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The Murderer’s Birds! — Elgin Public Museum

Tynemouth Castle. — Tynemouth Priory and Castle

Fresco on the ceiling of the chapel. — Cappella Sistina

View southwest from the trilobite quarry out to Cadiz Valley. — Marble Mountains Trilobite Quarry

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The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast. — Café Reconcile

Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers. — Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe

BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item. — High Hat Cafe

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Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years. — The Appetite Repair Shop

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The view from the Q’eswachaka woven suspension bridge. — This Man Rebuilds the Last Inca Rope Bridge Yearly

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Su filindeu doesn’t cook in strands, it cooks in sheets. — How the ‘Su Filindeu’ (or ‘Threads of God’) Pasta Recipe Was Almost Lost to Time

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Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

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Vietnam

Hanoi

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Hanoi

17 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Hanoi, Vietnam

Updated December 15, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Hanoi

Diesel train coming down the train tracks through a narrow street in Hanoi.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi's Train Street

Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.

Water puppet show

Hanoi, Vietnam

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Home of the unusual art of water puppetry, one of Vietnam's oldest curiosities.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Cafe Pho Co

Walk through a clothing store, across a courtyard, and up several flights of stairs for delicious coffee with a side of beautiful views.

Place setting 55.5, where the two men ate their famous meal in April 2016.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama's Dinner Table

The spot where the two men ate together now stands enclosed in glass.

B-52 Wreckage in Huu Tiep Lake

Hanoi, Vietnam

B-52 Wreckage

Monument to a brutal, ineffectual US bombing campaign and a sobering reminder of the human cost of the Vietnam War.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum-Ha Noi

Hanoi, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh's perfectly preserved body has been on display here since 1975.

Painted scribe vendor and real-life customer.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Trompe-l'œil Murals of Hanoi

Life-sized painted illusions let pedestrians blend in with the street art.

Mannequin prisoners shackled in the French Colonial section of Hỏa Lò Prison.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hỏa Lò Prison

The notorious "Hanoi Hilton" where Vietnamese colonial subjects and later American POWs, including John McCain, were imprisoned.

See All 17 Things To Do in Hanoi

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Hanoi

Hanoi, Vietnam

Cafe Pho Co

Walk through a clothing store, across a courtyard, and up several flights of stairs for delicious coffee with a side of beautiful views.

Place setting 55.5, where the two men ate their famous meal in April 2016.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama's Dinner Table

The spot where the two men ate together now stands enclosed in glass.

Bún chả is a riot of textures and flavors in a bowl.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Bún Chả Hàng Quạt

Don’t miss the local staple of rice vermicelli with charcoal-grilled pork patties and pork belly.

Grab your chopsticks and dive in.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Phở Hàng Trống

For true northern-style phở with broth as clear as consommé, hunt for this restaurant hidden within a residential home.

See all 7 Places to Eat in Hanoi

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Flavors of Vietnam: Fish Sauce, Pho & Royal Tea

Eating your way from North to South in Vietnam.

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Explore Hanoi, Vietnam

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Stories About Hanoi

Hanoi’s street food is phenomenal from early morning to late at night.

Gastro Obscura's 10 Essential Places to Eat in Vietnam

Feast on broken rice, late-night noodles, and whipped egg coffee.

December 4, 2023

An egg coffee in Hanoi.

How to Make Vietnamese Egg Coffee

And appreciate the country's beans and brews.

by Alex Mayyasi

January 24, 2022

A relief at Ngọc Sơn Temple depicting the legendary turtle with a sword on its back.

The Life and Legacy of Vietnam's Sacred Giant Turtle

Hanoi's Hoàn Kiếm Lake was once home to both legendary and real chelonians.

January 10, 2019

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