Vietnam – the country of Dusty Travel

“Dusty travel” in a sense of backpacking perfectly fits in the place and context of Vietnam. Vietnam caters everyone’s needs from being known as an oasis of relaxation, famous for epic adventures, to offering all the unique experience, not to mention such delicious feasts for your eyes with a perfect blend or balance of flavors. Vietnam is now a backpacker hub and has become one of the most prominent travel destinations in Asia on account of cheap cost of living, friendly and exciting vibes, a wide selection of off-the-beaten-track spots, and much more. In one word, Vietnam is the “Dusty travel” heaven.

However, (or also) in another sense of “Dusty travel”, its literal meaning is “dusty” or “dust”– “bụi” and “travel” – “du lịch”, which means we travel while breathing the dust in. While a lot of people have been writing about living, working, and traveling in Vietnam regarding all the excellent travel highlights, we rarely get to read articles about one of the most undeniable drawbacks – the air pollution in Vietnam, especially in big cities such as Hanoi, and Saigon (HCMC). The air quality index (AQI) has been very high, normally from 150 – 220, ranking on the top of the world sometimes at over 300.

The air quality gets that worse due to lots of reasons, such as the burning traditions taken from Chinese culture on special lunar days, the breakout of fire in a light warehouse releasing a high amount of fluorescent last year, the excessive amount of pollution resulted from motorbikes (around 7 mill bikes and 500K cars in a big city here!) and cars on the road, the northeastern trade winds carrying all the industrial dirt and dust from China and Hanoi’s neighboring provinces, and much more.

So what’s the solution? 

First of all, it is highly recommended to install AQ tracking apps like Airvisual just so you know on which days the AQI in the city is so high that you can avoid by staying indoors. Especially if you are traveling with a baby, an elderly family member, a pregnant woman or someone that has moderate to severe breathing problems, you should be more careful and well-prepared.

If air pollution does not constitute the number one concern, it is as just moderate as it could be. In Hanoi and Saigon, you may have to learn to wear a mask or have your hand cover your mouth while getting a full exposure to the traffic flow out there. Also, doing some outdoor exercises during the day might not be ideal, either. These tiny particles of pollution can burrow deep into the lungs and cause a range of severe health problems. It may result in occasional coughs, sneeze, sore throat, and even worse, some severe respiratory health problems like bronchitis, or lung inflammation. It’s not a fun reality, but it’s the truth.

If you tend to live here long-term, consider using an air filter indoors. But chances are it is going to take more of a toll on your health. However, just as long as you get out of Vietnam’s two biggest cities, you can see the air quality in Vietnam is getting better. It doesn’t mean you have to head for some remote rice paddy villages to get some fresh air, but you can start thinking about other city options including Da Nang, Hoi An, Da Lat, Can Tho, etc.

Regardless, while air pollution can be a problem in Vietnam, don’t let it hold you back from checking this country.

The post Du lịch Bụi – The joy of backpacking or breathing the dust in appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Here is the list of all the food destinations that he went to. Some of the owners in those restaurants or food stalls say that their life did take a huge milestone or a 180-degree turn for the better after being featured by Anthony Bourdain.

Bun Cha Huong Lien

What is it? Bun Cha – Grilled pork noodles
Address: 24 Le Van Huu
Opening hours: 9:00 AM – 8:30 PM
Note: You should come as early as possible to avoid the crowd and the queue. Also, if you come late, Bun Cha will run out. Only vermicelli and spring rolls available – which happened to us once. We got there at almost 8:00 PM and we ended up eating vermicelli and spring rolls without Bun Cha in a Bun Cha restaurant.

Bun Cha Huong Lien is the most famous destination in the list since it is where U.S. Former President – Obama and Bourdain ate. You can navigate your way to Le Van Huu street which is located in the Old Quarter and drop by a small restaurant fully packed with scooters on the front and lots of people coming in and out. You would know you’re in the right place by seeing all the framed pictures of Obama and Bourdain on the wall. After their visit, the restaurant amended its own menu with the addition of “Obama combo” which literally means “this is what Obama ordered” including Bun cha, beer, and seafood spring rolls, one each. Bun Cha is a bowl of grilled pork, crunchy papaya, and carrots with fish sauce accompanied by rice vermicelli and fresh herbs. Just dip some vermicelli into the bowl then take a pork bite and eat! It’s easy, just mix and take bits of everything together and eat. It’s DELICIOUS!

