Hanoi is very different from Ho Chi Minh City and I think I prefer it. It is an extremely green city. There are trees sprouting from every road and there are so many parks and lakes. It doesn’t really feel like a city at all, which was quite refreshing after the hustle and bustle of HCMC.
I was blessed by the WIFI gods and my accommodation had a really strong connection, so I didn’t visit as many cafes as I would have liked. But here are a few:
An Cafe
An Cafe was lovely and was recommended to me by a fellow Digital Nomader who I had just met in Hanoi. I met him at the cafe and we started working away. It’s really nice to mix it up every now and then and work with someone new - so put yourself out there and do this if you can! The tables were quite small (this seems to be a theme in Vietnam) and could just about fit two laptops and two drinks. So this might be a spot for when you’re working solo.
When I first arrived there were a handful of other people working, so I think this is one of the hotspots in the Old Quarter. An Cafe have a few sofas, so if you manage to grab one of those early, you could work from the cafe all day!
Wifi: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
People: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Price: 💷
Environment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Does Lyd think you should go? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Xofa Café
Xofa Café is a lovely spot, not too far from Train street. They have outdoor and indoor seating options. I sat outdoors and instantly regretted not having the aircon violently hit my skin. Luckily, the Xofa Café had fans at the ready and 5 minutes later, I was in a better place. It’s a cosy and comfortable place to work from. The café is quiet enough to focus and get your head down for a few hours. The price of food and drink was a bit more on the expensive side for Vietnam, but the environment was lovely and the staff were happy to help so I was more than happy to pay! 🙌
Wifi: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
People: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Price: 💷 💷
Environment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Does Lyd think you should go? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bánh Mì 25
It is a tiny Vietnamese sandwich shop that I would go to every day for my breakfast. Obsessed. They served the tastiest Banh Mis and they had the best atmosphere. When I first visited I was surprised at how many people were working from this little spot. Taking calls, making decs - anything and everything was happening here. By the third morning I thought I should test the waters. I ordered my millionth Banh Mi, opened my laptop and set to work. If you do decide to work from Bánh Mì 25, just be aware that the tables and chairs are quite small (that’s coming from a 5’3 girl). The internet was good, I could just about download files. So I would recommend working from Bánh Mì 25 if you don’t need to do anything too taxing! I loved being in such close proximity with other remote workers and I would highly recommend.
Wifi: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
People: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Price: 💷
Environment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Does Lyd think you should go? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let me know if I should have gone anywhere else in Hanoi! 💻