Travel tips for Hanoi

Follow the locals to the tiny plastic-stool places. Pho Thin on Lo Duc Street is legendary - huge bowl of beef pho for about 50,000 VND ($2). Had it 6 mornings in a row and never got tired of it.

Traffic never stops. Seriously, never. You just step out and walk at a steady pace and the scooters flow around you. Don't stop, don't speed up, don't make sudden moves. By day three it feels normal.