Cussing Noodles

What is it? Bun doc mung – Noodles with pork and taro stems
Address: 41 Ngo Sy Lien, Hanoi
Opening hours: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Cussing noodles restaurant is well-known among Hanoians. Some people from other provinces of Vietnam often make jokes about the name of this restaurant and some might even be afraid of it. They make lots of questions about not only the restaurant but also the people of Hanoi, whether they are rude or not, whether they are always cussing or not, and alike. The name of this restaurant is just after the name of the dish – Bun doc mung; however, the owner always cusses at her staff, customers, and even not any specific one, which makes people call her shop “cussing noodles”. This bun doc mung shop started to become famous thanks to the word of mouth as people have been always curious “why cussing noodles? what cussing?” and they just wanted to check it out. It became more and more famous thanks to Bourdain’s visit and that it was featured on CNN, viral all over the world. But the question is how about its quality?

Bun doc mung is a bowl of noodles (same strings of Bun Cha noodles) with pork, tomatoes, and taro stems. The best thing about it is its broth made of pork knuckles and snouts. Cussing noodles shop has been doing a great job in this. People love its broth, so no matter how long the queue is and no matter how much cussing they think they would get, they still come. What’s funny is some customers even “volunteer” and desire to be cursed by the owner that they tried to make fun of her or whatever way they could think of to piss her off.

Bun Oc Pho Co

What is it? Bun Oc – Snail noodles with broth
Address: Giang Bun Oc Pho Co, 36 Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hanoi
Opening hours: 7:30 AM–3 PM, 5–11 PM

This is one of the first dishes that Bourdain had in Hanoi. Although Bun Oc is not as famous as Pho in Vietnam, it is still worth trying at least once. The broth is special; the flavor and the smell are very good. Take a seat on a little plastic stool, swirl the chopsticks around and slurp some Bun Oc like a local.

Bia Hai Xom (Beer)   

What is it? Beers
Address: Bia Hai Xom chain is everywhere. But Bourdain went to 22 Tang Bat Ho, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 10 AM–11:30 PM

Beer is everywhere in Vietnam and the number of beer consumers in Vietnam ranks on the up-top in the world. If you can drink or even can’t but want to see some party vibes and Vietnamese ways to clink the glasses, just come check out Bia Hai Xom – the most popular beer shop chain in Vietnam. You will see all the people around shout out cheerfully like crazy, counting from 3 to 1 and “Dzo”. You say “Cheers”. The Vietnamese say “Dzo” and “Uong” – “Drink”.

Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang

What is it? Banh Xeo – Vietnamese pancake
Address: 46A Dinh Cong Trang, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, HCMC (Saigon)
Opening hours: 10 AM – 2 PM / 4 PM – 9 PM

This Banh Xeo shop has become popular since Anthony Bourdain’s first visit which literally changed the shop’s destiny and life forever positively. Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang offers a perfect version of Vietnam’s Southern pancake – Banh Xeo. The fried crust is made of rice flour, water, and turmeric powder, while what’s inside is full of pork, shrimp, herbs, scallions, and bean sprouts. If you are a vegetarian, you can tell the owner to exclude all the meats. Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang uses firewood to make the pancake, which makes the crust crunchy and the whole cake itself smell and taste better. You can eat Banh Xeo with your hands or chopsticks. Dip your Banh Xeo into a bowl of fish sauce and take a bite!

Bun Bo Hue The Lunch Lady

What is it? Bun Bo Hue – Hue style noodles
Address: 23 Hoang Sa Street, Phuong Da Kao, District 1, HCMC (Saigon) or Hem D Chung Cu Nguyen Dinh C, Da Kao, District 1, HCMC (Saigon)
Opening hours: 11 AM – 3:30 PM

One of the most famous street food stalls in Saigon belongs to the legendary, also the street food celebrity – the Lunch Lady or Nguyen Thi Thanh. Anthony Bourdain found her stall and had some delicious noodles that he featured on his show No Reservations. It made this food stall become famous and popular all over the world day by day just after his visit; however, her name was and is still always well-known for her noodles and broth among the locals in Saigon. What’s interesting about this food stall is the way the Lunch Lady rotates her menu which serves only one type of noodle soup or broth every day just because she is an expert in that. Seven days in a week, she can walk you through a maze of noodles’ collection from Bun Bo Hue, Bun Thai (Thai’s noodles?), Bun Mam (Fish sauce noodles) to Banh Canh Cua (Crab noodles). If you visit on Friday, you will be served Bun Bo Hue in which you slurp some clear broth with a meaty flavor and chew on thick noodles while eating some meats, herbs, and rolls.

