Vietnam - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 845

Handicrafts The non-profit Craft Link, 43-45 Van Mieu,
sells traditional crafts made by ethnic minorities, including
lacquerware, paper goods, baskets and clothes. Indige-
nous, at 36 Au Trieu, sells Fair Trade coffee as well as
ethnic-style gifts.
Markets Hanoi has more than fifty markets, selling
predominantly foodstuffs: Cho Dong Xuan on Dong Xuan
Street is a good place to buy cheap bags, shoes, hats and
materials; also try Cho Hom, 81 Pho Hue, which has
clothing upstairs and is good for purchasing fabrics if
you're looking to get some clothes tailored. All around
Cho Hom are specialist shopping streets: Tran Nhan Tong
focuses on shirts and jackets, while Phung Khac Khoan, off
Tran Xuan Soan, is a riot of colourful fabrics.
Silk Compared with Thailand, Vietnamese silk is of slightly
inferior quality, but prices are lower and the tailoring is
great value. So many silk shops are concentrated on Hang
Gai, at the southern edge of the Old Quarter, that it's now
known as “Silk Street”. One of the best known is Silk Road
at 96 Hang Gai, but try also Kenly Silk at no. 108. For a large
selection of exquisite silk bags and shoes, go to Ha Dong
Silk at 102 Hang Gai. The Tailoring Shop Co, 18 Nha Tho, has
some of the best handmade clothes in town.

The American Center, 1st floor, Rose Garden Tower, 170
Ngoc Khanh T 04 38505000.
Hospitals and clinics Hanoi Family Medical Practice and
Dental Surgery in Van Phuc, 109-112 Kim Ma (Mon-Fri
8.30am-5.30pm, Sat 8.30am-noon; T 04 38430748,
W vietnammedicalpractice.com), and SOS International
Clinic, 51 Xuan Dieu ( T 04 39340666, W internationalsos
.com), both have international English-speaking doctors,
and provide 24hr emergency care. Make sure your travel
insurance will cover the high costs.
Pharmacies 119 Hang Gai and 3 Trang Thi. There's also a
24hr pharmacy at 87 Phu Doan.
Post o ce The main post o ce occupies a whole block at
75 Dinh Tien Hoang (Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 9am-6pm).

11

Around Hanoi
he fertile and densely populated
landscape of the Red River Delta that
surrounds Hanoi is crisscrossed by massive
ancient dykes and studded with temples
and pagodas, including the Perfume
Pagoda - the city's most popular day-trip.
he magnificent karst scenery at Tam Coc ,
90km south of Hanoi, can also be visited
as a day-trip from the capital, but many
travellers choose to explore the area at a
more leisurely pace: the sleepy town of
Ninh Binh makes an excellent base for Tam
Coc, the nearby ancient capital of Hoa Lu
and trips to Cuc Phuong National Park .

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange Vietcombank's main branch is at
198 Tran Quang Khai; there's another branch at 78 Nguyen
Du. 24hr ATMs are widespread.
Embassies and consulates Australia, 8 Dao Tan,
Ba Dinh T 04 37740100; Canada, 31 Hung Vuong T 04
37345000; China, 46 Hoang Dieu T 04 38453736; Ireland,
Vincom City Towers, 8th floor, 191 Ba Trieu T 04 39743291;
New Zealand, 5th floor, 63 Ly Thai To T 04 38241481;
UK, 5th Floor, 31 Hai Ba Trung T 04 39360500; USA,

THE PERFUME PAGODA
Sixty kilometres southwest of Hanoi, a
forested spur shelters north Vietnam's
most famous Buddhist pilgrimage site,
the Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong) - a
pagoda and shrine complex built into the
cliffs of Huong Tich Mountain, and said
to be named after spring blossoms that
scent the air.
he pagoda occupies a grotto more than
50m high; the journey there begins with a
pleasant, hour-long sampan ride up a
flooded valley among karst hills, then a
path brings you to the seventeenth-
century Chua hien Chu (“Pagoda
Leading to Heaven”), in front of which
stands a magnificent, triple-roofed bell
pavilion. Quan Am, Goddess of Mercy,
takes pride of place on the pagoda's main

WHAT'S ON IN HANOI
A number of resources carry listings
information for Hanoi and the
surrounding area, including Hanoi
Grapevine ( W hanoigrapevine.com), which
has info about art exhibitions and
concerts. Others include the New Hanoian
W newhanoian.com) - with a wealth of
info for visitors and expats, including
restaurant and bar reviews; The Word
( W wordhanoi.com) - the online version of
the free monthly expat magazine filled
with local lifestyle articles and restaurant
listings. Sticky Rice ( W stickyrice.typepad
.com) is a great resource for foodies. The
excellent website for expats in Hanoi,
W tnhvietnam.xemzi.com, carries reliable
restaurant and bar reviews, as well as
listings and upcoming events.