Book excerpt: DID YOU KNOW? THERE IS A SECRET TUNNEL IN A LOCAL BAR USED BY PATRIOTS. AND A SECRET CAFE HIDDEN AWAY INSIDE AN ANCIENT HOUSE FULL OF ANTIQUES. When you travel across the world to get to here and with a limited time frame, you want to experience the authentic Hanoi. 'Hanoi Old Quarter City Walks' guides you to where hidden treasures and cultural icons are. Just choose one of the carefully planned city walks and follow the easy directions and maps. You can create your own silk route in Hang Gai Street or sip jasmine blossom tea in a restored traditional house full of historical photos and oriental antiques. Once you know where to go in the city, you can avoid being taken from pillar to pagoda by expensive tour operators (who expect big tips at the end of it.) Hanoi Old Quarter is very easy to navigate like a local. Just plan your own walks, head out of your hotel and walk the streets yourself If you prefer to discover a city in your own time and at your own pace, then all you need is a great guide book. Two English expats living like locals for 8 years, researched Hanoi's history, walked the streets and wrote this 'walking specific' guidebook in clear, easy to understand English. For the first time, the famous streets of Hanoi's Ancient Old Quarter come alive on the pages of this new D.I.Y street walking guide. Explore the vibrant, interesting neighborhoods in a complete and efficient way. Discover true insider insights from two expatriates who know and love this vibrant 'Paris of the East.' As with many cities, there's no better way to experience local street life than by using your own two feet. Walking as a tourist in an ancient Asian city can be exhilarating and exciting when you know exactly where to go. Open the right doors with this guide to the Old Quarter and walk in the footsteps of a thousand years of Vietnamese traditions. The text is a true insiders view of the Old Quarter streets: accurate descriptions of history, where to stop, shop, eat, drink and explore.ONE OF TWO NEW FAT NOODLE GUIDEBOOKS WRITTEN BY TWO CREATIVE EXPATS. NOW YOU CAN HELP YOURSELF TO THE REAL VIETNAMESE EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU TRAVEL IN VIETNAM EVEN IF YOUR TRIP HAS A LIMITED BUDGET OR TIGHT TRAVEL SCHEDULE...you get the real authentic experience. Concise and relevant. If you love to eat street food, check out the companion guide to this book of street walking tours. Fat Noodle's Vietnamese Street Food Translations of 600 traditional street foods. Know what to order from local food vendors and delicious street food becomes an integral part of your street walking experience. And memories you take back from Vietnam. Vietnamese street food is now translated into English for the first time ( and into German) In both books, the authors share the Hanoi Old Quarter and the Vietnam they have come to know. The places, people, food and history... in their 'culture authentic' Fat Noodle guidebooks. Designed for every traveler who want to get as much authenticity into their vacation as possible, within the time restraints of the busy outbound and inbound travel schedules.