Life is lived on the hectic streets of Hanoi in Vietnam

OBSERVING life on the streets of bustling Hanoi in the north of Vietnam is quite an adventure, writes Louise Gee.

A busy street in Hanoi.

PEERING at Hanoi's shambolic streetscape from the taxi window, our three children are mute as they take in the visual and aural smorgasbord: the incessant tooting horns of mopeds, whose masked drivers ferry up to three passengers, bound live pigs, enormous bonsai trees or building supplies; a stationary buffalo at a crossroads looking lost; a hawker balancing produce on scales and women on toddler stools at kerbside kitchens.

Our driver delivers us safely to the colonial Hoa Binh Hotel in the French Quarter, a good place to ease into the organised chaos. Our two-bedroom serviced apartment within this elegant hotel is run independently, but thankfully lived up to our daughter's expectations. The setup was ideal for travel novices: modern furnishings, cable TV, Wi-Fi, and peace and quiet. We set off on our next adventure - crossing a road. Friends have warned of swarms of motorcycles and increasingly, cars, and advised we avoid walking in the cities. The key is to form a five-person road train, bookended with a parent at each end, and keep moving towards our target - despite the oncoming traffic. We reward our survival with brunch at Paris Deli, a wicker-chaired cafe with European-style coffee and baguettes plus a view of the grand Opera House across the leafy boulevard. All this is within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake, an oval oasis of serenity around which Hanoi hums. In fact, one of the best ways to enjoy this city is lakeside, spying locals waltzing, jogging and practising tai chi in the early mornings. A vendor sits among baskets of chilis and fruit on a Hanoi street. Picture: AFPSticking to the French part of this city will be a cop-out for our now streetwise gang. Life is lived on the streets here, but on a damp day the Museum of Ethnology entices us indoors to learn about the houses, clothing and lives of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. For further respite from the weather and culture shock, we take in a water puppet show, where puppeteers use bamboo poles under the water to move their puppets around the small pond that forms the stage. The legend of Vietnam's liberator from colonialism - Ho Chi Minh - is also on our itinerary. We tell the kids we'll spare them from viewing the former communist leader's preserved body, but they are keen to join us and stand in an early morning queue of pilgrims that moves quickly around the glass-encased and guarded Uncle Ho. In the same area we explore Ho Chi Minh's former home and the tranquil spaces of the former Imperial City before heading to the nearby 11th century Temple of Literature - Vietnam's first university. Child entry is free. Senses and legs exhausted, it is time to kick back with a cycle ride. We share two between us but it isn't unusual to see larger tourists filling one alone. We head to the thick of it, the Old Quarter - a cramped square kilometre of smells, sounds and mayhem. People are constantly on the move here, so we join them, traipsing up and down footpaths in single-file in order to dodge mobile cobblers and moped drivers. Bargaining becomes the best way to meet the locals. During our three-week trip in Vietnam it feels like we are offered thousands of fake designer sunglasses and clothing, DVDs and books. Rejected hawkers walk away, mostly smiling. Along the way, we learn there is "good fake" and "bad fake" in the quality of brand rip-offs; that the serpent in some bottled snake wine is plastic; that the fabric of my custom-made suit has been changed without my consent to make it "better". I am not sure but it is a bargain. In Hanoi - as throughout Vietnam - we eat well, steering clear of treats like weasel coffee and dog-meat diners. Invariably it is spring rolls and pizza for the kids and Vietnam's fragrant pho for the adults, but overall the food, the places and the people have buzzed our senses for the better. A busy street in Hanoi. GO2 - VIETNAM Getting there China Southern Airlines, Virgin and Korean Air are among the carriers flying to Hanoi. Staying there There are a host of B&B style hotels in the Old Quarter but most offer families two separate rooms with a hallway in between. LvT Homes apartment (about $A100 a night) was booked through HomeAway Holiday Rentals Hotel 6 on Sixteen is run by Australian Peter Wilkes whose Tet Lifestyle Collection offers a range of accommodation choices in Vietnam.