Life-a learning experience: Guided by The Lighthouse.

The Old Quarter is the epicenter of night life in Hanoi. In addition to the various pubs and clubs, a number of street side drinking holes are erected on nearly every corner throughout the quarter. These makeshift bars are a wonderful place to mingle with locals and tourists while enjoying inexpensive cocktails in between visits to the formal pubs. A glass of homemade Hanoi beer can be enjoyed for $0.25, while a cocktail will set you back $1.50.

While you might think this epicenter of fun would go on all night with activity, that certainly isn't the case. A strict curfew is in place and officials start making the rounds at midnight to ensure that all the pubs and clubs are closing. But the fun doesn't stop just because the curfew has been enforced. Locals are quick to tell you about a few underground clubs, close to the Old Quarter, that are open for after-hour partying.

On our first night out in the Old Quarter we were directed to take a taxi to The Lighthouse which opened at 1 am. Six of us piled into a taxi and made our way toward the club. As the taxi turned onto a dark street, we were approached by few young boys once we exited the car. We were shushed, any noise would give us away to the authorities, and escorted by flashlight to a warehouse down a narrow alley.

Once we arrived to The Lighthouse it was amazing to see this hidden party taking place just doors away from the sleepy neighborhood. An eclectic crowd of locals and tourists joined together and danced the early morning hours away to a mix of traditional and Western music.

The same rules apply to exiting The Lighthouse as entering. You are escorted out by a few young boys, who keep reminding you to keep quiet, as you wait to load into a taxi. This after-hour scene is a unique experience to take in at least once while visiting Hanoi.

Pre game at our hostel with a few fellow travelers.