Cao Lau Hoi An

What is it? Cai Lau – Hoi An Noodles without broth
Address: Central Market in Hoi An

Cao Lau is a Hoi An signature that nobody should ever miss it when they are in Hoi An. Bourdain had Cao Lau in the Central Market, Hoi An where there are a large number of food vendors and restaurants offering delicious Central Vietnam cuisine. Cao Lau has thin slices of pork, thick Quang noodles, and all the fresh herbs and vegetables. If you travel to Central Vietnam without eating Cao Lau in Hoi An and My Quang in Da Nang, you’re not really in town.

Others

The above list is just to map out some signatures. To check the full food list by Anthony Bourdain, you can check the gallery below. Click on the photo for a bigger size and use the arrow to navigate. Feel free to give us your thoughts or feedback on these food destinations!

More articles about Food in Hanoi and Food in Saigon. 

The post Recreate Anthony Bourdain’s Food Adventure in Vietnam appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Hanoi Private Tours are both operated by Maze Vietnam and our Partner. Our tour covers customized flexible schedule and itinerary while our partner’s has a fixed one. Learn about Hanoi here. If you are looking for any tours other than suggested ones below, please contact us for more information.

Common Hanoi Private Tour

Tour operated by Our Partner – 7 years experience in operating Northern Vietnam tours

WHEN: DAILY (But you are expected to book in advance due to the limited number of pax in the tour)

From 8.00- 8.30, our tour guide picks you up from your hotel, then takes you to visit president Ho Chi Minh museum where tourists will learn what he contributed to Vietnam and some other countries and learn all kinds of information about president HCM.

The next place to move to is One Pillar Pagoda – a group of structures consisting of a pagoda and a tower built in the middle of a square lake.

Leave one pillar pagoda for the temple of literature – Van Mieu – the first college in Vietnam and the place dedicating to Confucian.

At 12.30, enjoy local lunch, then visiting the Ethnology Museum where you have a great chance to know about the culture, custom, languages, houses of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.

The last place of city tour is Hoan Kiem lake (restored sword lake) with Ngoc Son temple.

If you want to see the water puppet show, please inform us then we will buy tickets for you.

1 show is in 50 minutes.

From 16 pm – 16.30 pm: the trip ends at your hotel if you do not join a water puppet show, the trip ends in Water Puppet Theater if you join this show, see you again!

Inclusion:

Private car, English tour guide, entrance fees, lunch, bottled water in the car

Exclusion:

personal expense, drink, tips for any good services, accommodation, water puppet show tickets

Check our other popular tours here

Contact us: Email: mazevietnam.info@gmail.com or Message Facebook us: facebook.com/mazevietnam (24/7 Available)

Customized Hanoi Tour

If you would like to visit other destinations in Hanoi (other than the itinerary above), or any surrounding areas such as Bat Trang Pottery Village, Co Loa Citadel, etc., please drop us a message telling your preference. We will get back to you instantly!

Please check tours in other destinations here

Contact us now:

Email: mazevietnam.info@gmail.com
or Message Facebook us: facebook.com/mazevietnam (24/7 Available)

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Day 1

How did we get our Vietnamese Dong?

Where did we go?

THIS IS WHERE WE GOT SCAMMED!

Then after that, we did not have any choice but to take a cab going to Hanoi Opera House as it was far from this temple. BUT we still considered the fact that the taxi drivers would cheat us. We were walking around the streets again then the two locals we’ve asked earlier were near us and APPROACHED us again if we needed their help. Good thing they are super nice and helpful that they offered us to book a GRAB car to be able to reach the next destination. That’s the smartest and biggest help he had done to us!!!! Thanks God, there are still nice people on earth His name is Nguyen Minh Duong! Thanks Duong! He lives in Saigon but their work just allocated them in Hanoi for a week.

