伟大的隐藏，远离喧嚣中心

We had a wonderful time in Lien's house. If you are looking for a real Vietnamese experience with a local family, this is your opportunity...She is great! Always helping us, giving a lot recommendations, making some bookings like bus, taxi. Etc!
It's very easy to get to the old town by bus.
We felt at home. The area is quite, specially during the night, wich is good for sleeping and resting. We highly recommend Lien homestay. And by the way Lien and her son Quang, both speak very good English.

Homestay in Lien’s place is very comfortable. The room is very clean and the surrounding is quiet. I took pleasure in traditional Vietnamese food in the morning. Especially Vietnamese coffee dripped by her son Quang was remarkably mouthwatering.
Since Lien and Quang can speak English fluently, they gave me a resourceful guide to Hanoi, so I could know the real Hanoi culture such as Vietnamese street food and coffee.
Moreover, they kindly helped me to travel to Sapa by making reservations for the bus.
I strongly recommend staying at Lien’s house!

Lien lives in a great town house in Long Bien, across the river and a 10 to 15 minute drive from the hustle and bustle of central Hanoi, about 50k VND in an Uber or Grab or 60k in a taxi.
Lien was especially kind to us on our first evening with her. We had booked her cousin to collect us from the airport and since our airline had lost our luggage he had to wait much longer than anticipated. When we got to her home she also provided some toiletries to use and clothes to borrow.
Our room was clean, well appointed and filled with abundant drinks and small snacks, very welcome after a hard day of travel.
She helped us around the immediate neighbourhood the next day, pointing out good places to eat cheaply and finding a provider of Vietnamese SIM cards. When our bags finally arrived she handled the calls from the delivery service and also did a load of laundry for us. Later on in our stay she was of great assistance in booking excursions to the Ninh Binh and Halong Bay areas, kindly preparing breakfast for us before an early departure. She also helped to make arrangements for a modification to the tour itinerary.
The only word of caution I would offer is that light sleepers may be bothered in the very early morning by the noises of the surrounding area - dogs, cockerels etc - as well as some construction work that is happening across the street. Otherwise I would recommend Lien’s place to anyone looking for a base to explore Hanoi, especially if they are new to the city and Vietnam in general. Lien is a truly wonderful, courteous and professional host.