After a short break from updating my travel ramblings, I was off again — this time on an eight-day trip to Hanoi and Northern Vietnam. Leaving Penang on Sunday, 8 October 2017, I flew via Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi with Malindo Air. A little confusion at check-in threatened to delay the journey, but the adventure was under way!

After a short time, we were met by our tour guide from Rubicon Travel and taken into Hanoi’s Old Quarter. After lunch, we checked into Maison D’Hanoi on Ma May Street, our home for the next five nights.

After settling into our room, we took a short rest before venturing out onto Ma May Street. The Old Quarter was a lively mixture of motorbikes, little restaurants and busy pavements. We found somewhere to eat and watched the street life unfold around us.

Later, the traffic eased and the streets filled with walkers. The night market was operating, while nearby streets echoed with live music ranging from classical tunes to jazz, local music, K-pop and rock. Hanoi certainly knew how to come alive after dark!

After a pleasant walk back to the hotel, we called it a night. Breakfast was arranged for the following morning before setting off on our tour of Hanoi. Although the street music continued late into the evening, we were on the sixth floor and it didn’t disturb us too much. Vietnam was already proving to be a fascinating country, and this was only the beginning!