DAY 2

The post Vietnam at a Glance! Our Hanoi Itinerary and Travel Tips | Vietnam Travel Story appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Hao Nam Street is a traditional yet popular street for musical instruments. The street also gathers all the top-notch musicians and excellent students majoring in music since there is an outstanding school named Vietnam National Academy of Music (Học Viện Âm Nhạc Quốc Gia Việt Nam) located in between the music shops.

There are hundreds of big and small music stores along the side streets and back alleys as well as hidden corners. Thousands of guitars are lining the walls of the stores.

In Hao Nam musical street, it is not hard to catch sight of colorful-haired rockers, artistic music players, high school and college music students picking up their instruments with parents and friends. The shop clerks engage in lively discussions and happily demonstrate a variety of accessories and instruments, from guitar, violin, cello, piano, flute to Vietnam’s traditional instruments such as bamboo flute, bau luthier (đàn bầu), 16-string-zither (đàn tranh), Vietnamese violin (đàn nhị) or even t’rung (a Ba Na ethical instrument from Tay Nguyen).

What is interesting in this local musical instrument shopping street – Hao Nam is that the customers can bargain the price. It is even considered as rules here. “Never accept the price in the first place” is what we often tell each other. If you plan to buy some instruments in Hao Nam, you should be very careful checking out them to even the smallest details and prices. It is best to go with locals though.

Photos taken by Tu Vu

The post You are a Music Enthusiast? Visit this Lively Hub of Music Stores now! appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Hanoi Walking Street

From 7:00 PM on Friday to 12:00 AM on Sunday, the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake including Dinh Tien Hoang, Hang Khay, Le Thai To, Le Lai, and so on will become a huge pedestrian zone. In these streets, especially the ones surrounding the lake, you will see lots of street musicians singing, dancing and playing different instruments.

Vietnam Institute of Musicology

Vietnam Institute of Musicology is where some famous Music Festivals and great music performances take place. Sometimes, the teachers and the students of the Institute are the main characters of the performances. But for other special occasions, lots of well-known musicians are invited to play here. Vietnam Institute of Musicology is where you can listen to classics, jazz, acoustics, folk music and much more. To check out upcoming events there, check its website here.

The Doors & Bar 84

The Doors and Bar 84 are the two you should stop by at any convenience. Both The Doors and Bar 84 have somewhat the similarity in the way of design of which simplicity and irreducibility are elevated. The mysterious attractiveness in the clever combination of black and white, dark blue and green with the dusty charm from the color of bricks gives the two a beauty that is hardly mistaken. These themes, I presume, are perfectly fit with what the places offer: drinks, music, chit chat and chill.

For The Doors, live music is on all week with a variety of types performed by many artists despite genders, skin colors, ages and vibes such as jazz, rock ‘n roll, acoustic and so on. Performances at The Door are usually live from 9:00 PM  and special music nights with the contribution of foreign artists are often on every Friday night and there will be promo like “2 get 1 FREE for Gin Mix” or “TEQUILA (SHOT) 2 GET 1 FREE”. The place is open from 8:00 AM.

For Bar 84, you can call it a bar, a nightclub or even a restaurant when you come to check it out. Just like The Door, Bar 84 offers quite the same types of music. However, each day is signed for a different type of performances. For example, Monday is “Ladies’ Night” where acoustic is played, Tuesday is for Pre-1975 Vietman songs and 60-70s ballads with the theme “The Old Boys Blue” and so on. The place is open from 9:00 AM to 2:00 AM. So in case you have any free time for a jazz, acoustic or simply for a cup of coffee, just drop by any of them and you will not regret it.

The Doors

Address: #11 Hàng Chĩnh Street, Hoàn Kiếm District
Website: www.facebook.com/TheDoorsCafe

Bar 84

Address: #23 Ngô Văn Sở Street, Hoàn Kiếm District
Website: www.facebook.com/bar84hanoi

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

Words by Trang Nguyen
Photos by Mai Tran (Mai Tran‘s profile)

The post The Best Places with Live Music in Hanoi appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Each Hanoian has his or her own way to relish this enchanting moment when day and night meet, but some would say it is best experienced by the bank of West Lake. And true, West Lake has a lot to offer, from a sweeping panoramic spectacle to breaths of cool wind to ease off the swelter of the day. Standing against a balustrade or sitting on one of the benches placed alongside the lake, you can witness the sun sinking behind the city skyline, to the point where the tallest skyscrapers become barely visible to the naked eye as they fuse with the coming darkness of the night, and where the remnants of what was once a blazing sun are but a few trails of yellow-orange light. Needless to say, it is a sight to be marveled, but if you think that’s all to be seen at West Lake, you’d probably be wrong.

