HN: Cheapest travel spot in the world

June 15, 2012 10:17 AM GMT+7

VGP – The capital city of Hanoi rang up as the most affordable travel spot globally for U.S. travelers, with a TripIndex cost of $141, according to TripAdvisor-the world’s largest travel site.

Illustration photo

The index is based on the combined costs for two of a one-night stay in a four-star hotel, one cocktail per person, a two-course dinner with a bottle of wine, and round-trip taxi transportation (two journeys of two miles). The costs listed apply to the upcoming summer months (June 1 – August 31, 2012).

The charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarters, 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.

By Kim Loan