One of the best times of the year to visit Hanoi, Vietnam is in autumn — October through to December. The days are warm, with plenty of sunshine and the nights are cool. Rain is rare, and if it does come, it doesn’t hang around for long. Maybe an afternoon, or a few hours in the evening.
Hanoi, unlike Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) has four distinct seasons, although in the three years I’ve been here, summer has stretched out hot and humid and horrible for at least six months. Foreigners and expats tend to hightail it back to their home countries for at least one month because the heat is so unbearable. Autumn and spring have become shorter, mere weeks, and winters are temperate rather than the freezing cold that most Hanoians steel themselves against. The humidity makes winter icy, and even without snow, the cold seeps into your bones.
Here in Hanoi, Internations is a thing. Expats, foreigners and Vietnamese meet up in various groups to chat and make friends and network and share experiences. I’ve done dinners and excursions, and made good friends and decent business contacts, all thanks to Internations. One group I try and attend regularly is the Photography Group, which organises regular photowalks around the capital.
I took these pictures of the Old Quarter during October’s photowalk, starting near Hoan Kiem Lake and ending near Dong Xuan Market. And rather than creating a photo gallery, I turned them into a little film.
Some of the photos, like the man on the bicycle in the feature image, are available to buy via my Merchandise. Visit my Redbubble shop for the full range.
Enjoy!
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