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Hanoi is situated in a tropical monsoon zone with two main seasons. During the dry season, which lasts from October to April, it is cold and there is very little rainfall, except from January to March, when the weather is still cold but there is some light rain
Hanoi ranks among the world's most attractive and interesting cities. Originally named Thang Long or "City of the Ascending Dragon," the city was first the capital of Vietnam in A.D. 1010 and has had many names until its current incarnation. The name Hanoi, in fact, means "bend in the river" and denotes the city's strategic location along the vital waterway. The city boasts more than 1,000 years of history, and that of the past few hundred years is marvelously preserved.
Among Hanoi's sightseeing highlights are the Ho
Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum; the National Art
Museum; the grisly Hoa Lo Prison (also known as
the infamous Hanoi Hilton); central Hoan Kiem
Lake, where Hanoi person enjoy brisk morning
walks; and the Old Quarter, whose narrow winding
streets are named after the individual trades
practiced here since the 15th century
Hanoi is Vietnam's cultural center, and the galleries, puppetry, music, and dance performances are worth staying at least a few days to take in..
You might also want to use the city as a base for excursions throughout the north to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island, to the Ninh Binh area south of Hanoi and Tam Coc, the "Halong Bay in the rice fields," or for a primate encounter at Cuc Phuong National Park. In addition, Hanoi is a jumping-off point for rugged travel in the highlands of the northwest, among hilltribes and along high passes lined with lush terraced rice farms in a loop that includes historic Dien Bien Phu and the old French holiday escape of Sapa, the most popular town in the north that is easily reached by overnight train from Hanoi.
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