Summer travel: Tourist destinations that should not be on your list
Alternative: Bangkok. Shopping is better, and a much more vibrant food, drinks and café scene. If Angkor Wat is what you want to see, you will have to go to Siem Reap.
However, steer clear of Pub Street. Aggressive tuk-tuk drivers offering you “cheap" rides to your hotel can be easily dealt with but the constant flow of touts offering weed, “lady boom-boom" and massages can get on your nerves, especially in the congested, noisy, hot and sweaty Pub Street. Yes, you do find draught beer for 50 cents, but it is rubbish and the restaurants serve average food at fine-dining prices.
Alternative: There are plenty of rooftop bars and restaurants along the riverfront just a short walk from Pub Street. What’s more, there is loads of delicious street food to try along the same stretch. Given the current heat wave sweeping several parts of South and Southeast Asia, nothing sounds more comforting than a beer street till you reach Beer Street in Hanoi.
Beer Street comes alive around sunset and that’s when vehicles are banned from entering the area. So, you need to walk there, but all you will find is a narrow street packed with people sitting on tiny stools drinking beer and eating hurriedly put together food at “tourist" prices that we would rail against in India. Forget locals, even expats who have spent a couple of months in Hanoi would ask you to steer clear of Beer Street and head to less busy neighbourhoods where you aren’t at risk of losing your wallet, watch, phone and other belongings.
Alternative: Head to the Tay Ho neighbourhood. The bars are classier, and the restaurants, food and ambience, better. Ubud is beautiful once you get away from the maddening traffic that includes far too many yoga influencers heading to go-to
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