Vietnam is one of the most visited countries in South East Asia, and it's easy to see why. From pristine beaches, rice fields and traditional crafts, to friendly locals, great food and buzzing nightlife, it seems to have it all.
Capital city Hanoi's old-world ethos melds with its vibrant street life – think zippy scooters, open-air markets and a strong cafe culture.
This month, Etihad Airways launched direct flights to Noi Bai International Airport, which is 35km from downtown Hanoi, with six flights per week on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Here is a tried-and-tested itinerary if you have 48 hours to spend in the charmingly chaotic capital.
Day 1
8am: Breakfast at Lotte Hotel
The 65-storey Lotte Centre building houses Lotte Hotel Hanoi, a five-star property in the city centre. The 235 standard rooms and 83 suites in Vietnam’s tallest hotel offer panoramic views of Hanoi.
Even if you're not a guest, it's still worth getting breakfast at the hotel for the view alone. Head to Grill63 on level 63, and enjoy a buffet breakfast priced at $30 for visitors.
9.30am: Visit the Temple of Literature
Set amid landscaped grounds near the centre of Hanoi and a 12-minute drive from the hotel, the Temple of Literature honours Vietnam’s scholars and offers a chance to see traditional architecture.
Founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the complex is dedicated to the philosopher Confucius and was the site of Vietnam’s first university, Quoc Tu Giam. The temple is popular with students, who visit here to pray for good grades.
It is best to get a tour guide to show you around the complex and offer insights into the temple’s historical significance. Carry local currency to buy souvenirs as shops within the temple complex don't accept credit cards.
Entry to the temple is 30,000 Vietnamese dong ($1); opening hours are from 8am to 5pm
10.45am: Head to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum
Ho Chi Minh, who is considered the father of Vietnam and served as president of North Vietnam for 25 years, is preserved in state in a mausoleum – a seven-minute drive or 16-minute walk from the Temple of Literature.
Minh's embalmed body is placed in a glass coffin within the mausoleum, watched over by honour guards who change every hour.
There are long queues to enter the complex and it’s usually crowded with groups of Vietnamese who come to pay their respects to “Uncle Ho”. It is recommended to dress modestly, covering the shoulders and knees. Photography is forbidden inside the mausoleum.
Explore Ba Dinh Square, the area surrounding Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, which also houses Ho Chi Minh Museum, the Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda.
Entry to the complex is $1; opening hours vary depending on day and season
Noon: Explore Tran Quoc Pagoda
A nine-minute drive or 22-minute walk away lies one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam, which was erected more than 1,500 years ago. Tran Quoc Pagoda is on a small islet of West Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Hanoi.
Upon entering the pagoda, you will be greeted by a majestic red-brown tower known as the 11-storey Stupa or Bao Thap. Each floor has six arched windows, and each window is studded with a gemstone statue of Amitabha Buddha.
Tourists can also see a Bodhi tree, which was donated to the temple in 1959 by former president of India Rajendra Prasad.
Free entry; opening hours are from 8am to 4pm
12.30pm: Check out Train Street
Visiting Train Street, which is a 13-minute drive from the pagoda, has long been on my bucket list and I was joined by tourists from all over the world for a close encounter with passing trains. For the uninitiated, this narrow alley has train tracks running through the middle.
Flanked by shops and cafes, the alley makes for a perfect photo-op. Settle into a cafe with a cup of creamy egg coffee – made with Vietnamese coffee, egg yolk, sugar and condensed milk – and wait for a train to pass by for a unique front-row viewing experience.
Ask the barista or waiter for the schedule so you can be at the right place at the right time; about 10 trains pass through a day. Although the street is free to enter, you need to order something from a cafe to reserve a spot.
1.30pm: Get lunch at Ngon Garden
This Michelin-recommended restaurant on the banks of Thien Quang Lake is a two-minute drive away from Train Street. Ngon Garden serves dishes from other regions of Vietnam, not just Hanoi, and offers private rooms for larger parties.
