Travel Share: Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay in a nutshell

Reader CHRIS BEH relives her trip to Vietnam, describing the places and people she came across.

HANOI, the capital of Vietnam and its second largest city, is a fascinating blend of East and West, combining traditional Sino-Vietnamese culture with French flair. It is largely unscathed from decades of war and the Old Quarter, wedged between the northern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake and the walls of an ancient citadel, blends neatly with a modern metropolis which invites millions of tourists from all over the world.