Hanoi

Hanoi is a city still devoted to politics rather than business. But even though the Communist Party is still firmly in charge, and long lines form each day to catch a glimpse of the mummified Ho Chi Minh on display in a Soviet-style mausoleum, the city is not oppressive. The narrow streets that comprise the Old Quarter, many named in the medieval fashion after the trades long practiced there, are still wonderfully atmospheric places for a stroll.