hanoi or not. advice needed please

[pumpjack]

i did initially book hanoi a few months ago but the more i read the more i am not going to like it,  i just wanted a change from thailand and also my girl and i have had some fall outs lately so im going to head there alone.

 

what is hanoi like,  is there a curfew everywhere ?     i like bars and obviously some nice company while there . not going to monger but im not going to sit in at night twiddling my thumbs alone either. 

 

i will fly to saigon also so whats saigon like to stay compared to hanoi.   is saigon a better choice .  

 

is it better to get out of hanoi and over to cat ba island ?  whats it like ? 

 

is it cheaper than thailand and do i need a visa on arrival though have googled and i think its a free 30 days.   just want your advice from anyone who has actually been there.

 

cheers

[tutsiwarrior]

if you want booze and women Saigon is the better choice...with maybe a side trip down to Vung Tau...

[siam2007]

for sure SGN is a lot more relaxed and easygoing. Think of Hanoi as the BEIJING of Vietnam. The communist government sits there, after all. VungTau is indeed a nice side trip and a lot more pleasant than I had expected. SGN wins all the way, Hanoi more aggressive atmosphere, though the beer is as cheap as in SGN

[Ulysses G.]

I lived in Hanoi for 6 months and really enjoyed it, but more "action" in Saigon. Cat Ba gets boring after a few days.