Hanoi, Chaotic City With Its Own Charm

By Norshazlina Nor'azman HANOI, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- "Sheer madness!" is how this writer describes the chaotic traffic the instant she steps into the Vietnamese capital. Hanoi's roads are practically a sea of motorcycles, which seem to be the main transportation mode for its denizens, and other vehicles that are forever blaring their horns, zigzagging and squeezing into every available bit of space on the road, regardless of whether the traffic light is red or green. Then there are the local pedestrians who think nothing of walking in the middle of an insanely busy road or casually sauntering across to the other side. This writer herself finds crossing the road a nightmare and has to practically dash across the street to avoid being hit by speeding motorbikes. Obviously making a mockery of Hanoi road users' scant regard for traffic rules, T-shirts on sale as souvenirs here are emblazoned with the picture of a traffic light and slogans like "I can go" printed beside the green and amber lights, and "I can still go" appearing beside the red light! Not surprisingly, as tourist guide Ngo Van Tung, 26, relates, Vietnam's road accident rate is rather high, and last year alone there were some 24 fatalities daily in the country due to accidents. HANOI'S UNIQUENESS Its perilous roads aside, the writer - who was on a media visit to Hanoi recently in conjunction with Malindo Air's inaugural flight to the city - discovers that it has its own charm. Hanoi is known for its centuries-old architecture and rich culture featuring Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences. Ngo, who was tour guide to the Malaysian journalists, recommends renting a scooter (that is, if you are daring enough to brave the infamous Hanoi traffic) for the purpose of taking in the sights of the city; for the more faint-hearted, he suggests they hire a taxi. Since Hanoi is synonymous with shopping, any visit to this bustling city will not be complete without stopping at the Old Quarter, its historic soul teeming with shops and traders selling all kinds of souvenirs, local handicrafts and silk fabric, among others, and at very reasonable prices too. There is even a paradise for shoe lovers nearby, aptly dubbed Shoe Street and it features a lengthy row of shops selling a variety of footwear. The daily night market that stretches over a kilometre at Hang Bac Street is also a delight for shoppers. The picturesque Hoan Kiem lake, situated smack in the centre of Hanoi, is a pleasant place for an evening stroll and it is within walking distance from Hotel Cosiana, where this writer stayed during her three-day/two-night trip to Vietnam. This boutique hotel, incidentally, is owned by a Malaysian James Segaran, who hails from Seremban (the capital city of Negeri Sembilan state). And, it is also impossible to leave Hanoi without sampling its famous black coffee or its must-have egg coffee, which has egg yolk as its special ingredient besides coffee powder and condensed milk. HA LONG BAY BECKONS Since no visit to Vietnam is complete without a trip to the visually-stunning Ha Long Bay - a UNESCO world heritage site in the northeast part of the country - the writer and her media colleagues are whisked off to the popular travel destination for a day visit. Located about 165 kilometres from Hanoi, it takes four hours to get there by bus. Ha Long literally means "descending dragon" and legend has it that the Jade Emperor ordered the Mother Dragon and her children to descend on earth to help the ancient Vietnamese people defend the country against fierce invaders. The Mother Dragon and her children, it is said, incinerated the enemies with their divine fire and giant emeralds, which eventually turned into the islands and islets that make up the beauteous Ha Long Bay. The writer and her group are lucky enough to be taken on a one-hour cruise on the emerald-green waters and are bowled over by the spectacular limestone karst seascape. For lunch, they get to feast on fresh seafood cooked Vietnamese-style, making their trip to Ha Long Bay all the more memorable. They also visit the nearby Thien Chung cave, believed to be 700 million years old. Covering 10,000 sq metres, it is one of the most beautiful grottoes in Ha Long Bay and its stalactite and stalagmite formations, resembling dragon heads and other animals, are amazing to say the least. Tour packages to Ha Long Bay, including transport and meals, begin from as low as US$30. There are also packages that include an overnight cruise and activities like fishing, kayaking and diving. NOT MUCH HALAL FOOD Food-wise, stalls selling a variety of street fare, including exotic meats, are aplenty on roadsides all over Hanoi but, to be honest, it is hard to come across eateries serving halal food. To help address the situation, James decided to convert his Hanoi hotel into a halal-concept hotel, complete with a restaurant that served only halal food. His 50-room Hotel Cosiana is strategically located at Le Duan Street within the city's Old Quarter. The hotel staff includes two chefs who James hired from Malaysia and its chicken and meat supplies are sourced from an imam at the Al-Noor mosque in Hanoi. "All the spices used for cooking are brought from Malaysia... our restaurant not only serves Vietnamese dishes but Malaysian delights as well, so don't be surprised to see sambal belacan and teh tarik being served there," he says, adding that the hotel restaurant D'Lions is the only one in town which serves tasty Vietnamese noodle soup that Muslims can tuck into without reservations. His hotel attracts guests from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei looking for Muslim-friendly lodgings and food during their stay in Hanoi. When James first opened his hotel seven years ago, it did not have halal certification and few Muslims chose to stay at his property. "Later, I decided to focus on the halal market... I started by opening a halal restaurant in the hotel. At first, business was slow because people didn't know of its existence but slowly it improved and now more people are talking about our hotel and restaurant," he says. --BERNAMA