A City on The Move: Hanoi’s Scooter Culture

September 26, 2014

There are just over 6 million people in Hanoi, and almost 5 million scooters. To say that motorbikes have taken over the city’s alleys and streets, feels like an understatement. The city’s main form of transport, and prized beasts of burden, it is not unusual to watch them whizzing down the street carrying an entire family or a tottering basket of flowers.

In a city that often feels turned inside out, with pavements becoming the spaces for street-side food stalls and makeshift motorbike parking lots, pedestrians are encouraged to walk alongside the stream of converging combustion engines.

Whether you want to hail a taxi, or simply make it to the other side of the street, we recommend steeling your nerves and embracing the chaos.