Five years ago I was pulling espresso shots in Melbourne. Good job. Good coffee. Good life, honestly.
Then I came back to Hanoi for Tet. It was supposed to be two weeks. Eat some pho, see the family, fly home.
The car turned into the Old Quarter, the streets narrowed, the motorbikes closed in, and a woman on the sidewalk was grilling bun cha over charcoal in an alley so tight two people couldn’t pass each other. The smell hit me before I even got out of the taxi. Charcoal. Fish sauce. Caramelized pork. Suddenly I was nine years old again, sitting on a plastic stool with my grandfather.
I cancelled my return flight.
I’m Leo. Vietnamese-Australian, born and raised in Melbourne, and now, somehow, completely obsessed with the city my grandfather never left.
The Short Version
I came back for a holiday. I stayed because of a bowl of bun cha and a lot of memory.
My grandfather, Ong Noi, was a native Hanoian, born in the Old Quarter, the kind of person who could tell you which alley used to sell silk and which one sold silver just by the name of the street. He spent every one of my childhood summers walking me through those alleys. When I moved back, I wasn’t discovering Hanoi. I was coming home to it. more here The full version of that story lives on my About page, if you want the whole thing.
Here’s the thing. I’d visited Hanoi before as a tourist, in between those childhood summers. Did the water puppet show. Took the obligatory photo at Hoan Kiem Lake. Ate on Bia Hoi corner. Left thinking “yeah, cool city.”
But living here? Completely different animal.
When you actually live in Hanoi, you discover the city runs on a rhythm that no guidebook captures. The 6am Pho spots where taxi drivers eat. The tiny alleys where grandmas sell Bun Cha out of their living rooms. The way the entire city shuts down for lunch naps and then roars back to life at 2pm.
Why Another Hanoi Blog?
Look, I get it. There are roughly ten thousand “Hanoi travel guides” online. Most of them say the same things. Visit the Temple of Literature. Try egg coffee. Watch out for motorbikes.
Not wrong. Just… incomplete.
Most Hanoi guides are written by someone who spent four days here on a Southeast Asia loop. They hit the highlights, took some photos, moved on to Ha Long Bay. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s surface-level stuff. It’s also not the version I grew up with, sitting next to a man who remembered when there were five gates into this city and could point to where each one used to stand.
I’ve been here five years. I eat out almost every meal. I’ve had food poisoning exactly twice (both times my fault). I know which streets flood in rainy season, which coffee shops have actual good wifi, and where to find the best Banh Mi in a city that has approximately one million Banh Mi carts.
That’s the blog I wanted to read when I first moved here. It didn’t exist. So I’m writing it.
What This Site Is Actually About
This isn’t a “top 10 things to do” factory. Here’s what you’ll find:
Food. A lot of food. I used to be a barista. I’m wired to care about what goes in my mouth. Expect deep dives on Hanoi’s coffee scene, street food breakdowns by neighborhood, and honest restaurant reviews where I actually pay my own bill. more here
Practical stuff that actually helps. How to cross the street without dying. How to get from the airport without getting scammed. Which neighborhoods to stay in based on what kind of traveler you are. more here
Real talk about mistakes. Everyone makes them. I made them. The point is making fewer of them than I did. more here
History you can actually feel. My grandfather taught me that Hanoi isn’t just a city, it’s a thousand years of civilization that happens to serve incredible food on plastic stools. When it’s relevant, I’ll slow down and tell you why a street or a gate matters instead of just where to point your camera.
Local perspective, outsider empathy. I grew up between two worlds. I understand the culture shock of Hanoi because I’ve lived it on both sides, as a visiting kid every summer and now as someone who lives here full time. I’m not going to pretend Hanoi is perfect: it’s loud, chaotic, and the pollution is real. But I genuinely love it here, and I think I can explain why.
The Promise
Every recommendation on this site comes from personal experience, and I keep it updated as prices and spots change through 2026. If I suggest a Pho spot, I’ve eaten there at least three times. If I say skip something, I’ve already wasted my time so you don’t have to.
No fluff. No “vibrant tapestry” nonsense. Just a guy who really likes this city, and the man who raised him to love it, telling you how to enjoy it properly.
Let’s get into it.
FAQ
Who is Leo Tran?
A Vietnamese-Australian writer, born and raised in Melbourne, grandson of a native Hanoian, who came back for a two-week visit five years ago and cancelled the return flight. Former barista, now full-time obsessed with the city’s food and neighborhoods. Full backstory on the About page.
Is I Love Hanoi a paid tour company?
No. It’s an independent blog. Some links on this site are affiliate links to tours and services Leo has actually used, which support the site at no extra cost to you.
How is this different from other Hanoi travel guides?
Most Hanoi guides are written by writers passing through for a few days. Leo grew up visiting his grandfather here every summer, then moved to Hanoi full time, so recommendations come from a lifetime of repeat visits, not a single afternoon.
© 2026 ilovehanoi.com. All rights reserved. Original research by Leo Tran. First published on ilovehanoi.com. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.