9798223841548_

Hanoi is Vietnams capital. It boasts a very walkable old town, tons of hidden-away places to explore, and an art and hipster scene rivaling Saigons. And yes, Hanoi is the home of pho and egg coffee, but theres so much more.

We Saigonese people know Hanoi for chilly weather and chillier people: aloof and inscrutable. After many visits, explorations, and yes, false starts and "learning experiences," Ive learned to love Hanoi, and I want you to love it too.

This is the local guide to Hanoi. I focus on the worms-eye-view (did I just call myself a worm?!) version of Hanoi, the fascinating little spots that make this city special. Ill show you the places that usually dont appear in guidebooks, just as I did for Saigon in my book My Saigon. Well wander down some Hanoi alleys and experience amazing places youd never find in mass-market, foreigner-produced, ChatGPT-written guidebooks to Hanoi.

I also teach you practical skills that let you break away from the guided tours and well-worn tourist attractions: the lowdown on Vietnam visas (the rules were completely changed in 2023), how to get around, how to buy things, what to say, and what (and whom!) to avoid.

With Happy in Hanoi, you wont be experiencing Hanoi "like a local." Youll be experiencing Hanoi better than most locals, because contrary to popular belief, we Vietnamese people dont automatically know everything about every place in Vietnam. Youll be balling, basically.

My guidebooks took you to Saigon and Da Nang. You had a great time. Now, join me in Hanoi. Youll love it.

...(*_*)9798223841548_

Hanoi: a maze of alleys, lakes, pagodas, jazz clubs, cafes, and Soviet statues. Even for us Vietnamese people, Hanoi is infamously inscrutable. Its Vietnams enigma wrapped in a mystery, with egg cream on top.

You can take the easy, well-trodden path: the tourist market, the tourist pho restaurant, the tourist beer street, and a dude in a glass case.

Or you can go local: eat the pho that Vietnamese foodies eat, drink the coffee VIetnamese hipsters drink, and hang out on the other beer street, the one thats not in any guidebooks, the one for locals. Ill even show you a super-creepy abandoned amusement park.

Instead of canned propaganda, youll understand the real stories behind the places and people youre seeing.

Youll meet "the locals." Yes, theyd love to chat with you, they want to practice their English, and no, they dont hate Americans. Nobody cares about the war anymore.

Well wander down sketchy alleys and experience amazing places youd never find in mass-market, foreigner-produced, ChatGPT-written guidebooks. Ill also teach you practical skills to break away from the guided tours and well-worn tourist attractions: the lowdown on Vietnam visas, how to get around, how to buy things, what to say, and what (and whom!) to avoid.

My guidebooks took you to Saigon and Da Nang. You had a great time. Now, lets meet the final boss: Hanoi. Youll love it, I promise.

...(*_*)9798223841548_

Hanoi: a maze of alleys, lakes, pagodas, jazz clubs, cafes, and Soviet statues. Even for us Vietnamese people, Hanoi is infamously inscrutable. It's Vietnam's enigma wrapped in a mystery, with egg cream on top.

You can take the easy, well-trodden path: the tourist market, the tourist pho restaurant, the tourist beer street, and a dude in a glass case.

Or you can go local: eat the pho that Vietnamese foodies eat, drink the coffee VIetnamese hipsters drink, and hang out on the other beer street, the one that's not in any guidebooks, the one for locals. I'll even show you a super-creepy abandoned amusement park.

Instead of canned propaganda, you'll understand the real stories behind the places and people you're seeing.

You'll meet "the locals." Yes, they'd love to chat with you, they want to practice their English, and no, they don't hate Americans. Nobody cares about the war anymore.

We'll wander down sketchy alleys and experience amazing places you'd never find in mass-market, foreigner-produced, ChatGPT-written guidebooks. I'll also teach you practical skills to break away from the guided tours and well-worn tourist attractions: the lowdown on Vietnam visas, how to get around, how to buy things, what to say, and what (and whom!) to avoid.

My guidebooks took you to Saigon and Da Nang. You had a great time. Now, let's meet the final boss: Hanoi. You'll love it, I promise.

Happy in Hanoi: The Local Guide to Hanoi, Vietnam

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