hanoi, Vietnam - flags in the street

Hanoi in Pictures

Some impressions of my first visit to Hanoi, Vietnam

Traffic in Hanoi is pretty simple: take your road rules, forget them. When you arrive at an intersection, you honk to let others know you’re not stopping. They might do the same, so you’d end up seeing who’s stopping. It’s a permanent game of chicken. Oh, and the presence of pedestrian crossings or even traffic lights won’t change any of this. Cars don’t even slow down when the light is red. They honk more persistent.

A man in a suit rides a scooter in the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam
Man on a scooter in Hanoi, Vietnam

Since the import of cars and car parts is being taxed pretty heavily, the use of scooters is – like in many other Asian countries – the norm. They can transport anywhere between 1 and 4 people, or a fridge, or 5 kegs of beer, or…

A man on a scooter delivering kegs of beer in Hanoi, Vietman
A man on a scooter delivering kegs of beer in Hanoi, Vietman

The concept of sidewalks being for pedestrians is pretty much not how we see things in Hanoi. Why give up the parking space for a car, or a couple of scooters, so you can safely stay on the side of the road?

Sidewalk with scooters in Hanoi, Vietnam
Sidewalk with scooters in Hanoi, Vietnam

Street food

Hanoi has a great number of places where you can eat in the street. Take that literally. Most famous is the noodle soup. Lightly spicy, but very tasty.

Noodle soup in Hanoi, Vietnam
Noodle soup in Hanoi, Vietnam