Hanoi

Hanoi was all about great food- from street food to higher end Viet-French fusion, we loved (nearly) everything. We ate the first night at a street food stall marked 'delicious area' on our map. Live massive prawns fished out of a tank and chargrilled squid were simply prepared and excellent. Another lunch out at the seafood stalls area was fabulous - best crab spring rolls ever. Perhaps the highlight (but tough call) was Cha Ca la vong, a nondescript restaurant that has been run by 5 generations of a family and inspired hundreds of knock-offs. The street was even renamed after the dish ... Cha Ca Street!! The original was a perfect combination of flavors in a 'make your own' noodle dish: grilled fish, spring onions, dill, basil, peanuts, chiles and fish sauce. Best on the higher end of the spectrum was Green Tangerine, a Viet-French fusion restaurant with meticulously designed dishes + tons of flavor.

Oh and we also visited Ho Chi Minh's emballed body in a massive, sterile mausoleum and the temple of literature. Great shopping too!