Just as the sun casts its final majestic rays of light over the gleaming water, people start to gather along the bank. Some people enjoy a leisurely stroll, some do evening exercises such as running or cycling along the sidewalk, and some just sit back and take in the view, while others like to have a go at fishing.

Here and there are street vendors who sell a miscellany of dishes, from ice cream to steamed seafood items. All mentioned activities happen in a such a lazy manner that if you were to compare it with all the hustle and bustle on the streets of Hanoi, the two might seem poles apart despite being in the same city. Thus is the beauty of the West Lake. It presents, or represents, a completely different side of Hanoi, one where the city appears ever so tranquil and quaint in its own right.

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

Photos by Nhan Tran
Words by Duy Nguyen

The post Sunset at West Lake appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

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Giảng

Giảng, one of the most popular cafés in Hanoi, was named after its founder - Mr. Nguyen Van Giang - a former bartender at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel from 1930 to 1945. After retiring, Mr. Nguyen himself created a new kind of coffee inspired by cappuccino - the egg coffee or “cà phê trứng” - and opened his first shop in 90 Cau Go in 1946. Egg coffee is the concoction of espresso, condensed milk, a little sugar, butter, cheese and egg yolk, resembling a tiramisu in taste. Except for the espresso, all the other ingredients are mixed until they become a lovely creamy foam in a small cup by a bamboo whisk originally – which is now replaced by a stainless steel one or egg beater. The mixture is then poured over the coffee to complete the drink. Giảng offers you two versions of this wonderful beverage - the hot and the cold one. Should you find espresso layer of egg coffee too bitter, try hot egg chocolate – “ca cao trứng” instead. And for you guys who don’t, why not trying all at one time as a coffee cup here is pretty small and may make you feel like having one after another.

 

Address:

• 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi
• 106 Yên Phụ, Tây Hồ District, Hanoi

Open – close: daily from 7.30 am to 22.30 pm.

Phone number:

• 04 3294 0495
• 098 9892 298/ 090 3479 032

Price: 15.000VND – 33.000VND ~ Egg coffee: 25.000VND & Egg with Chocolate: 20.00VND

Đinh

Situated on the second floor of a small old house in 13 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Dinh was named after this street and opened by the daughter of Mr. Nguyen Van Giang - Mrs. Bich in 1984, who was a former high school teacher. This used to be a popular spot for students in the 1900s as the price was pretty cheap while the coffee was delicious and the owners were very friendly. Dinh is still at the same address nowadays and because it is very small while everyone wants to have a seat in the balcony outside, make sure you set off early and don’t come at weekends as it would be very crowded. Last but not least, egg coffee is also Dinh’s specialty but it has a different taste from that of Giang. Try and experience yourself. The coffee shop opens the whole week from 7.00 am to 21.30 pm.

Best Hidden Vintage Coffee Shop in Hanoi

Follow us to one of our favorite hidden cafes to taste a fabulous egg coffee in Hanoi! To look up more vintage cafes, here comes our guide: http://bit.ly/vintagecafeHNTell us your favorite cafe in the city below!

Posted by Maze Vietnam on Sunday, December 17, 2017

Video shot by Chi Le & Van Duong | Edited by Van Duong

 

Address: Second floor of a bag store, 13 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Open – close: 7.00 am - 21.30 pm (whole week)

Phone number: 04 3824 2960

Price: 12.000VND – 20.000VND ~ Egg coffee: 20.000VND

Nhân

Opened in 1946, Nhân café has been run by Mr. Thi’s family for decades. Starting out as a meeting place for Vietnamese communist people during the war, Nhân is now a well-known coffee shop with many branches, but the most popular one is still that in Hàng Hành. Famous for its self-roasted coffee bean, Nhân café will definitely please even the most punctilious drinker.

