Dealing with Hanoi’s cold

Hanoi during these days gets extremely cold. It may be a shock for many expats and travelers who experience the first winter in Vietnam. So, how can they deal with such a cold?

One of the simple pleasures of this season is to visit an everyday street corner tea stall the morning and defrost with a hot glass of strong green tea.

You’ll also be advised to follow local cafe drinkers as they swap their ca phe sua da (iced coffee with milk) for the steaming sua nong (hot milk) version, to absorb all possible forms of heat.

The worst of this dire weather, you might already have noticed, will be found anywhere near large bodies of water, which unfortunately are a specialty of the city. The famous lakes seem to become air-conditioners, cooling the air even further as it whips across the frigid surfaces and straight to your bones. So, one advice is that you should not reach near the lakes in the coldest days.

One more thing is to be sure to purchase a thick winter coat to stave off any illnesses, which run rampant at the beginning of the season. A padded jacket from one of the many clothes outlets around the city selling imitation hiking gear is a must, as is a decent pair of gloves.

Acquiring some sort of illness during winter is almost guaranteed, but rest assured the common cold, in any of its varying degrees of severity, can be fixed by over-the-counter antibiotics from local pharmacies.

If you visit Hanoi during these days, please well prepared for your trip. And before you do, please make sure you have a valid Vietnam visa or visa approval letter if required so that you will be not refused from entry in Vietnam.