Hanoi
The cheapest way to explore Hanoi is of course by walking but it can be wearisome, specially so when it's sunny or damp. A good alternative would be to take a bus where you pay 3,ooo dong [1.5 RMB, 0.2 $] to any point within the city limits. Farther away costs 6,000 to 8,000 dong. This was how I visited places in Hanoi, interesting or otherwise - although it wasn't easy following the bus routes. Because there were no bus route maps on sale, I did some trial and error joy rides until I figured out where the buses were going and which buses run through the streets close to my lodging. There were maps on the buses and in some bus stops that were quite helpful.
Hanoi has a lot of temples and pagodas, old churches, colonial houses, museums and lakes. It seemed that on every block there was a temple or a pagoda where some date back to as early as the 11th century. Unless you're really into Buddhism or history of religion or architecture, you may get into a saturation point visiting these places of worship. Worth visiting were the Temple of Literature [1070], One Pillar Pagoda [1049], Tran Quoc Pagoda [17th century], Quan Than [11th century], Ba Da Temple [15th century], Hai Ba Trung [1142], Tay Ho Pagoda and Ngoc Son [1843]. There were still many that may catch your interest. Just look for the big colorful square banners and you can surely find a temple nearby. St. Joseph's Cathedral [1886] was definitely a show-in for church architecture and it's very close to Hoan Kiem Lake and the old quarters. The Cua Bac Catholic Church at Phan Dinh Phung looked very medieval with its criss crossing beams and looming steeple and there's the Protestant Church at Pho Phung Hung right within the old town.
Hanoi's display of architectural designs from the simple abodes to the grandest buildings reflects its history dominated by the occupation of both eastern and western powers. It's historical past can be gleaned from its varied museum exhibits. Museums worth checking out were the Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology, History Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Military Museum. And yes, Hanoi is a city of lakes. Hoan Kiem is the most visited I think because of its proximity to the old quarters but you can check out Ho Tay, Bay Mau or Thu Le which actually cover some interesting places. The Tran Quoc Pagoda, Chuc Tan Pagoda and the Tay Ho Pagoda are all within the Ho Tay lakeside. The Lenin Park is within the Bay Mau area and Thu Le Lake is at the Thu Le Zoo. Speaking of zoos, the Thu Le Zoo has a good collection of monkeys. The zoo floorplan and cage designs are quite tastefully done and are integrated in the natural atmosphere of the gardens, however, the place is overrun by food stalls and vendors. On the second thought, I think it's still child friendly.
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