Editorial Policy

Editorial Policy

Last updated: July 2026

I Love Hanoi is a city guide built on one principle: every word should be worth a reader’s trust.

This page explains how I create content, how I decide what to recommend, and how I handle the relationship between honest writing and affiliate revenue. If you’re wondering whether you can trust what you read here — this is where I answer that.

Who Writes This Site

All primary content on I Love Hanoi is written by Leo Tran — a Vietnamese-Australian writer who has lived in Hanoi for the past five years. I grew up between Melbourne and Hanoi’s Old Quarter, where my grandfather — a native Hanoian who lived through the French colonial era — raised me on stories of the city’s thousand-year history.

I’m not a travel journalist on assignment. I’m not passing through. I live here. I eat here. I navigate the same traffic, haggle at the same markets, and get lost in the same alleys as the people I write about. That lived experience is the foundation of everything on this site.

How I Create Content

First-Hand Experience First

Every restaurant, tour, hotel, and experience featured on this site has been personally visited, tried, or thoroughly researched by me. I don’t write about places I haven’t been to. When I say “I ate here,” I ate there — probably more than once.

For tours and activities I review, I either:

  • Booked and completed the experience myself, or
  • Conducted extensive research combining verified traveler reviews, local knowledge, and direct conversations with operators

If a recommendation is based on research rather than personal experience, I’ll tell you.

Local Knowledge Over Internet Research

Many travel blogs write about Hanoi after a 3-day visit. I write about it after growing up in its alleys and living here for five years. My grandfather taught me the history behind every street name in the Old Quarter — the guild streets, the five ancient gates, the stories that Google can’t surface.

When I recommend a pho stall, it’s not because it appeared on a “best of” list somewhere. It’s because I’ve eaten there dozens of times across seasons, and I know the owner makes her broth from scratch every morning at 4 AM.

That’s the difference between research and knowledge. I aim for knowledge.

Regular Updates

Hanoi changes fast. Restaurants close. Prices shift. New tours launch. I review and update published articles regularly to keep information accurate. Each article displays a “Last updated” date so you know how current the information is.

If you spot something outdated, email me at [email protected] — I’ll verify and update it.

How Affiliate Links Work

I Love Hanoi earns revenue through affiliate partnerships with travel booking platforms including Klook, GetYourGuide, Viator, Booking.com, 12Go Asia, Holafly, and SafetyWing. When you click a link and make a booking, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Here’s what matters:

Affiliate Links Never Drive Recommendations

I choose what to recommend first. Then I check if an affiliate link exists. Never the other way around.

If the best pho in Hanoi is a street stall with no online booking and no affiliate program, I’ll still recommend it — because that’s the right recommendation. I’d rather send you to the right place for free than the wrong place for a commission.

Transparency Is Non-Negotiable

Articles containing affiliate links include a disclosure notice. Our full Affiliate Disclosure page lists every partner program we participate in. You always know when a link is an affiliate link.

The Commission Doesn’t Change Your Price

When you book through an affiliate link on this site, you pay the same price as you would booking directly. The commission comes from the platform’s marketing budget, not from your wallet.

What I Will Not Do

This is as important as what I do:

  • I will not recommend a tour or hotel because it pays a higher commission. If a $30 food tour is better than a $60 one, I’ll tell you to book the $30 one.
  • I will not write sponsored content without clear disclosure. If a brand pays for a review or provides a complimentary experience, it will be stated clearly in the article.
  • I will not fabricate experiences. If I haven’t personally done something, I won’t pretend I have.
  • I will not ignore negative aspects. If a popular tour has a serious downside, I’ll tell you about it — even if that costs me a booking.
  • I will not sacrifice Hanoi’s story for clicks. This city has a thousand years of history. It deserves more than clickbait.

Fact-Checking and Accuracy

For historical and cultural content — especially articles about Hanoi’s heritage, the Old Quarter, and traditional customs — I draw from:

  • Family oral history (three generations of native Hanoians)
  • Published historical sources and academic references
  • Vietnam National Administration of Tourism resources
  • Direct conversations with local historians, tour operators, and residents
  • Personal observation over 5+ years of living in Hanoi

For practical information (prices, hours, transport schedules), I verify details at the time of writing and update them when changes are confirmed. Travel information can shift quickly — I always recommend double-checking critical details with service providers before booking.

My Editorial Mission

Hanoi is not just another Southeast Asian city. It’s the capital of a civilization that has existed for over a thousand years. Its Old Quarter streets are named after the guilds that built them. Its food traditions have been refined across dynasties. Its people carry a resilience and pride that’s visible in every morning tai chi session by Hoan Kiem Lake and every grandmother grilling bun cha in an alley that hasn’t changed since the French left.

My mission is to share that Hanoi with the world — not a simplified, sanitized version for tourists, but the real city. The chaos and the beauty. The ancient and the modern. The five gates that once protected a kingdom and the street vendors who still call out their wares at midnight.

If something I write helps you book a great tour, that’s wonderful. But if something I write helps you understand why this city matters — that’s why I do this.

Questions About Our Editorial Standards?

I welcome feedback, corrections, and questions about how this site operates.

Email: [email protected]

— Leo Tran, Founder & Writer, I Love Hanoi