BASICS
ATMs & Banks
ATMs with Visa, MasterCard, Plus and Cirrus systems are all over Hanoi. A good central location, in an old French villa on the west side of the Hoan Kiem Lake, is ANZ (14 Pho Le Thai To St; open 8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri) with 24-hour ATMs. Traveler’s checks are cashed here for a 2% commission.
Books
BOOKWORM (tel 04-943-7226; [email protected]; 15A Ngo Van So St; open 10am-7pm Tue-Sun) This friendly bookstore, on a lane several blocks south of Hoan Kiem Lake, stocks used English-language novels and travel guides, plus the best selection of Vietnam-related books.
Courses
HIDDEN HANOI (tel 091-225-4045; www.hiddenhanoi.com.vn; 56 Ngo 1, Au Co St, Nghi Tam village, West Lake) It’s out of the way – unless you’re staying at the nearby Sheraton on the West Lake – but this garden villa is a lovely spot to get serious about Vietnamese language or cooking. The teacher An has a refreshingly modern take on Vietnamese’s troubling tones and grammar – easily the best teacher I’ve studied with. Individual courses are US$15, walking tours of street markets US$15 and cooking classes where you learn five meals US$30. Call ahead to arrange a course.
Also see Highway 4 for cooking classes.
Embassies
ARGENTINA (tel 04-831-5262; Daeha Business Center, 360 Kim Ma St)
AUSTRALIA (tel 04-831-7755; 8 Dao Tan St)
AUSTRIA (tel 04-943-3050; 53 Quang Trugn St, F8, Prime Center)
BELGIUM (tel 04-934-6179; Hanoi Tower, 49 Hai Ba Trung St)
BRAZIL (tel 04-843-2544; 14 Thuy Khue St)
CAMBODIA (tel 04-942-4788; 71A Tran Hung Dao St)
CANADA (tel 04-734-5000; 31 Hung Vuong St)
CHINA (tel 04-845-3736; 46 Hoang Dieu St)
EU (tel 04-934-1300; 56 Ly Thai To St)
FRANCE (tel 04-943-7719; 57 Tran Hung Dao St)
GERMANY (tel 04-843-0245; 29 Tran Phu St)
INDIA (tel 04-824-4989; 58-60 Tran Hung Dao St)
INDONESIA (tel 04-825-3353; 50 Ngo Quyen St)
ISRAEL (tel 04-843-3140; 68 Nguyen Thai Hoc St)
ITALY (tel 04-825-6256; 9 Le Phung Hieu St)
JAPAN (tel 04-846-3000; 27 Lieu Giai St)
LAOS (tel 04-822-9084; 40 Quang Trung St) Office to apply for Laotian visa
MALAYSIA (tel 04-734-3836; 43-45 Dien Bien Phu St)
MEXICO (tel 04-847-0948; 14 Thuy Khue St)
MYANMAR (tel 04-845-3369; 298 Kim Ma St, Van Phuc Quarter)
NETHERLANDS (tel 04-831-5650; 360 Kim Ma St, 6th Fl)
NEW ZEALAND (tel 04-824-1481; 63 Ly Thai To St)
NORWAY (tel 04-974-2930; 191 Ba Trieu St)
PHILIPPINES (tel 04-943-7948; 27B Tran Hung Dao St)
RUSSIA (tel 04-833-0755; 191 La Thanh St)
SINGAPORE (tel 04-823-3966; 41-43 Tran Phu St)
SOUTH AFRICA (tel 04-936-2000; 31 Hai Ba Trung St)
SOUTH KOREA (tel 04-831-5111; 360 Kim Ma St, 4th Fl)
SPAIN (tel 04-771-5207; 360 Kim Ma St, 15th Fl)
SWEDEN (tel 04-726-0400; 2 Nui Truc St)
SWITZERLAND (tel 04-934-6589; 44B Ly Thuong Kiet St)
THAILAND (tel 04-823-5092; 63-65 Hoang Dieu St)
UK (tel 04-936-0500; 31 Hai Ba Trung St, Central Bldg)
USA (tel 04-772-1500; 7 Lang Ha St)
Emergencies
If you have medical problems, these clinics all are international-class with 24-hour emergency services:
HANOI FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE (tel 04-843-0748; www.vietnammedicalpractice.com; Van Phuc Compound, 298 Kim Ma St; clinic open 8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-12.30pm Sat, 24hr for emergencies)
HANOI FRENCH HOSPITAL (tel 04-577-1100, emergency 04-574-111; www.hfh.com.vn; 1 Phuong Mai St)
INTERNATIONAL SOS (tel 04-934-0666, emergency 04-934-0555; 31 Hai Ba Trung St) Also has dental wing.
Immigration
If you need to extend your visa, travel agents and hotels can help you. It’s about US$20-25 to add a month to your existing visa and takes about three or four days. You can also try the IMMIGRATION OFFICE (89 Tran Hung Dao St; open 8-11.30am & 1.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri).
Post
MAIN POST OFFICE (Dien Tien Hoang & Dinh Le Sts), west of Hoan Kiem Lake, where you’ll find offices for Fed Ex (tel 04-824-9054) and UPS (tel 04-824-6483).
Travel Agencies
See Travel Agencies