Have you ever heard of Le Mat snake village in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi? It is not on everyone’s itinerary and it is certainly a very unusual experience. Le Mat is an area known for its snake farms, snake alcohol and even snake restaurants. It is a truly unique attraction. Read more about how to visit Le Mat snake village in Hanoi.
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How to get to Le Mat
Public transport
There are many bus lines around Hanoi. You can for sure get to Le Mat on a public bus if you want to go low budget. These are the lines going near the area: 59, 11, 15,17, 42, 43, 48, 54, 122. Just keep in mind you will probably have to change the bus a few times and it might take long time to reach Le Mat this way. It might be hard to find the right lines and navigate around such a big city. Personally I recommend using Grab.
Grab taxi
Grab is the best and easiest way to get to Le Mat in my opinion. If you are coming from the Old Quarter it will only cost you around 4€ by car and 2€ by a motorbike. The journey will take 15-20 minutes. The fares change throughout the day. You will certainly not need to wait long for your transfer since there is many Grab drivers around Hanoi. If you are a solo traveler and brave enough to cruise around Hanoi on a motorbike go for it! We love using the bikes so much.
By joining a tour
Of course there is always an option to join a tour. It is great since everything is organised and you don’t need to worry about it. The disadvantage is that it lacks the freedom you have when exploring on your own. You might have really nice and friendly encounters with locals when you come alone. With tour it’s different. It is up to you which way you prefer. We listed some tour options below.
Best time to visit Hanoi
The best time to visit Hanoi is either autumn (September – November) or spring (March – May). The weather is very pleasant during this periods. It is not too hot, not too cold. Perfect for exploring the capital of Vietnam. Winter can be quite cold so make sure you have some warmer clothes with you. Summer on the other hand gets too hot. Between May and September Hanoi has monsoon season full of rainy days.
How to visit Le Mat snake village
...on your own
It is very easy to visit Le Mat area on your own without guided tours. Simply take a grab or take a bus and get off in the area. Wander around and you will find many snake farms and places offering snake dishes. The locals usually don’t speak English so make sure you have Google translate ready. You can explore the places where tours won’t take you – less visited farms and home restaurants instead of „tourist trap“ places. Keep reading to find out what to do in Le Mat.
TIP: There is no entrance fee or opening hours. You are expected to buy something once you visit a snake farm.
...with a tour
If you want a hassle free experience book one of many tours going to Le Mat. The tours usually take around 3-5 hours. Most tours take you to a restaurant where you get to experience different snake meals. Some offer a snake farm visit as well. Snake wine is another must-try specialty. The tours cost anywhere between 50 – 100€ including the meals and a guide. Take a look at this Le Mat village tour or this half day experience.
Things to do in Le Mat snake village
1. Visit snake farms
Price: around 80 000 VND for snake wine tasting
Visiting a snake farm is something you can’t skip. It is a good way to understand the local culture and learn more about how and why the snakes are bred. The locals will tell you about the whole process. You can take a closer look at the snakes and their eggs. We highly recommend trying the famous snake wine.
2. Try snake shots
Tasting a snake wine is an experience you can’t skip in Le Mat. It is a rice wine where snakes are soaked for a long period of time (months or even years). Sounds a bit scary, doesn’t it? We were surprised that you can’t actually taste the snake at all. It feels like you’re just drinking shots. The owner of the farm we visited gave us around 5-6 different shots and drank with us. It felt surreal to get drunk from a snake wine on Monday morning 😀
TIP: There are many snake farms in the area. We visited a family run Chien snake farm and can recommend this place. The owner is very friendly and willing to answer all your questions.
Also read...
3. Try snake dishes
Price: 1 000 000 VND for 2 people
There are multiple snake restaurants you can visit. Some of them are on Google but most are not. The Chien snake farm offers snake dishes too. We decided to change the place for snake meals and see something different. We went to one of the best reviewed places in the area – Hung restaurant. You can choose a snake. Usually it’s cobra (better for more people since it’s huge) or smaller bamboo snake. Most restaurants will prepare multiple small dishes from the snake
You can decide if you want to watch the snake being killed and chopped. If you want, you can even drink a shot of rice wine with fresh snake blood. It tastes like alcohol but you won’t be able to get over the fact that it’s fresh blood in there. Some of the meals taste surprisingly good while others were hard to eat.
Other things to do in Hanoi
1. Train street
Train times: 5:20, 6:00, 11:45, 15:35, 19:10, 19:30
One of the most famous attractions in the city. Train street is a very narrow street where train passes a few times each day. Locals lined it up with different cafes to make your waiting more pleasant. Nothings beats drinking a cup of coffee with a train passing with suprising speed right in front of your face.
2. Hanoi's Old Quarter
Hanoi’s Old Quarter is one of the oldest areas in the city, more than 2000 years old. It is a bustling center full of life. The streets are narrow and lined with old houses of locals. Every street is full of different vendors selling various products. You will encounter many locals walking around with a carrying poles typical for Vietnam. Taste different streetfood and get closer to Vietnamese culture.
Vietnam is also known for its quality coffee. You’ll find that Vietnam offers a few specialty coffees, which you can’t find elsewhere! If you want to learn more about the coffee making process, join the following class:
3. Hoan Kiem Lake & Jade island
Hoan Kiem Lake is a beautiful relaxed area in the center of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Take a walk around the lake and escape the narrow busy streets of Old Quarter here. It feels like a relaxing haven in the middle of chaos. The lake is best visited during sunrise when locals come to practice yoga or tai-chi. During weekend you might encounter different events in this area. There is also Jade island on the lake where you can visit Ngoc Son temple for around 1€.
4. Visit different cafes
Vietnam is one of the biggest coffee exporters in the world. Not surprising that Hanoi is full of cute cafes that offer not only delicious coffee but amazing atmosphere too. On every street there is at least one cafe with good vibes. Some of the cafes we recommend are The Note Coffee, Hidden Gem Coffee and Tranquil Books and Coffee.
5. Go on a day trip to Ha Long
Ha Long bay is probably one of the most famous natural attractions in Vietnam. Known for it’s stunning landscapes and limestone karsts it is one of the most beautiful areas in the whole country. Tours around Ha Long bay usually include boat cruise, swimming, snorkelling, beach visits and kayaking. Visiting as a day trip from Hanoi is a bit more rushed since it takes 2-3 hours only to get there. If you are short on time it’s great option. If you have time to spare read this guide on how to visit Ha Long Bay without crowds.
Where to stay
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Where to eat in Hanoi
- Tungs Kitchen – a bit more expensive but extremely delicious Vietnamese food
- Best Bunch Cha in town (seriously!)
- Roti bun corner – not a name of restaurant, it’s just 2 stalls next to each other
- Bánh Mi 25
