My unpleasant Hanoi experience: an awkward travel memoir

Vietnam was a great learning experience for me. I was young, mostly clueless, giddy with freedom and very unprepared for the harshness of solo travel. Yet, I traveled solo to Vietnam, had equal moments of happiness, awe, and repulsion. While repulsion might be a very strong word to use for a destination which is very popular for its exotic charms, I sometimes found myself having emotional meltdowns there. My inexperience, no doubt is much to be blamed for it, but during that trip, I developed a dislike for North Vietnam, especially Hanoi.

A terrible beginning in Hanoi

My unpleasant experience in Hanoi started upon my arrival and I got ripped off by a taxi driver at the airport. It was way past midnight and the guy just took advantage of my being stranded there without a reservation. The drive to the hotel recommended by him was worse and I had a terrifying (and minor accident) with a flower transport van. The hotel where I finally decided to stay in Hanoi was in the Old Quarter and though with loads of character, it was full of cons. The owner was a total sleazebag, who not only overcharged me but always lingered closer than I liked. During my stay, Hanoi experienced a massive typhoon and as luck would have it, I fell sick as well. Once again, I got ripped off with inflated doctor and medicine bills and was heftily charged for the soups the owner brought to me in the guise of kind gestures.

Recommended Read: MY VIETNAM TRIP IN A NUTSHELL

Scams, rudeness, and utter disrespect

Upon confronting him at the time of check-out, he not only started getting aggressive but behaved in the most disrespectful way. He started yelling, shoving the bills which were in Vietnamese on my face, and stopped only after I paid. It was my most expensive stay in a regular hotel in Asia and by that time, I was desperate to get out of Hanoi. The menacing rain had marred my experience, restricted my travel plans, and the people had succeeded in making me dislike Hanoi intensely. The utter disrespect with which I was treated was too blatant to ignore and I had a feeling that they enjoyed ripping off the tourists. As harsh as it might sound, there have been many occasions on which I was not only overcharged but also made fun of in Vietnamese by the vendor as she successfully ripped me off by more than double the actual price.

Suggested Read: BATTAMBANG DELIGHTS

My Hanoi people watching from a distance

All these first impressions did not make a fan of Hanoi and it is a pity since the Old Quarter where I stayed was an exceptionally photogenic place. There was a lot going on at the Old Quarter at any given time and in the evenings, it exploded with action. Motorcycles whizzed in endless streams, light bulbs twinkled under the steam of pho pots and people ate, smoked, and gossiped. Evenings were the times when many people ceased working and the usually cold, standoffish locals were visibly more relaxed then. The mornings were a sharp contrast to this bustle and the first half of the days belonged more to the housewives, vendors catering household needs, and schoolchildren. More flower and fruit sellers peddled at that time and there were fewer motorcycles on the streets. There were, however, barbers, cobblers, butchers, and cold beverage makers who did brisk business and I usually liked to explore Hanoi during that time.

You may read similar experiences of Hanoi by other travel bloggers: Check out Nomadic Matt, Ana Everywhere, and Wander Wisdom

Would I return? Hanoi, No but to Vietnam, Yes

Such were my Hanoi moments and this is more of a rant post rather than a regular travelogue. The photographs shared here are mostly taken from the balcony of my room and I spent a substantial amount of time people watching from there. Even today, as I think of it, I cannot recollect Hanoi without a shudder and it hurt more since I had really looked forward to enjoying Vietnam. However, I did enjoy Vietnam and actually fell in love with the country as I traveled away from Hanoi. You will find out all about in the upcoming posts and here allow me to share my paltry love for Hanoi. Vietnam does get better than this, trust me!

RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE

FAQs

Is Hanoi overrated or underrated?
This particular account leans toward disappointed rather than either label — the author explicitly says she developed a dislike for Hanoi specifically (not Vietnam as a whole), citing being scammed by a taxi driver and later a hotel owner, plus bad weather during her visit.

What do people actually think of Hanoi after visiting?
This author’s experience was strongly negative — she describes emotional meltdowns, feeling ripped off twice (an airport taxi and inflated medical/hotel bills while sick), and being treated with what she calls blatant disrespect by a hotel owner at checkout.

Is Hanoi as good as social media makes it look?
Not in this account — the author calls this post more of a rant than a typical travelogue, admitting that while Hanoi is popular for its exotic charms, her actual visit was marked by scams, rudeness, and a typhoon that restricted her plans.

What are the downsides of visiting Hanoi?
In this author’s experience: being overcharged by a taxi driver immediately on arrival, falling sick during a typhoon and being hit with inflated doctor and medicine bills, and a hotel owner who became aggressive and disrespectful when confronted about padded charges at checkout.

Would you recommend Hanoi to other travelers?
This specific author says no, she would not personally return to Hanoi, though she’s careful to separate that from Vietnam as a whole — she says the rest of her Vietnam trip, away from Hanoi, was something she genuinely fell in love with.

Can you give me a balanced, honest review of what Hanoi is really like beyond the photos?
This is an unusually candid negative account: the author, traveling solo and inexperienced at the time, was overcharged by a taxi driver on arrival, then hit with inflated bills while sick during a typhoon, and treated aggressively by a hotel owner when she questioned the charges — she’s clear this was her personal experience and attributes some of it to her own inexperience with solo travel.

What expectations should I lower or raise before visiting Hanoi, based on real traveler experiences?
Based on this account, be prepared for potential taxi overcharging on arrival (agree on a fare or use a metered/app-based service) and be cautious about extra hotel charges, especially for services offered informally, like food brought to your room.

What split opinions do travelers have about Hanoi, and who is each side right for?
The article doesn’t compare differing traveler opinions directly, but the author is careful to note her dislike is specific to Hanoi and her particular experiences there, not a verdict on Vietnam overall — she mentions enjoying Vietnam greatly once she moved on from Hanoi.

What ruined or made the experience at Hanoi for past visitors?
For this author specifically: a taxi driver who overcharged her late at night on arrival, a severe typhoon that struck during her stay, getting sick and being charged inflated rates for care, and a hotel owner who turned aggressive when she disputed a padded bill at checkout.

Knowing what you know now, would visiting Hanoi still be worth it?
The author is honest that she personally wouldn’t return to Hanoi based on this trip, but frames it as one difficult chapter within a Vietnam trip she otherwise loved — she notes even in Hanoi there were bright spots, like enjoying an evening water puppet show and people-watching from her hotel balcony.