Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. The city is situated on the bank of the Red River which is in the North of the country. While Hanoi is not the largest city in the country (which is Ho Chi Minh) it has had a rich history. It has been inhabited since 3000 B.C and has served the government seat for nearly 1000 years. Hanoi has a population of 3.4 million people.

Once arrived at Noi Bai Airport it takes about an hour to get into town, this ride offers you glimpses of modern Vietnamese life; farmers in their fields, great rivers, modern highways that occasionally become bumpy roads. Somehow the sun setting seems perfect as it always disappears into the cornfields horizon. Once into the city you are surrounded by roadside artisans, shops and taverns, commuters on bicycles, cyclos and motorbikes. Modern buildings appear from nowhere and look so out of place, you start to wonder if they dropped from the sky.

To leave the tourist attractions and city life behind, be warning this is for adventurous only! rent a Russian Minsk and follow the road towards the hills. This route offers one of the world’s most stunning scenery which stops in hill tribe villages, including a motorcyclist’s dream of long mountain roads. Most of these roads are unpaved, alternately dusty and dangerously muddy. At full throttle this track can be completed within a week but most adventurous travelers take at least two weeks. There’s a possibility to do the tour by jeep also.

Travelers to Hanoi need a valid passport and visa. US passport holders must have a valid passport and a visa is required. Travel in Vietnam is generally safe and violent crime is uncommon. Pick-pocketing is rife, and drive-by purse snatching is a common trick. The summer months are between May and September, though rain can be expected.