to meet this admirable man. It was drizzling, so we grabbed a cab again. The ride was about 15 minutes.

Remember to dress up properly to show respect! Shorts and slippers are not allowed. Bottles and drinks are prohibited and we had to deposit our water bottles at the entry point. I found it troublesome to retrieve it because the deposit point was pretty far from the exit of Mausoleum and it would close during certain timings. Hence my advice is do not carry water bottles with you, anyway you can easily buy one at reasonable price.

Photos are not allowed within the Mausoleum also. Luckily the queue today was quite okay, perhaps due to the bad weather. I heard that some people had to queue for hours >.<

Lastly, additional info for those who would like to visit Museum of Ethnology, one of the most popular museum in the area. Next up would be my visit to Halong Bay!

Museum of Ethnology

Opening Hours: Daily 8.30am to 5.30pm

Admission Ticket: 40000vnd

Address: Nguyen Van Huyen St, Cau Giay, Hanoi.