Hanoi, Vietnam — Activities
Hanoi Culture
Cultural entertainment is rather thin on the ground throughout the city, although improving, but there are a few outlets. You can find information on performances in the daily English-language newspaper the Vietnam News and the monthly The Guide, published by the Vietnam Economic Times. An alternative source of information is Time Out, a free supplement in the weekly Vietnam Investment Review. Tickets should be purchased in person at the venue.
You can find traditional entertainment at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, 57B Dinh Tien Hoang (tel: (04) 824 9494; website: www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org). Hanoi’s Opera House, 1 Trang Tien (tel: (04) 933 0131), is a beautiful building showing orchestral, choral, ballet and theatrical works. Films in English or with English subtitles are shown at Megastar Cineplex, Level 6 VinCom City Towers, 191 Ba Trieu, Ha Ba Trung district (tel: (04) 974 3333; website www.megastarmedia.net), as well as at the Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc (tel: (04) 734 2251), and at L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien (tel: (04) 936 2164).
Hanoi Tours
A bus tour is the best way to explore Hanoi as many areas of interest are rather spread out. A typical tour takes in Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature and Tran Quoc Pagoda. You should explore the 36 streets of the Old Quarter on a cyclo tour cruising at a leisurely pace through the throng of vehicles along the most interesting streets. You can book through Exotissimo Travel, 26 Tran Nhat Duat (tel: (04) 828 2150; website: www.exotissimo.com), Vidotour, 57 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District (tel: (04) 734 5429; website: www.vidotourtravel.com), and Buffalo Tours, 94 Ma May (tel: (04) 828 0702; website: www.buffalotours.com).
