Buzz
When the weather isn't favorable, you can still gather with friends at underground cafes, indoor amusement parks, or go to the movies to avoid the rain.
At this time, families and groups who have plans for a long holiday trip of 5 days have already prepared to set off. But those staying in Hanoi are wondering where to go and what to do during these days, especially when many weather forecasts indicate that thunderstorms may occur throughout the holiday.
Below are some suggestions for you to still have fun during the April 30th and May 1st holidays 'without fearing the rain':
Rain-viewing Cafes for Chats
The first place that comes to mind is cafes, where you can shelter from the rain, enjoy delicious drinks, and chat with friends. On regular days, seats in open spaces, in the garden or on the balcony are considered 'best sellers' of each cafe and often require queuing to get a seat. But on rainy days, indoor cafes with large glass windows for rain-watching and parking spaces right next to the cafe are the top choice. Surely you wouldn't want to have to struggle with raincoats or walk a long distance in the rain before reaching the cafe after parking.
If you don't want to revisit familiar cafes, then go online or ask friends about newly opened cafes during this time for interesting experiences. Take advantage of this time to try out new places that you haven't had the chance to visit due to busy schedules.
Here are some beautiful places for you: Cup of Tea (Linh Lang street), Cosa Notra (Tong Dan street), Cộng cà phê (Nhà Chung – Nhà Thờ crossroads), Metro cafe (Nguyen Khac Can street), Domi cafe (Chua Lang street)…
Indoor Fun
Another popular rain shelter spot is indoor amusement parks in Hanoi, including Royal City and Times City. Although they have been open for a while, these two places never lose their appeal, especially for the advantage of 'no rain, no sun'.
At Royal City, you can dine at various food streets offering Vietnamese, Asian (Thai, Japanese, Korean), European cuisines or fast food, catering to all family members. Additionally, children can enjoy various games such as indoor water park, ice skating, or role-playing in KizCity. Couples can watch movies at the Platinum cinema underground. Tech, home appliances, or fashion enthusiasts can shop in the remaining streets.
Similarly at Times City, you can dine and shop underground, although the scale and quantity are less than Royal. You can also visit the first underground aquarium in Vietnam with a price of around 200,000 VND for families and children.
However, it's advisable to prepare mentally because on rainy and windy days, especially on holidays, the influx of customers here promises to be very large.
Go for a buffet with family
On holidays, for families, dining out is an essential activity. But in rainy and windy weather, this becomes more daunting than ever. Moreover, agreeing on where to go and what to eat to suit each member is quite a headache.
Therefore, buffet dining would be the most suitable option because you and your family don't have to travel from place to place but still get to enjoy a variety of dishes, catering to everyone's preferences. Nowadays, finding a buffet restaurant in Hanoi is not difficult at all, even if your preferences are quite picky, such as wanting seafood, grilled dishes, or vegetarian options, there are still restaurants that can meet them.
The buffet prices are also considered quite reasonable, ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 Vietnamese dong per person, not much more expensive than à la carte restaurants, sometimes even cheaper, and yet offering a wide variety of dishes for the family to choose from.
Some suggestions for you: Sứ buffet (64 Nguyễn Du) with beautiful interior; Sen restaurant chain: tBuffet Sen (60 Lý Thái Tổ), Sen Nam Thanh (84B Nguyễn Du), Sen Tây Hồ (514 Lạc Long Quân), Maison Sens (61 Trần Hưng Đạo); Seoul Garden (33 Trần Hưng Đạo) and 5th floor of Vincom (191 Bà Triệu); Ngọc Mai restaurant, 17th floor of Ruby Plaza (44 Lê Ngọc Hân) with a beautiful view; Chef Dzung restaurant, 2nd floor, 71 Nguyễn Chí Thanh…
Invite friends for a movie night out
Movie theaters are a familiar spot for the youth, whether it's a holiday or not. On rainy and windy days, even more people think of this destination to escape the wet and narrow streets. During this holiday season, international movie fans will be satisfied with the extensive schedule of exciting films.
You can choose from a variety of movies: Frozen, Rio 2, Beauty and the Beast, Evil Wife, Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier, Extraordinary Intelligence, Lucky Mishap, Assassin, The Final Mission, Amazing Spider-Man 2, Lost Secrets. In addition, two movies, Bounty Hunter and Love Diary, will be released from May 2nd.
You can visit theaters like CGV Vincom Bà Triệu and Mipec Tower, Lotte Cinema Keangnam and Hà Đông, Platinum Cineplex The Garden, Platinum Vincom Long Biên, Platinum in Royal City or Times City, National Cinema Center, Tháng 8 theater… It's advisable to buy tickets early because even less popular theaters will be overloaded during the holidays.
According to Ngôi Sao
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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour
MytourApril 29, 2014