Address:

• 39D Hàng Hành, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi
• 9 Láng Hạ Street, Ba Đình District, Hanoi
• 143 Nguyễn Thái Học, Ba Đình District, Hanoi

Open – close: 8.00 am – 22.30 pm

Phone number: 098 4444 254 (39D Hàng Hành, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi)

Price: 25.000VND - 50.000VND
[endd-div]

Thọ

Founded in more than 20 years ago and considered as a cafe with delicious coffee and low price, Thọ attracts many locals despite locating in a coffee street named Trieu Viet Vuong full of coffee shops. Milk coffee and “nếp cẩm” yogurt are two most preferred by drinkers when coming here.

Address: 117 Triệu Việt Vương street, Hai Bà Trưng District, Hanoi

Open – close: 9.00 am – 2300 pm

Phone number: 04 3629 29597

Price: 15.000VND - 40.000VND

Thái

Another choice for you when dropping by Triệu Việt Vương street is Thái café. Like Thọ, drinks at Thái are quite cheap. This cafe was once listed in 'Top 100 best coffee products in Hanoi' and one interesting thing should be mentioned is that Thai Coffee has been using only one coffee roaster that has been passed through 3 generations in this family business.  Moreover, even if you just order a 3000VND iced tea – approximately 0.14 $, you can spend hours chatting with friends here - in a cozy place.

Address: 27 Triệu Việt Vương street, Hai Bà Trưng District, Hanoi

Open – close: 6.00 am – 22.00 pm

Phone number: 04 3822 6922

Price: 12.000VND – 35.000VND

Năng

Many Hanoians say that getting up early with a cup of coffee at Năng, a more than 50-year-old coffee house, on weekend is a lovely relaxing thing to do. Although it is located in a small bustle street of Hanoi making parking quite difficult, Năng still enchants the locals, especially the artists, by its strong coffee and traditional decorations around the shop. The café is, of course, crowded all day but do come and have a drink as it is worth trying. One last thing to bear in mind, the coffee shop’s name is “Năng” – not “Nắng”, watch out!

Address: 6 Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi.

Open – close: 8.00 am – 23.00 pm (whole week)

Phone number: 04 3824 0459

Price: from 15.000VND

Lâm

Lâm café was opened in 1952 and named after its founder – Mr. Lâm. The coffee bean here is naturally ground without adding any additives and has a distinct taste. One plus mark for this café is that there are many art pictures of famous painters featuring people and ancient streets of Hanoi, giving you a feeling of living in the capital city decades ago.

Address:

• 60 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi. (1)
• 91 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi. (2)

Open – close: 6.30 am – 22.30 pm (whole week)

Phone number:

• 04 3824 0459 (1)
• 090 455 85 68 (2)

Price: 15.000VND – 50.000VND

Nhĩ

Nhĩ used to be one of the top 4 cafés in Hanoi along with Nhân, Giảng and Dĩ long time ago (Dĩ is an old café but it is now hardly found in Hanoi and people rumor that it is out of business). Although it is not a spacious café like any other old coffee shops, Nhĩ is always crowded. One special thing is that the café does not have its name on the signboard – all you can see is “cafeteria” – “café giải khát”. So, make sure you come to the right address! And once again, the café’s name is “Nhĩ” – not “Nhi”, don’t be mistaken!

Address: 2 Hàng Cá, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Open – close: 7.00 am – 22.30 pm (whole week)

Price: 15.000VND – 33.000VND

Mai

The last coffee shop on our list today is Mai café. Mai was opened in 1936 and in the first place just sold packed roasted coffee along with raw coffee bean. Mai’s coffee is distinct for its aroma that can be traced from far away. Nowadays, besides selling coffee bean, it serves coffee at a store as well and if you feel like, you can make coffee yourself right here. Last but not least, the price here is quite high compared to other shops with the cheapest drink is black coffee(hot/cold) – 34.000VND (1.5$).