My group opted for a Vietnamese set menu ($20), which included a refreshing Ngon Garden salad, Hue's steamed rice cakes served in small cups, deep-fried crispy shrimp pancake, stir-fried pumpkin flowers with garlic, steamed chicken with shredded lemon leaves, beef steak with pan-fried egg and French fries, soya custard and Vietnamese tea and coffee.
Open daily from 6am to 10pm
3pm: Visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
A nine-minute car ride away is Hoan Kiem Lake. Legend has it that the gods sent King Le Loi a magical sword in the mid-15th century, which he used to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. After the war, a giant golden turtle grabbed the sword and disappeared into the depths of a lake to restore it to its divine owners, inspiring the name Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword). The main attraction is the beautiful Turtle Tower, standing on a small island in the middle.
Walk over to Ngoc Son Temple, which sits on another island connected by the red Huc Bridge. The temple is dedicated to general Tran Hung Dao, a national hero who fought off Mongolian invaders. It also displays the preserved bodies of two big turtles that once lived in Hoan Kiem Lake.
Entry to Ngoc Son Temple is $1; opening hours are from 7am to 7pm on weekdays and until 10pm on weekends
4.30pm: Wander through Old Quarter
No trip to Hanoi is complete without walking through the alleys of Old Quarter, a four-minute cab ride from Hoan Kiem Lake. It is a labyrinth of narrow streets lined with colonial-era shops, family-run eateries and tiny cafes serving egg coffee.
Despite the hustle, Old Quarter oozes a sense of calm and character – temples are ensconced between modern stores, French architecture is displayed beside pagodas, vendors haul fruit and vegetables on traditional yokes and locals chat over bowls of pho.
6pm: Book in for a beauty treatment
In the late afternoon, I snapped up the opportunity to take a 20-minute cab ride Woo Korea Beauty & Spa clinic, for a relaxing 90-minute Korean hair spa treatment priced at $4.
If you have the time and inclination to explore Hanoi's vibrant nightlife, dine outdoors near West Lake, check out the weekend night markets studded with street food stalls and the lively pubs at Ta Hien Street, or sign up for a night tour of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long or Hoa Lo Prison.
Day 2
9.30am: Visit Chuong crafts village
After breakfast, I set off to visit a traditional craft village, which is a 75- minute drive from Hanoi and famous for making Vietnamese conical hats. These are crafted from palm leaves, which are dried to turn them ivory white, while the frames are constructed from thin bamboo rings.
The creation process demands patience and skill. Artisans hand-sew the leaves on to the bamboo frame, a process that takes up to four hours. While traditionally plain, hats can be customised with artwork featuring flowers and birds.
Entry to the village is free; classes and tours run by local families cost $2-4 per person
1pm: Photo-op at Quang Phu Cau village
This village, about 40 minutes from Chuong by road, is known for colourful incense sticks that are laid out to dry in large bundles. The ambience makes for great photo-ops and visiting here also offers a chance to learn about the production process of incense sticks.
Entry to the village is free; a visit to the facilities of local families costs $2-4 per person
4pm: Late lunch at Vi Hanoi
Back in Hanoi, I settled for lunch near the Old Quarter. The set menu at Vi Hanoi costs $15, and dishes include pan-seared sea bass, beef luk lak with bell pepper and onion, and banana stuffed in sticky rice with coconut. The vegetarians in my group enjoyed fresh rolls with tofu, and braised eggplant with tofu and mushroom.
6pm: Browse the shops at Lotte Department Store
It's worth taking some time to visit the department store on the lower floors of Lotte Hotel for some retail therapy. It has luxury and high street brands as well as entertainment outlets for families.
Bonus time
If you more hours or days in Hanoi, sign up for an overnight cruise exploring limestone islands in Ha Long Bay or stay over in Ninh Binh, which has rivers winding through rice fields. Both are about two hours from Hanoi.
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
Scorebox
Dubai Sports City Eagles 7 Bahrain 88
Eagles
Try: Penalty
Bahrain
Tries: Gibson 2, Morete 2, Bishop 2, Bell 2, Behan, Fameitau, Sanson, Roberts, Bennett, Radley
Cons: Radley 4, Whittingham 5
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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