Hanoi – Leo's View

When we arrived in Hanoi from Da Nang, the vibe changed instantly. It was a bit cooler since Hanoi is in a different climate zone, and we caught that typical humid Northern Vietnamese spring. The weather was weird all month—the sun would be out almost every day, but the sky was always wrapped in this light haze. It wasn’t exactly smog or your typical fog; it felt more like the whole city was under a soft white filter. The sunlight filtered through evenly, and the sky was never that crisp, clear blue. Apparently, this is pretty common in Hanoi during the spring because of the high humidity, mist, and pollution that just sits over the city. But it had this unique, atmospheric vibe that I’ve never experienced anywhere else. At the same time, by March, it was slowly starting to warm up to summer temperatures.

Our place was set up by Thang, a Vietnamese guy who lived in Slovakia for a long time. He was connected to us through my dad’s friend Huy, who still lives in Slovakia—huge thanks to both of them! 😊 We stayed in the Times City complex, and it was honestly an incredible spot. It’s this massive area with about twenty 34-story apartment buildings, each with its own security guards at the entrance of every building and the complex itself. Everything was super clean, modern, with palm trees everywhere and well-kept paths. It definitely felt like an upscale area for Hanoi’s upper class.

Underneath every building, there were shops, basketball courts, playgrounds, and even some pools. On our first day, we headed straight to the massive mall right under our building. They had everything. Even stuff you don’t usually see back home. There were about four huge kids’ play areas, and one even had live animals—rabbits, chicks, chickens—that kids could actually play with. They also had VR, bowling, and pool for really good prices. I’d go grab bubble tea after my BJJ training, and there was this all-you-can-eat conveyor belt sushi place for about 7 euros 😄 We have stuff like that at home, sure, but definitely not right downstairs and definitely not for those prices.

What a lot of people might love about Vietnam in general is the everyday life. Everything is buzzing from morning till night. The malls were always packed with regular people, families, students, and even preschool groups visiting the play zones. You never feel alone for a second.

Personally, I really liked our setup. I had my own room—no window, but I didn’t mind at all 😄 I had a big closet to store all the stuff I’ve been buying across Asia. I think we were on the 21st floor, and the view over Hanoi was insane. Hanoi doesn’t really have many skyscrapers like Bangkok; most buildings are low, packed together, and only two or three stories high, so you could see for miles from up there.

Hanoi felt way more “city-like” than Da Nang. Usually, I’m not a big fan of concrete jungles, but here, I didn’t mind it at all. The whole place had this raw, authentic vibe. Old, narrow buildings crammed next to each other, millions of scooters (especially after lunch), constant noise and chaos, but it still had its charm. Vietnam is famous for life happening on the street. People cook, eat, sit, and hang out right outside their homes or shops, just chilling over tea. You could really feel that in Hanoi.

Prices were great, though Hanoi felt a bit more expensive than Da Nang. I’d grab a kebab every day for about 2 euros, fruit bubble tea was around $1.50, and restaurants were still super cheap. I hit up McDonald’s pretty often, and it was about two and a half times cheaper than back home.

The people in Northern Vietnam felt a bit different than in the south. They were still very nice and humble, but they seemed more confident and made more eye contact. Their mentality felt a bit closer to us Slovaks than the people in Southern Vietnam, who were often really shy (at least around us tourists).

I went to the Old Quarter a lot, especially at night, because that’s where the best nightlife is. There was one long, massive street lined with shops selling clothes, electronics, bags, and all sorts of accessories at great prices. Everything stayed open late into the night. In the evening, the whole Old Quarter turned into one giant, lively party zone. Every day of the week, there were hundreds of tourists, bars, clubs, music, and just so much energy.

The alleys were super narrow, though, and every place had these tiny plastic stools out front, so sometimes it was a struggle just to push through the crowd 😄 It fascinated me how a police car would drive through at least once every night. The second it showed up, everything went quiet, the stools vanished inside, and everyone acted like nothing was happening. Two minutes after the police left, everything was back to normal 😄 Apparently, it’s because of noise regulations.

I was also a bit surprised by how many dealers were around the nightlife area. They weren’t dangerous, but they were pretty annoying. Every few yards, someone would whisper “something something” at you 😄

Despite that, I had a really good feeling about Hanoi, and I loved how many lakes and ponds there are. About 300 yards from the main Old Quarter center was this beautiful lake with the Ngoc Son Temple on it. At night, it was all lit up, and you’d see tons of couples, students, and friends hanging out. It had this incredibly peaceful and magical vibe. Exactly the kind of place where you can just sit down at night and completely clear your head.

Thang invited us out for lunch a few times during our stay, which we really appreciated 😊 He also introduced us to his friend Tony (who grew up in Slovakia and spoke perfect Slovak), and we visited his bar twice. That bar was hidden away like crazy. You could barely see it from the outside; it felt like you were entering some secret room 😄 Honestly, you could miss it even with Google Maps open.

Another thing we started doing in Hanoi was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Me, my dad, and Matyas all went. It was a really cool experience. There were about fifteen very friendly Vietnamese guys at the sessions. Every class started with long warm-ups—rolls, shrimping across the floor, cartwheels, and other movements typical for BJJ. It was way tougher than it looks 😄

Then the coach would show us a technique, and we’d drill it in pairs. Sometimes I’d be absolutely exhausted after class. Especially after the sparring sessions, when you go several rounds in a row at full speed. I almost broke my index finger during the first session when my sparring partner accidentally stepped on it, but luckily it turned out fine 😄

Overall, Hanoi was a huge highlight for me. I think Vietnam draws people in because of that contrast. On one hand, you have these incredibly lively, chaotic cities full of scooters, street food, and nightlife, and on the other, you have kind people, safety, great prices, and an authentic atmosphere that you just don’t find in Europe. And that’s exactly what I felt in Hanoi every single day.

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