Hanoi high up on Asian backpacking list

As a city that celebrated its millennial anniversary in 2010, the capital of Vietnam has attractions aplenty to meet varied interests of travelers, be it history, culture or cuisine.

When all this can be accessed with a great degree of affordability, Hanoi’s attractions are further magnified.

In choosing Hanoi as one of seven best backpacking destinations in Asia, the Hello!magazine says, “Not only is accommodation and food remarkably affordable, but you’ll be spoiled for choice of things to see and do in the city, which has a mix of Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences.”

Apart from the many popular places like the Sword Lake and the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, the magazine highlights a special attraction – bia hoi. It notes that “backpackers often spend their evenings gathered at bia hoi bars across Hanoi, where you’ll find the cheapest beer in the world at around 25p a glass.”

Six other Asian cities on the list are Singapore, Luang Prabang in Laos, Bangkok in Thailand, Pokhara in Nepal, Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Kuta in Indonesia.

Last April, users of popular travel guide and review website TripAdvisor voted Hanoi into the list of top 25 destinations for 2018.

International arrivals to Hanoi in the first half of this year rose 26% year-on-year to more than three million.