After several hours of travelling, I arrived at Noi Bai airport on a Friday morning. VCV organised a taxi to my accommodation, so I was able to relax and get from the airport to our neighbourhood. My first impression of Hanoi: huge, noisy, unique. The ride took about 40 minutes and we arrived at our quiet neighbourhood in the Korean district. Thu was waiting for me and took me to my apartment. There I met the first volunteers and as it was almost lunch time, we had lunch soon after. One of the nice things about VCV is that they provide us with lunch and dinner and some of the staff also eat with us. This makes the experience even more authentic.
The area around the VCV apartment is a very quiet residential area with small restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and a small park. The small streets are very inviting – whether for a walk in the sun, a coffee in the morning or a night out in the evening. The people here are very friendly and curious and always welcome new volunteers. There is also a well-equipped fitness centre just a few minutes’ walk from the apartment, which offers yoga, Sparkcycle and other group fitness classes. There is also a large shopping centre that offers a huge supermarket as well as clothes, books and household goods. The VCV apartment is very well located: quiet but central, with plenty of places to go out and about, yet only 25 minutes from the old town.
Julia from Switzerland