Why now is the time to explore Hanoi, before the tourist hordes arrive.

The word on the street is that Hanoi is happening and does the business. Certainly, it would seem there has never been a better time to visit, with it experiencing a renaissance. Maybe this is the year before it is “discovered” and succumbs to the fate of so many before.

Gone are the days of harassment of foreigners by the police. As the ageing officials who constructed the police state are put out to pasture and pass to the people’s utopia in the sky, the city has changed. Today, you are more likely to be hassled by street sellers than trailed by secret police. The free market rules and economic activity is thriving. It seems that everyone is trying to make their dollar to achieve the Honda dream.

Unfortunately I cannot find an electronic version of this article.

Mark Andrews has written about everything from Japanese houses to heli hikes on New Zealand glaciers, test drives of Chinese cars to bar and restaurant reviews. He currently specialises in travel articles and reviews of Chinese cars plus articles about the Chinese auto industry.