There are a million and one cool places in Hanoi. This old world city in north Vietnam is a quirky fusion of East meets West. Hanoi has undergone rapid changes since economic reforms in 1986, but, despite the flood of foreign investment, the city hasn’t quite joined the 1990’s.

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is very bizarre. This slab of Soviet architecture houses the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh (founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1946 until his death in 1969). The Mausoleum only opens for a few hours and is a good start to a days sight-seeing. Guards in bleached white uniforms march visitors single-file along plush red carpet to the tomb’s freezing bowels. It’s impossible to get a good look because the room where Ho Chi Minh lies in state is virtually pitch black. By the time you’ve been whisked around your eyes have barely adjusted to the dark. You are left with an image of a ghostly hologram glowing in the soft, yellow lighting.

Back in the blistering daylight things seem a lot cheerier. A short bike ride away is the Pastry and Yoghurt Shop at 252 Hang Bong St. The French patisserie was frequented by Catherine Deneuve when she filmed Indochine in 1993. You sit at funny little plastic tables and order delicious ham and cheese toasted sandwiches, croissants and creme caramels which are served on dainty flower-patterned china straight out of a Jane Austen novel.

A stroll around the Old Quarter is the way to work off the calories. The streets are organised by trades; silk, paper, baskets and coffins to name a few. After stocking up on essentials such as silk pyjamas it’s time to think about lunch.

Hoan Lac Cafe is a delightful place on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake. The cafe, set up this year by an American-Vietnamese entrepreneur, serves excellent crusty salad baguettes and iced mochas — if you feel really greedy, try a Sinful Love Bar icecream. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth every dollar. A more modest, but equally tasty spot is Bun Bo — a small Vietnamese restaurant at 67 Hang Dieu St. For 60US cents you get a large bowl of noodles. Bun Bo is always packed with Vietnamese and part of the fun is the dodgy electric wiring that hangs from the ceilings. Provided you safely negotiate the cables it’s a place you’ll want to visit again and again.

If you need a rest take in a 4pm showing of the water puppets, an ancient artform unique to Vietnam, at the Temple of Literature on Quoc Tu Giang St. A warning — don’t sit in the front row unless you want to get soaked. If you’re interested in more recent Vietnamese history try the Airforce Museum on Truong Kiet St. It’s a 30 minute ride south of Hoan Kiem Lake. It houses vivid photographs of the war with the Americans. Outside is a vast collection of captured planes and tanks. Dinner at the famous Little Italian is a must. The scrumptious range of pasta, pizzas and Australian wine are a welcome relief if you’re tired of Asian cuisine. This delightful restaurant at 78 Tho Nhuom St has the advantage of being a short stroll from The Pub on 52 Ly Thuong Kiem St. The Pub is a recreated English pub. It isn’t cheap, but the air conditioning is divine.

Hanoi isn’t complete without a visit to a night club. By 11pm the only people around are a few tourists, bleary-eyed cyclo drivers kipping between jobs and the traffic police. Three years ago the most exciting night out in Hanoi was a dance in one of the grand old hotels, a Friday night drink at the Australian Embassy or a beer at the Apocalypse Now Bar while listening to George Michael.

There are a number of clubs, but the place of the moment is the Hanoi Roxy on Ta Hien St. Opened this summer, the converted theatre packs in tourists and Vietnamese trendies who dance away to hip-hop, techno and dance tracks mixed by a British DJ. It’s the only night-club I’ve seen with an in-door motorbike parking space. The great news is that after you’ve slept off the hangover you can start again at the Fine Arts Museum, Lenin Park or West Lake — the list is endless.