The Divanun Guide is a one pager of everything to eat, see, and do in Vietnam

Historical

Hanoi
- Temple of Literature- hosts the first national university built in 1070
- Tran Quoc Pagoda- The oldest buddhist temple in Hanoi
- Old Quarter- a historic district
Phong Nha
- Caves- Phong Nha Cave and Paradise are the ones I explored but there are others here
Ninh Binh
- Hoa Lu- the ancient capital of Vietnam
- BIch Dong Pagoda
Hoi An
- My Son- ancient temple complex

Cultural

Hanoi
- Weekends in the Old Quarter- a great place to see how locals spend their time
Phong Nha
- Duck Stop- a duck farm where you can feeds ducks and make wishes.
Hoi An
- Museums- this city has tons of museums about history, art, and culture

Food

Hanoi
- Bun Cha Ta Hanoi- bun cha is a dish comprised of grilled pork and noodles that is dipped in a soup with aromatic herbs
- PIzaza 4P’s- amazing japanese pizza joint.
- Pho Cuon Huong Mai- get the pho noodle wraps and other dishes using the pho rice noodles
- Foodshop 45- a delicious Indian spot
- Pasteur Street Brewing Company- amazing Vietnamese brewery make sure you try their passion fruit beer- its divine
- The Hill Station- great cocktails made from Vietnamese rice liquor
Phong Nha
- D-Arts Zone- had some amazing bun cha here
Hoi An
- Madam Khanh The Bahn Mi Queen- the best Bahn Mi i had in Vietnam/ my entire life
- Dong Au Restaurant Hoi An- really great noodle dishes
- Lantern Town Restaurant- amazing dishes cooked in clay pots. I had this eggplant and beef dish that was phenomenal
- Central Market- tons of little food stalls. Make sure you try the white rose dumplings
- Boulevard Gelato & Coffee- really good place for an icy treat in the heat

Miscellaneous

Hanoi
- Accomodation: Vietnam Backpackers Old Quarter- really easy place to meet people and its near all of the travel agencies for when you want to plan your trip.
Phong Nha
- Accomodation:
  - Gecko Hostel & Bar is where I stayed very clean and nice
  - Easy Tiger Hostel- this place was highly recommended and I would have stayed here if I was in town any longer
Hoi An
- Accomodation: Tribee Kinh Hostel- one of the best hostels I stayed at in all of SE Asia. The people were super friendly, they always have events, and they genuinely created a warm atmosphere
- Tailoring
  - Bao Khanh Silk- this place is mid range price wise, however they have great quality and a really fast turn around. I would show them pictures of what I wanted and they would come out great. When it comes to alterations they really know their stuff.
  - Happy Day- this place is where you go for leather goods. I got a cute bag made and some shoes. My only advice is to ask them to stitch the soles instead of gluing them.
- Really great night market across the bridge.

As a traveler, you realize that there is an insight that can only be gleaned by living in a place and molding yourself to its rhythms. When you flit into a city for days or weeks you might see the the forest but you often miss the trees. It is a blessing when a friend can show you around a new city. They can illuminate the places, moments, and interactions which make a city whole. Thankfully, while in Hanoi I was able to stay with a college friend and experience Hanoi through their eyes which only increased its beauty.

When you travel for a long period of time it’s easy to forget that people live in these places that you explore. Behind every tourist destination is a family trying to make ends meet. Nowhere was this more visible in Hanoi then train street. This street is famous because of the fact that train tracks run down the median of a street lined with restaurants, boutiques, and family homes. I made my way there because it was on the list of things to do in Hanoi. I had hoped to record the street rushing through this narrow street. The train never came, instead I watched as grandmothers hung their wet laundry to dry, as chefs lit their coal on fire to cook their next meal, and as a dog dressed in pajamas peak its head out of a nondescript door. I also saw many other tourists come and go for the spectacle completely missing the beauty of daily life that turned around them.

As we explored Hanoi I got to see versions of things I didn’t expect. For example there is a street in the north of Vietnam dedicated to variations on famous dish pho. Instead of being cut and laddled into soup the rice noodles were used as wraps (pho cuon) or deep fried into delicious squares and then covered with beef, gravy, and herbs. I’ll never forget the day I ate pho cuon for the first time, we woke up that morning and was confused by all the noise coming from the normally quiet street outside. When we peaked our heads over the railings we saw the street bursting at its seams with people huddled around haphazardly made rings. Once we left the house we saw that inside of the rings were cocks fighting each other. The neighborhood had been transformed into a street fighting headquarters. We settled into a booth at a nearby restaurant and watched them quickly turn a pile of rice noodles into the finished pho cuon. Patrons constantly streaming in and out to order food. Later that night when we came back the streets were empty- like it never happened.

My favorite thing about Hanoi besides the skyline was the Old Quarter. An interesting fact about this neighborhood is that it has 36 streets named after a specific trade or guild that used to sell their wares. Many of these streets are still dedicated to their namesake whereas others have evolved into different forms of commerce. On the weekends cars are not allowed in most of the Old Quarter so large groups of people roam around as street performers and food stalls give the area a fair like quality. Sounds of laughter bounce of the walls as the smell of grilled meat fills your nostrils. Hanoi was the only city in SouthEast Asia that I could see myself living in. It had that chaotic energy that makes sense to everyone but foreigners as well as enough touches of modernity like craft breweries and cocktail bars that I could find pieces of comfort.

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