Hanoi Vietnam

The charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarter, monuments and colonial architecture, while opening up to modern developments. Hanoi may have denied several former names, including Thang Long, or "ascending dragon" but she has not forgotten its past, as evidenced by sites such as the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and Hoa Prison Lo. Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the charm of this town, which is easily explored by taxi.