Hoan Kiem District

The beautiful central district of Hoan Kiem in Hanoi is home to Hanoi’s old town and French quarter, and this place is quintessentially the image of Hanoi. Crumbling colonial buildings house classically Vietnamese shops and eateries. This is Hanoi at its most beautiful and is where many of the streams of tourists choose to stay in Hanoi. There is a range of accommodation available around the old streets: backpackers have a great selection of hostels to choose from and hotels are extremely reasonable, offering a high standard of cleanliness as well as service. Often hotels in this district are decorated with traditional large mahogany furniture.
One of the best things to do in Hoan Kiem is simply just to sit and watch as the magic of Hanoi’s daily life happens around you. Sip on a strong, sweet Vietnamese coffee on a street corner cafe and watch the streams of scooters skillfully manoeuvre their way through the traffic, the ladies serving up sloshing bowls of pho hour after hour and vendors selling fruit and other wares on the back of push bikes, calling out in Vietnamese to passers-by to let them know what they have to sell.
Public transport in the district is non-existent, but many of the main tourist attractions are in walking distance as well as restaurants, bars and the weekend market that take over some of the quarter’s streets on a Friday evening.
Apricot Hotel – This high-end hotel is full of luxury and modern comforts – and with all of that at an affordable price, you’re never going to want to leave. The interiors here are stunningly beautiful, with touches of neoclassical style making this place truly a sumptuous place to stay. Everything from the large, lavish bedrooms to the guest lounges decorated with chandeliers and gold fabric is wonderful. It makes for the perfect escape from the busy city streets. Soak up views of Lake Hoan Kiem from the rooftop, where you can also grab a drink.