A Quiet Day in Hanoi
I spent a little over a week in Hanoi and as a person sensitive to noise, it was pretty rough. Even though I found many things to love about the capital city, sometimes the intensity was just way too much. The motorbikes, the traffic, the noise, the millions of people at every turn. I found myself on one desperate evening googling ”quiet things to do in Hanoi” and came up with nothing, so I wanted to put together this guide for any other sensitive introverts who might be in Hanoi, hoping to avoid the craziness while still getting out of their hotel rooms.
Morning
Get up early and head to Hoàn Kiếm Lake by 6 am. Watch the little old ladies do tai chi and have a coffee at one of the cafes overlooking the lake. It is so calm you might forget you are in Hanoi.
Late morning
Walk through the French Quarter, the area south of the lake, where you will find wide sidewalks and largely respected traffic lights. Stop in at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum to learn about the daily life of women in Vietnam as well as the stories of women who held positions of responsibility in wartime over the country’s many years of strife.
Lunch
Cộng Cà Phê offers hipstery food and drinks at several locations. At the Hàng Buồm location you can climb one flight of stairs to a faux bunker or two to open air seats overlooking the traffic. It can be pretty fun to observe the zaniness of the city when you aren’t in the thick of it.
Afternoon
The Temple of Literature is a busy site but despite the tourists, it is still a peaceful place and the historic architecture and green lawns offer a nice respite from the grime and pollution of the Old Quarter. It was founded in 1070 and was dedicated to Confucius.
It’s also not a bad stroll from here to Ho Chi Minh’s memorial, where you can view the Vietnamese leader’s body. Although Uncle Ho was making his annual trip to Russia for repairs while we were there, I found just walking around the memorial area to be a calming experience, and you might even be lucky enough to catch the changing of the guards.
Evening
Enjoy a nightcap at Manzi Cafe, set in a back alley north of the Old Quarter. The cafe showcases local art and serves up delicious juices, avocado and yogurt smoothies, and a nice selection of wine if you have had your fill of bia hoi.
Then head home, and congratulate yourself for surviving a day in Hanoi!