Address:

• • 96 Lê Văn Hưu, Q. Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội (1)

• • 79 Lê Văn Hưu, Q. Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội (2)

• • 52 Nguyễn Du, Q. Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội (3)

• • 75 Trần Nhân Tông, Q. Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội (4)

Open – close: 7.00 am – 22.00 pm

Phone number:

• 04 3822 7751 (1)
• 04 3822 9653 (2)
• 04 3822 7713 (3)
• 04 3822 9652 (4)

Price: 34.000VND – 100.000VND

That's all about the beauty of the five Vintage Coffee shops in Hanoi. They always stay in all Hanoians' hearts. How about Saigon - the country's largest city. To see all the Vintage Coffee Shops in Saigon, click here

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]]> https://www.mazevietnam.com/2017/07/06/hanois-oldest-coffee-houses/feed/ 29 https://www.mazevietnam.com/2017/06/22/flower-street-vendors-in-hanoi/ https://www.mazevietnam.com/2017/06/22/flower-street-vendors-in-hanoi/#comments Thu, 22 Jun 2017 00:01:59 +0000 https://www.mazevietnam.com/?p=4685 “As I read an old poem composed by Tố Hữu – one of the greatest

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]]> “As I read an old poem composed by Tố Hữu – one of the greatest authors in Vietnam, I feel like each line unconsciously provokes such a strange feeling of how much Hanoians used to and still, embrace those little quintessence. We seem to love all the flowers overwhelmed in Hanoi through the street vendors as it is one of our instincts.  

It is not something random that these flower street vendors have brought somewhat a refreshing reminiscent breeze to people in the city, but simply because they need to earn a living and customers need those beautiful bunches of flowers. Despite what kind of season it is, flower is always a constant and unchanged beauty of Hanoi with which the respectable tradition is consistent as a life-time companion.

In the olden times, a common motif of a Vietnamese lady sitting by a trellis of flowers always stole hearts of men. Especially in the 80’s, the appearance of a young girl in the charming Áo Dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) would always be accompanied with a few branches of gorgeous flowers. Every single corner of the street saw a basket of flowers sold by women a lady, or even a man. Sometimes, a few ladies altogether turned the corner into a little flower market. Hence, as such a pride, Hanoians have got their famous flower markets such as Ngọc Hà, Nhật Tân, Tứ Liên. In spite of a strong Westernization, these vendors have not lost their pure beauty. Whenever you leave home, they are always out there with familiar conical hats and old rusty bike carrying baskets of roses, daisies, sunflowers, feverfews or pomelo flowers.

These familiar scenes are somehow dear but hidden with pain as well. They portray small women, just like moms and grandmoms, who try to make some money with the withstanding from severe heat and rain.” – Trang Nguyen

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

Words by Trang Nguyen (Trang Nguyen‘s profile)
Photos by Hanh Le

The post Flower Street Vendors in Hanoi appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

]]> https://www.mazevietnam.com/2017/06/22/flower-street-vendors-in-hanoi/feed/ 9 https://www.mazevietnam.com/2017/06/17/the-tangle-of-electrical-wires-in-hanoi/ https://www.mazevietnam.com/2017/06/17/the-tangle-of-electrical-wires-in-hanoi/#comments Sat, 17 Jun 2017 14:38:26 +0000 https://www.mazevietnam.com/?p=4619 If you have been living or even just traveling in the capital of India, then

The post The tangle of electrical wires in Hanoi – A Nightmare for Electricians appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

]]> If you have been living or even just traveling in the capital of India, then Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam would not surprise you with its tangle of electrical wires.

Hanoi, a famous city for its hustle and bustle pace of life, has really unnerved almost all travelers across the world with its terrible flow of buzzing and spiraling traffic. Not just the traffic, Hanoi can also take the tourists’ breath away with its whole mess of tangled overhead power lines.

 

If you want to keep your eyes off the busy road for a bit, a quick glance over the sky will amaze you with an exact reflection of what you just saw on the ground through the whole tangled and incredible traffic over the horizon. All the cables get so messed up that it is too challenging for us to tell where the wires go to. The wires of electricity, cable-television, and telephone are clumped altogether, and they are hanging dangerously from sides to sides of all the buildings. All the giant twisted and confounding black spiders with their cobwebs covering the whole Hanoi can somewhat tell us the dangerous disorder of a country named Vietnam.

 

 

 

For most people coming from developed countries, all of the overhead wiring in Hanoi in particular and in Vietnam, in general, would become one of their deepest fears in life. And some of whom would be probably curious about the lineworkers’ great skills and expertise in Vietnam. How could they really install and repair these electrical power systems perfectly without faults?

 

 

 

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

 

Words by Chi Le
Photos by Tu Vu (Tu Vu‘s profile)

The post The tangle of electrical wires in Hanoi – A Nightmare for Electricians appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

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