Christmas in Hanoi is coming to every house and every corner. Where can you go to celebrate this occasion once you have decided to rent an apartment in Hanoi? Here are 6 recommendations for exclusive destinations for you.
1. St. Joseph Cathedral
On the list of ideal churches for celebrating Christmas, St. Joseph Cathedral is always on top of it. The cathedral is also the largest and oldest one in the capital of Vietnam, the principal church of Hanoi Archdiocese, which is why many expats decide to buy a house in Hoan Kiem district Hanoi to get the chance to admire this beautiful construction.
It is ornamented luxuriously like a palace whenever Noel comes and there are many religious activities often organized there. Despite its vintage and mossy outlook, the church has a modern internal space on the inside. It seems like the construction is not affected by time at all. On Christmas, rituals for Christians, such as praying, singing hymns, celebrating the God’s birthday, start from 7 pm and end at 9 pm.
Visiting the church, you will have a cozy Christmas and blessed for a great new year. However, it is going to be congested that day because various people are coming there to celebrate Christmas as well. So you should prepare yourself when finding yourself an apartment in Hanoi near this area and watch out your property.
2. Hoan Kiem Lake
Hoan Kiem Lake is a perfect place if you want to have some staggering pictures to show your friends. The lake is considered the symbol of Hanoi due to its attractiveness.
The area around it has become pedestrian-street since early this year. Therefore, you can bring your kids there without being afraid of vehicles running in no control. A great number of performances by street artists will be held around the lake so your children will definitely love them. Families with kids are highly recommended to find a house for sale in Hoan Kiem district Hanoi.
And you can buy a Santa Claus costume to wear and make your Christmas in Hanoi more excited. They are massively sold on the street with about 20,000 – 30,000 VND each costume (88 cent – $1.3). Taking pictures in front of the most beautiful lake in Hanoi will make your friends want to fly to you immediately.
To enter Hoan Kiem Lake zone, you need to have your motorbike parked. Hence, you should come early because the parking lots may run out of slots after 8.30 pm or 9 pm. Renting an apartment in Hoan Kiem district should save your time.
3. The Old Quarter
Heading to Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square from Hoan Kiem Lake, you will get to the Old Quarter. It is not only an appealing place for Christmas but also a great destination for tourists and expats looking for apartments for rent in Hanoi each year. You will have a chance to observe various special cultural traits dating back thousands of years ago in Vietnam.
There are 36 streets in total for you to discover. And each street has a unique service or product to sell. One thing that they have in common is that almost all of the stores hang lanterns or display snowmen on the front. Therefore, the streets look sparkling in every corner. You can stop by to take photographs in any shop you like.
On Christmas, street restaurants are also available to serve the local and travelers from all over the world. If you want to have some beer and make several new foreign friends, Ta Hien Street will be an excellent idea.
Otherwise, Ly Quoc Su, To Hieu, Ngu Xa, Hang Than, Cau Go, and so on are the streets that have hundreds of good dishes for you to choose. You will not have to worry about what to do in Christmas anymore once you find an apartment for rent in Hanoi near this area.
4. Hang Ma Street
Among 36 streets in the Old Quarter, Hang Ma seems to be the most remarkable one. The reason is that it is not only charming but also has numerous shops selling decorations for Christmas. Their prices are very reasonable as well.
If you have children, you know where you should buy a house in Hanoi. You will find a thousand types of toys and accessories there, such as Christmas trees, reindeers, snowflakes, snowmen, and wreaths. Also, the shops have reindeer ears and Vietnamese traditional toys that kids would love to have.
The most fantastic thing is that the shops start selling Christmas stuff a week before D-Day and often opens until late night. Thus, if you don’t know where to go in Christmas in Vietnam, Hang Ma Street is the best idea.
5. Ho Tay Water Park
Going along Trang Thi Street from Hoan Kiem Lake, you will get to West Lake, the biggest lake in Hanoi. And there is one special place that celebrates Christmas annually is Ho Tay Water Park, which is located on West Lake.
Although it is a little far from the center, activities there will not disappoint you. Each year, the park is ornamented in a different theme. Last year, it was Winter Sonata and snow is found everywhere in the park. There were also Falling Star Garden, Ice River, Snow Mountain, and Gigantic Santa. Everything combining made Ho Tay Water Park a true festival.
No one knows what the theme this year is but everybody is expecting. If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, hanging in the park on Christmas will not be a bad idea. Holding hands and walking among the stars are precisely gorgeous memories ever.
6. Royal City and Times City
If you like to party but don’t want to go too far, Royal City and Times City are the most appropriate options. Both are two famous complexes of mall and residency in Hanoi. Therefore, every occasion, especially Christmas, many fun activities for families as well as couples and friends are organized there.
Similar to Ho Tay Water Park, there is a distinguished theme for each place every year. On Noel 2016, the two complexes let their visitors experience Christmas in two different countries. While Royal City looked like Britain, Times City resembles the Red Christmas in Russia.
No matter what topic they use, both of them have become familiar destinations for Hanoi citizens and expats to celebrate Noel annually. Let’s wait for what they will have on Noel 2017 and enjoy the best Christmas for expats living in Hanoi!
Khánh Huyền – Mogi.vn
