Specifically, the capital city is ranked third among the 20 Best Food Destinations, and 17th in the 25 Popular Destinations.

In its description of Hanoi, the site said that “the charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarter, monuments and colonial architecture, while making room for modern developments alongside.

Hanoi may have shrugged off several former names, including Thang Long, or ‘ascending dragon,’ but it hasn't forgotten its past, as sites such as Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison attest.

Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the appeal of this city, which is easily explored by taxi”.

Some renowned dishes of Hanoi include “pho” (noodle soup), bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli), banh cuon (rolled rice pancakes), banh mi (Vietnamese baguettes), and ca phe trung (egg coffee).

Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best is the annual award by Tripadvisor. The award is meant to be given to destinations whose hotels, restaurants and things-to-do received a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the community over a 12-month period.

Fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings are awarded Best of the Best, signifying the highest level of excellence in travel./.VNA