Experience the real Vietnam…at your own risk.

Moon River Retreat is on the outskirts of Hanoi. Most taxi drivers find it after several phone calls and stopping to ask a few people for directions. The elusive location has lovely grounds overlooking the Red River, and by the looks of things, our room was gorgeous. Antique furniture, detailed décor. Our room came complete with the clucking lizards and a traditional Vietnamese bat that began to do figure 8's after we turned off the overhead lights to go to sleep.

Based on the mildew smell of the bed linens and towels, and the fact that I had to plug in every light and the stereo, it's possible no one at all had stayed at this place for months.

I can overlook stinky sheets and towels, and even the standard lizards that come with every room. However, I could not ignore the bat. When we told the manager about this, he already knew the bat was in the room. "Oh yeah, most people keep a bat in their house to... more